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

Entry: The Ghost of Bellevue Park - A87772279
Author: minorvogonpoet - U3099090

This is one of the two ghost stories that I've written for Halloween. The other one is worse.

I found it difficult to avoid cliche in writing ghost stories.

You know, this story spoke to my condition.

Yesterday afternoon, while waiting around for it to be time to put up the Post, I got to googling for English ghost stories, thinking about Halloween ideas. And I sort of formed a theory.

I think that something in the geography or geology of the British Isles must lead to the recording of pictures of the past. Places that don't change much - like old buildings and historical sites - seem to experience holographic replay. It occurred to me that this was a golden opportunity to understand things.

For instance, people have seen re-enactments of executions at the Tower, and the infamous Battle of Edge Hill in Warwickshire (which replayed itself over and over again as a holofilm, and was validated by a Royal Commission in 1643). These aren't 'spirits' - they're *movies*. At least, that's what I think.

So I really enjoyed your recreation of a woman's possible reaction to seeing this sort of thing. I like it.

Maybe some of the others have suggestions. Maybe you'll want to tweak it a bit, as you have an afterthought. I'll wait to grab it for the Post until you tell me you're ready.

But I think this will be a fine addition to our next Halloween issue.

Oh, and I say those things are movies...but then, there's Hampton Court. Apparently, the fire doors to the Exhibition Hall keep opening, which sets off the alarm. Once, the CCTV camera caught a ghost in 16th-century gear closing them again. Apparently, he didn't like the draught...

Thanks Dmitri.
I hadn't heard the story about Hampton Court, but it made me because my husband works in the fire detection business. My theory is that the 'ghost' was a fire detection system engineer, trying to rectify a fault without being found out!

But it does seem that old buildings have a kind of communal memory, that stores the stories of the people who lived and died there. Maybe those memories resonate in people's heads and produce .

Great story MVP. I really enjoyed it and thought you gave great place descriptions. It was a little hard picturing the narrator, but you knew she had a kind heart so you don't care what she looked like.

Thanks Elektra

That's a helpful comment. It's not that easy providing descriptions of the character whose point of view you're following. I'll see if I can sneak something in.

You got me going now, , I'm writing paragraphs without any fullstops, and without taking a breath and thanks and also for all for the ideas in this conversation, amazing!



This writing takes me to the place of old buildings and holographic movies and stories and energies and memories taking shape in the shadows, and in the bricks, and whispering in the chimneys, all those secrets making the spiders webs quiver, (that was an effect ), are there eyes in these bricks? (another effect)(you're getting me started now) and how history follows us around, and speaks to our deep and often broken hearts.

I was raised in this environment, whoah I need a coffee .



And this also speaks to me because some years ago we almost rented a flat in a converted asylum. Strange word, asylum. Nice flats. There are three such developments near us. I wasn't worried about the story ghosts, and I am still quite fascinated to live there one day. . hmm




Sobbing without cease. I love that phrase, without cease. I never heard that before. That is so poetic.



OK, so what's the other story then, mvp? .Present it please, to your waiting fans. I have spoken.

cc

Thank you cc!
Maybe history does follow us around. Maybe it does speak to our deep and often broken hearts. Because those stories were often of loss and heartbreak.

You'd think that, the longer the history of a place, the more the stories and the potential for My other story involved a whole tribe of ghosts celebrating samhain up on the South Downs, where the bronze age hill forts were built in places where the stone age people knapped flints. Genuinely ancient.

Oh dear, I can see I might need to and do some research....

I'm looking forward to this.

Me too. Interesting research this will be. Camping on the South Downs? All in the name of art. You'll have to be on location. The tribe of ghosts will be joining you for a campfire supper.

What do eat?

Do they, like the gods, eat ambrosia, which to me means a particularly disgusting form of tinned rice?

Do they just drink very slow sloe gin?

Good question.

To the Southern US, ambrosia is a kind of fruit salad. Here is one recipe:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1819,138163-229202,00.html

Now, the way my mom made this, she thickened the fruit juice. There was no sour cream involved at all.

Apparently, other people make it with whipped topping mixed in. Where I come from, if you mix in whipped topping, that's not ambrosia. It's 'Hawaiian pie'.

My mom thickened the fruit juice, added lots of canned fruits and maraschino cherries, also chopped walnuts or pecans, and shredded coconut. Then you chill the salad. It's heavenly.

Any ghost who didn't like that kind of ambrosia was probably related to Morticia Addams.

Hmm interesting question. What do ghosts eat? .

You don't like ambrosia creamed rice?? That's one of my fave foods.

But then I'm not a ghost. Yet. Or a god That's what I'll be asking for, though, when I am. . Please remember the can opener. .

Of course, I had no idea that ambrosia was anything to do with Greek mythology, brought by doves to the gods in Olympus, till I checked just now.

All this I learn from yooooo, oh peoples of hootoooo.



I'm really affected by The Ghost of Bellevue Park, you know. I can feel the ghosts of .....hah! .... the ghosts of words trying to form ....

Okay, what else could magical beings eat? I'm getting started now...

The German word for ambrosia is Goetterspeise, or 'food of the gods'. Which basically means this:

http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Ampelpudding.jpg&filetimestamp=20050911135159

This is a particular type of Goetterspeise known as 'traffic light pudding'. We know this stuff as jello, but I didn't want to confuse you Brits.

Apparently, it is the 'state snack' of the state of Utah. No comment.

In the South, it can be made with Coca-Cola, though I do not recommend this. It can also be made whipped, with cream cheese. I recommend this, as it is delicious.

Even though the Germans call this stuff ambrosia, many, many Germans will not eat it in any form. They can get scathing about it, particularly the brightly-coloured versions.

So you could have ghosts at an international conference, you see, arguing about tastes...

You HAVE to watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE4U9lqD9Vw

It's a German tasting jello. He translates the experience for us.

I should stop. But I'm in a naughty mood, and I won't.

Here's another German idea on what to do with jello:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=Ex88NhylNmo&NR=1

This 42-second video is rated PG for excessive use of firearms...

My brother-in-law is German but he has never eaten jello in his life. In fact, he hates all deserts! Yet I have seen Germans in
Frankfrut eating ice cream with relish. Always thought that was a strange combo.

People who will put sugar on popcorn will do anything.

(reading jello postings before breakfast)

(an interesting experience)



Stay still on that plate! heheh.

I feel my life just changed in a sweet, slithery, quivery kind of a way that I cannot quite grasp. i feel somehow mellow, less inclined to shoot the jello, I'll add cream to the green, and for lunch I'll have the yellow.

So when I conjure up my bronze age ghosts, they sit round their bonfire eating jelly and ice cream!

Yes. . A bronze age tale, with a futuristic, supernatural twist. An interdimensional travel tale, in fact.

What did people eat in the bronze age? I mean living people, as well as ghosts. . I suddenly need to know this. I guess jelly and ice cream would have freaked them out, or would it have made a change from ... from what? I never think about things like this, unless I am on hootoo.