Anyone see in the Mail last nght about the plans for a 20foot statue of an Ent in the centre of Moseley?

Looks well snazzy :)

whats an ent?

http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Treebeard_L.jpg

oh yeah now i remember!

Plans for a 25 ft statue of one of Tolkien's Ents to be sited in the centre of Moseley have divided the Birmingham district.

Residents groups and local businesses have backed the proposals for the "iconic" structure which they believe would attract people to the neighbourhood and put Moseley on the international map.

However, heritage campaigners have objected to the size of the statute which they claim would be "over the top" for its earmarked location at the village green.

Local residents behind the plans are consulting with the community to gauge public opinion.

A planning application has not been drawn up for the proposals, which have been designed by Tim Tolkien, great nephew of JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The £30,000 that the statue would be expected to cost would be raised through an internet sale of metalic leaves at the feet of the Ent. Tolkien fans would pay to have their names engraved on the leaves.

David Guest, chairman of the Moseley Forum, is spearheading the plans for a statue to celebrate the writer's links with the local community.

He said: "The traders are very enthusiastic because they believe the statue would bring people into Moseley and be an economic benefit tot he area.

"We believe this statue would be internationally known and would also entice visitors to other local attractions associated with Tolkien, such as Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog.

"We are hoping the statue would be built by next year. Some people are against the plans, but then the Eiffel Tower faced opposition and what would Paris be now without it."

Tim Tolkien will be speaking at the annual general meeting of local heritage group The Moseley Society tonight.

Fiona Adams, chairwoman of the group, said: "We are not opposed to public art on the green but we think it has to be in proportion to the setting. What is being proposed it really over the top.

"We would rather have something on a more human scale, not on the scale of a tree."

Coun Martin Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley and Kings Heath) said: "I think it is a brilliant idea and is in keeping with the area."

Fucking tossers opposing it...

"We would rather have something on a more human scale, not on the scale of a tree."

Something that people wont notice then?

And don't they have full sized trees in moseley??

Can't they just build a real size replica of Minas Mogual*?

We could do with more 120meter towers in South Birmingham, an evil one to match up to the one at the University.

*I have no idea if I've spelt that right, and I'm not quite sad enough to check.

Minas Morgul :)

That would be nice...

With a Minas Tirith over in Smethwick as well :happy:

bloody NIMBYS everywhere

Bostin idea.
Can't think why people would oppose it - it will be the size of another tree! Maybe they can't quite picture what 25ft is in a vertical context.
Can anyone remind me where the village green is in Moseley.

I think it's just on the main road by the crossroads...

It'd be a great place for it if so.

more info on Treebeard the Ent and the Moseley statue group (http://www.davidisgrove.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/TolkienStatue/statuesketches.htm)

Thanks for the link.Lets hope this gets the nod and at a decent size too.At least tree size!

http://www.tuckborough.net/images/barad-dur.jpg

I would much rather see this built. A giant lightbulb, would certainly lower crime.

It could replace the pathetic flame of hope in Centenary Square

The only thing I can see wrong with the ent is it'll attract a load of loony aging hippy types looking for Tom Bommbadil. But if you don't like that sort of person, you wouldn't be living in Mosely.

It could replace the pathetic flame of hope in Centenary Square
With gas prices going up 14%, maybe its time we switched to an electric light bulb.

Smiley, what's happened to your drum-playing-banana avatar?

It could replace the pathetic flame of hope in Centenary Square

I've always referred to it as "The Flame Of Despair" actually....

:D

I saw the proposal for the ent, looks fantastic

broze and streel leaves will be placed around the base and you can buy one and have your name engraved on it......great idea

With gas prices going up 14%, maybe its time we switched to an electric light bulb.

Smiley, what's happened to your drum-playing-banana avatar?

Yeah that was cool, but so was his square yellow anti-smileyface from ages back, and the top "kangarillapig : hippocrocafrog" signature line :)

here's the thread

I think the forum has worked really well of late what with its letters to the Birmingham Post etc.Instead of simply moaning we've been proactive and responded with e-mails and letters.Maybe its time we air our views on this topic too.It would be a wonderful addition to the area.

Maybe we, ok I should sponser a (little) leaf, or possibly bud...

edited to add, I've sent a little email asking them how it's going.http://www.davidisgrove.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/TolkienStatue/statuenews.htm

I think the forum has worked really well of late what with its letters to the Birmingham Post etc.Instead of simply moaning we've been proactive and responded with e-mails and letters.Maybe its time we air our views on this topic too.It would be a wonderful addition to the area.

Nacho, do you/have you lived in the Moseley area ?. Some of the folks down there are a bit up their own arses when it comes to " their village " and the prospect of a 25ft "statue" is a bit too "common/gimmicky" for them. Perhaps they would like the stinking victorian toilets rebuilding there. Personally i think that when he dies, they should stuff Pete the Feet and stick him on a plinth right in the middle of the green. :)

I've never lived in Moseley but I was hoping that they would be a little more open minded than the Talibans from Edgbaston.

I live in Moseley, not too far from the green and it will look fantastic. Got a letter from planning department if want to make comments.

Good example of public art and regeneration and adds to Moseley's bohemian quality.

I live in Moseley too and I dont honestly think this will get built. One thing about Moseley people is that whatever they feel, they feel strongly about it and I think there is just too much opposition for it to happen. They might compromise on a smaller statue which will then probabaly just look crap anyway. I dont know if the full sized version will look good or cheesy myself. I dont think anyone knows until it gets built...

This thing has already been rumbing on for quite a while. They have already had to scale down plans for the ENT to be holding a person in one hand as this would have been too scary for the people of Moseley :D It looks like they have given him a smiling face as well!!!

I think they should put him somewhere less controversial, maybe near to the entrance to Moseley Park [the one between the shops] where he will blend in a little better with the surrounding trees. You can't deny that on the green he would be a bit in your face if you don't like it.

The Ent has been in the news today.Click below for extended article and photo.

Plan for Tolkien tribute unveiled Apr 7 2006


By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail


AN EYE-catching new plan for a 20ft tree statue tribute to Lord of the Rings writer JRR Tolkien has been unveiled.

Plans for the striking sculpture were unveiled today after an earlier proposal was scrapped following a spate of objections.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_objectid=16916646%26method=full%26siteid=50002%26headline=plan%2dfor%2dtolkien%2dtribute%2dunveiled-name_page.html

The Ent has been in the news today.Click below for extended article and photo.

Plan for Tolkien tribute unveiled Apr 7 2006


By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail


AN EYE-catching new plan for a 20ft tree statue tribute to Lord of the Rings writer JRR Tolkien has been unveiled.

Plans for the striking sculpture were unveiled today after an earlier proposal was scrapped following a spate of objections.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_objectid=16916646%26method=full%26siteid=50002%26headline=plan%2dfor%2dtolkien%2dtribute%2dunveiled-name_page.html

and on the bbc website >>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4891762.stm with a picture I don't think we've seen before.

"A Lord of the Rings sculpture planned for Birmingham is to be moved so it does not distract drivers.

The 20ft (6m) statue is being proposed by the great-nephew of JRR Tolkien who wrote the popular fantasy trilogy.

The sculpture by Tim Tolkien would depict the character Treebeard from the books and is planned for Moseley Green, close to where Tolkien grew up.

Mr Tolkien said it could be placed among trees instead of on the pavement so it is hidden from motorists.

JRR Tolkien was born in South Africa on 3 January, 1892 but moved with his family to Wake Green Road in Moseley at the age of three.

His great-nephew said a tribute to the author had been planned for a long time.

Moseley connections

"It has been part of a process I have been involved in for quite a few years," he said.

He said many options had been looked at but the sculpture of Treebeard was inspired by the idea that Moseley Green was once an open space.

"It is about bringing the forest or the green back into Moseley town," he added....

The idea for the Treebeard statue first came to light in the late 1990s when people living in Moseley said they would like to celebrate the area's connections with JRR Tolkien.

Tim Tolkien was formally commissioned to make the sculpture about one year ago. The new plans for the statue will go before council planners following earlier objections from highways officials."

and on the bbc website >>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4891762.stm with a picture I don't think we've seen before.



Not sure Mahill it looks like the same render in the icbirmingham article?

Oddly though the text (icbrum) talks about the statue being redone in a bronzey colour but the drawing is in the original stainless steel.

Oddly though the text (icbrum) talks about the statue being redone in a bronzey colour but the drawing is in the original stainless steel.
I was thinking the same thing. They should really have tried to put together a more accurate render, given that the use of stainless steel was one the gripes that led to protests. Those people may see this render and get on their high horse again.

Although the protests have caused the statue to be reduced in height, I think moving it into the trees and giving it a bronze colouring, rather than silver, is an overall improvement.

We are the nights who say Ni!



Reminds me, do you think we should go onto the Macherster forums and taunt them? :D

They should put it in Hall Green, At Sarehole Mill. Hall Green has a bigger Tolkien conection than Moseley, 5 Gracewell cottage, Sarehole Mill, The Dell and even most of Moseley Bog (beleive it or not) are in Hall green.

Hall Green is also where the Tolkien festival is held anually which attracts people from all over the country and the world. I'm sure that no one would object to the statue been erected there.

Hall Green is also where the Tolkien festival is held anually which attracts people from all over the country and the world. .

Any links to this Brummie Nick?

I think Birmingham has been very slow to exploit this.A lot more could be done I reckon.What does everyone think?

Agree, just watching the first of the newish films*, they've really missed a trick on explot, err making the most of the JJR Tolkein bandwagon.

I think the Statue, would be better in more tree like colours than silver, unless Ent's are silver Beechs I suppose.


*which I don't like, they keep fiddling with the plot in small irritatingly pointless ways. But everone else liked it, so what do I know...

Also not heard back from the email I sent a couple of weeks ago.

Any links to this Brummie Nick?

I think Birmingham has been very slow to exploit this.A lot more could be done I reckon.What does everyone think?

I'm from Hall Green and used to spend a lot of time at Sarehole Mill as a kid, it really is an amazing place to have in a big, industrial city.

I was driving through there last year and found the roads choc-a-bloc with people heading to the Tolkien thing there, it already seems quite a big event.

Oh, and just up the road from Sarehole Mill, on Southam Road, is the house Tony Hancock was born in.

Does any other Brum suburb come near Hall Green for its celebrity-resident status?

Tolkien, Hancock, Nigel Mansell, Murray Walker. Pretty impressive.

I'm from Hall Green and used to spend a lot of time at Sarehole Mill as a kid, it really is an amazing place to have in a big, industrial city.

I was driving through there last year and found the roads choc-a-bloc with people heading to the Tolkien thing there, it already seems quite a big event.

Oh, and just up the road from Sarehole Mill, on Southam Road, is the house Tony Hancock was born in.

Does any other Brum suburb come near Hall Green for its celebrity-resident status?

Tolkien, Hancock, Nigel Mansell, Murray Walker. Pretty impressive.

I bumped into Toyah Wilcox at last years Tolkien Weekend, she's foxy as hell. Hall Green has it's Shire Country Park with a visitors centre being planned, and Perrots Folly is being made safe after years of neglect, I'm glad Moseley is hopefully getting this statue because it spreads things around rather than putting all the Tolkien things together. Tolkien had a Moseley connection, living on Wake Green Rd, and more people will see the statue in Moseley than just fans who would visit the Sarehole site. I think Birmingham needs to be careful to get the balance right with regards to tourism from the Tolkien connection. Take stratford-on-avon, they have huge numbers of tourists as Shakespears birthplace, but that's not necessarily good for all the residents. New Zealand has Tolkien tourism at the moment and it hgas adversely affected some sites, and while I'd like to see a visitors centre at Sarehole/Shire Park, and maybe something around Perrots Folly and waterworks tower, and lots of fans will have there photo taken with the Ent in Moseley, I'd hate to see somewhere like Moseley Bog which is a sensitive local nature reserve and has some interesting archaeological remains become a big tourist draw.

Gracewell cottage actually comes under Hall Green, the former village of Sarehole is part of Hall Green, it's where I live.

http://www.bplphoto.co.uk/TolkiensBirmingham/TolkienSarehole.htm

The Tolkien Festival is held at Shire Park, Hall green. It is held each year in May. Check it out its great, I go every year. Heres some links Nacho.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bagendinn1/tolkienweekend2005.html

http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=57688&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=13150

http://www.thealienonline.net/ao_030.asp?tid=1&scid=11&iid=2786

Thanks for the links.

Taken from today's Birmingham Mail

Tolkien exhibition to open in city Apr 10 2006


AN exhibition celebrating the life of JRR Tolkien is to open in Birmingham.

The author, who described the city as his home town, lived in Birmingham from 1895 to 1911 and gained inspiration for characters and landscapes in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

An exhibition of rare maps, photos and schools records are going on show at Birmingham Central Library as part of the annual English Festival.

An organiser said: "Tolkien celebrates trees in his writing - much of his Middle Earth is a green and pleasant land.

"People who have never visited Birmingham sometimes describe it as no more than a grimy industrial city but if you live in Birmingham, you may know that there are many green spaces, you may have heard that Birmingham has more trees than any other European city and more canals than Venice."


Tolkien lived in different parts of Birmingham as a boy - including Sarehole, Moseley, Kings Heath and Edgbaston - before moving to Oxford to study.

"Hi

The Tolkein Statue plans are now at the Planning Department and we are looking for letters of support. We have attached a copy of letter that you can send off. Please can you do so as soon as possible.

There is also a consultation meeting on Friday 28th April, at the CDT Building in Moseley (next to the Post Office) at 8pm. If you can come along to this to show your support, you are welcome to come along.

If you have friends/family/neighbours/work colleagues who also wish to send a letter of support this would be most appreciated.

Many thanks for your interest, we will be in touch shortly to let you know how we get on.

ALISTAIR DUNCOMBE
MOSELEY STATUE GROUP"

They got back to me!

Supporting the proposal for the Tolkien Ent Statue in Moseley


A renewed planning application for the Ent Statue in Moseley has been
submitted. If you want the statue to happen, we need your help:


IT IS CRUCIAL THAT AS MANY LETTERS OF SUPPORT AS POSSIBLE ARE SENT TO THE
PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE STATUE BY SENDING A LETTER OF SUPPORT

The last application received 31 objections and no letters of support! This
is no way reflects the actual support based on surveys and the general
response whenever the designs are displayed. If there weren't this
overwhelming support, we simply wouldn't be applying for permission.
However the application is likely to fail if the Planning Department does
not receive letters of support, so we need your help.


| |
|HOW YOU CAN HELP |
| |
|1 |
|Add your address. Telephone number and date to the attached draft |
|letter, sign it and send it by post or email to the Planning Department |
| |
| |
|Or preferably |
| |
| |
|2 |
|Do number 1, and also write in your own comment after the first |
|paragraph as to why you support the statue |
| |
| |
|Or preferably |
| |
| |
|3 |
|Write your own letter of support and send it to the Planning Department |
| |
|More information on supporting applications is available at: |
|http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=3241&CONTEN|
|T_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=12190&EXPAND=12185 |



THE STATUE WILL NOT BE BUILT IF THOSE WHO SUPPORT IT DO NOTHING

| |Senders Address: |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |Tel: |
|Paul Buckenham | |
|Planning Department | |
|PO Box 28 | |
|Alpha Tower | |
|Suffolk Street Queensway | |
|Birmingham | |
|B1 1TU | |
|planning.enquiries@birmingham| |
|.gov.uk | |


Dear Date:


RE: Planning Application S/01697/06/FUL
The proposal for the erection of a 6.5m high metal 'Ent' sculpture on the
Village Green by St Mary's Row, Moseley, Birmingham B13



I wish to support the planning application to build an Ent Statue in the
centre of Moseley,

I'm gonna sit on the fence there are some things about this ENT which trouble me. One problem is everything in Moseley gets tagged by little scumbags with time on their hands. The marker pens and sprays will be all over this shiny metallic object. Things soon look grotty when covered in graphitti. Might be OK if they could keep this from happening.

Moseley is the richest of Brums suburbs for Edwardian and Victorian architecture. If we add something we had better make sure we get it right. Check out these snaps with my new tiny digi camera walking the dog this morning.

Bulls head pub currently closed for refurb. Would highly recommend the Deoli restaurant through the old coachhouse gates (dark green) on the right. The ENT would be on your right as you came out of the front of the pub.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/Cookoid/16thapril059.jpg

Cock fighting used to go on here in a previous incarnation. Planning app in at the moment for nice new lighting for the clock tower. Should look cool. The village green is off the the right of this picture.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/Cookoid/16thapril060.jpg

There was a massive kick off when the builders took down this frontage on St Marys row. People were up in arms baying for blood. No need they were always going to rebuild it.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/Cookoid/16thapril069.jpg

Sainsburys redevelopment flats and retail retaining original frontage. The left hand side they took down completely. Next door Somerfield is a 70's blot on the landscape. :(
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/Cookoid/16thapril061.jpg

Moseley private park. Used to be part of the gardens of Moseley Hall. Looking towards chantry road massive houses.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/Cookoid/16thapril065.jpg

The Fighting cocks (?) was the first time I saw CCT Cameras INSIDE a pub.

And what are you saying about tagging in nice areas? Like it's middle class kids wanting to be Gangster, while always knowing that Mummy and Daddy will always bail them out if they get caught?

And what are you saying about tagging in nice areas? Like it's middle class kids wanting to be Gangster, while always knowing that Mummy and Daddy will always bail them out if they get caught?

Theres a bit of that apparantly one of the "crews" is a bunch of ex King Edwards school boys. Also some residents in Moseley think its "arty", misguided fools.

I am fairly even handed I would break their fingers with a baseball bat whether they were middle or working class. :bash:

Gracewell cottage actually comes under Hall Green, the former village of Sarehole is part of Hall Green, it's where I live.

http://www.bplphoto.co.uk/TolkiensBirmingham/TolkienSarehole.htm

The Tolkien Festival is held at Shire Park, Hall green. It is held each year in May. Check it out its great, I go every year. Heres some links Nacho.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bagendinn1/tolkienweekend2005.html

http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/GenerateContent?CONTENT_ITEM_ID=57688&CONTENT_ITEM_TYPE=0&MENU_ID=13150

http://www.thealienonline.net/ao_030.asp?tid=1&scid=11&iid=2786

No new info but here are a few snaps taken at this years Tolkien Weekend:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f357/mhill11/7db4e9e5.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f357/mhill11/eee1be07.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f357/mhill11/a41dce37.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f357/mhill11/58e2b386.jpg