Tolkien, Doctor Who and shopping?

Today is a great day for any geek out there. It is the Tolkien Reading Day, i.e. the day established to celebrate all things Tolkien. It is the day of the fall of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings and the day when, ultimately, good defeats evil. So, it is no surprise that the Tolkien Society decided on promoting the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien on this day. For me, the Silmarillion, the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are the best examples of fantasy literature, and have paved the way for countless others books and novels of this kind. The stories are so interesting that I dare anyone who has read them to tell me that they didn’t like them!

But I digress. I could probably talk to you for hours about how much I adore the Lord of the Rings to the point that I can read the trilogy again and again! But I will not do it, I promise you that! Because the 25th of March is the Tolkien Reading Day, the Tolkien Society and Discover – Children’s Story Centre in Stratford organised an event about Middle Earth and Gallifrey. Joel Cornah, the fantasy writer, delivered a lecture on how Doctor Who reflects Middle Earth and I can tell you that it was absolutely interesting! From a first glance, Middle Earth and Gallifrey have nothing in common, however, when focusing more on storytelling and some characters, it seems that our Tolkien has left its mark on the writers and creators of the most historic show in TV. And yes it is historic, as it is the world’s oldest sci-fi drama show!

Joel pointed out some fascinating facts about the writer of the Lord of the Rings and the Time Lord from Gallifrey or example, Tolkien briefly appeared in the Doctor Who comic adventure The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop and interacted with the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. Apart from that, the Doctor describes himself as “A space Gandalf”, while in a previous episode “Last of the Time Lords” the Master shows Martha Jones an aged Doctor and says “Say hello, Gandalf”. Don’t forget though that Gandalf is the most awesome wizard and, so, the Doctor is the most awesome time-traveller!

After the lecture, which was a great way to pass a Saturday afternoon, I decided to walk for a little bit, to stretch my legs, and arrived at Westfield Stratford, one of the biggest shopping malls in London. So many people, noise and smells, that I was left feeling a little overwhelmed! Despite that, I think that a visit to Westfield is okay, especially if you are in the area and want something to do. Browsing window displays and entering and exiting shops is exciting, especially if you have an hour to kill.

Stratford is not only a shopper’s paradise; within a few minutes from the station, you can find the Theatre Royal Stratford East, with some great comedy nights every Monday at 8 pm. The best part? It’s bloody free! So, next time you are in the area, do visit and let me know! There’s also the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is the heart of East London. It is where the Olympics and Paralympics took place in 2012, and is also a fully-functional park with its walks and waterways and cafés. Unfortunately I would need a whole blog to describe its magnificence, but good news! It is coming!

If you are interested in joining, this is the Tolkien Society

See what’s on at Stratford East here

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Westfield Stratford