Lost with the Lord of the Rings!

I’m not a fan myself. I’ve read the first page countless times, I think I even made it to page two once. I set it down as the films came out but having nobody with whom to watch them at the cinema and, having insufficient confidence to go alone, I waited until they hit the small screen or borrowed DVDs.

It was no better then. I could see from the outset that these were films which needed to be watched on a large screen.

Having borrowed the first one off my then boss, @otoolealexandra, I marched into work the following day admitting my defeat and noted that the films were long enough without having to pause them intermittently for Monday night double episodes of Corrie. Alex, bless her, was apoplectic and close to issuing my first written warning.

Their setting and inspiration, however, could not be nearer my heart. There is an arrogance within that rejoices in the fact that more observers than not note that Tolkien was living in the Ribble Valley at the time the books were written.

So this little, lime green, fluffy lost glove was right in the heart of Middle Earth (for all I know this reference might be a Star Trek one, I know I’ve heard folk mention it….but, to be fair, I’m not a fan of either, yet their respected fanbases seem to attract the same people).

My name is Inigo Mantoya, you killed my father, PREPARE TO DIE!

I loved this glove not least for its colour – my favourite shade of green, but also because from this angle it looks like the thumb is concealed underneath the hand of a six fingered man! Ha ha ha ha, which, of course, leads me to recall a great book and one of my favourite films, screened, by chance, this last Saturday, The Princess Bride. A star studded cast, it never ceases to amaze me how few of my closest friends have seen it, yet, to me, it’s probably my own personal Python! (at this point should I mention I have never seen a Python film?)

The quotes come thick and fast from “Never start a land war in Asia” to the best, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die”. Why has Mandy Patinkin not had more huge roles….he is fabulous.

Anyway to return to the glove….it was not owned by the six fingered man..

…..there is no concealed thumb!

And the walk, whence this bright loss was spotted…..well that took place last weekend, when it snowed throughout, when stopping for sandwiches seemed like a good idea but resulted in my fearing I’d never feel my fingers again. Note to self…buy mittens, gloves don’t cut it. It was a walk which started in a layby beyond Hurst Green, backed up on itself and took us through the grounds of Stonyhurst (setting for Three Men and a Little Lady school scene) and up on to Longridge Fell. It would be such a pretty walk without doubt in the Spring and Summer, but the view was marred by low lying snow clouds.

From Stonyhurst we walked up Kemple End and through the woodland on Longridge Fell, dropping back through Green Thorn, Deer House Wood, over Sandy Bridge and back into Hurst Green.

7 miles, 4 hours. Fabulous.