h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Duncton Wood was about Badgers, wasn't it?

No definitely moles.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/878307.Duncton_Wood

yes! I have another book about Badgers, but i can't remember the title.

there should be more books about badgers... and moles.... actually.... and horses, of course.

Of course. Because a horse is horse, of course, of course

Meanwhile...

Peter Sarstedt
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38548507

Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) was one of the first four or five singles I bought, but which I no longer own, unfortunately. It is a very odd and distinctive song, not just for the lyrics ("He bought you a racehorse for Christmas, and you keep it, just for fun, for a laugh, ah ha ha ha"), and not just for the interesting arrangement, but also for being in 3/4 time. Which doesn't happen often enough.

His brother, Robin, was fond of the waltz too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSrCIsrg30M

And I had no idea until today that Eden Kane was also his brother.

It *is* very compelling in its oddness...

I love it - especially the full version - but then I love a song with a story, even though you don't really know what it's on about.

The 3/4 time is also absolutely lovely. It's up there with Piano Man for me on my list of "songs I want to do a Viennese Walz with" (but not if Bruno is watching...)

Isn't it a bit slow for a Viennese waltz? In the Viennese waltz IIRC, you only take a step on the first beat of the bar, so really it's more of a 6/8 time, whereas a standard waltz is slow enough to gracefully make a move on all three of the beats.

Oh dear - we're invading Gosho's private space again.

I need an adult! I need an adult!

You're not invading anything. The only rule here is that no-one posts any death reports except me because this is a list of people who have meant something to me in one way or another. Discussion is welcomed

I think you could do a waltz with a bit more spinning than usual. It might be fun.

Rachel Heyhoe Flint
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-38664893

It's hard not to think of Rachel Heyhoe Flint in the same jolly-hockey-sticks, Joyce Grenfell, Miranda Hart sort of way. She was always the first (only) name that came to mind when women's cricket was mentioned, and with a name like that it's not surprising

She still is the first and only name I know in women's cricket (there's absolutely no coverage of cricket in Germany, they have to have it patiently explained to them that, no, it is not croquet - they are two completely different sports). I always thought of her as young and sporty, but, time does pass.

The name never struck me as unusual, there was a girl called Hayhoe in my class, but now you mention it....

they know all about cricket here - there are a couple of teams in Düsseldorf and Howard Carpendale used to play for one of them.
There is also a national team - and they're mostly German these days.
Plus the new assistant in our office comes from Lower Saxony, and her secondary school head teacher's husband was Australian and got her interested in playing. Now she has started training with a ladies team in Köln.

Germany is getting there cricket wise.

Rachel Heyhoe-Flint is the only lady cricketer I can name. She was a fantastic ambassador for the sport and wonderfully talented.

I obviously still live in the back of beyond.

Gordon Kaye
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38718282

I only put this here just to say that I never got 'Allo 'Allo. There were obviously plenty who did because it was so popular but I never saw the appeal.

I loved it, it was pure slapstick with some brilliant flashes of the type of humour that is screamingly funny while at the same time making a very serious point.

Did you ever watch Secret Army?

I didn't. Was that the one with Geoffrey Palmer? A sort of Reginald Perrin spinoff?

no it was a drama about the Belgian resistance. It was broadcast in the 70s and it is the basis for 'Allo 'Allo.