Few books have captured my attention as wholly and enduringly as Lord of the Rings.

Thrust into my seven-year-old hands by a primary school teacher who had observed my burning through Jenny Red Hat and Beatrix Potter within minutes, the weighty tome opened a portal to another world.

I still burn through books at a voracious rate – The Man has now established my status as a biblioholic – but Tolkien’s epics remain the most mind-blowing of all.

They are the Holy Grail of literature, the embodiment of fantasy perfection.

Which is why, decades on, new generations are continuously drawn to the ranks of adorers and why Tolkienites such as Kate Madison go to extraordinary lengths to bring lesser known aspects of the tale to life.

With a budget of just £25,000 Madison assembled a cast of 400 in the forests of England to film Born of Hope.

Based on the appendix section of the epic, the tale charts the adventures of the parents of Aragorn, Arathorn and Gilraen.

And, at just over one hour and free to view on YouTube (above), it truly is a labor of love.

Thus, I doff my cap to the worthy Madison for reminding us again of the beauty of Tolkien’s infinite imagination.

I doubt we shall ever find an author of his like again.