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

Entry: Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat Party (UK) Leader - A893568
Author: St Demon Drawer [Patron Saint of Disillusioned Visionaries] - U104826

Continuing my series of Liberal Leaders

Have you said what his real name is anywhere? Because I didn't see it...

Whoops I meant to add that.

Added in now.

I think it's a good article with all the important information in it (with the possible exception of his real name)
couple of minor points:

it's 'infamously' not 'imfamously' (spelt incorrectly in the footnote)

As Paddy is no longer leader, how about this as a title?:
'Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat Party (UK) Leader 1988-1999'
Putting the dates in make it clearer.

Spell check wouldn't accept either

However title is staying as with teh precedent A1010052 David Steel, Liberal Party (UK) Leader

"Jeremy John Durham Ashdown was born..."

That made it sound, to me, as though you were talking about a different person - how about 'Jeremy John Durham Ashdown (otherwise known as 'Paddy')'?

Sorted.

Looks good to me DD - you've got a dodgy link to your David Steel piece at the start of a paragraph otherwise

(start of the party leader paragraph)

"on the day of his election facing bankruptcy".

What was facing bankrupty, Pantsdown or the election?

McKAy waht exactly is wrong with the link. It appears fine with me.

And good Dr hope that makes more sense.

"... upon the merger of the Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party in 1988."

Make it "...the Social Democratic Party ..."

"... In 1981 he took a position in Tescan a Yeovil based subsidiary of Morlands however the company closed down later in the year leaving Paddy facing unemployment...."

How about splitting it up, i.e., "... In 1981, he took a position in Tescan, a Yeovil based subsidiary of Morlands. However the company closed down later in the year leaving Paddy facing unemployment...."

OK I have made changes

Good entry.

Just a couple of grammatical points really -

- "Jeremy John Durham Ashdown (more commonly known as Paddy) was born into the end of the colonial empire in New Delhi, India on 27 February 1941."
should probably read
"Jeremy John Durham Ashdown (more commonly known as Paddy) was born in New Delhi, India on 27 February 1941, towards the end of the British Colonial Empire."

- Under the Diplomat Part 1 section the first line would sound better as - "On leaving the Marines in 1972"

- First footnote - What did Westlands have to do with the 80's Tory resignations?

- Under The Politician you say he was "returned to Parliament", shouldn't it be "elected to Parliament" or is this one of those silly turns of phrases that Parliament has?

- The first few words under Party Leader... has something gone wrong there? There's a link and you call him David Paddy.

- Again under Party Leader -> "did not see why the Prime Minister he faced Margaret Thatcher and John Major should do so either." The names of the PMs need to move (maybe to a footnote) and Tony Blair needs to be added to the list.

Good entry (as always DD)

Oberon2001

Will expand the Westland's footnote once I double check the reason why they both resigned again. My memory is hazy at the mo.

Rest sorted I trust.

Returned to Parliment is correct, I think.

At least it would be if I could spell Parliament

Good entry DD

Couple of little points-

Could be worth mentioning that for a lot of his time as leader, he was the only leader of the major parties with military experience, something which earned him a lot of respect from the public, Parliament and the armed forces.

"His involvement in Bosnia Herzegovina lead to him being the natural choice for the appointment in 2002 as the United Nation’s High Representative for the country."

Two things about this sentence- firstly, "His involvement in Bosnia Herzegovina sounds weird, how about "his involvement in the Bosnia Herzegovina sitution", or "in Bosnia Herzegovina affairs", oh and isn't the country officially called "Bosnia and Herzegovina"? Secondly, it should be "led" rather than "lead", surely?

entry!

One gramatical error I picked up in the very last paragraph;
"Paddy is married to Jane and they have two children Simon and Kate, who married Sebastian a French man from near the family holiday home in Irancy."

The way it's worded implies that both Simon and Kate married Sebastian

Maybe somwething like;
"Paddy is married to Jane and they have two children Simon and Kate. Kate is married to Sebastian a French man from near the family holiday home in Irancy."

Also if you add that little bit of info on Kate, can you do something for Simon (is he married? what's his profession?) and Jane (When did they marry? Is she in politics?).

Pongo

Something not Somewthing obviously


If there isn't one already there should be a smiley!