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

Greetings from the public library in St Annes, Lancashire, where I'm having one of my occasional weekends away at the holiday flat my parents regularly rent. The weather has been... eventful. I still love roller-coasters, but my hopes of going on Blackpool Pleasure Beach's huge Big One ride at the weekend were thwarted by high winds on a day when I also found myself in a hailstorm. The sun's out now, but unfortunately the Pleasure Beach is closed during the week. Ah well.

I am taking the opportunity to try to relax, something I'm not generally very good at . I'm also getting some reading in. I finished Michael Simkins' 'What's My Motivation?' in 24 hours, and loved it: it's an hilarious autobiographical account of the various trials, misadventures, humiliations and occasional triumphs involved in his life as a slightly successful actor.

Then, browsing in a bargain shop, what should I find reduced to £3.99 but a hardback copy of 'Hitchhiker', M.J. Simpson's informative biography of Douglas Adams. The tales of the great man's brilliance and chronic disorganisation are highly entertaining and endearing, but DNA's story also serves as a warning about the perils of procrastination. When I get back, I really MUST get on with some writing, because even the most talented of us have only a limited supply of time to spend.

But at least, out here, I have the perfect excuse to spend a *little* more time relaxing first. I think I'll go for a walk on the beach...

MJ Simpson's biography - Only one person is quoted using swearwords in it. He was really embarrassed by it too! Oh s**t!

my, my what is a Pleasure Beach!

hope you are having a good time

Peta: would that, by any chance, be a certain M. Moxon? So *that's* why he resigned...

span - the Blackpool Pleasure Beach is less exotic, and slightly less sleazy, than the name might suggest. It's just a huge funfair. But I am having a good time, thank you! Finished the DNA biog, and I'm now about a quarter of the way through 'Northern Lights', part one of Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. And very fine it seems so far too.

Hitchhiker for 3.99 in hardback? I noticed that same offer in "the Works" in Sunderland. I'm poretty p***ed off- I paid seven quid for my reduced copy from George Henry lee in Liverpool.

ah pleasure beach sounds dandy.

i'm keen to read Northern Lights etc too - currently ploughing through all the Tamora Pierces i missed out on as a kid because i didn't know they existed.

on a tangent - my favourite band of the moment, goldenhorse, have a wonderful song called Northern Lights.

glad to hear you are having a good time Ormy!