WELCOME TO THIS FREE SITE UPDATE

PHOTO GALLERY & TWO VIDEOS
We visited Marc's Shrine on the 26th April and took an extensive amount of photos, plus two videos (before our clean and after). We were blessed with a perfect day. The sun was wonderful and the site was dappled in sunlight shining through the new leaves as they unfurl in the first days of Spring.
You will find the PHOTO GALLERY HERE and the Videos are within the 2013 VIDEO PLAYER

   

THE MARC BOLAN ROSE
Yes We've done it!
No one can EVER register a Rose named Marc Bolan anywhere in the world!
So, many Tanx to everyone who has ordered rose bushes so far. I will be confirming the orders in the next two weeks. All orders will be given to the Rose Grower in the order they are received so they will be despatched in that order. Although we are asking you top order now the Rose Bushes will be dispatched from the 1st November onwards (until they sell out for 2013).
MARC BOLAN ROSE BUSHES ARE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM TAG IN 2013 - IN THE UK & EUROPE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A PLAQUE(S) ... You should have already received details on how to order.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAQUE
Please Use this link to buy a plaque and an option of either one or two rose bushes. This link also includes Two Full Years to our Members Site.

We are Proud to be Supporting the Marc Bolan School of Music & Film in Sierra Leone

LINK CORRECTED: PAGANS & PILGRIMS; BRITAIN'S HOLIEST PLACES: SHRINES
Link corrected for the PHOTO GALLERY of screen captures

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS FREE UPDATE
The Members Site has been updated twice since the last free site update and we now issue our own PDF Newsletters on a near-monthly basis full of news, articles, photos and other interesting things. We have now stared a 'Fanzine Archive' to collect together as many of the old fanzines as possible (subject to author permissions etc). In total our Members Site contains over 60gb of Bolan-Tastic Info. Much of it has been supplied by fans to make our web site a fabulous archive of all things 'Marc Bolan & T.Rex' . The next Members Update will be at the beginning of June, so if you don't want to miss out JOIN NOW - £5.00 for One Year or £8.00 for Two Years.
KALMIYH
Written by Kevin Warner (TAG Chairman), typed and html'ed by TAG Secterary Fee Warner.

WELCOME TO THIS FREE SITE UPDATE

PAGANS & PILGRIMS; BRITAIN'S HOLIEST PLACES: SHRINES
You will find a PHOTO GALLERY of screen captures from the Programme now online in this, the free site. Members can watch the entire programme in the video section, so if you missed it, especially if you are outside the UK and couldn't use the iplayer which is 'region specific' now is a great time to join!

THAT'S IT FOR THIS UPDATE
Why the image at the top of this update and link to our Archive Section? Because I am sick and tired of the games being played by certain people who think it is funny to create collages using the 'Keep Brtain Tidy' poster, with altered wording and with a photograph of my wife included and a copyright photo taken by myself of Rob Benson in this 'poster' of what the creator of the poster 'things' needs to be 'tidied' out of the Bolan scene. I found this objectional and he initially removed the image of my wife but kept the copyright image for which I did not give permission on his poster. Finally he has removed this and stated that "as a request by Mr Kevin Warner we changed the poster a bit, keeping his copyrighted image out. THE MESSAGE REMAINS THE SAME"
If anyone has an issue with this, please Email TAG Chairman Kevin Warner directly.

WELCOME TO THIS FREE SITE UPDATE
Its a busy time for us at TAG. Not only with a visit to Marc's Shrine to clean, tidy and polish again earlier this month, but also with the work behind-the-scenes to do with the MARC BOLAN Rose. Orders are now being taken for the Rose.

MEMBERS
You should log in and order via the Members Site.

ALREADY OWN A PLAQUE
You should have already been sent a password to access Your Ordering Page. If you have bought a plaque and have not received an Email please EMAIL US

DON'T HAVE A PLAQUE YET?
You can now buy a Special Offer Pack with a Wall Plaque, One or Two Rose Bushes and Two Years Membership to TAG's Marc Bolan & T.Rex Club. If you live in the UK the price includes all P&P (for the plaque and the Rose Bush(es). If you live in Europe the price includes P&P for the plaque, but NOT for the Rose Bush(es). You will be billed by the Rose Grower for that before your Rose Bush(es) are despatched.

MARC'S SHRINE - 7th MARCH, 2012
There is a Photo Gallery showing our latest Visit to Marc's Shrine. We would have included our photos from the January 2013 visit, but unfortunately the memory card became corrupted so we lost the photos :-(. We made sure that didn't happen this time and took plenty fo photos of the site as the bulbs grow. We will be visiting again before the end of March because by then more bulbs will be out.
Many Tanx to Club Member Crystel from Germany for her wonderful gifts. Check out the photo gallery Crystel :-)
As well as the Photo Gallery we have uploaded a new Video (the first of 2013) into the 2013 Video Player

FORTHCOMING BBC4 PROGRAMME TO FEATURE MARC'S SHRINE
We were astounded that Marc's Shrine is to be included in a BBC4 Series of six programmes entitled "PAGANS AND PILGRIMS". Episode One was broadcast on the 7th March, 2013) and here is the info for the fourth programme in the series which will be broadcast on Thursday 28th March. Here is the description for that programme:-
"This week, Ifor sets out on perhaps his most surprising journey in a bid to understand the appeal of shrines. For those outside the Catholic and Orthodox Church, the ancient tradition of visiting a shrine to venerate the bones of a dead person - however holy - can seem quite alien. Ifor's voyage to understand why saintly relics have played such a major role in our religious history begins at an unlikely starting point: at the side of a road in South London where T-Rex frontman, Marc Bolan, suffered a fatal car crash.
Fans still come here to remember a man most of them never met. Even things celebrities have merely touched can change hands at auction for eye-watering prices. Is today's celebrity memorabilia the modern day equivalent of what, in mediaeval times, would have been called relics?"
We have added a new Video to the Video Player (along with the first trip to the tree video - see above) and this clip is from the start of Episode One.
How Brilliant.
And Marc is being included because of his Shrine. They do not have The very fact that Marc's Shrine is being featured is a testiment to how important and significant it is. And because Marc's Shrine is considered important, it raises Marc's Profile along with it. Realistically Marc's Shrine, firstly being recognised by the English Tourist Board and now being used as the ultimate Rock Shrine has been risen above the level of 'just' a Shrine for a dead Rock Star to something far more Special.
Something far more Significant.
Many fans talk of their 'Pilgrimage' to the Shrine and as the programme information says for a "man most of them never met*" . Many save up for many years to be able to make just one visit to it.
* We wonder if whoever wrote this knew of the Bessie Smith line of Marc's lyrics?
As the programme suggests that is exactly what Pilgrims did in the mediaval times when they visited places of personal significance. We at TAG are also very aware that for many fans the dream of the Pilgrimage to Marc's Shrine will never be realised which is why TAG posts regular Photos and Videos. We like to think that our photos and videos allow people to do their own 'Virtual Pilgrimage'.
We also add tributes to the Shrine which we are sent by fans who cannot pin the messages on the Memory Board themselves, and we get messages from fans delighted to see their own tribute on the tree and/or Memory Board.

THAT'S IT FOR THIS UPDATE
Until the next update, KALMIYH
Written by Kevin Warner (TAG Chairman), typed and html'ed by TAG Secrerary Fee Warner.

WELCOME TO THIS FREE SITE UPDATE
The Members Site has also been updated as it was in February as well as January. For all the updates, including our fantastic pdf Newsletters which is a wonderful way to make sure our updates can be archived nicely and can of course be printed off should you wish. All members receive a News Bulletin whenever the site is updated, so why not Join The Club now.

MARC'S SHRINE ON BING MAPS
These are images from Bing Maps which like Google maps allow you to 'walk' around places in the world. These images are included in the new 33 page Members pdf Newsletter (Issue 007), but are also available to non-members Here.

MARC'S SHRINE PHOTOS AND VIDEO
We haven't had time to include photos from our visits to Marc's Shrine this year, but should be able to include them with our next update.

MARC'S SHRINE IN 1991
These photos were shared with us on our Facebook page. It is Marc's Shrine in 1991 and we felt sure you'd be interested to see how it looked back then. Many Tanx to one of our wonderful German Members - Gudrun Heckl See Gudrun's Photos Here

MARC'S SHRINE AND TAG IN THE GUARDIAN UK NEWSPAPER FRIDAY 25th JANUARY, 2013
This is included in the Members Newsletter Issue 007, but for the benefit of free site visitors here is the link and text to this guardian article from Friday 25th January, 2013. If you notice Marc is the only Rock Star included from the UK. No mention of Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix of others ... just Marc. Nicely written by someone who is clearly up-to-date. Nice to see links included to our own site here and also to our Face Book Page:- https://www.facebook.com/MARC.BOLANS.SHRINE page too.
"Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine, Barnes, London
The creator of glam rock tragically met his end in 1977 aged 29 when his car hit a tree on Gipsy Lane at the side of Queen's Ride. Now a site of pilgrimage for thousands of fans, the "Bolan tree" and Rock Shrine, which features a bronze bust of the star, unveiled by his son Rolan Bolan in 2002, attracts most fans on the anniversary of his death on 16 September, when they can sign the official Marc Bolan Shrine Visitor's Book.
The tree is now safeguarded by the T-Rex Action Group which became legal guardian of the shrine, runs a web fanzine and recently created a Marc Bolan rose, in flamboyant cerise, to be available for sale this year."
Visit the Original Guardian Page using this link:- http://www.guardian.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON THE TAG SITE: FEBRUARY HISTORY
Many members won't know that this web site was formed in 2000 as an amalgamation of three web sites:-

1) Fee's own Marc Bolan & T.Rex Web Site founded in 1996. This contained an illustrated Biography, Articles, Photos and listings and reviews of events and had a Black, Grey, and White colour scheme.

2) The original TAG web Site established in 1999 with a Black, White and Red colour scheme, was dedicated specifically to TAG's project to build steps at Marc's Shrine and to Save The Tree.

3) The Official Marc Bolan Fan Club Web Site (1999 - May 2000). The colour scheme Fee chose for the OMBFC Web Site is the Blue, Red and White one you see here now. In 1999 Fee was approached to design a web site for www.Marc-Bolan.com. When the domain was sold in May 2000, the entire site which was Fee's work was removed and the back-bone of that site was merged with the other two web sites to form the TAG Marc Bolan Web Site, which at that time was entirely free.

The TAG Members Site As the web site grew and more videos and mp3's were added to the site the cost of paying for the domain names, server space and ever increasing band width became prohibitive to maintain as a free site with all the fees being paid out of Kevin and Fee's own pocket. That is when the site was split so that TAG can maintain the free site while being able to expand the Members Site to include more Videos, More Photo Galleries and well, more of everything. New for 2013 is the addition of a pdf archive of out of print fanzines and other things of interest and for February the new addition is the original hand typed 1979 edition of The Marc Bolan Biography written by Paul Sinclair (Rowland). In March the reprinted typeset version of Paul's Book will be included.

THE MARC BOLAN ROSE
We have been asked how the project is going and to date there is no further news. Obviously at the moment everything is still 'sleeping' but we look forward to bringing you more news as soon as we can. Naturally, Members will be notified first. If you havbe missed anything you can catch up on the main MARC BOLAN Rose page and you can still but one of our wonderful Limited Edition Wall Plaques which will give you preferential allocation of Rose Bushes as soon as they go on sale :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR WEB SITE VISITORS
OLD AND NEW
We hope you had a Super Funk Rexmas and Santa brought you all that you wished for.

HUGE TANX FOR THE WONDERFUL DONATION
We would like to thank Joseph Davenport for the wonderful and generous donation to TAG Funds made in October, 2012. This will allow TAG to do some essential work this year and has also meant we could re-pay the money the main TAG Fund loaned to pay to buy and register the MARC BOLAN Rose.
Now all we have to do is to wait for Mother Nature to Grow the Roses. We do still have some Wall Plaques in stock which we had already bought from the artist who created for them. We will be offering these to people who do not already have wall plaques as a Special Offer Package along with a Rose Bush or Pair of Rose Bushes when they become available. What a brilliant way to start 2013! We are of course also delighted that once the roses go on sale the charity part of each sale will be split equally between TAG and The Marc Bolan School of Music and Film.

MARC'S SHRINE 21ST DECEMBER, 2012 - PHOTO GALLERIES TO GO WITH THE VIDEOS
Fee visited Marc's Shrine and met up with Maria on the Winter Solstice of 21st December, 2012 to clean and tidy and also to remove the build up of soggy wet leaves from the steps which were spread over the soil to act as a 'mulch' and then to re-fill the steps and viewing platform with new Bark Chippings.
There are two videos which have been uploaded into the 2012 Marc's Shrine Player
We also hope you enjoy the new PHOTO GALLERY with seventy five photos. The first ones are chronological and annotated. The remainder are in random order.

ROLAN BOLAN ON TOUR IN THE UK
It is with great regret that Rolan's shows were cancelled. Despite some people questioning the reasons it was genuinely down to problems with his passport caused by his duel nationality and the wonderful American Passport system. We look forward to seeing Rolan perform live as soon as he can make it over here.

THAT'S ALL THE UPDATES FOR THIS NEW YEAR UPDATE
We will be adding a further Members Site update in mid-January 2013 with a Special Offer Sale of T-Shirts, Mugs, Bags and other things we have in stock. T-Shirt Prices will start at just £1.99. If you don't want to miss out on the bargains, why not JOIN THE MEMBERS CLUB Things not sold will be listed here on the Free Site on the 1st March, 2013.

As usual this update was written by TAG Chairman Kevin Warner. If you have any queries please Email him directly.