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

How on earth are ladies supposed to sit with these bustles? Sideways?

Somehow, I had never asked this question.

What do you do when someone asks this question?

You go to Youtube and type in 'How to Sit with a Bustle'. You get:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iSEX1uty1g

I our modern republic of letters (and videos).

Late 18th century? The hat looks like something you might have seen on Abigail Adams.

Ah! Dead easy Invented in the early days of "talkies" movies/films to get a relative etc into the cinema without paying

Or a demented midget, a la "The Tin Drum"

The hidden folding tripod is for sitting, is it not?
Or is this the version with the bustle mounted inflatable canapé?

Who needs chairs anyway...

I am now envisioning a whole cartoon involving a lady superhero with a parachute coming out of her bustle...ala Inspector Gadget...

Why not a hot air balloon instead? Much more lady like. The legs shouldn't be showing.... Now we just have to find someplace safe to accomodate the coal stove and bellows for creating hot air

Super idea! Maybe a large hat with a brazier in it?

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3a11022/

Bustles are no longer necessary, let alone feasible. They used to make ladies look like upside down milkweed seeds. Nowadays the wind has better things to do than blow upside down ladies hither and yon.

Yorkshire Scouts We'll use cheap tents where ever we can find/get them

I never said upside down. Maybe some counterweights are needed to get the centre of gravity correct though...

Scouts, old tents and fire shouldn't be too hard a combination to find. I know of one occasion where the very old army tent was too close to the fire, but had such heavy fabric, it didn't burn but just smouldered away during the night.

Oh, it's a long long time from May to these embers....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wte1uk4A5eU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_to_Coast_Walk

long time ago, me and some mates did the "coast to coast walk" (we did west to east)

"They walked" I did the backup drivergoing ahead to set camp-sites up I was putting up a 12 man tent alone(with ease) while many other campers around were struggling with small tents etc
and I'm only 5ft 3ins

In an alternative universe, surely you are 6' 3"

Did west to east twice with different company. Also a long time ago. I really liked it. Also did the Cambrian way, which is really good (not suitable for everyone though (more strenuous, more navigation skills needed)). Both very good for my English.

Paul If my spine had been straight I'd have been no less than 6ft tall but! then againI might have had altitude sickness up there

Well, that would not have been good.

If you lived in Pakistan, you would already have beat the average life expectancy for your country. Britain gives you a higher bar to hurdle. Let's focus on making every day count, and let the years take care of themselves.

I take each second as it comes head-on

It's another second I can cause havoc or laughs

Somehow, I think the only havoc you could cause would come with laughs anyway. Which is a good thing.