**The Barrow-Downs Birthday Mailbag - May 2006**

[Estelyn Telcontar]

With those thoughts, the Barrow-Wight turned the empty mailbag upside down and shook out the dust that had settled on it during the days he had needed to read all of his birthday greetings. And lo! one last envelope fell out. He opened it curiously and this is what he saw:

It's the Barrow-Downs forum's birthday!



Nothing speculative about that - it's the truth! I may not have been there when it all started, but I have seen the old barrows and read the first posts. I wonder if the forum's ghost is still visible on E-Z-Board...



I did, and look what I found!
The very first Barrow-Downs forum!
Ah, those were the days - every topic was new and fresh, no need for warnings such as this:



The members were literate and intelligent and wouldn't have dreamed of mangling the English language like some have since...



There was so much Tolkien to discuss that the skwerlz were pacifists -



And even the chat room was busy almost constantly!



Alas, it seems that chat room and forum have merged these days:



Yes, some things have changed, but one thing has stayed the same: This is the best Tolkien barrow on the internet - friendly, interesting, fun, intelligent, and as varied as its members. Many thanks to you, Barrow-Wight, and to all of the administrators, moderators and members who make it what it is. May it live on for as long as people love to read Tolkien's works and exchange opinions about them! And may our memories of the good times we've had here never fade...

The Ghostly Princess