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

Have they fixed this yet? On other pages this hasn't shown up until I have posted an entry.

Ummm..I don't know.

Interesting article, Ginger. I had assumed by the title that it had something to do with a vacation you took, but was pleasantly surprised by the history lesson instead. I shall be sure to bring pep pills if I ever visit.

By the way, I like the rejection counter on your main page. I'm up to 10 or 11 weeks myself......

Cheers! I thought it made a change from the usual kind of articles you tend to see on here. It is also one of my favourite stories in English history simply because it is so coarse and contradicts the usual snobby image we have built up over our history.

Well done Ginger. I was aware of the poker but the cow horn adds a whole new dimension. Wasn't Alfred the Great his grandfather?

Ignore that. I was 500 years out.

Was that the "Morton" of Mortons Fork fame..the clever little bit of law that made it impossible to choose one way or another..either way you were caught on the prongs??

Just a thought Ginger - Would a better title be The British Monarchy - a cautionary tale

Your heading could then be a tantalising intro

Shazz - What? Did not understand!
Looney & pink - I have taken your advice. Thanks v. much!

Sorry!! I remember(?) learning about an interesting little scam which was perpetrated during that period of history.Having got my brain in gear..& cleared the alcohol out of my system..I realize that,like PP
I am in the wrong century!The principle was called *Mortons Fork* and it worked on the same idea as the question*Have you stopped beating your wife yet?*A *yes* implies that you have stopped..but that you did used to....and a *no* implies that you do,but haven't stopped!!
I believe now that it might have had something to do with *have you stopped being a Roman Catholic*...and was during the time of jolly old Henry 8

Brilliant article Ginger. That horn up the bum made me squirm. You really hit the right timbre with your description of the awful deed.

Thanks JTG! I don't know why but it's always a story that has fascinated me because it was so ingenious for the times!

I went to a school called Bablake in Coventry, West Midlands. The school was split into 'houses' each of which 'descended' from a local charity school. I was in Bailey house, which descended from the 'Green Gift' school (although our house colour was red!?!) The Green Gift school was founded by Edward II's wife in penance for her part in his murder. The Bailey house coat of arms was a silver tower (or bailey) on a red ground, said to represent Berkeley Castle.

I'd not heard about the use of the cow horn until I read your article, although I did once read that they used a table top or something similar to stop him writhing about.

Thanks for the info - I might add it in when I have a chance! By all accounts I don't think anyone was that bothered that he was murdered because he was pretty much regarded by everyone as a *bad* king!

I assume you mean bad in the sense defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, not as in 'bad = good, cool, etc'

I'm a bit old to be picking up street slang so yes you are right. The reason I put the word in ** was because it is hard to define what makes a good or a bad monarch and I certainly don't think I am qualified to do it. On of the main reasons they thought Edward II was *bad* was because he lost Scotland - something that was never really his in the first place!