Hobbiton was everything that I ever dreamed, I loved every second of it!

Being unable to definitively give a date that I could go to Hobbiton because of the campervan, I decided that I would just book the night before I intended to go. Unfortunately, this plan fell around my ears; after looking at their website, I was horrified to learn that they were fully booked - literally every day until the 3rd of January, ten days away! Though as you will well know by now, I am not one to be perturbed, and I diligently sat at my campsite phone at 7:15 in the morning ready to ring for cancellations or to plead my case! I eventually got through and miraculously managed to book a tour for two at 11:05! I was ecstatic!

When I cartwheeled into the Hobbiton office at a punctual 12:30 I realised just how lucky I was to have secured a tour! The place was heaving and a poor couple in front of us in the queue were being told that they couldn't book a tour until January. They looked as crestfallen as I would have been, but as it happens I could smugly slide past them and give my confirmation number!

Hobbiton was incredible and just like it is pictured in the films. Eight gardeners are employed full time to keep the place immaculately preserved! In total the place had forty four hobbit holes that were safely behind old fashioned looking fences which had actually been treated in vinegar with yogurt and sawdust added on to make them look as ancient as the Shire was supposed to be.

Our guide, Alex, managed to bestow some great facts about the place. She told us that a hobbit's importance was determined by two things; how high up the hill they were and how many windows they had. The window idea actually comes from an English custom called window tax, the more windows you had, the more you paid. In England these taxes became so high that people began to brick them up in order to save money, this is where we get the saying, 'daylight robbery' from!

Another gleaming nugget of knowledge was that the tree above Bag End (Bilbo's house) is completely artificial. The main bulk of the tree was made in Wellington and 200 thousand silk leaves were made in Taiwan and hand threaded onto the tree! Apparently, when Peter Jackson (the director) saw the finished tree, he wasn't happy with the colour so had all of the leaves painted a lighter shade of green by hand! Some poor b*astard out there somewhere is holding a pant brush by the bristle and and violently stabbing a picture of Peter I am sure.

The round doors of the hobbit holes looked brilliant, in the vibrant colours next to their humble looking window sills and gardens and it was one of the few occasions when I was happy for Chelsea to throw her GoPro around!

I foolishly answered all of Alex's questions about The Shire and filming scenes to the point where I felt wildly titular! By the end, I was made to promise by a tutting Chelsea that I wouldn't answer anymore of the questions.

To top off the tour we had a clay mug of ale at the Green Dragon Pub. An ornate green dragon was carved above the bar and you could adorn hobbit style clothes to enjoy your drink in, it was stupendous. Wearing my red jacket and laundry bonnet I couldn't have been happier!

Sadly, and all too soon, it was time to leave. We were picked up by our coach driver and taken back to the start. When we were sat on the coach a video played where Peter Jackson himself recorded a message of thanks to us and praised The Shire's beauty. If I'm honest I didn't hear much of it. I was watery eyed and rubbing my snotty nose on my t-shirt sleeve; 'No, thank you Peter.' Was all I warbled as I looked up at the screen, lovingly.