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

Erm, Highbury was never a real place. It'd be a bad thing to let that smidgen of mis-info go into the EG

You sure? I just did a google search and found this page which mentions Highbury at the time of the Peasant's Rebellion, which was 13th century wasn't it? I'm Australian, so I'm not too up to date on British history.

http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~alan/family/G-Islington.html

In the novel Highbury is in the county of Surrey (south of London). It is believed to be based on the village of Bookham where one of JA's relations was vicar. Confirmation of this in the book can be found in the excursion to Box Hill (near Dorking, Surrey) and the trips some characters (Mr Martin, for example) make to Kingston to conduct business. There is a real place in north London called Highbury which is mainly famous as the home of Arsenal Football Club and this is NOT the setting of the novel.