As Tolkien's second part of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy bursts onto the big screen today, a new website has been launched to highlight the city landmarks which inspired him. The young Tolkien was fascinated with the 96-foot high Perrott's Folly and the water tower in Waterworks Road, Edgbaston. Both monuments are believed to have been in his mind when he wrote the Two Towers. After months of research, Alderman Dennis Minnis has tracked down the original rent book used by Tolkien's aunt Beatrice Suffield when she lived at 25 Stirling Road. Tolkien and his younger brother Hilary lived with her there between 1905 and 1908 after losing both their parents. They worshipped at the Oratory and Tolkien went to St Philip's Grammar School next door. Dennis has now put all these landmarks together with other relevant addresses on a website to show what a large part Edgbaston played in Tolkien's growing years. "The Ivy Bush pub is mentioned in the Fellowship of the Ring, as is the name Sam Gamgee," said Dennis. "Mrs Gamgee was a neighbour who lived opposite Tolkien in Stirling Road at number six and she often talked about her late husband Sam. "Edgbaston is pickled in Tolkien history and I hope we can eventually have some signage explaining that people are entering Tolkien territory." A Tolkien Trail has already been set up by the city council. The seven-storey Perrott's Folly, which is the subject of a major regeneration bid, is to be lit up from 7pm on Sunday evening to mark its relevance in the Two Towers. But Hall Green MP Steve McCabe has already accused the council of missing out on a second chance to include Tolkien in its bid to become European City of Culture. The Labour MP said no strategic plan had been developed in time for the interest generated by the second Lord of the Rings film. The new Tolkien website address is http://planning.edgbaston.info/twotowers.htm | 
