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

I've just smashed up a huge lump of concrete for my neighbour. It was a cylinder of concrete about 60cm across and about 50cm deep, set into her lawn as the base for a rotary clothes line. Why whoever put it in needed such a big base is anybody's guess. I tried hitting it with a sledgehammer, but it produced very little effect. So I hired one of those gizmos for digging the roads - a big hammer-action spike. I'm told this is known as a "breaker" but that may be a local name.

It took about an hour to smash up the concrete, which was set into the base of an old oil drum. Once the concrete had all been lifted out, I could remove the drum. Now she has a big hole in her lawn.

Cor! That must've been fun. Boys and their toys. Men with their tools.

I'll translate.

One guy threw a ball at another guy, who tried to hit it with a lump of wood. Some other guys stood around watching...and the audience fell asleep while waiting for something interesting to happen.

That's the second Wrong Thread today. Please ignore me.

Where is she putting her clothes line now then?
My line has been anchored in a piece of scaffold pole for over twenty years (actually it's the third line). When the line is taken down the hole is plugged with a milk bottle top.

You have scared me to death. !!

how could you attack an unfortunate piece of concrete in that way? Are you sure it was not the foundation of her house?

Do you go away with a laptop, or could you be doing more DUY in the near future?

CME
AR80

Star:

Twenty years ago she had to hang up the washing for herself, her husband and five children. Now there's only her, and she gets by with a single line between the house and one of the walls.

Christiane:

The lump of concrete was well removed from the house and not anything to do with the foundations.

I don't understand what you mean about the laptop. I do support work for my company one week in four, which means that if anything fails after hours or over the weekend I have to fix it. I bring a work laptop along for this wherever I go, but it is for work only. I don't bring a personal laptop away with me when I'm on holidays.

Oh goodness me Gnoman,

It was a joke. !!

I am sorry that you will not have your laptop with you. I thought we could have shared some of your marvellous mew experoemces with us. Anyway, sorry!! I promise I shall not tease you again. !!



CME
AR80

Don't stop joking on my account, C, even if I am a bit slow.

I'll be sure to write up my experiences when I get back.

Thank you for pardoning me milord. !!

We all look forward to you writing up you holiday - in England and Wales, and of course Startford on Avon. \You shoud punt on the river. although I do not think that K. and I did. I was not yet in a fourhweeler when we went. !!

Thursday 24th June, 2009 15.05 BST (thank you for that correction!!)

CME
AR80

Does it beat smashing pumpkins?

It's less abstract.

I see what you did there.