So it is Saturday and my better half has to work. Again. What can an italic do? How about meeting Pierce the Pirate?

It was with this in mind, I stepped off the tube at King's Cross and started searching for the pub known as the Head of Steam. This proved to be a bigger task then I thought. Having worked at Euston, I had a fixed idea where the pub was. I went to where I thought it was, to
find a pub called the Rocket. Naturally I assumed that it had changed names so I investigated it fully. No sign of anyone remotely connected with h2g2.

I walked up and down the Euston Road again but the pub had failed to materialise in the meantime. So I called in to another pub called the Euston Flyer, but the staff there had never heard of it either. I decided to walk to Euston station and go shopping, stopping on my way to talk to the firemen on picket duty at the fire station. Many thanks goes to the kind gentlemen who pointed out where the meetup was actually taking place. It had got the point where I was considering going to the cinema in order to fill the time before I was allowed to
turn up at my better half's flat.

When I eventually found the entrance to the pub I met Galaxy Babe at the bar, attracting admiring glances in her h2g2 T-shirt¹. Gathered in a corner were Pierce, Coelacanth, Jedi Apprentice, Frankie Roberto and his dad, the newly shocking blonde Nexus Seven, the loudly scottish Zantic and Munchkin, and the lovely Toccata². If I have missed any one out, just yell and I will add you to the list.

Depositing MeetSheep on a table to lord it over his fellow Researchers, we talked and chatted our way through the afternoon. Somewhere in the background on a big screen, the England rugby team were giving the Springboks a thrashing - we knew this by the embarrassed sounding cheers emanating from the crowd at Twickenham.

Late arrivals were the very bronzed LighthousegirlUK and GreyDesk fresh from their holiday. A wave of jealousy spread throughout the room as most of us couldn't actually remember what the sun looked like. While some played bar billiards, others chatted and drank and Galaxy Babe and Coelacanth checked out the local talent. All too quickly it was time for me to depart. Leaving
a worried looking MeetSheep with Zantic, I ventured out to wend my way home.

Thanks to everyone who arranged a great afternoon!

Abi

05.12.02 Front Page

Back Issue Page