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

Alas not. After commuting over to Southampton for 18 months I moved over to the mainland about 4 1/2 years ago and have spent the last 3 years in Eastleigh, a town halfway between Southampton and Winchester. Weren't you in the Portsmouth area?

<BB<

Ooo - quiz on ancient history I was right in the heart of Portsmouth for four years (it was actually while sitting in the University&#39;s architecture library that I first heard of h2g2) but since mid-2002 I&#39;ve been back in my hometown of Sheffield. I think just a case of links, really - I liked Portsmouth but had more reasons to be in Sheffield (family, girlfriend, hills etc.).

I can understand that. I even lived in Leeds for 3 years between university in Southampton and returning to the Island.

I still travel up to Leeds about twice a year. I've only really been to the stadium and meadowhall in Sheffield, but miss the Tinsley towers.

<BB<

I miss the Tinsley Towers as well. In London they convert power-generating buildings of architectural significance into art galleries but the people with the power to push something like that through here just don't seem to have that sort of vision. Richard Caborn was one of Sheffield's MPs at the time and rather than push for the towers to be saved instead suggested they be replaced with a giant steel football. Go Sheffield, who were still campaigning for the towers to be saved at the time the suggestion was made, compared the idea to 'replacing The Angel of the North with a sculpture of a Newcastle Brown bottle made out of coal'. I couldn't agree more.

It's perhaps a bit harsh to totally bash our MPs for lack of vision. We were in the city centre today which does have some brilliant public spaces that weren't there 15 years ago. The Peace Gardens (until 2000ish a patch of grass populated by drunks) are very popular - somehow making the grass higher than the paths makes it more appealing to sit on as are the stone edges either side of the paths. There's always kids splashing in the water as well, which I think has been noticed by the council who this weekend had 'Sheffield Beach' set up (sand pit, old-fashioned helter-skelter and swings, picnic tables with parasols made out of long grass, donuts and Sheffield Rock being sold out of wooden cabins etc.). The summer seems to have had a series of events like that - food festival, music festival etc. Apart from anything it's been a really good antidote to the lousy economy!

Hope you get the chance to visit Sheffield one time on your way up to Leeds. If you've the time you could go along the road from Sheffield to Leeds that takes you through Huddersfield - rather slower than the motorway but the scenery is very good and you won't be reminded of the missing towers.

Another ?

Sounds good to me. I read in the papers about a theme park in Germany that is built inside a power station

*One quick google search reveals:
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/873264-german-theme-park-boasts-nuclear-power-station-as-a-main-attraction

They could have done something like that - sounds fun to me. Endless possibilities.

<BB<

Anybody about? I'm in need of a little light refreshment.

Ændr! I take my hat off to you! I'll see if there's an or something around somewhere - what would you like? What have you been up to?

<BB<

Um, well, decaf tea?

What have I been up to?

In the last few years?

Um, I carried and gave birth to a couple of children (not at the same time), and have been looking after them since. I'm still feeding my daughter (hence the decafness of the tea, and of course I never did drink). I've even given 30 pints of milk to the nearby SCBU (I'm kind of proud of that.)

What have you been up to? Are you well?

*Passes a decaf over*
I got married, have two kids and now work at Southampton Solent University as a Course Support Advisor. I don't think I've given milk to anyone, except when someone in the office has run out and I've shared a bit...

<BB<

mmm lovely
I think I got married before I stopped hootooing.

It wasn't bovine milk I handed over...

I won't ask for a milky then...

<BB<

You'd get bovine milk if you did, anyway.

I wonder if anyone else will turn up, or if it's just us?

It is a bit quiet here at the moment - I think everyone's in the cafe.

<BB<

Which one?

Generally both. It gets confusing. Have you been to Lil's Atelier?

<BB<

I revisted between the last few posts here.