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

Entry: The Needles and Alum Bay, Isle of Wight, UK - A87762504
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

My entry for April's Create challenge A87751010 about the natural history of one of the Island's natural wonders, the Needles. This article addresses the suggestion to "catalogue an area of natural beauty", and on a sunny day, what site is more beautiful than the Needles and Alum Bay?

<BB<

Nice entry - I'll read it carefully later.

Needles Relief?

Icy

A bit about the Needles Relief added – it happened last year, so I believe it's still going. Not having a yacht I've never taken part myself, though.

<BB<

This is a fine entry, well done

I'd mention that you can take a short boat trip around the Needles from Alum Bay. I can't recommend it enough.

I'd also mention that you get an excellent view of the Needles from the Old Battery. You walk through the caves and it comes out at an opening in the cliff right over the stacks. I may have some photos at home, but I went on a misty day, so they may not be suitable.

Finally, I'm not convinced the photo you've used really shows the stacks and lighthouse in their full glory, although I concede that you are writing about the bay too.

Icy

Excellent suggestions - appropriate comments added as per your recommendations.

I agree about the photograph - it's the only one we have in the Guide featuring the Needles at present, and is from the Walking the Isle of Wight Coastal Path articles, which was published back in the days when photographs had to portrait, when landscape would suit the Needles more. Should this entry be recommended I'll be able to provide more appropriate alternatives, but it gives an impression of what I'm talking about and proves I'm not making it all up.

<BB<

I'll be honest - I've been avoiding reading this for fear of reliving a childhood trauma.

No, really. I once got lost in the car park here. We'd spent some time there, played in the sand, looked at the needles, and whatnot, and were about to head back. Being an impetuous child I ran ahead of my parents, but ended up running the wrong way. I found myself in a completely different bit of the car park, which did not contain our family vehicle. I looked around in dismay, wondering why my parents had left without me, seeing as our car was 'gone'. I also noted that someone had taken the big slide that was a stone's throw from our car, but I was so convinced that I was in the right place, that the improbability of this just didn't occur to me.

Eventually I stopped wandering about, sat down on the steps of some memorial thing (I realise that saying 'some memorial thing' is probably deeply offensive to whatever was being memorialised, but I was only young at the time, it was just a stone thing with steps to me) and cried . After what seemed like ages my Mom and Dad found me, and I discovered that I had been in the wrong car park all along. The car, and the big slide, were still where we had left them.

Now that that's all out, I shall do my best to pluck up courage and read this entry as soon as I can.


Geggs

I've just e-mailed you a photo, BB. Probably not usable, but I'll let you decide.

Icy

BB, I have never been to the IOW but this is inspiring me to add it to my bucket list.


Wow, GeggsI really felt your pain (both as a lost child and a desperate parent)

GB

I know how you feel - I lost my Mum in the Brighton Pavilion Found her again an hour later, she'd been in the queue to the ladies...
Thanks for the picture, Icy. I think we should ask someone with a yacht to take us on a trip around the Needles one nice, sunny day so we can take some more photos.

I've not got as many photos of the Needles as I should.

<BB<

The two sections with the same Alum Bay need combining and possibly their paragraphs re-ordered

Nice work <BB<

Combined and re-ordered slightly too.

<BB<

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

And so ends the Needles' thread...

And sew ends the Needles' thread...

Had me in stitches there, h5