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

Located in the lush countryside just to the South of London, Surrey is packed to the rafters with historic sites, gardens, market towns and the like. Are you aware of any hidden gems or historical facts and figures that need to be shared with the rest of the world? Let us know and help us write our entry on this most English of Counties!

Paully

Is there any time limit on completing one of these?
DK

Nope, there's no time limit as there's so many of them to get done. We're expecting some of them to fly off the shelves quite rapidly and others to hang around for ages! We'd ideally like the first few completed entries back in within a few weeks though.

Why, are you volunteering to do the Surrey one for us, Deke?!

Paully

Heh, I'll see if the first rush of enthusiasm lasts 'till tomorrow. if it does then
DK

You old cynic, you!

Paully

OK I'll try taking this one on. I just hope I can do it justice.

Is the finished piece to go thro' PR by the way?

dk

Deke - yep, they'll go through PR just like a standard entry.

Paully

"If Kent is the Garden of England, Surrey is its Concrete Patio"

I think Jeremy Clarkson said that - despite which, I really like it as a quote. I was at University in Englefield Green, Surrey for four years, and I reckon that sums the county up pretty neatly.

The Jam, of course, were from Woking. I'm still working on my EG entry about them though...

Funnily enough, while researching this I've found another quote which refers to Surrey as 'The Cockney's back yard' Perhaps Jeramy had that in mind
DK

How's it going, Deke? Could you do with any brainstorming of facts and figures from other researchers who know Surrey very well, or are you coping okay with it all?

Paully

Im straight outa woking and have been around surrey for ever. so if i can be of assistance let me know.

Well I've opened up a page which is here: A6028193 but I'm mainly still researching it. I've a large pile of books that I'm working on at presentmsI'd intended to get something onto the page this weekend.

ultrapete
Any help or suggestions are welcome. Woking and Guildford for a start would be good. Just post it in this convo and I'll pick it up.
Thanks
DK

Excellent stuff - great to see other people joining in and volunteering their knowledge!

Paully

well the only fact that springs to mind off the top of my head is that guildford cathedral was the first one to be built after the reformation. but i know my dad has some old books on the area which i will have a look at. i did write an entery on woking here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A4050686

but it is more of a rant about how chavvy it is that any actual facts.

The present Guildford Cathedral was built in 1963, it's a relatively modern building. No doubt there was a previous building, It would be interesting to know what happened to it.

I can link to the Woking entry or you can do a synopsis of it to put in the Surrey entry. The H G Wells and War of the Worlds connection is interesting and I've seen the centre you mention, I think it's pretty neat. The aircraft is a mock up of a two-seater Hawker Hunter which I assume is a nod to the Weybridge facility of Hawker Siddley/B Ae. You could also let us know a bit more about the McLaren (sp?) connection. Also isn't there other F1 manufacturers in the area?
Oh, and anything else on Surrey in general.
DK

I have found a good site for researching the history of two other very old towns in Surrey

http://www.redhill-reigate-history.co.uk/

Redhill used to be known as Little London because of the amount of commerce it used to attract and Reigate has been around for donkeys years. As a kid my Dad used to tell me that the old Castle remains in Reigate were of a castle once used by the mythological King Arthur!! Perhaps worth looking into

Goodluck

i have done a artical on Mclaren cars but that does not really cover the F1 side of things that was going to be a future projct but i can start on it sooner.

Need any help? I'll do what i can with my limited time

OK, I've put up a little information on A6028193 as a start, but it's still very much a work in progress.
Any information regarding the towns/villages listed would be welcome.
DK

Colonel creepy,
Thanks for the link and offer of help.

I'm planning to do a paragraph on each of the principle towns in Surrey.
see A6028193. Would you like to do a paragraph each on the previously mentioned Redhill and Reigate? If so I'll include it.

DK