Hobbits are a thousand miles from Disney

I WAS saddened to hear the hobbit hole had been taken out of the Little Chapel plans. I’ve not seen the plans, and maybe it might not have been appropriate, but to remove it because it creates a ‘Disney element’ is ridiculous. For starters, hobbits originate from the book The Hobbit. The book starts: ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.’ Sorry but that’s literature.

Secondly, the films bring to life the books but they are a thousand miles from ‘Disney’. Given that films have been made about Lourdes, upon which the chapel is modelled, should this not be vilified as ‘Disneyfying’? Of course not.

Now, I can understand that the site may not be best for a hobbit hole. You wouldn’t want full American-style commercialisation or for the area to become better know as Hobbiton than the Little Chapel. But a small wee ‘hole’, away from the main site where kids (and some adults) can go sounds rather quaint. And if it means some kids want to go to the site, then they are going to wander round the chapel itself, in awe, as I did as a child and perhaps be a little inspired.

The Press then reports ‘...this raised questions about the author’s religious beliefs and whether it was appropriate, so the trustees have agreed to remove that part of the application.’

I’m not sure who or what raised questions, but that is ignorance beyond belief, not to mention having a touch of bigotry to it. J. R. R. Tolkien was a lifelong Catholic, and he had many discussions about the books, mythology and other subjects with his friend and lay theologian, C. S. Lewis. Now, that’s not hard to research – just go to www.catholicauthors.com/tolkien.html. Do we sometimes get so wrapped up in old-fashioned British protocol that we miss the wood for the trees?

ANDY GILL

Address withheld.