Monroe Chat

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... 68399597/1


Hobbit fans: In England, a 10-year-old boy is fighting to save a coastal hotel where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote part of The Lord of the Rings novel, the Times of London reports.

The dilapidated building in question - the Three Cups in Lyme Regis, Dorset - is slated to be developed into residential units.
Student Leon Howe launched a campaign to save the hotel when he found out that Tolkien had written part of his favorite book at the Three cups, the Times says. He staged a protest through the town on Saturday and collected 1,000 signatures from supporters.

Howe's mother, who owns a teddy bear shop across the street from the embattled hotel, told the Times that her son is a "Tolkien fanatic" who loves The Hobbit. The boy hopes to convince the local government to buy the hotel from its current owner and sell it to someone who will refurbish it, the article says.

Tolkien wasn't The Three Cups' only famed guest. Before closing 20 years ago, the hotel hosted guests including Dwight Eisenhower, Jane Austen, Charlie Chaplan and Alfred Tennyson, the Times article and another by the BBC say. It was also seen in the movie, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, and the movie's star, Jeremy Irons, is supporting Howe's efforts. Tolkien fan sites are abuzz with news of the efforts.