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

Hi Lorraine,
Nice to hear from you. The Kings X/Holborn link is 8 minutes on the Piccadilly line, direct. If it is any benefit it is the line I am taking to get home, so don't panic. Belgrove Street is directly opposite St. Pancras Station.
see http://www.streetmap.com
Enter Belgrove Street in 'London Street'.
Hope that helps. If you like I am happy to meet you at King's Cross. You have my number, as it is on route. Not sure of the initial meeting point, as Hyde Park is pretty big. If it is Hyde Park Corner, then again it is the Piccadilly Line and is 12 minutes direct.
see http://ww.tfl.gov.uk
Go to tube, and then route planner. I'm pleased you are coming and with the planning.

The Hayfever is behaving at present. Hope it stays that way. The weather is getting to be a bit of a pain. Don't like the heat. Never have. Looks like another hot sticky sleepless summer. Never mind. Soon be Autumn and time for pleasant walks along the Thames.
Right, back to the threads. Hope that helps.

H & K



Neal x

Thanks Neal....If you're sure about meeting me at Kings X, that would be great....fingers crossed they have a room, and it's not too extortionate! My plan is to get an early train down on Saturday, then come back home on the Sunday - hope it all works out. there is a map on the hotel's website....I just didn't know where it was in relation to the meet. I'm hopeless when it comes to London. I do know Hyde Park pretty big though...you could probably fir Newcastle City centre into it!

I'm with you on the heat - though I'm pretty lucky here...I'm only 6 miles from the coast, so it's pretty unusual to get a stifling day with no breeze

Lorraine, absolutely no problem with meeting you. I will be using the Piccadilly line in and out anyway. Also depending on what you , Jen, Claudia et al want to do, then happy to act as local Tour Operator. Only prob. is not too hot on stairs. It must be my age or something. Climbing the 170 steps to the top of the Monument is definitely out
Wish I was near the sea. Oh to be back in my flat in Ramsgate at times like this....20 yards from the sea, door to beach....
Not so good in the winter though.
Back soon.



Neal x

ARGHHH! just wrote a post & lost it!

It's very kind of you! I promise, no stairs. I'm not that fit anyway - I can get up smallish hills, but I stop now and again (to admire the view, you understand)



Oh - here's something for your bored moments at work

http://www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf

and why can't I put links on these pages?

ok...hotel's booked!

how do I sign up for the meet?

Hello Lorraine,
to leave you so rudely last night. My computer decided to crash at around 18:45, and refused to reboot properly. When I did get it restarted it wouldn't let me back on line, so my apologies.
Glad that everything has been sorted with the Hotel. Just got to liaise with the others about meeting etc. As I've never been to a Meet before, I am looking forward to it, with some trepidation, and I am not bottling out.
You can sign up on A2427013. Add your name where it says 'Sign in here', and 2legs will refresh the list at some point.
I look forward to meeting you.

Till later,

H & K

&

Hi Neal


And here's me thinking the shock of my actually making a decision had brought a fainting fit on . I've gone one better than the hotel - I now have a train ticket as well - looks like I'm a definate!

And noooo...please don't bottle out! I know how you feel though..I'm looking forward to it all, but it is pretty scary. I looked at the sign up thread quickly, and lots of them seem to have met before..understandable I suppose, but it'll be like first day in school (almost) . Just grit your teeth & try to organise some nice weather eh?

Crowds may scare me, but I can cope with most other things...well...except for stairs...Oh, and escalators....
Guess I should add heights to that list as well.....
and I'm not too keen on getting on horses either....

I'm a let me out of here I'm even too old forthat.
Anyway, as it is my adopted town, it is for me to lay on Good Weather, fine venues, quality food and plenty of and

Only 43 days to go then



Neal x

- it's not the heights that scare me - it's the drops!

I'm not really too bad with new people most of the time...but put me in a whole crowd of them & I can sometimes shrink away into a corner - it depends! I did ask Jen if we've have to talk in song lyrics....but maybe you & I & Claudia will only be able to say four words at a time..... But I'm sure none of us can be all that scary in rl....or can we?

I'm impressed that you've been counting the days! I hadn't got that far yet...I did have a nasty moment last night, I thought for a second I'd double booked myself...I said I'd go to see Bonny Rait with a friend, but it's the week before


Lorraine

I'm sure we'll be fine. I'm just curious when the Meet is scheduled for. I know the evening meet is in Holborn at 'The Penderel's Oak' around 19:00 on, but thats all I know.

Anyway, must dash. Got to get some food for my Aunt's Party tomorrow. Have a great weekend.



Neal x

Night Neal, take care & I hope your aunt enjoys her party!

Speak soon

Lorraine

Hiya Lorraine,
Lovely to meet in RL again.
Good weekend. Got to my aunt's around 15:00 on Saturday, and met relatives, some of whom I haven't seen for 15 years or so. Had a great time. Played with a bunch of Musos' I haven't played with for 30 years. Good night. Sunday we all went to a local fete, and then sat having a couple of drinks by a river. Very civilised. Arranged for one Cousin to visit me in London, and arranged to visit one I haven't seen, since her wedding 12 years ago, in Manchester October or November.
That was the bulk of it. The other good news was the train left Kings X, so I timed the Journey and it's approx 75 minutes door to station, so meeting you is no probs... Just thought I'd confirm it.
Anyway, how was your weekend? Hope the weather was good? I even got a tan!! I do tan quickly, and luckily don't burn easily...Probably prove me wrong this year.
Anyway, back to the threads....

H & K

Neal x x

Hi Neal,

Sounds like it was a great weekend - well worth being tired for. Mine was pretty quiet - walkless, but with a shopping trip as a substitute ...shopping's not my idea of fun, but sometimes it has to be done.

75 minutes for you to get to Kings X....wow. I know that Newcastle is pretty small as cities go, but that kind of puts things into perspective...I can walk from one end of the city centre to the other in 15 minutes! But I'm glad you don't mind meeting me - apart from my awful lack of knowledge of London (last time I was there, I managed to find where we were looking for completely by chance ) it'll mean that I won't be walking into a big crowd of strangers all by myself . My trains booked - barring strikes/delays etc on the day, I should get in at about 12.15. If that's too early, just let me know. I'll need to dump my stuff at the hotel, and I can always have a wander round the block or something....then you'll need to send a search party for a lost Northerner .

You're lucky to tan easily. I have fair skin, and most of it burns. The exception is my arms...which are turning brown now, because of walking. The legs are a different story...they did get some colour last year...but it ended about 2'' above my ankles - right where the walking socks ended ...which kind of killed the effect


Lorraine

Lorraine,
12:15 is no problem. Shall probably be sitting outside WHSmith when you arrive, reading the Daily Telegraph...and no, I'm not going to wear a big floppy straw hat with a begonia on the brim for anyone.
The street of your hotel is just across the road, and Hyde Park Corner is only 7 stops from King's Cross. The reason it takes so long is I have to get a bus to South Ealing which allowing for missing the first, is 30 minutes, then about 35 minutes on the tube and 10 minutes from the underground to the Station.
Yes weekend was well worth it, except for the usual 'Why aren't you married/engaged/living with someone/ courting etc'....
My Dad even suggested to my Cousin Deborah that she take me in hand, and she was the one I hadn't seen for 12 years...when I mentioned there where 10 of us, of which 6 were divorced/seperated, 2 where still married, one of which is only in her mid 20's, one we haven't a clue about and me...Not exactly inspiring is it? Luckily the conversation changed... Although Debbie's not bad but she's my Cousin....
Claudia and I have been going over this this afternoon...I can't believe how similar certain aspects of our lives are....
Re:- Sun-tan, I know it is the Smoke, but bring sun tan oil with you, as there is not a great deal of shade in the bulk of Hyde Park. I don't want to be the HooToo First Aider, dealing with 20 cases of Sun-stroke..
Right, back to the threads. I'm on three full days this week, as a work colleague has gone home sick, so shall be here until 19:00 from today until Thursday...

H & K

&

Neal x

no begonias eh?.....and I suppose a nice sunflower's out of the question as well?...be just my luck for Kings x to be hosting the All England Broadsheet Readers Convention that day

I am pretty good with suntan cream, once burnt, twice shy is my motto....though I'm hoping that a few more weekends out on the hills will get my arms about as brown as they ever get. I'm hoping the weather's fine that day though - do you know if they've got a plan B in case it rains?

Aren't parents lovely?...you're either settling down too young, or you should be thinking of finding a nice woman/man and carrying on the family line. Fortunatley, I've done my bit as far as that's concerned, plus none of my older relatives are still around, so I don't get those sort of heavy hints any more. I'm now working on my position as 'favourite aunt'..it's much easier...I can use lines like 'haven't you grown' and the beauty of it is, my youngest niece & nephew are too young to even roll their eyes yet!

Lorraine

I think it'll be too late for Sunflowers, but I'm working on a T-shirt, if I can find a printer.
Anyway, I shall reply to this tomorrow, as I've got to go home, and find out how my Mum has killed my washing-machine...with her clothes for her weekend in it. Hope it is just a fuse... It's only 2 years old, and yes just out of Guarantee.... Ho hum.

Anyway, have a good evening..

H & K

&

Neal x x

Hi Neal,

well, sunflowers aren't my favourite anyway - I was just going for subtlety .

How did you get on with your washing machine? will it recover? Scared to say this, but I've been pretty lucky with washing machines - only 2 in 20 years (you watch, the thing'll die now).

Very short visit tonight - I'm off to see Bill Bailey


Oh - I need your help...again! I think we need some kind of badge for the meet - am I right? And if we do, have you got any ideas at all about what I should put on it????

Take care, speak soon

Lorraine

1) Pleased about the Sunflower idea...Didn't like the idea of chopping an ear off
2) Washing Machine fine, although Miele rep almost had apoplexy. Turns out door had opened slightly, causing automatic cut-out to operate. Just nothing in the instructions. Appears it is a child-protection mechanism.
3) Have seen Bill Bailey on Jonathon Woss, but not in RL. Hope you have a good evening
4) The badge is (?) awkward. I think a 4-way brain-bending session between Jen, Claudia, yourself and I is needed. I have a sort-of badge, which is just a fiddle-player in a straw hat, on a chair, with 'the Mazin Mad Fiddler' typed in the top right hand corner.
I thought of 'The Four Jousteteers' to cover the word threads, but other ideas would be good. I knicked my image of the Google Images page, and then enlarged it, inked it in, and then reduced it again.
If you bump into either of them over the weekend, perhaps you could suggest it. I'm hoping to bump into Claudia tomorrow.
Other than that things are fine. My colleague is back from Turkey looking brown amd healthy. I did a spoof 'Clacton' beach scene on her desk, which she thought was hilarious. Just as well, as she is a bit stressed as her 16 year old brother has been diagnosed with a tumour on his spine.... Just tyrying to keep her chin up now.

Anyway, speak to you later. If I don't catch you this weekend, have a good break, and hope you manage to fit a walk in...

H & K
&

Neal x x

*laments about youth of today's unwillingness to suffer for their art.....or their gardens...*

glad the washer's working - I wouldn't want you to get withdrawal symptoms from lack of ironing, but if it does break, the offer's always their to mail you some of mine

Bill Bailey was very funny, better than I expected. I've only seen him on Buzzcocks & Black Books, so I wasn't too sure, but a couple of times I was crying with laughter. Then again, maybe that says something about my humour, who knows? Yesterday I went for a ten mile walk, then we went round to my brothers for the evening - a curry and board games which got both daughters (mine and my sister-in-law's) away from TVs and computers for the night. Today, my legs hurt like crazy, and both me & no. 1 daughter are feeling a bit bored , it doesn't help that it's raining, but I suppose that's only to be expected this weekend.

The four Jousteteers sounds good - just as long as I don't have to be aftershave! If I see anyone, I'll ask (nobody's around at the mo)

Sorry to hear about your work mate's brother - that's awful news for anybody to get, but when it happens to a younger person, it makes it seem worse, somehow. Are they hopeful that it can be cured? They can do fantastic stuff now, and I know it sounds like a platitude, but if he can try his best to believe he'll get through it, that can work wonders as well (I've seen it happen).

I hope your weekend went well, and you managed to get the odd or three...and I hope we catch up with each other sometime this week.

Lorraine

Hi Neal,

It seems like ages since we've crossed paths on the threads so I just popped in to say hello

I hope your week's gone well and the ptb haven't stopped you posting to hootoo yet! Claudia gave me the link to the thread - so you're thinking about broadband? Does that mean we'll have your company in the evenings? I hope so....I've missed our posts...it seems to be very slow just now, which has given me the chance to do more reading - I've just started Robin Hobb's Liveships Trilogy. I'm not sure if you've read it? I've ran out of 'fool' books, so I've skipped to that...the first one was pretty good.
Anyway, I won't do a long post - you may not get the chance to read it now. Are you still looking forward to the meet? Only four weeks to go (I'd better get another book to read on the train )

Talk soon (hopefully)

Lorraine