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

i am in castleford near leeds and its windy but bright

My washing is flapping in the gentle breeze, in the sunshine! So different from yesterday when the rain was coming down in stair-rods!

theres not much going on 3 parked cars, one on double yellows and another office building with closed blinds, a couple off trees swaying in the wind in the distance

Still nothing moving, it's boring up here...

I see:

the sky (rather cloudy)

a brown-tiled roof, with three concrete chimneys, two air vents, two small skylights, two big skylights, a short laddder leading up from one of the small ones and a bit of metal-grid walkway connecting the ladder to two of the chimneys, and a drain on the edge of the roof.

A wall, off-white plaster, with pale browny-yellow detailing/window frames. Set in this and visible from here are, left to right:

Two square windows, both with white curtains, though they're different curtains. The right window is tilted in slightly at the top for ventilation. A pilaster strip. A large window opening into the stairwell, white frames and yellow glass. It is divided into three sections vertically, with the centre about *uses a pencil to measure* one-and-a-half times as wide as the ones on the sides. Vertically, there is a narrow strip, then two tall ones about three times as high as that, and farther than that, I cannot see without standing up. Behinf the yellow glass, the landing and a white metal railing of flat strips arranged in a kind of sine wave is visible. Then, another pilaster strip, and on the very right of what I can see, another square window, this one curtainless, but with frosted glass.

In front of all that, running at an angle of about *finds protractor* 12°, down from right to left, is the cable for the street lights, which parallels the incline of the road I can't see below.

And, yay, movement! A bug flew by!

There was herd of schoolkids a while ago but they've wandered off. Right now nothing of note is happening.

At work now, and it's pretty dark.

I can see a few lights from houses, the street with the illuminated signs on the shops, car headlights, and traffic lights, and the nine glowing green bars floating above them, part of the sign of the shopping centre. Can't see where it says "Wicküler Park" above that, as the windowframe is covering that. There's a bus at the stop right now.

everone is going home and i am stuck here til 8

I'm stuck here indefinitely - came to meet up with my colleague at 18:30, and now, an hour later, she's still reading her email...

The sparkly lights are still sparkling. But mostly it's Darkness...without Justin Hawkins.

RF

Not much going on, someone went up the street on a bicycle and a van just drove off.

Very quiet otherwise...

People have been setting fireworks off since about 18.00, there is something awsome about a person who sets fireworks off when its still light. I am told this will go on until November.

You're lucky, they've been setting them off all day here, too (how I hate boys between the ages of nine and fifteen!) But ours aren't due till New Year's!

I know it's dreadful, I almost hope one of em gets hurt

Wouldn't stop the rest

I don't think the kids here know why they even have fireworks in November. I almost wish Guy Faulks had blown up the Houses of Parliament with a few bloomin adolesent boys in it.

To me, November 5th is only important as my mother's birthday - but then, I'm German

Baby to most of us it is only important because it is someones birthday. Today the day is totally irrelevant rather like Christmas.

I think that's the case with a lot of holidays, they've been reduced to the ritual...

Thank you for joining this old brit in a whinge.

Oh, sure, nothing like a good whinge on a rainy day

Speaking of, I'd better go close the kitchen window

I shall report back about what's out there