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

I tried, without success , to search for CB Fry on yahoo. Plenty of stuff about him, but as you say, no references to Stephen Fry. I changed tack, and searched for Stephen Fry to see if there was mention of the relationship.

The official Stephen Fry site: http://www.stephenfry.com/

Nothing on the site, but I hope you don't mind Z , I e-mailed the site creators to ask for the information directly from them. Was that ??? I'll let you know the results when they get back to me

Prideth

No - the site seems to be lacking in any details that could be the remotest bit interesting, Prideth .

I wonder if there's also a connection with the chocolate owning Frys?

I haven't got the foggiest

Prideth

Well, it's true - the site is extremely boring. It has several pages which say absolutely nothing.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if there wasn't a chocolate connection, though. You said you'd written to ask if the was a CB Fry connection. No reply as yet, then?

Yes, I totally agree Z that the site is a bore, except for the butterflies may be....

I did sent them an e-mail, but no reply as of yet, Z They don't appear to be any better at replying to e-mails, than creating web sites.... I'll let you know *if* and when they do though.

Prideth

Oh, alright, there is a tiny bit more on his site than I implied. I've just seen he was in Thunderpants, which I borrowed for little and took back today. I didn't see it and little wasn't that impressed, I gather.

Yes, the butterflies and the leaves were quite a neat touch.

I haven't seen Thunderpants myself, but I do really enjoy his QI series. I must admit that I never used to like Stephen Fry that much. What changed my mind about him was the programme he did about the Mountain Gorillas. He was amazing! For someone so unfit, he trecked through the Congolese jungle, up the mountains, nearly collapsing with sheer exhaustion, in order to see the gorillas. He was overcome with joy at finally getting to have a close-up view, and filled with admiration for these majestic animals. Very emotional experience for him, and for the TV viewers! Just wonderful! My view of him was utterly transformed after that!

He also did a programme where he went on the trail of Paddington Bear (really the Spectacled Bear) to "deepest, darkest Peru". It too was fabulous! Did you see these programmes Z ?

Prideth

Hi Prideth

I think that sometimes my conversations on h2g2 are a bit like Brigadoon - they appear out of nowhere. I check and nothing's there and then a day or so (or a week or so) later, there was something there all along. I find it in my conversations with tonsil too!

No, I haven't seen any of these series. I tend not to watch much television at all, which sometimes means that I miss gems like these. The thought of him trecking and getting to near collapse is wonderful, given the experience you mention.

I didn't watch Thunderpants with little . I often get him children's videos and leave him to it. I don't have the time, or I find them boring.

He sometimes watches some of the romantic comedies with us and he was particularly keen on 'Kate and Leopold', with the wonderful Hugh Jackman, who I'd only seen previously in the X-men movie. If you haven't seen it, borrow it from a video library - our local library lets me borrow videos for a week, much better than the commercial outlets, where it's an evening or a weekend.

Hi Z

I know what you mean about conversations not appearing till days or so later! Happens with me too!

There are certain programmes on telly that I won't miss if I can help it. Ones like; sci-fi's, Eastenders (the only soap I watch!), QI (before it finished), Have I got News for You (hilarious, especially Paul Merton), TOTP2 (the old songs are the best, mostly), and then I never miss things like Landward, Countryfile, and anything remotely to do with wildlife, especially if my hero Sir David Attenburgh is presenting. Other than some classic films that they sometimes schedule, I don't watch much else really. I prefer reading s and listening to music.

I haven't seen the film you mentioned, I'll borrow it from my library once we've got the video to tune into the replacement TV. It's so frustrating! It's a second hand telly I got from my ex, and we have to re-tune-in channel 4 everytime we turn over to it! Just as well we don't watch much of Ch4. I wish we could get the video to tune in though, as it means we miss out on hiring/borrowing videos to watch.

Prideth

Hi Prideth

Now, did you get to see Kate & Leopold? If not, make it one of your New Years' resolutions. It really is that good - and I'm sure you'll love it.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by Q1. Are you referring to the 'Q' series by Spike Milligan?

I recently retuned our TV (little had been messing about with the tuning, so I had to go to channel 4 for BBC1 and channel 8 for channel 2 and channel 14 for Channel $. Only ITV was in its proper slot. It's *so* much better now.

Hiya Z

that's another thing to add to my New Year's resolutions list - Kate & Leopold.

QI - stands for Quite Interesting, and it was a kinda spoof quiz show hosted by Stephen Fry, in which celebrity contestants got more points for interesting answers to obscure questions than stating the obvious answers. it's finished now though.

I d Spike Milligan and his 'Q' series - totally off the wall stuff

Jick

Oh, I never saw QI and it sounds as though I would have rather liked it, Jick .

I used to the Spike Milligan Q series too. As you say, totally off the wall. Is he still alive?

mornin' zsf /biggrin/ /sorry for the type and lack of smileys this mornin', i injured my shoulder some years ago, and it tends to pop out at the most inopertune times - like now, ouch../

i'm sure you would have really enjoyed 'qi', it was both fascinating and hilarious - it's so sad that the series has finished now, here's hoping for a new series later....

sadly, the great spike milligan is no longer with us...what a loss...he was such a clever, funny, and talented man. i've heard him recite some of his poetry, but keep meaning to get his books...his writing was inspired.../magic/

jick /dragon/

Ouch! Sorry to hear that, Jick

Sorry to seem thick - how does that affect your ability to put in smileys? I normally type the < biggrin > in and it works - ah - I see you're not using capital letters - that must be it! .

Well, time will tell whether QI is repeated.

I did wonder whether the wonderful Spike Milligan was with us - I tended to think he was getting a bit long in the tooth. The last time I saw him on TV was a few years ago and he looked and sounded really old then. As I remember, he said of himself that people were thinking, 'Spike Milligan - is he still alive?' in that way he used. Clever, funny and talented, yes - but also tortured. His mental health was not good and he was a manic depressive, spending quite some periods in care. I think the time he spent on the Goon show (he did the majority of the writing alone and it was a weekly show) really told on his health.

Hope your shoulder gets better soon. Do you need to go to the doctor to get it treated?

Last day now before going back to work in the morning.

/ta/ for your kind concern zsf /hug/ i've seen a surgeon about my shoulder a couple of times, and unfortunately, to fix it would mean a major operation. they'd have to open the joint right up, and use bone from my hip to place either side of the shoulder joint to stop it from popping out. but this would mean reduced mobility, and a 6mth recovery period..../yikes/...no ta. i'll live with it. it was a silly thing to do, this mornin', stretching that is, i should know better, but i forgot.../doh/.

spike milligan was a master at witt, and he suffered with manic depression as you said, since his war days. he never quite recovered from his experiences. the goons were fab /magic/. i heard that michael bentine left due to him not being able to cope with the antics of both spike and peter sellers....they were totally nuts...meant nicely of course. /winkeye/ it's so sad we've lost two comic geniuses. isn't it weird how so many of the best comics/actors/artists/poets/authors seem to have suffered mental health problems.... at least nature didn't take their talent away too...

hope yer last day of freedom from work's a good one zsf /biggrin/

jick /dragon/

the typing is thus as i can't use shift key

Yes, I worked out the not being able to use the shift key, Jick .

I don't blame you not wanting surgery and reduced mobility. What did you do to cause the problem?

I think that the comedy was genius in part *because* of the manic depression. It's the mania bit that is creative. I've heard that some manic depressives don't want to be treated because although the depression bit is hard to handle, the mania sort of makes up for it. They can access incredible energy levels and creativity which are not accessible in the 'ordinary' state.

My last day of freedom will be spent sorting papers and finishing off the projects done over the holiday period. It's been quite a challenge, however the house is feeling an awful lot better now, Jick. Thenks for the good wishes, which I return in good measure!

mornin' zsf, /biggrin/

/blush/.../do'h/...how silly of me....of course you must have.../sorry/...i have a great gift for stating the obvious, as i'm sure you've already noticed.../laugh/.../silly/ /dragon/....

i injured it when i was 14, playing rounders on the village green, where i used to live. it was a warm summer night, 11pm, dew forming on the grass, and i slipped while running for base, twisting my right arm underneath my whole body weight.../ouch/....it's popped out ever since. i'm usually very careful with it, but yesterday, i just forgot.../do'h/

well done on getting your projects in the house done zsf.../applause/. i'm afraid i'm going to need my boys help in taking down and putting away the christmas decs today. it's just as well he's got an extra week before going back to college.../angel/. he went yesterday - as he'd lost his timetable - only to find that there was no-one else there...awwwh.

i remember hearing spike milligan tell a story of when peter sellers got a new rolls royce, and decided to go, in the middle of the night, to show it to spike. peter had been complaining of a knocking sound coming from somewhere in the car, so he asked a naked spike to get into the boot to listen for the noise, while he drove about....a policeman stopped peter, and then found spike in his birthday suit in the boot. of course, the bobby didn't believe a word of why he was there.../rofl/ /rofl/ i thought that was a totally hilarious story...just one of many of their antics.../laugh/.

have a good day zsf, speak to you again soon,

jick /dragon/

Great story, Jick (the Peter Sellars/Spike Milligan one not the accident)!

Funnily enough, I have a rounders related injury too, although nowhere near as debilitating as yours. I was running to third base in my third year at Junior School (what would now be known as year 5) and it had been knocked over (it had one of those green cast iron metal bases), trod on it with my foot and 'whack' - it hit me in the mouth - a bit like standing on a rake. I bled like billy-oh and I still have a knot of flesh inside my mouth where my teeth bit a hole in the inside of my mouth!

It's been an exhausting day at work. I've been off over two weeks and as soon as I get back, everyone descends on me wanting things.

I've got my Xmas decs down - Roy did most of it for me yesterday. The is lying on its side outside the front door, waiting to be recycled.

yeah, I found it hilarious!

Yeeeeooowwwouch! Poor Z , that sounds soooooo painful, and I'm not surprised it bled like billy-oh!

Yippee! As you can see, I can now use my right hand again, as my shoulder's much improved, thank goodness.

you had such an hectic first day back at work yesterday. It's pretty much always the same, isn't it, after a longish holiday? I hope things calm down a bit more today.

Oh, we had great fun getting the Christmas decs down yesterday. Me, one-handed, Pedro still in his kip, and hubby at his beloved Fir Park (Motherwell FC). I ended up getting three sets of lights all tangled, so hubby wasn't too chuffed, his face was a picture! We eventually got them all untangled, and everything put back up into the loft for another year....

Jick

Glad you're feeling better, Jick!

By the time we got to taking down the decs, I was so exhausted I didn't do that much, except hold the ladder while Roy took down the external lights, and as it was only one string, that didn't take too long. Oh yes, I did hoover up after the tree had been taken outside - that took ages, as bits of pine needles kept on turning up when I could have sworn I had covered every inch of carpet!