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

Frank Whittle I think invented the Hovercraft and he is indeed in there.

And who the Heck is Tim Berners Lee when he's at home?

You know this WWW thingy you are using?

Well he is credited with inventing it.

Orcus!!!
Frank Whittle invented the JET ENGINE.

The Hovercraft was invented by Christopher Cockrell...

see post 59 this thread...and see me after school!

alec.

Tim Berners Lee http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/berners-lee.htm
Now who says modern British science doesn't matter to the rest of the world anymore?

Sorry, yes you are right. Oops.

One of my first suggestions for greatest Britons was Ghandi. He was, after all, a citizen of the British Empire, and that's what makes Tolkien British and Bono not.

My other candidates would be: Gerrard Winstanley, Mary Wolstonecraft, John Lydon, Coleridge, Oscar Wilde, Alan Turing, Tomas Paine, Tom Winteringham, Anne Askew, William Wilberforce, the Tolpuddle Martyrs, to name but a few.

I'm off to look at the list.

Hmmn. Seems not many from my list above made it.

Anyone noticed how much like Tony Blair that picture of John Lydon looks?

It would be nice to think that the John Peel included was my own personal hero of nighttime radio one fame, but it's probibly the fox hunter isn't it.

I can't believe that Ghandi is not in it. Or Oscar Wilde. Or The Tolpuddle Martyrs.

The others i'm not suprised are missing.

I was suprised but slightly pleased to see the Unknown Soldier in there, i was going to put that on my own list, and then thought it was a little twee, and a little perverse. Nice to see some other people think a little like me.

I'm surprised that Rodger Bannister isn't there, or Stanley Mathews, George Best, or WG Grace. I thought most people liked sport.

Blues Shark - thanks, how could i have forgotten Leo Baxendale.

Orcus - Too right on Beatrix Potter, lets not forget that she bought the Lake District and gave it to the nation as a gift, creating the national park in the process and preserving a tremendous part of our natural landscape.

I must admit i'm ashamed to see Thatcher & Powell in there. Why not include Lord Haw-Haw or Oswald Mosley.

Nice to see Tony Benn and Aneurin Bevan in there. But Tony Blair? time will tell i guess. Surprised no Keir Hardie. I'd have liked to see Ernie Bevin in there as well, and Bernadette Devlin - a great Briton from the moment she lauched herself across the front benches in her mini skirt, shouting "You murdering B*****d" and punched Reginald Maudlin (the then Home secretary) in the face the morning after Bloody Sunday.

Surprised (but pleased) there's no Robert Peel.

Is the list being constantly updated - what do the 5 In - 5 Out lists mean?

This is far too present-day heavy, I agree. Look at the achievements of the more recent names on the list as compared with some of the older ones.

For a children's author I would prefer to see Arthur Ransome there.

What exactly do the voters get told to vote for? Is "great" defined anywhere or do they just walk around the streets accosting people and ask them "Who do you think is the greatest Briton". And why don't they check if the people really are British before putting them in the list.

They should be really ashamed at their ignorance in including Bono. Especially as that chap's claim to greatness is mainly about Ireland - if you discount the music side of his achievements, the greatness of which is debatable.

Anyway, I hope this is continually being updated. Maybe one day they'll get it right.

The definition runs:

'anyone who was born in the British Isles, including Ireland; or anyone who lived in the British Isles, including Ireland, and who has played a significant part in the life of the British Isles.'

which rules out citizens of the empire like Ghandi are discounted, unless his short period in the UK counts as living in the British Isles.

I'm also shocked to see how few of these people are represented in the guide. I was just looking of links for a guide entry i'm putting together and found nothing for Queen Victoria or Prince Albert!

"And did those feet
in ancient times
Walk upon Englands mumble mumble
mumble mumble Countenance divine
mumble mumble dark satanic mills"

IOW

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green,
And was the Holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen,
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills,
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?

Just because I'm a bugger for doing this sort of thing. Also because I've just dropped a lighted match and can't find it, so if anything's got to be my last words, it might as well be geeky and patriotic, and badly spelt.