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

... the end came too quickly again

Have been enjoying this series, especially as it's Britain through the eyes of a visitor, thanks for writing it

Thanks, Jules. I had a great time, as I'm sure you can tell. There will be 16 parts to the series, so it will be running for a while.

I really think the BBC should hire me at some outrageous salary to do a TV series for them. Britain through the eyes of a midwest librarian. They could set me up in a fancy flat in London - one overlooking the Royal Albert Hall would be nice. And find me a hunky production assistant to serve as a trophy companion for nights out at the theatre.

Well, you do know any hunky assistant from the Beeb isn't very likely to be into the ladies...

The thing is, someone has kind of done it before, when Bill Bryson televised excerpts of his book (as reviewed here: A2627679)

I look forward to the rest of the series

Me too. When do I get to be in it?

I'm really enjoying this too. It is fascinating to hear a foreign point of view.

I particularly liked the section on the British Library, that made me smile!

Where in Birmingham (vaguely) does Z live? I'm from Solihull, I don't know if the name rings a bell but it's very close. Near to Birmingham, Coventry, Stratford, Warwick and Kenilworth.

Did you see Selfridges in the Bull Ring? The building with rounded sides ans silvery circular panels on it?

I love the Bryson book. It's a hoot. But in all fairness, he doesn't have the charm of a middle-aged grandmotherly librarian from the midwest. It isn't his fault, but there it is. And he lived in England so long that his reactions to things are suspect. I think the BBC needs me. My take on things would be much more honest. And I wouldn't be making a joke of everything.

With my luck, the Beeb would send me Vicky Pollard for an assistant.

Bagpuss, you show up on Day 12. That was a fun day.

Elentari, I'm working on Day 6, which is Birmingham, right now. We went to the Bullring and to Selfridges, but I didn't buy anything.


Yes, Solihull does sound familiar. I'm sure the train stopped there. Is that the rather posh neighborhood?

I don't remember the street name where Z lives. I have it written down someplace. It isn't too far from Cadbury World. I think that is a couple of stops before his.

Perhaps if you explain to the BBC bosses that you're already published on the BBC website, so it'd just be a case of changing the format of the travelogue.

Bagpuss, I'm still disappointed that they didn't hang my portrait in the Towers after I was elected President.

So, I wonder who I would need to talk to about this. I really wouldn't mind living in London for a few months or decades.

Solihull does have a reputation as being a bit posh, yes. And the train probably woulkd have gone through it, so that sounds right.

Cadbury World? Sounds like Bournville then. That's cool.

I never know Solihull was posh. I think the "Hull" bit gives the wrong impression.

Hyp - Well, Bryson had to be a best-selling author first, and Michael Palin was already famous for his comedy, so you need to get writing first. Oh, wait, you are.

I'm afraid I'm not in their league. I loved the rail journeys series. I don't remember ever seeing the series with Bryson, though. Either I missed it or they didn't show it in the US.

I never saw much of Great Rail Journeys, but I remember a spoof, which I think was on Goodness Gracious Me, based on a local British rail service. "The tree is so sacred to these people that if just one leaf lands on the line, the whole train has to stop."

*hopes Hyp knows enough to get the joke*

I've heard you guys complain about the rail service enough to think I understand the joke.

I've never heard of Goodness Gracious Me. Is it funny?

I liked it. It's a sketch show by Britsh Asian comics. A lot of the sketches were, like that one, role reversal. The one that always gets shown is Going for an English, where they go to an English restaurant in Mumbai.

"What's the blandest dish on the menu?"
"The prawn cocktail is particularly bland, sir."
"I'll have the prawn cocktail and I'll eat it using a knife and fork!"

That sort of thing. Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar went on to star in The Kumars at Number 42, which you might have heard of.

As for the joke, the classic British Rail excuses were "Leaves on the line", "Snow on the line" and "Cows on the line". A memorable variation was "Wrong type of leaves", which apparently was sycamore.

I loved Goodness Gracious Me.

"I never know Solihull was posh. I think the "Hull" bit gives the wrong impression."

Reasonably posh, yes. It's not like Kensington or anything! The name actually comes from "Soiley Hill", it's about 12th century I believe.

If it was called Soily Hill, obviously I'd have realised it was posh.

It wouldn't matter how it was spelled - no one would pronounce it that way anyway.

I was just trying to explain where the Hull part comes from.

Apparently it's supposed to be pronounced Soh-lee-hull, but most people I know say Sol-ee-hull.