From The Archive
Created | Updated Jun 19, 2008
The Post has been lucky to attract many contributors over the years and, thankfully, all
their articles are lovingly preserved in our extensive archives. This series aims to introduce you to some
of them.
Personality Number Three: Bluebottle
Community Capers
With a member number even lower than mine, it was inevitable that I'd bump into Bluebottle around the site. Just one week after The Post was launched I met him 'in real life' at The h2g2 Christmas Get Together 19991 and found it didn't take much persuading to get him contributing.
One of his first pieces concerned the The Rambling Misfits, the h2g2 softball team, and whether or not they would ever play a game. When the Italics advertised for more volunteers, Is Waiting Ever Ace featured an email conversation between Bluebottle and Peta.
In early June, 2000, the weather was warm and the H2G2 Waterworks were opened. The H2G2 Waterworks Article informed all visitors of the changes to the facility and even included a handy area map. Waterworks need sewers and The h2g2 Sewer-Spotter's 'If' celebrated them in verse. Of course, a swimming pool wouldn't be complete without a Bikini Competition and Bluebottle ran four of these before bowing out. Finally, in the run up to Christmas, where better to shop than at the H2G2 Waterworks: Gift Shop.
Bluebottle decided to wander a little farther than the Waterworks when he embarked on his Hiking Through H2G2: Putting H2G2 On The Map series, during which he visited the far flung corners of the known world and enlisted the help of Redbeard to act as Roving Reporter.
In July, 2000, Bluebottle sought to increase his h2g2 presence further by standing as running mate to Peregrin in The Virtual Prez of h2g2 election. Their Campaign Statement and Policies
seemed to have paid off as the Voting Results! show, and this led to a short series of The Vice's Advice. Sadly, both were impeached for failing to fulfil the requirements of the job, but it was fun while it lasted.
Location, Location
Famously, Bluebottle comes from The Isle Of Wight and we were never short of articles about his home. Most of these ended up in the Edited Guide, but a few found their way into The Post. Summer Solent Sailing and Summer Solent Sailing: Sequel meant we could all enjoy messing about in boats. For those who don't know, The Solent is the stretch of water which separates IoW from the English mainland, with Portsmouth and Southampton a short ferry ride away. The 2002 Hampshire Meet Up was finally organised after a few false starts and the The Douglas Adams Quiz was the highlight of the proceedings - along with the beer of course. Previously, Bluebottle, in his capacity as a member of The Wessex Researchers Group, had written a report for us of the Reading Thursday Meet-Up.
It is well known that festivals are celebrated differently around the world, so it was fun to read about Shroven On The Isle Of Wight2 and Wight Christmas.
Tributes and Culture
People often feel compelled to put pen to paper when someone they admired dies and Bluebottle was no exception. A Tribute to Harry Secombe and A Tribute To George Harrison both appeared in The Post in 2001. The Beatles were something of a specialist subject to Bluebottle and, again, most of his best items were destined for the Edited Guide. We were allowed one, however; Let it Be... Naked.
Can jokes be classed as culture? A regular feature of all the early Post editions was the inclusion of a joke. These were all provided through the auspices of a special part of h2g2 set up by Bluebottle. So Long, And Thanks For Laughing tells us all about it.
In October, 2003, I decided to create a supplement for the Hallowe'en edition. It would have been a very limited one if not for the complete set of appraisals of the Halloween films provided by Bluebottle.
So, a little bit of horror, some splashing about both in and out of boats, meets, campaigns, tributes and some verse. A diverse set of articles all contained in this archive collection. I wonder if he is still on the IoW... my son and one of my daughters live there now and I often think about Bluebottle when visiting.
