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

At least the year fits, and also the name

London's Oldest Restaurant
and its Private Dining Rooms



RULES
35 MAIDEN LANE
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON WC2E 7LB

Looks like you've got it!
Extract from Rules history;
The King Edward VII Room SEATS UP TO 18 PEOPLE
In this intimate, velvet-swagged room on the first floor, by the lattice window, was once the most celebrated “Table for Two” in London. This was the Prince of Wales’ favourite spot for wining and dining the beautiful actress Lillie Langtry. Their signed portraits still hang on the walls.

Alji

That's very interesting.
Did the name never have an apostrophe? (Who was Rule?} I am surprised that such a trendy name could actually date from that period (1799).
Was it always just 'Rules', not the 'Rule of Law' or the 'Rulers Roost' or 'The Rules'?

*must get to England one day and see all this stuff for myself and stop pestering you people for details*

peace
jwf

Aljiis,
the text you found, goes on with:
The couple visited so often that a private entrance was made for them.

More info from the reataurants own website:
THE STORY OF LONDON’S OLDEST RESTAURANT

In the year Napoleon opened his campaign in Egypt, Thomas Rule promised his despairing family that he would say goodbye to his wayward past and settle down. No sooner said than he opened an oyster bar in Covent Garden. To the surprise and disbelief of his family, this enterprise proved to be not only successful but lasting.

Contemporary writers were soon singing the praises of Rules’ “porter, pies and oysters”, and remarking on the “rakes, dandies and superior intelligences who comprise its clientele”.

Rules still flourishes, the oldest restaurant in London and one of the most celebrated in the world. In over 200 years, spanning the reigns of nine monarchs, it has been owned by only three families . . . just before The Great War, Charles Rule, a descendant of the founder, was thinking of moving to Paris; by sheer coincidence he met Tom Bell, a Briton who owned a Parisian restaurant called the Alhambra, and the two men decided to swap businesses. (During the war Tom Bell was an officer in the Royal Flying Corps, and left the running of the restaurant to Charlie, the Head Waiter, who had served Charles Rule for many years.)

You are completely and utterly correct. Rules also has the honour of being directly opposite the original h2g2 offices!

I suppose you mean me with "you", so I will start thinking.

Rules is worth visiting if you are feeling flushed with cash. It specialises in game and has its own estate in the Pennines. So at least you know the animals, birds and fish have had a reasonably wild and free life. The venison is particularly good.

~jwf~

im veggie so that dont really apply 2 me i guess!

For the next question, place this song:







Wake now my merry lads! Wake and hear me calling!
Warm now be heart and limb! The cold stone is fallen;
Dark door is standing wide; dead hand is broken.
Night under Night is flown, and the gate is Open!

It sounds very jolly - most uplifting. I shall refrain from searching the web because you always make them harder than that. Then I shall say I have no idea and am not very good at poetry and see if anyone else gets the answer.

Uhm... Why does Marianne Faithful's "Naked Under Leather" spring to mind?

*ponder, ponder, ponder*

jwf

jwf

I'm with you on anything that might involve Marianne Faithful & leather

but I think this has more to do indirectly with a "current popular film" (I can't find the book of poems I'm thinking of )

Yes from LotR
Help Bombadil!
[sung by Frodo]
Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!
By water, wood and hill, by the reed and willow,
By fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us!
Come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!

[sung by Tom Bombadil]

Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master:
His songs are the stronger songs, and his feet are faster.

Alji

damn damn damn! i knew that!

if more infos required it was when Frodo, Sam Merry & Piipin were trapped in the Barrow with the Barrowright & Tom sang that song to bring Merry, Piipn & Sam round after dragging them out ontro the Barrowdowns.

the episode occurs after they leave Toms (& Goldberrys) house, after the Old Forest, after leaving Fatty Bolger at the house at Crickhollow, after the ferry crossing & BEFORE arriving at Bree! (that whole section was missed out of the film 4 any1 confused)

PS- Tolkein's poetry is beautiful & really enhances the book. its a shame they left it out of the film

i meant
^. .^
= ' =

i meant
^. .^
= ' =

Uhm, yes Cleba, ..of course you meant

Seriously, is that a comment on the ultraviolence of the LOTR film?
Point well taken. The 'ring = nukes' viz scares the s**t outa me.

Personally, I thought it was the best episode of "Sharpe" ever. Usually, Sean Bean is the only one who doesn't get killed, so that alone gave me any satisfaction. OH and, LOL when he cuts his thumb on the sword and says, "Sharp!"

I was just about to grant that John Rhys Davies really can act when given a chance, and then he did the dwarf tossing joke.

And old Gandalf swishing around in his leather trenchcoat learing at the little boys put me right off my popcorn.

It's Aljiis' turn I believe....

peace
~jwf~

Completely correct, it is Aljiis turn.
I choose this fragment because (according to my son, I still have to go) Tom Bombadil is missing. A pity, but it happens to be one of the few parts that can be left out, without loosing an essential thread.

A reminder. I hope no-one will ask a question about the other two parts. It may spoil the fun for those who did not read the books.
But I cannot force it, and if one comes, I surely will answer.