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

Hi

I stumbled upon the "reasons to be cheerful" article you edited, and I rather liked the fact that people had gone to the trouble of researching so many references. I new Ian through his son Baxter in the 80's and wanted to point out a few clarifications you may like to add to the article. Ian lived in a flat overlooking hammersmith bridge at the time I knew him and was very fond of the boats. The flat had a cupola tower with a bay window that he would sit in and smoke his chalice (which wasn't for medical reasons) and contemplate as he watched the boats and the traffic going over the bridge. As for hammersmith Palais, in the 70's it was at the hub of the punk scene which began in west London, Ian and the blockheads played there along with many other punk and new wave bands. By the 80's it had turned in to a very trashy disco. I wouldn't want to contradict the article but I don't remember it being a hub of reggae music. The clubs in notting hill, brixton and finsbury park had a broader reputation for this. The clash song references a one-off reggae night there, and Madness and the specials played there, but to say it was the epicentre of the british reggae scene is factually incorrect.

The most important point is the camels. It's not Dominican Camel's but Cammells. Double Decker Cammells, as in Metro Cammell who build London Transport Buses and trains. Transportation and vehicles were one of Ians passions. His dad was a bus driver who almost certainly drove a metro cammell or routemaster bus daily. Ian took such pleasure in the sight and sounds of buses, trains and boats, despite the fact that his condition prevented him from actually operating a vehicle- and theres references to them in many of his songs, my old man, blackmail man and the bus drivers prayer to name a few, as well as the Vincent and Scammell mentioned in reasons to be cheerful.

I was surprised no one else had picked up on the double decker camel thing. Dominican camels?? nah, I guess you need to be a Londoner to get the references completley, I can provide a full translation to "Blackmail Man" on request

Cheers

Y