Back in 1981 I lived on an RSPB Bird Reserve, the Ouse Washes, in the English Fens. For many reasons it was one of the best years of my life. I had just turned twenty and had left my home town of Preston for good. 'I am The Beat' by the Look was in the charts and The Lord of the Rings was serialised on BBC Radio 4. As Winter gave way to Spring on the Washes, Wednesday nights were, for half an hour, the preserve of Gandalf, Frodo, Balrog and Sauron. It was a truly atmospheric radio series, adapted by Brian Sibley, made all the more 'precious' as there was no TV in the Washes volunteers' hut, which we called Cygnus. For a few bright months, as the Reed Warblers flew, the Ouse Washes was alive with sounds of Middle Earth and the horn of Gondor!
Did anyone else listen to it?
3 comments:
We wants it, we do!
Beautiful enrichment of the experience by your surroundings Woodsy! I enjoyed reading the books one particular fall season when I was often out-doors and the 'atmosphere' of the books seemed to mesh with the season and my thoughts. Tolkien is one of the few authors who did that for me. How much better it must have been on the English countryside!
I have the boxed set of...Tapes, remember them, they was cuttin'edge technostuff init! And the Hobbit! still listen to them occasionally...good stuff!
H
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