Trillian's Child

My conversations (This link only works in the Ripley skins. If you are browsing in Pliny - that is the white background with, I think, dolphins jumping around the edge, there is a tab at the top which will take you to the conversations I am subscribed to, or have contributed to.)

My journals - In November 2017 the annual Journal writing project NaJoPoMo - 'National Journal Posting Month' - which entails writing a new journal every day, took place. This is following the success (well, relative success) of the scheme in November 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. It's not really a Journal Posting project any more, as we have to create an entry for the entries. Mine can be found at A87898595.

Click here to add a Journal Entry

Latest update: 28 July 2018

An online guide should be absolutely live, voluminous, self-organising, and individually responsive to each user. Some of that will take a little time, of course, because everybody will be learning as we go: you, the contributors of the information, and we, the architects of the system into which it all fits.

You can create your own Guide Entries containing anything you want, from your opinions of world events to a description of your home town, and it all goes to make up the h2g2 Guide, the sort of guide which was not possible before we had the means of live, shared information resources.

From: A Welcome and Thank-you Message by Douglas Adams(U42) himself.

Thanks to U211824 with this table I have been able to calculate that I first registered here on 9 May 2000.

Why "Trillian's Child"?

When I first signed up I was new to the internet and wasn't prepared to have to think up a name so quickly. So I thought about the HHGTTG books and came up with Trillian's Child, hoping that it wouldn't give away if I'm a girl or a boy. Somehow, although it doesn't specify, it seems to sound like a girl, so no one has ever asked. Anyway, Random was a girl in the end. I'm glad I'm not like her. Or am I?

I certainly don't think it's a good idea to change your name in midstream, it confuses people who read backlogs, if your name is referred to in a posting.

Trillian's Child on H2G2

You will find me in lots of conversations in '"Ask the H2G2 Community"'. Particularly the legendary "British English Thread"

Although this personal space only dates back to 1 October 2000, I have been on H2G2 since May 2000. Can't get into my old page, like I can't get into my old trousers, but you are welcome to look - click here.

My entries

Of my own contributions, my favourite entries (the unedited versions) are:

• The Germania Connection (Was once up-to-date; a collection of members who live in Germany and of related entries)

• German Bread (My first entry to get edited status. I had a lovely picture of a bretzel in it, but it wasn't allowed to use pictures from other sites. Perhaps I should put a link in.)

• H2G2 Weight Losers (The dieter's club. Somehow everyone's more successful than I am.)

• The German Class (This sort of fizzled out when, after Rupert, in March 2001, we weren't allowed to use foreign languages.¹)

• How to optimise your filing system. (As with clothes pegs and washing lines, it's something you spend a lot of time doing and after 30 years of practice I reckoned I had something to say on the subject.)

• Confusion in words between English and German. (This one I'm particularly pleased with. If you have ever spoken to a German person, do take a look at it.)

• English afternoon tea on the lawn (Trying to create the atmosphere of a sultry afternoon in 1920s PG Wodehouse style - come and join the cricket)

• Clothes Pegs and Washing Lines (This got special praise from Sam the Italic. It is typical of a women's magazine article. An interesting read, but doesn't really tell you anything you don't know, well, the really informative bits would have taken two lines. I keep meaning to write a sequel on washing, but that would be more scientific)

• The Palatinate (This is about where I live and it really is an idyllic area. The only problem I have with it is that it is so far from the sea.)

• Amateur Lumberjacking (I thought this one was quite good - it tells about the rules and regulations and gives some practical tips on going to the woods and chopping your own firewood. We've been doing it since the kids were tiny.)

• Menorca (This is a typical travel entry. We spent our summer holiday there in 2002. On reading it a year later, I was surpised how much I'd forgotten - I do recommend to everyone writing your holiday experiences down like this)

• Cooking on a Family Camping holiday (Something else I have decades of experience of and think have developed to a fine art. I still don't enjoy camping, though. But who asks Mum where she wants to go on holiday?)

• The Perfect Boss (I've just realised I was going to split this into two. I was disappointed that I didn't get more feedback in Peer Review, and would still appreciate comments on relationships in the workplace. Only with relevance to working, though, please .... not what you're thinking!)

• Men to Drool over" (A summary of the Drool Thread - there's some lovely pictures linked in there - must go along and check the links still all work!)

• The Practical Side of the Euro Changeover (This was written with lots of help from other Euro countries, and it's high time I wrote the sequel. It deals with how each country tackled the currency change which was quite unusual in that it had nothing to do with devaluation or revaluation.)

• 'Dinner for One' - something British that is least known in Britain - a 15 minute sketch, made in Hamburg in the early 60s by Freddie Frinton. It is repeated dozens of times each New Year's Eve on German TV and is a real cult.

• The East Frisian Tea Ceremony - This was something I experienced on holiday in the North of Germany in summer 2009. Not even many Germans are familiar with the way the East Frisians drinkt their tea, although tea is strongly associated with this maritime corner of the country. Personally I found the stuff undrinkable, having drunk my tea the English way since I was weaned, and not being able to face it because of the strength, the heat and the addition of cream and sugar. Milk please, put in first, and no sugar. Like DNA had his.

I was a subeditor for a while, which explains several entries on my list of edited entries, which I did not write, but only edited. My editing was not very prolific, with lots of other commitments in RL and VL, and I eventually had to give it up, which I was very sorry about.

The forgotten Volunteer group

I am also a Volunteer translator. I was given a badge in March 2004, although it seems that the idea of researchers translating and moderating was not practicable.

RL Trillian's Child

As you can see from most of the entries above, I know Germany well. Am British but have lived here since 1976.

Have we met?

A good place to find out about all the H2G2 meets that have ever been, is The Post Meet Archive.

9 December 2000 in Germany

Some of us in the South of Germany got together on Saturday, 9 December 2000, for a chat, a beer and a meal, which developed into a whole weekend in the end. It was really great and thanks to all who came - especially Engländer for organising it. There are some rather mysterious pictures and a report here. At least, there would be if pictures were still allowed.. In fact the report isn't there either, as Engländer never re-activated it and he has - sadly - left us, for personal reasons.

28 April 2001 in Grünstadt, Germany

U156569 invited all of the GMC to his birthday party. U132240 and I went. Bossel stayed overnight and the following day, we had afternoon tea with Engländer who was passing through. It is really great, meeting all these lovely people. Unfortunately, Wonko has also dropped out of H2G2 - because he couldn't cope with the idea of moderation. Engländer has now left, too, leaving no trace.

14 May 2001 - The British English Thread

The British English thread has a reputation of being rather elitist. This can't be true - I'm in it!

Those who came on that evening, apart from me and my school friend who I was staying with in London, were:

• U152980

• U55660

• U55494

• U92580

• U55447

• U109704

Also from that thread, I would like to name the other main contributors, who were sorely missed:

• U151503

• U162344

• U117050

• U96784

20 July 2002 - The Big H2G2 Summer Meet

U151503 persuaded me to come to this. I am so glad I went and can't thank U281 enough for all the organisation that went into it. Here are the best pictures as taken by Gnomon.

18 September 2002 - South German Meet in Freiburg

This was a great success! Read all about it here: South German Meet

8 January 2005 - Unofficial H2G2 Christmas Meet in London

Spent the afternoon at the National Gallery with an ever-dwindling group - in the end it was just me and U182827 and son, U151503, U172739 and U189790. In the evening, the Unofficial London Christmas Party took place at the Bell, Book and Candle, on Ludgate Hill. It was really worth going, and the pub was great! The team I was in didn't do so well in U232535's quiz. Which doesn't mean we didn't enjoy it!

It was also a great opportunity to meet up with the ladies from the Drool Thread - U187562, U107357, U213586 and U94986.

29 March 2005 - Koblenz

I've written about this one here: Coblence meet

14 January 2006 - London Winter Meet 2005/2006

This was really great fun - yet again!

My story is here

The "official page" for this meet is here A6169322

And there's some post-meet chat and links to photos here

24-26 March 2006 - Seville mini-meet

All the meets I've been to have been such great fun. This one really was wonderful - the people, the place, the food....

I've written about it here, and Azahar's photos are here

18 April 2006 - German meet in Frankfurt

Zoomed up to Frankfurt on the Intercity on the Tuesday afternoon and met up with old friends - just imagine: I'd met them ALL before!! Sho, B'Elana, Mazin Mad Fiddler and ReddyFreddy. We had a jolly good chinwag, went up to the top of the Maintower, which was a bit vertiginous for the likes of Mad Fiddler and me, but we looked at the others' photos when they came down off the observation deck, and had an interesting battery of s.

We wandered around the city, looking up at the skyscraper buildings (all the big Banks) which form "Mainhattan" and then got on a tram to go to the Nelkenstrasse. Then we got off again. And, following a tannoy announcement, went up and down some escalators and walked miles to get on another tram.

This finally took us to where we wanted to go - the "Brotfabrik" where we were going to have dinner - an interesting pub/restaurant with good music, the best waitress one could wish for, and had a good meal, a chat, a laugh... the usual.

On the way back to B'Elana's place, Sho, my husband and I had to get out along the way as we were at a hotel directly at the railway station. It's now Wednesday morning, and here I am, back in the office again, while the others are still in Frankfurt, checking out the food and the town.

28 April 2007 - Spring Meet in London

So much has been written about this one. My own version is:

Took my cue for the queue at Kew

Left home early on the Saturday morning to catch the 9.55 flight from Baden-Baden to Stansted. On arrival, jumped on the Stansted express and arrived at Liverpool Street at 11.45. Meeting point for Kew was 12 noon. You can't cross London in 15 mins, but U236774 was at the other end of my mobile phone and I found the group eventually. We had a relaxing stroll around Kew - it was about 28�C - and admired the vernal flora and fish, pushed tables together for 20 of us to have a cuppa together, and at about 5 pm took a bus to Richmond for pizzas and a drink. The bus stopped at one point. While the driver argued with some obstreperous passengers, two or three other No. 65 buses sailed past, but eventually, peace was established, and the journey continued.

B'Elana and I left slightly before the others and I went to check into the Youth Hostel we were both staying at. We then went back along the line to the Shakespeare's Head, where a few hootooers were already gathered around Table No. 42.

The rest of the Kew party turned up a surprisingly long time after us, and there were various arrivals and departures, but about 30 people must have been there in all.

Unfortunately, there was no quiz, but as we were all in a corner of a large room, and there were no Italics there to make it official and present prizes, it would have lacked the usual ceremony. We managed quite well without organised activities, thank you. Mazin' Mad Fiddler did manage to gain our attention for long enough to propose toasts to Absent Friends, Happy Birthday H2G2 (8 years to the day) and Dragon Queen (...mumble.. years to the day.) He also presented the beautiful Coelecanth with a prize for her badge.

It was great to meet Galaxy Babe after almost exactly 7 years| acquaintance on the site, and nearly everyone else that was there, I had met before - which must make me a meet veteran. Here are the names of people I met/saw/spoke to/recognised from a distance - without links and in absolutely no order:

• Galaxy Babe
• Teuchter
• Dragon Queen
• Mazin Mad Fiddler
• B'Elana
• Agapanthus
• Solnuschka
• Venus
• Phil
• Bald Bloke
• 2legs
• Roymondo
• ReddyFreddy
• Alex Ashman
• L'il
• Titania
• Azahoth
• Ben
• Z
• Hapi
• Hati
• Wilma Neanderthal

For errors and omissions and more info - see GB's Journal, The Post Report and, of course, The Official Meet Page

25 August 2007 - Mini German Meet in Cologne

We arranged a meet in Cologne after lots of talking about getting together in various places. It was a hot summer day and we drank lots of "K�lsch" beer. B'Elana sums it up well here.

It really was a lovely day, and I met B'Elana and Sho again, and made new friends:

• matodemi (there with her daughter)
• Toybox

9 August 2008 - German Meet in D�sseldorf

I can't believe it's a year since I last went to a meet. Surely not!

There are reports of what went on, with links to photos, here, and here, and my journal is here

I met the following people for the first time here:

• Malabarista U1528154
• Pierce the Pirate U109937
• Tavaron da Quirm U1314679
• Remarkable Firefly U10749435

The following acquaintances were renewed

• Hapi, whom I'd previously met in Kew Gardens
• Sho and two Gruesomes, whom I'd previously met at several German meets
• B'Elana, whom I'd met on several previous occasions in London and Germany
• Reddy Freddie, who's been at practically every meet that I have
• Matodemi, who seemed like an old friend, although I can only have met her once before, in Cologne, with her beautiful daughter

24/25 April 2010 - German Meet in Mannheim

As I live nearest to Mannheim, I felt that I should take over the role of host, and work out some plan of action as to how to spend the weekend. It was a very rewarding job, and the weather complemented the many factors that went towards making it a very enjoyable weekend. I'd be happy to do it any time again. Well, not the following weekend - but, say, in a couple of years...

All details of what went on here.

15 May 2010 - London Meet

This year's London meet was, as usual, organised by 2legs, but, at the last minute, he wasn't well enough to come, so he was sorely missed.

The meet started for me at 6 am Central European Time, when I got up early to drive to Baden-Baden airport. There were no hitches with the traffic and the flight to Stansted and boarding the Stansted Express all went smoothly. Once at Liverpool Street I met an old school friend and we had lunch and a very intensive chat. We split up just after three pm and she went home, while I took the tube to London Bridge for the Tate Modern.

Some researchers were there already, with varying interests in the arts, as this was the Official Afternoon Meet, organised by Mazin Mad Fiddler. I didn't get to see any art at all, but you couldn't miss the sound events going on in the turbine hall. The Museum was celebrating its tenth anniversary, and there were several events going on, and the place was absolutely packed and deafeningly loud. I texted Bel and MMF simultaneously to announce that I was there and ask which floor they were on. I got 2 different answers! Bel was on the 5th floor and MMF offered to meet me at the cafe on the 2nd floor. I was actually standing right next to this cafe at this time, but didn't work that out till I'd done a complete tour of that level and got a map.

We all finally convened at the cafe on the 4th floor - Bel and Beatrice, Stunning Frenchie, MMF, H5ringer, Solnushka, Bald Bloke, Agapanthus, Todaymueller, Dr Z and Mrs Z. Please excuse me if I've forgotten anyone, the cafe was very full and there were far more of us than the table was designed for and people kept coming and going!

After a welcome cuppa (except it was in a paper cup), we split up into the infantry and the cavalry. I was in the foot soldiers group who advanced across the Millenium Bridge and walked the three stops to Holborn for the Shakespeare's Head. It was quite fine weather now and I am sure seeing St Paul's in the afternoon sunlight and passing the lovely buildings, walking along wide, empty pavements, as well as admiring the elephants, was preferable to sitting in a tube train.

We arrived at the Shakespeare's Head, which was light and airy and not too full at that stage. The current "Eds" - apparently no longer known as Italics - at least I didn't hear that expression used - Chris and Sam, were there as promised, as was Jack Winterbourne (aka Azahoth) and a few others. Our 'Cavalry' arrived much later - Beatrice and I already had our drinks and were chatting to Jack Winterbourne's friend by then, and had already been presented with our freebies - red shopping bags and black beanie hats.

I'm not sure who arrived when, but, apart from those listed as having been at the Tate, and those just mentioned, other researchers in the Shakespeare's Head were: Em6, Alex Ashman, WhoamI, ReddyFreddy, Coelecanth, Mu Beta and ...(I'll add any more as I remember them).

The evening passed quickly, as em6 told me about what life is like on cruise liners and I talked about America to Todaymueller, we observed a near-fight at the bar, and Jack Winterbourne and his friend tried to explain the different electoral systems to me.

The highlight was at 8 pm, when we drank a toast to absent and departed friends, and tried to get in touch with the Hull crowd - yes, there was a simultaneous meet in Hull with about 13 people! As with Mannheim/Belfast the Skype link-up didn't work, but at that moment, the texts went flying round the planet, and everyone was brandishing their mobile phones and showing each other who'd sent them a text. I got one from Sho, Coelecanth got one from Mina, MMF got one from someone else. Beatrice did manage to Skype DragonQueen, but it was so loud that typing was a far better way of communicating!

Mu Beta had devised a quiz, but it was only half-finished. He uploaded it to Beatrice's netbook and we all had a go at his very hard questions! We all now know, for what it's worth, that electrum is an alloy of gold and silver. I was probably the only one who didn't know that a sauce veronique contained grapes. Hey ho. H'ed gone to some pains to create a collage of pictures from children's TV shows, but I only knew Parsley the Lion. Anything after about 1975 is not familiar to me anyway, but I'm ashamed to say, some of them were from before that date and I still didn't recognise them.

Beatrice and I were staying at the same hotel, and, when the group started to dwindle at around ten/ten-thirty we left, too, and took the short tube ride to Monument. Beatrice had had somewhat more Sauvignon Blanc than me, but with the help of her iPhone and some concentrated navigation on my part, we found the hotel without detour, passing the Bank of England Building - at night an impressive sight with blue illumination.

The shock was due the next day. I was in the Stansted express on my way to the airport when my mother phoned to say that I should seriously look into flying back there and then (I was going to pick up a hire car at the airport and go to my mother's for a day before flying back on the Monday night). The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull had started sending out its grey ash again, endangering flight paths and groundig many flights. Belfast and Glasgow were closed. Poor Beatrice - only two weeks ago, she had had to take the Coach back to Belfast from London because of the same volcanic ash. In my case, I decided not to do anything until my flight was actually cancelled, as a couple more days in England, or away from work, were no great problem. However, as it turned out, my flight wasn't cancelled, Stansted was not closed once during this scare, and I got home on the Monday night exactly as originally planned.

23 July 2011 - Mini-Meet in Frankfurt

Bel, Z and I spent the day in Frankfurt together.

I've written about it here, so I won't embellish any more. It was a strange day, weatherwise, but we talked non-stop the whole time. So much to say, so little time. And with the town being so full, you couldn't walk three abreast, so someone was always missing out on what was being said!

By the way, in case you've not been counting, this was my 16th Meet!

10 and 11 July 2012 - Dublin Meet(s)

See also The Post entry.

When my husband and I decided to spend our summer holiday in Ireland this year, of course we contacted the Dublin crowd. By the time some Belfast hootooers had announced that they were happy to escape Norn Irn on the eve of the 12th, we were quite a sizeable group.

We met for dinner on the evening of 10 July: Trig, Gnomon, Z and Ben, and my husband and I. On the following day, we had arranged to meet at 11 am at Stephen's Green, and the above-mentioned group of 6 was augmented by: Bea, Mala, Tavaron, Recumbentman, AyeBee Pirate Wench. We were very lucky to have found a sunny day and discovered lots of fun things in the Natural History Museum and some true wonders in the Archaeology Museum. Gnomon herded the cats round very competently and served up a super impromptu itinerary, incorporating some of his Dublin Statues, and adequate breaks for tea and lunch.

14-16 June 2013 - Reims, Champagne, France

This one was masterminded by U9937105 - the main discussion pre- and post- meet to be found here.

I wrote all the details in my journal (see below - or follow this link.)

Here is the report on this: by Superfrenchie":

TC enjoys singing

Well, I join any choir I can find the time for, and would love to start my own women's vocal group, with an emphasis on 40s type swing, Andrews Sisters style.

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