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

For those of you I've met in London this shouldn't be new, so I hope you'll not be too bored


I don’t really know where to start, so many things happened this weekend.
Left home at 8.30 am on Friday to get to the airport. The train was delayed, so had to wait for permission to go on at every station – if I hadn’t been that early I’d certainly have panicked.
I was booked on a BA flight and their planes start at the farthest end of the airport which means that it already took me more than 30 minutes just to get to the terminal.
Check in was relatively quick, but then there were two !!!! security checks, with only two !!!! checkpoints each, so perhaps you can imagine the length of the queues and how long it took to get through them. It was odd that the second check was even more thorough than the first one, they’re just crazy in Frankfurt.
During the starting process, somehow the front wheels of the plane got damaged. They changed the first wheel, then found out that the second wheel was damaged ,too, but there was no wheel to replace it. After several hours of waiting, we were allowed to leave the plane again and BA offered that everybody who decided to stay in Frankfurt would get his money back. So they had to unpack the whole luggage to pick the right things for the people leaving. After six hours of delay, we finally started,the wheel being from an Air Canada plane, and our plane was nearly empty by now.
Got to London alright, but our luggage was not yet there, only very few suitcases showed up – I was getting nervous, but fortunately, my suitcase turned up in the end.
Then went to Serephina’s place, the connections and everything worked fine, so no further problems there.
Spent a nice evening with Serephina, Justin, Master B and Genie – although I hardly understood a word of what was being said.
When we left for London on Saturday, the sun was shining brilliantly, which is why I wasn’t dressed for the cold and rainy weather we had , once we arrived in East Croydon.
We went to King’s X to pick up 2legs and then went to Hyde Park, where I met Beguiled Mortal, Venus, Dizzy Di, Mazin MadFiddler and Rebel Wolf.
The picnic was partially wet, cause it started to rain, then the sun was out again, but when we saw the next shower arriving, we decided to leave and go to the pub.
Once we had found a table , I was a bit surprised that everybody rushed to the bar,obviously being anxious to get their drinks immediately. Rebs asked me what I wanted to drink and I told him I’d have a water, then just Di and me stayed at the table.It was a surprise when Rebs returned with a whole bottle of water instead of the glass I had expected, and it took me the whole afternoon before I realised, that you go and get your drinks at the bar and pay them right away, so I never said to Rebs and MadFiddler for the drinks they bought me! In Germany, you sit down at the table and wait until the staff comes and takes your orders, and they bring it to the table, you pay when you want to leave, so that I didn’t know, but I’ve never been in an English pub before. Then Liquid Warrior joined us, making a joke by calling me on the phone from the neighbouring table, it was a big laugh.
At some point, we left for the Penderel’s Oak, where we had a nice table in the corner, and lots of photos were taken.
LW had to leave early, which was a pity, but I’m very glad we met.
I went over to chat with Unc and Opti, but then the pub quiz started and I went back to our team. Good thing the others knew so many things, cause I hardly knew anything, and our team made the fourth place.
Chatted some more with researchers I never had heard of before, but will have a look at their PS now
For some unknown reason we were asked to go upstairs, which wasn’t a problem for me, but some researchers complained.
We left at about a quarter to eleven, with poor Serephina only having one flip flop to wear, cause the other was damaged, so she had to walk bare foot through the cold and rainy night. Fortunately, there was a train and even a tram, but it didn’t stop at every station and we had to leave it at quite some distance from Serephina’s home. I was again freezing so much, that I actually wrapped myself in the blanket I had taken for the picnic.
We were all knackered and went to bed soon.
The journey back was alright, but when I arrived at home after another eight hours of travelling, I went to bed nearly immediately.
Well, it’s my day off today, so I went back to bed after the family had left for school and work, and I am fine now.
Although it was somehow exhausting, to meet my friends was worth every effort, and I hope to go again next year in summer – I’ll take my winter clothes next time.
Thanks to all of you for being so caring and lovely , you made sure that I had a great time- thank you.

I'm glad you enjoyed it in the end!

awwww....sounds like good adventure! one to repeat!

for me, but for you, dear girl. So very glad that you enjoyed yourself.

Sounds like you had a great time B'El....

Make me less apprehesive about the york meet...

I did enjoy it - inspite of the weather - but with so many friends caring for me, it would've been if I hadn't enjoyed it.

B'Elana, every one you met is like on hootoo itself:
wacky and nice

And Josh loved his sweets he wanted to know all about what you were like (he asked before i remembered the sweets in his room!) and said he'd keep his room tidy in case you wanted to stay again..bless him..

Ahhh, how lovely
he really seems to be a sweet boy, I'm glad I brought some sweets for him

Josh is Serephina's seven year old boy - I stayed in his room

Awwwwwww......

And auntie B'El brought him sweetie's....

I bet he loved you coming to stay....

I have no idea, I never met him, cause he was staying with a friend of Serephina's - thought I'd bring him something as recompensation for having to go somewhere else

Ah well at least he got sweets out of it.

What more can a 7 year old ask for...

I know I wouldn't be too peeved if you stayed in my bedroom and left me sweets to say thanks..

And to which of your aunties would you go to then ?

He loves going to stay with 'auntie' Tol.. sounds like they had lots of fun too..she works saturdays so he spent the day being spoiled rotton by my mum..then sunday Tol took Josh n her little boy (who i look after a lot too) to see Shrek 2 at the cinema and out for burgers..
its like a little break away for him too..

Sounds good, glad he enjoyed his exile

He already wants to know when he's going again

he's probably not only enjoying being pampered by granny, but having company of a friend, too

Hi, B'Elana,
Glad you survived the vagaries of our english weather, and don't worry about the Bar Tab...Don't forget we live here, and so don't have the expense of travel to the same degree, or the inconvenience....
If it helps, the weather hasn't really changed much.
Next time I must take MORE photos...20 isn't enough...
Imagine if you came to the January meet with all that We'd definitely need a brazier then...
Next time I'll bring a spare jumper, then you won't have to worry...

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