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

Has anyone noticed that it is rather windy in the U.K at the moment?

yes!

May I apologise in advance for my joke that is in incredibly bad taste. I just can't help myself!!


That's nice. I bet Gorden Kaye stayed in last night.

Don't you mean Michael Fish?

No definitely mean Gorden Kaye Star of cutting edge eighties comedy farce "Allo Allo" who was hit on the head by a passing tree and nearly killed. Similar to game show host extrordinaire Leslie Crowther

*moves into 'It's not like it was in my day' mode*

What's all this about comparisons with '87, then? Last night wasn't a patch on then. I remember the leaves in 87 were wilting from the drying effect of so much wind (those that were on trees that were still upright, that is). It was actually HOWLING past my house then. Last night were just a gentle Autumn zephyr.

Youngsters today, they don't know they're born...

Sorry Niz, I thought you were refering to "Hurricane, what hurricane?" Michael Fish.

The wind in my part of the Country (Glos) was far worse yesterday than in 1987 as that famous hurricane skirted around us. Last night I had to drive to Hereford then Leominster, Bromyard, Worcester and then back to Glos and 70% of my journey was on roads completely flooded. Coupled with falling branches and flying objects it was a nightmare drive.

If you think that's bad.... I had to walk to the next station on from my regular one. I was knackered. I think this kind of weather brings out the Blitz spirit in people. We need a natural disaster of huge proportions to let the old folk enjoy themselves, they love a good disaster

Is this the 'Old Men on a Park Bench' forum?
Can I join in?

*is glad she lives in the North*

* Used to live up North, glad he's in London *

Only Joking, I love everywhere and everyone!!!

What we need is another War

I don't know what the country is coming to...
This weather wouldn't happen if the young people had more respect...

...Is glad, as in 1987, that she is domiciled in Scotland*-)....

Saw some kids this morning complaining that they had to walk to school.

In my day I had to walk 40 miles in sub zero temperature in my bare feet to the coal mine, worked a 72 hour shift before walking 40 miles home again only to have a slice of stale bread at the end of it, a belting from me Dad before I got to sleep in the coal shed. Those were the good ol' days. Typhoid, Diptheria, small pox, Good ol' days

Coal shed? You were lucky! When I were a lad, there were fourteen of us all sleeping on t'same postage stamp and in the morning we'd all get up and lick the moss of the cobbles for breakfast. And you know what, we were grateful for it.

Eating moss!!!

You were lucky, my 68 siblings and I had to sieve the local pond for plankton using our underwear if we wanted to eat and then if we wanted to wash we only had a tin bath with a hole in it. And we counted ourselves lucky

Tin bath wi' a hole in it? You were lucky. Once every three weeks we got a turn to shower by standing under the tap. On a good day you got three drops o' brown water every hour. Then we had to dry ourselves on lumps of coal me dad had been given by t'pit where he worked instead of wages. And you know what? We counted ourselves priveledged, we did.

Lumps of coal? We used to DREAM of drying ourselves off on lumps of coal!

We used to have to run in front of t'trams sweeping the rails free of snow to dry off - and we thought we were lucky!

Sheer luxury! We weren't even allowed to dry ourselves off, instead our dad would wring us out into a pan and use the water to drown small woodland creatures, just so we knew how lucky we were.

And if you tell that to the kids of today - they just don't believe you....

That's kids. Don't know they're born.

When I was born we couldn't afford a doctor. I was attached to the umbilical til I was 28.