An Evesham man has talked of his family link to JRR Tolkein as Lord of the Rings mania grips the nation.

Tolkien's nephew, Vale man Gabriel Tolkien, has revealed fond memories of the famous author.

The writer and his wife Edith both smoked pipes and were often seen lounging in a Blackminster garden, competing with each other's smoke rings.

JRR, or Uncle Ronald to Gabriel, was a professor at Merton College Oxford, when the young lad was growing up.

Gabriel's first memories as a child was staying with his uncle, and aunt Edith, and his cousins at their home in Oxford.

Mr Tolkien said: "In those days he was quite an imposing figure. He was always working in his smoky study, and near bedtime we would be allowed to go in and say goodnight. We had no idea then that he was writing stories for children.

"It was when I grew up and my uncle retired that I got to know him better. They loved the Vale of Evesham and the Cotswolds, despite retiring to Brighton.

"Uncle Ronald often played bowls with us on a rough piece of grass and loved the countryside - especially trees.

"I would quite often see him with both arms around a fruit tree - just getting as close as he could to it."

Mr Tolkien described his uncle as completely unpretentious, even in the 1960's when his books the Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings, first became famous.

Mr Tolkien still keeps in touch with his cousins, the children of JRR Tolkien, who live in various part of the UK and France. But they won't talk about the film.

He did say, however, that even though the author signed away film rights in the 60's, his children still benefit by sales of books.

Mr Tolkien is looking forward to seeing The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring which opened just before Christmas.

The former MOD aviation electronics engineer said: "It really amazes me how big the film is. Some of my cousins think screening his stories will spoil interpretations of the characters, but since I haven't read the book I will be judging the film on face value."