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

Hello Cedars, and welcome to the Guide. I'm sorry that no-one has welcomed you here yet, it really is a shame - but still, here I am to say hello. If you have any questions related to the Guide, don't hesitate to ask!

I just came over as I saw you had commented on my article on Bembridge. Tell me, are you from the Isle of Wight - or have you just visited there a lot? Please let me know!

I hope to see you on the guide again. If there's any way in which I can help with any questions you have, don't hesitate to say!

<BB<

Bluebottle is the h2g2 answer man when it comes to the Isle of Wight! If you've ever got any questions about the place, he's the one to ask. If I ever manage to go there, I plan to step off the ferry and ask the nearest person to direct me to Bluebottle straight away. No need to muck about with maps and tours - Bluebottle is the one to ask!

Between he and I the Isle of Wight and southcentral Pennsylvania is going to be covered to a silly degree while places like France will go asking for entries!

Oh, and welcome to the Guide, if you've got any major questions you can always ask Peta, the community editor, at http://www.h2g2.com/U24 She knows as much about the h2g2 community as BB does about the Isle of Wight and I do about Pennsylvania!

- X

Hello,
No I am not from the Isle of Wight, but have visited there for as long as I can remember.
The reason being my mother was born on the island and has five years ago retired there. Her and my father live in Bembridge, and I myself I have been there for the last week.
All my mothers family for generations have lived on the island - they were mostly farm workers. My Nan who is 87 lived on a farm near Havenstreet when she was a child and then went into service.
So as you can see I have a close bond to the island - i look upon it as my second home.

Hello Cedars - well, welcome from someone from the Island anyway. Where abouts do you come from? All my family on both sides were from the Island, although recently carpenters and shipbuiliders. Before that, probably famerhands too.
Do you go to Sandown much? It's good news that they've decided not to get rid of the bank there.

I live in Bucks and as i said I go down to the island quite a lot. i know Sandown, I was there a few days ago - my little boy went to the play centre on the pier. I'm surprised they were thinking about closing the bank there, it seems a busy place.
What do you think about what they have done to the pier? I have no real opinions about it - though my little boy likes going there.
I see they are going to have a dinoaure museum - are they going to get rid of the little lake there.

I think I preferred it as a theatre - but I must admit that, apart from as a child, I never really went to any shows there. And I have enjoyed the crazy golf course (I won! Ha ha ha! - But only by fluke. ) I still prefer how it was before the fire - when they used to have the electricty balls on either side, which you could put your hands on and get a mild electric shock.
As for the Dinosaur Museum, I'm not really sure what's going on - everyone I've talked to seems to say something different. I hope they don't close the boating lake. I remember when they had over 30 boats there, and every one would be out on the lake. And the excellent "Sandham Castle" playground and train... Not to mention the cinema.

Sandown seems to be collapsing

I hope they keep the lake - I have happy memories as a child on that lake with my Dad and brother. These tpes of lakes were very popular years ago.

I remember the period when everything was built and doing well, and then the declien in popularity.... I once fell in the boating lake, and got told off... All I did was tye 2 splashcats together and couldn't untie the knot, but they had to take it the wrong way.... Oh well, happy memories. They used to have lots of entertainment there, those 10p motorbike things... Now what do they have? A litter problem.

I might be wrong but as a young child I always remember Sandown as being so busy - you could hardly move on the beach.
Saying that I always enjoy going to Sandown like i enjoy other parts of the island.
One of myfavourite pubs ( though very busy is the Buddle Inn at St catherines point)

Strangely enough - the American War of Independance was a great British Victory against France. America would not have won without French help, and France spent so much money on the war that they bankrupted themselves, created a revolution and made their king lose his head whilst Britain went on to gain a world Empire.
Lost America, won Africa - not a bad deal.

Whoops! Wrongh reply in wrong forum, sorry!
Okay then - Sandown was quite busy years ago, but it is not so busy now. People tend to go to Spain, and the attractions seem to be sold or deserted. Such as the trampolines are now that "SeaClean" travesty. It used to have a lot more fishing than it does now.

My favourite pub, though, is the Caulk Heads in Sandown, which is down the road from my house. As I don't have a car, I rarely go outside the Shanklin-Ryde band covered by the train, although I sometimes go to Newport.
I've often walked and cycled to Bembridge and St. Helen's, though.

Africa though is still giving us problems even today!

But it is true that Africa is still giving us problems.

Hang on, I'll work out what I'm doing soon! Sorry for the confusion - I'm only human.

<BB<

By the way, could you go over to the conversation here: http://www.h2g2.com/F48874?thread=93914 (It's on peer review), read the article it's linked to and then let me know what you think?