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

Amy I don't know how to thank you enough! I've done everything that you suggested, and found a few more grammatical errors to fix in the other half of the entry. Would you and ZSF like Co-authourship?

I've also noticed in the directions to the city centre I put right instead of left 2 x

I'm not adding any information so I shouldn't be credited but thanks for the thought .

Going through the spelling, punctuation and grammar for the first half again.

General point: commas before conjunctions (and, but, or) are optional but in British English they normally aren't used. In other words don't put commas before 'ands.'

This website might be useful to you http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.html
Points 12, 13 and 14 are relevant here.

Paragraph 1

'This may be unfounded. *H*owever, it is certainly one of the busiest interchanges...'
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'If You *Have* up to an Hour to Spare' [Capitalisation and removal of the redundant 'got.']

'You can keep yourself amused here for a few *minutes* without'
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'If You *Have* a Couple of Hours to Kill'

*You have* the joys of Birmingham City Centre to play with3.

'head generally to the left. [insert full stop]*Y*ou can also go through the shopping centre.'

'take the escalator from the station *c*oncourse.'

'The Olde Joint Stock [remove comma] by the Cathedral. The Bull Ring market sells amazing*ly* cheap, though not always high quality, [insert comma] fruit that you could buy to snack on for the rest of the journey.'

'Pizza Hut [remove comma] and most of the pubs are friendly towards children and their families. Other ways of amusing small people [yuk! patronising] include plenty of toyshops [toyshops is one word] and the central library, which has a good children’s section. [insert full stop] In addition, [insert comma] the staff positively encourage you to read aloud to *your children*.' [not 'to them' because that sounds as if you're reading to the staff ]

'The Museum and Art Gallery in Victoria Square has a good hands on section for younger children, [remove superfluous 'and'] a fairly good *A*ncient Greece *exhibit*[remove comma] and the Egypt room has a real mummy. It's very near New Street station [remove comma] and,[insert comma] best of all, *it is* free to get into [the clause needed a verb]. The Tearoom is quite good; it's still in the Edwardian style. Most usefully, it's free to get into [remove comma] and the gift shop actually has some rather nice things5.'



'Those of you that don’t imagine Birmingham to be up-market would be surprised by the redevelopment of the old sorting office, into a post shopping centre...' [I don't know what you mean by a 'post shopping centre.' A post-themed shopping centre perhaps?]

Second half to follow later .

Are you sure I can't talk you into removing the contractions?

Amy

I don't think I've done enough for co-authorship, Z! Lovely thought though.

I thought it might be good to mention that enormous piazza in the city centre.

Also, if you walk off the piazza into the Convention Centre and carry on past Sym Hall you get to an interesting area of canal-side walks, little bridges, restaurants and pubs etc as visited a few years ago by Bill Clinton.

Not far from the city centre is the Jewellery Quarter, which I've not been to but I'm told is worth a visit. Is it?


Bels

When I was last there, i used to go to the jewelly quarter to buy semi-precious stones and silver. However the places I bought from were very security conscious and you had to ring to get in. The outside of the places were not very inviting, so I wouldn't have called it much of a tourist attraction.

Have things changed, Z?

Part deux .


'If You Are Really Stuck for Ages' [capitalisation of headers]

'Don't despair, [insert comma] there are lots ways to pass the time.' [Since you've used the phrase 'Don't despair' once already, you might want to go for 'Don't worry' instead.]



For Kids [remove comma] and Like Minded Adults

'In the city centre, Millennium point, is the most recent addition...' [I would turn that round: 'Millennium *Point* in the city centre is the most recent addition...'


As the area of the city centre where it's located is currently being redeveloped it's probably best to ask for directions. [This sentence will pass its sell-by date quite quickly. Perhaps you should miss it out.]

'It's a large 'education experience' aimed at children; its facilities include an IMAX cinema.'

Lots of suggested changes in the next paragraph.

'Children might prefer Cadbury World, the visitor centre at Cadbury's headquarters in the suburb of Bourneville.' ['Your average child' is such a nasty colloquialism IMO] Its exhibitions are devoted to the history of chocolate and the Cadbury Company. It offers a ride through a chocolate wonderland and the chance to drink liquid chocolate. The quickest way to get there is to take a train to Bourneville from New Street. Again, there is an entrance fee, and according to their website you can be turned away if you do not have an advance booking.'

Culture

'As you *would* expect from a city that applied for European City of Culture, there is some culture *to be found in* the place. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra sometimes plays afternoon concerts [remove comma] at the attractive, modern Symphony Hall.'

'The Barber Insitute *is* one of the best small art galleries in the country. The small but excellent collection includes pieces by Rubens, *v*an Dyck, Rembrandt, [space] Gainsborough, Turner, Whistler, Manet, Degas, Monet, van Gogh, Rodin, Gaugin, Picasso *and* Mattisse. For some reason it's very empty, so unlike some larger art galleries you can appreciate the art without the disturbance of tour guides. It's on the Birmingham University campus. [full stop] To get there, you can *take* a train from New Street to the University station.'

'If they're not too busy, [insert comma] the staff will be able to point out where you are and how to get to most places.' [insert full stop]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 *Its* critics are less kind. [no apostrophe] [Consider putting this in the text.]
2 So you could go on h2g2! [trite]
3 Now don't look like that, it's changed a lot recently.
4 Slightly out of the city centre, admittedly.
5 Including a print on this researchers bedroom wall. [I don't think I need to know that. Consider removing.]
6 And didn't the title [This doesn't make sense to me at all.]

Arghh! Capitalisation of headers is one of my pet hates! Just say "no"!

(Different (key)strokes for different folks! )

B

I think it's Bournville rather than Bourneville...

You could be right there, Bels .

It doesn't matter whether Z capitalises his headings or not, Ben. They'll get capitalised during editing regardless.

Which is one of the things I object to about the editing process...

B

I find it best just to accept the editing process.

I've just noticed, 'Like-minded' should have a hyphen.

ZSF, the point about the Jewellery Quarter isn't only to do with buying jewellery. I thought it was an area of historic houses and other buildings, also museums, also a place where you could see demonstrations of processes carried out in the jewellery trade. But I could be wrong.

Amy, I *am* right about Bournville. That was just my way of putting it

Bels, I knew you were right. It was just my way of putting it.

Oh, the Jewelery Quarter sounds really interesting. Almost worth being strande in New Street for!

Amy - I do accept the editing process. I am very grateful for it, too. But that doesn't mean I am not going to wince privately when they inflict Random Acts of Capitalisation though!

B

My first engagement ring was from the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham .

At least you got one! All I got from my ex was a dis-engagement ring, which I bought for myself with the last of the money from our shared house!

B

I like the idea of a disengagement ring . I may adopt the custom .

te-he!! Yes, a disengagement ring sounds a idea!

Nice one, Z. How about mentioning the canals? More miles of than Venice & all that. Gas St Basin is a great place to wander around & if it's really bad you might be better off going by narrowboat than waiting for the train!

I think you should kep the bedroom poster footnote, adds a personal touch, I had a poster from there too on mine, so I'm disgustingly biased of course!

If they had time they could go for a curry, Balti belt, best place in the world

Terri.

this is the buisest conversation for any entry that I've put into Peer Review, which worries me considering it's on New Street Station

Bels, the reason I haven't mention the piazza outside the ICC is that it's not really got anything to do in it, apart from have a look at. I personally don't find the Gas Street Basin(that area of canal side walks that Bill Clinton went to) much to write home about! but I haven't been down there for a while, actually thinking about it there's a floating resutrant on a barge which children might like so I'll add that in that section and mentiion the area there. I haven't been to the Jewellery Quarter for years (4 to be precise) but I've just found via Google there is a "musem of the Jewellary Quarter, I'll pop in after work tomorrow and see what I can find about the area. I'll also pay the Roman Catholic and Anglican Catherdrals a visit to see if there's anything to write about them.

Amy I have made all the changes you suggested and even removed the contractures, I am a sub ed really, and I can't be that bad because Anna recently tried to talk me out of resigning.

Terri, I'll add a bit on the canals when I've been on my experdition tomorrow, and the suggestion of going for a curry on Ladypool road, now I can offer a free popadom to anyone who knows which bus you get to Ladypool road. No one? I'll just look it up on the Centro website.

>Amy I have made all the changes you suggested and even removed the contractures<

I think you missed quite a few .