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

Dear Walter
We need to talk! I have just been alerted to a certain job to be advertised in a certain History and Classics Department - and they want expertice c.1000-1300. Needless to say I am c.400-1000. Your opinion and suggestion most gratefully received.
Cheerio
Bran.

Gooday Bran,

Oh, the High Middle Ages. I mean basically it's 1066, Hereward the Wake, Robin Hood, Magna Carta, Becket, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard Coeur de Lion, Christine Mirabilis, the sodding Church and the Crusades, William of bleeding Malmsbury, and then you just put the cruise control on until you arrive at Edward II in the early fourteenth century. Or skip that if you like, and go straight to Richard II.

Seriously, give me a call; I'd be delighted to chat about it but fear my contribution would be about as useless as the proverbial.

PS Did you see the Celts last night? We missed it, so have no idea if it was worthwhile. Take care,

Clive

Dear Walter

Now I know! Is that all it is - well, I can cover some of those things already. Ummm ... have emailed the Supervisor Abroad asking for a reference, which he of course agreed to do, but did say that someone else will also ask him who is further down the track than me (a Kiwi, I suspect, who I met at the Sydney conference). A chat would be most welcome. I shall call.

Taped the Celts thing, and have seen the first third of the episode ... quite interesting, though not a great delivery in terms of presentation. I plan to tape them all for teaching purposes so can lend them if your interested.

Must get that PhD written now more than ever!
Cheerio
Bran.

Gooday Bran,

Look, will chat in much greater detail about life, the meaning of the universe etc, but this impending position vacant. The Beloved and me were asking last evening whether there are Viking or Anglo-Saxon courses being run this year, and whether they were run last year, or are scheduled for next year. If not, why not? They were very popular, as we both know (although not the bloody marks for some of us), so why are they not being run as well as or instead of High Middle Ages stuff which, let's face it, is as boring as bats**t to most and only gets enrolments because there are so few viable alternatives. I am prepared to bet Vikings would out-enrol HMA by two or three to one in a straight 'fight'. You can see where this is leading, can't you Bran? Take care,

Clive

Gooday Bran,

Look, will chat in much greater detail about life, the meaning of the universe etc, but this impending position vacant. The Beloved and me were asking last evening whether there are Viking or Anglo-Saxon courses being run this year, and whether they were run last year, or are scheduled for next year. If not, why not? They were very popular, as we both know (although not the bloody marks for some of us), so why are they not being run as well as or instead of High Middle Ages stuff which, let's face it, is as boring as bats**t to most and only gets enrolments because there are so few viable alternatives. I am prepared to bet Vikings would out-enrol HMA by two or three to one in a straight 'fight'. You can see where this is leading, can't you Bran? Take care,

Clive

Walter, you are a Brick! I can see the logic, you can see the logic, but can everyone?? The selection criteria appear to have been written, however; though I am not sure the extent to which they are prpeared to be flexible. I'll keep you posted (a little H2G2 humour!).
Cheers
Bran

My Dear Walter

Where have you been? Your gracious presence is being missed on the "Great Stuff" thread, and Waz ans Sal have only my humble musings from Down Under to satisfy them. We need Walter the Wordsmith back!

How are you Cobber?

Cheers
Bran.

Hi Bran,

Thanks for the greeting. This week is a real mongrel, what with work and getting Bennett's essay finished. Michael is back tomorrow, and I'm preparing for the worse i.e. he will be on the phone asking me to bring it in, which in not entirely unreasonable given it was due 28 September. Although it is not a paramount consideration for me, I would like my final mark to be an HD, and given the way I stuffed the exam, (through generally shoddy answers and failing to get close to completing the final question) it is going to take some getting. Anyway, win lose or draw it will be over by Monday at the latest and I can then at least return to some kind on normality.

talk with you soon,

Walter.

Best of luck with it my friend.

When you say "over" do you mean for the year, or in total? Have you managed to resolve the problem you have had about graduating without having to do other poxy first year courses?

Talk to you soon

Bran.

Bran cobber,

Over for this year and until/if I do Honours. No, didn't fix the poxy thingy, but Professor Paul G is fixing me up for Latin, which I wanted to do, so it is not so bad. Take care,

Walter

Walter Mate and The Beloved

Hope that both of your marks were what you expected - as I am sure that they would be. You are both the brightest students and best essay writers that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing!

Have a good weekend, and I shall see you next week.
Cheers
Bran.

Hi Bran,

How sweet of you to be thinking of us in the midst of your disappointment at those effing ingrates and trogs in the Department. The beloved pulled a magificent HD and has now chalked up nine in a row. She went in sitting on exactly eighty after two essays and of course was resigned to dropping a few marks in the exam and falling to a D. But she in fact must have pulled something like an 84 for the exam as her final grade was an 82. So she is pretty chuffed. And I did okay, too, and got my best ever mark from Michael Bennett - I think he eventually succumbed to the sheer weight of words and footnotes.

Anyway, ring me and let's arrange for you to drop by for dinner one evening this week.

Walter.