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

No, I might not have ever cycled in Wales, actually. I do have Welsh relations and my middlename was named after my Welsh grandmother, but that's in the Neath area of South Wales. I've visited about a dozen Welsh castles though. (Technically many were English castles in Wales, but you know what I mean).

The wedding was good – although I didn't really know many people there as it was on my wife's side of the family, and I'm generally very quiet in social occasions any way (I hate crowded, confined spaces and you get a lot of those at weddings). When my children went to bed at 8pm I stayed with them in our room and let my wife stay up later. Still had a good time, and went to the Swindon & Crickdale Railway the next day, a steam railway that doesn't actually go to Swindon or Crickdale.

Have to find out what happened in Manchester now

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Ah, so you've definitely never seen that Toucan crossing then... I'm sure you'd enjoy cycling there, though, as the scenery is good- woodland paths opening on to a main road with impressive views across to the mountains

Glad you had quite a good time at the wedding party, and were able to find refuge in the hotel... I had a good time at the Meet, chatting to Pastey and a few others, but it was rather too noisy and crowded. Definitely a worthwhile experience, though

If I plan to go on a cycling in Wales I'll let you know, and you can tell me where the toucan crossing is. I will be cycling this weekend – I'm doing the London to Brighton Bike Ride on Sunday, assuming that South West Trains stop extending their engineering works and actually allow me to get to London.

'm glad you had a good time at the meet. I too prefer meets when it is quieter and you can enjoy chatting to people before it gets noisy later on, hopefully I'll get to go to the next one, although I tend not to stray too far from home outside the school holidays – my wife's not interested in attending h2g2 meet-ups and I can't drive, so I rely on trains for everywhere outside cycling distance.

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That is annoying with the trains... Do you have to ring up in advance to book your bike on? I do as I bring my wheelchair, and the staff were quite helpful when it turned out that there was a rail replacement bus instead, making sure I knew I could still travel. It's rather mean if they just say 'tough' to cyclists - perhaps they expect you to cycle somewhere else instead...

Let me know if you're happy with the Edward Woodville Entry now, and I'll send it on its way

I've got a couple more comments about Woodville if I may:

The Mad War section doesn't say exactly when it took part (Mad War 1485-1488) and the opening sentence is set in 1487, then mentions Louis' death in 1483
Perhaps we could change the opening sentences to: 'King Louis XI died in 1483 and his 13-year-old son, Charles VIII (1470-1498) became king of France. As Charles was a child, a regent would need to be appointed. The two fiercely rival candidates were Charles' cousin Louis Duc d'Orléans (1462-1515), a member of the League of the Public Weal, and Charles' sister Anne of France (1461-1522), who favoured a French expansionist policy, clashed.'

We could then move the current opening sentence to be the opening sentence a couple of paragraphs later: 'Though France had signed the Treaty of Châteaubriant in 1487, theoretically guaranteeing Brittany's independence, in the conflict known as La Guerre folle, 'The Mad War', Anne of France prepared to invade Brittany and annexe the Breton kingdom.'

It would not be until July that a large force would gather in Breton – let's change to 'defending force would gather'

Good work

Normally I don't need to book a bike as carriages normally carry up to 3 bikes each, but I may have to for the way up. I don't know how long it'll take me, so I can't book a train back. I'll just see how I get on. They don't usually let bikes on the rail replacement buses, which means it isn't much of a replacement, alas.

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Incidentally, can I ask if you'd like to read through a conversation here: F11003?thread=8309067

Jimcracker wishes to update an article he co-wrote about Bradford with information about a shopping centre, but I'm concerned that the information will seem out of balance in the article, as the shopping centre is only one building, and think a dedicated article about the centre would work better.

Have a read through and let me know what you think.

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I made those changes to Woodville - excellent suggestions so that that floating sentence about the treaty fits in nicely now

I didn't mind looking at the Bradford Entry - it was quite a challenge to work out what was what, but it is important to make sure the Entry still looks balanced, as you say, and not include too much advertising, or links that will go out of date quickly. Hopefully Jim will like it better now, too...


Ah, of course the different layouts of different trains makes a difference... I mostly travel on long haul trains, with very limited baggage space and only one wheelchair space in a carriage, so I guess those are the ones that insist cyclists book in advance, but the train to Manchester did have fold-up seating so two wheelchair users could easily fit in, or bikes could stand there no problem I still have to book, though, as they sometime but not always make a big fuss about whether staff are able to help me with ramps on and off the train

Does it take you long to get to London on a usual day? I hope you manage to get sorted out with some assistance - very rough to leave people in the lurch when rail replacement buses are used...

Jimcracker seems happy with the entry now – I still hope he'll write an article about the shopping centre's history when it is built. Have you been to Bradford much before? I've visited the National Media Museum there a few times – they've got the Ray Harryhausen collection, but sadly don't display more than a handful of items (if it was my museum I'd have a Ray Harryhausen floor)

On South West Trains you don't need to book bikes at all, which is good, they allow 3 on small 2-carriage trains, and 3 bikes for every 2 carriages on trains longer than that. Not much baggage space, though. Not sure about the wheelchair spaces, though, but there's usually quite a big gap to traverse so probably a good idea to book in advance.

Annoyingly although all their trains from Southampton, Weymouth and Bournemouth to London go through Eastleigh, only a couple an hour actually stop. It takes about an hour and a half to get to London from Eastleigh, though an hour and a quarter from Southampton Airport (Southampton Airport's further away, but you can get a fast train from there). That said, I don't really go to London – other than changing trains there, I think I've only been once in the last ten years, and that was to a friend's stag do.

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I'm glad Jim's happy

I went to Bradford some years ago now, but that was on a Bronte tour so I didn't see the National Media Museum, sadly (my sister has been and had a great time there).

I've been to London quite a few times since 2011 (a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there...) but I've only done London to Southampton once (because of a messed up journey to Southampton that was supposed to be not via London) - I did arrive surprisingly quickly considering all the delays I had, so I must have been on the fast train to Southampton Airport, which helped a lot

I see you made it successfully there and back from your "to" bike ride

Are you happy with the Woodville Entry now?

Your 'Children of the Stones' Entry is on the Front Page today!

Yes, I'm happy with the Woodville entry now – if you are too, please feel free to press the button!

I've been outside the Bronte Museum in Haworth twice, but neither time was it open. I've been in the neighbouring church, though, and the Black Bull pub as part of the Haworth Bronte tourist trail. Both times I went to Haworth was on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's Mince Pie Specials just after Christmas, and the museum doesn't seem to open during the Christmas holidays. I could go to Haworth and have a ride on the train in the spring or summer, I suppose, but then I wouldn't be given a free mince pie. Hmm... Decisions decisions.

London's somewhere I don't mind visiting for a little while, but I'm really, really glad I don't live there, even though they have superb museums, galleries etc. The bike ride was good fun, too, once it got going, but it was frustrating being stuck in a solid mass of cyclists, travelling at the speed that fingernails grow while trying to escape from the city. I had assumed that there'd be bunching at the start, but soon the people who have a faster pace than I would be ahead, I'd leave those slower than me behind and things would spread out. Instead no-one could move far or fast, only from one queue for a traffic light to another, while buses tried to push cyclists incapable of moving anywhere through being hedged in out of their way.

I got a medal, though. And if there's one thing that watching 'Wreck It Ralph' a dozen times has taught me, it's that if you win a medal, you automatically get to live in a Penthouse. So any day now I'll get a new flat. Any day....

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Button pressed!

That was bad luck about the Bronte Museum - it is well worth visiting, and very atmospheric... That was good luck on the Mince Pie front, though - can't have everything!

Yeah I could spend days in London museums, they're superb indeed... I particularly like the British Museum, but I've also spent hours in the British Library, the V&A, the Museum of London, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum... and I've still not seen everything there is to see.

That was interesting reading about your bike ride - I don't know how I thought it would work in London, but I didn't think they'd make you all stop at every set of red traffic lights... I would have thought you'd have a clear road, but maybe I'm thinking of the Olympics... No stopping at traffic lights for them, or it would have ruined the record breaking attempts Scary about cycling alongside buses too

Congratulations on your medal Are you already on the top floor? Just the panoramic windows and spaciousness to go then, for your penthouse suite!

One of these days I'll manage to go inside the Bronte museum.

I'm writing a bit about the bike ride to go in - I'd only planned to write a little but I think it'll need to be split into two. Not sure whether it'll make this week's edition, though...

But yes, I'd assumed we'd have a clear road. Maybe they did at the very start, as I arrived late at 9:30 when the first starters started at 6am, but they had starts until 11am so I was still in the middle. If they can rope off London for the marathon, can't they do so for a bike ride too? Oh well...

Still no penthouse, but we do live on the first floor of the purpose-built maisonette. Apparently the first floor flats, despite being a bit bigger, having use of the loft and being a bit bigger with our own staircase and door downstairs, are worth about £15k less than the ground floor ones.

One of the advantages of being in the new office is that we're allowed to listen to music. I'm currently listening to Queen's Greatest Hits. Alas, only 1 speaker works, so in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' when they sang 'Galileo' there wasn't an echoing (galileo).

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Congratulations! Thrust2 is on the Front Page today

Yay!

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My old stereo is a mono these days, and it is rather odd listening to some tunes, although it is good that you can hear things that are not so clear when both speakers are active. There's a song by John Deacon called Misfire, and only the tune is in the working speaker, but all the lyrics are muted, so that's odd to listen to. Luckily I had heard it many times before the speaker broke, so I fill in the gaps in my head, but it is still odd. Missing the Gallileos in Bo Rhap is a funny one, though!

I was in Southampton for my girlfriend's memorial service last week, and it wasn't an easy trip as there were way more than 3 bikes on board the South West train and I wasn't able to get into the wheelchair space for ages even though I had booked it... We got there eventually, though, not too bad.

It was good weather so there were great views of the Isle of Wight from various vantage points I didn't go through Warsash this time, although I did see the sign for it but I did go to a few well-known Hampshire places such as Titchfield. The train stopped at Eastleigh Station on the way back, too, which I was very interested to see!

There's a few songs like that – I don't know if you know 'Bend Me, Shape Me' by Amen Corner (I think?) – that song only clapping seems to play of the verses. Although the most annoying thing is when I got a free Tom Jones CD in a newspaper. That contained a 35 minutes-long song. The song itself is only about 2 or 3 minutes, followed by over half an hour of silence, so if you don't run to the CD player and skip to the next track, you get absolutely no music for ages.

Sorry to hear about the memorial service – if you want to tell me more about it, feel free - I'll let you decide. Just to let you know – it wasn't me with a bike on a train last week, honest. Did Eastleigh Station live up to all your expectations?

My news lately has consisted of being hectically busy at work, been invited to my older sister's wedding at the last minute, been disowned by my younger sister for attending my older sister's (secret) wedding to which only my Mum, step-dad, grandmother and step-grandad and myself out of our family had been invited and taking my son on our annual trip to the 1940s weekend at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and to see whether the new Museum building there lives up to all the hype.

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I vaguely know 'Bend Me Shape Me' - I haven't heard it on my mono, so I didn't realise it had just clapping in one speaker Queen's Made in Heaven CD has a long track at the end, but there is a pretty steady stream of music in between the silences - 30 minutes of nothingness at the end of a track is funny!

"Just to let you know – it wasn't me with a bike on a train last week, honest."

Glad to hear it

The memorial was lovely as far as such things can be... I went out for dinner in a pub in Porchester the previous night with Deb's family, which was good, as we hadn't yet met before. The next day, I was able to choose a flower (it was family flowers only, but I was included in that, much to my delight and honour) so I chose a red rose which was just perfect as I said in the Giving and Getting Flowers Entry There were condolence books and speeches from her friends and colleagues, so I know I am honoured to have loved and been loved by such an amazing person, although it doesn't stop me from being sad that we only had such a relatively short time together Then there was a great 'reception' at the pub in Porchester, where we all shared memories and enjoyed putting faces to names

I'm also honoured to learn that I have more friends than I thought I had - so many people have been there for me with supportive messages, including your good self, and I really appreciate it...

I've been invited to visit Deb's family again later this year, and I would like to try to fit in meeting you while I'm in Southampton, if I may - is there a good time in September when you'd be available for a cup of tea?

Eastleigh Station did meet my expectations - that's a great photo on your Entry - and I saw the places on the road signs before I got to the station such as Hedge End, West End, Chandler's Ford, Bursledon, so I felt very knowledgeable

That's a sad situation about your sisters... I hope it all blows over soon... The 1940s weekend sounds good, though Good luck with all your work

I'm sub-editing your Entry on Basil the Great Mouse Detective A87829131 - please subscribe.

Excellent Entry and only a couple of points I'd like to check:

"Toby, Hound of the Baker Street" - should that be Hound of Baker Street?

"That the last successful film that Disney had made, The Rescuers, had similar themes also helped Basil the Great Mouse Detective get the green light. Just as Basil the Great Mouse Detective involved the mouse queen living beneath the shadow of Buckingham Palace, The Rescuers had involved an international mouse organisation located inside the United Nations building2. Despite this similarity, the film was allowed to be made provided it met strict conditions."

This paragraph says the similarity to the earlier successful film contributed to its making, but then indicates that the similarity may have prevented it from being made...

[High number of first sentences typed and then deleted as I can't find the right words, but in the end I've decided that you knowing I mean well is more important than trying to find the right, impossible to find phrase]
Memorials are often difficult, but I'm glad that this went as well as it had, and that you have been included as part of the family. Condolence books can be comforting in the long-run – when I miss
my friend and former housemate Ian, known as Peregrin on h2g2, I find it comforting to read what people have said he liked to get up to when still alive. A close friend isn't the same as a partner, true, but it's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who misses them.

September's a bit of a way ahead – generally I like to keep weekends free for family (when my wife hasn't booked all the weekends up) and it is one of the busy months at work, with resit results meetings on the 16th and 19th. It will quieten down slightly at work after the 19th so I *should* be able to take an afternoon off work in the week of the 22nd, before the following week becomes chaotic start of term time again. I say *should* as it is very much unpredictable as they want to restructure us and it might be a little difficult. Suffice it to say that I'd like to meet up, but September is traditionally a month at work and I'll be able to give you a better idea of what is going on nearer the time.
I'd better warn you that I'm rather dull in real life, especially as I don't have half an hour in which to think up a witty or clever reply.

My sisters haven't spoken to each other for about 5 years, and my older sister hasn't spoken to our dad for 2 ever since the Christmas Day incident in which he invited my older sister round for a Christmas dinner and my younger sister was there. I'm trying to stay neutral and still be on speaking terms with everyone, but all that seems to accomplish is both sisters thinking that I'm not really on their side. Families, eh?

The 1940s weekend was good fun – it's the 3rd year in a row I've been. I'd love to take both kids as I think they'd both love it, but I know that wouldn't work out yet. It's a long journey there involving a walk and a train and a wait and a ferry and a train and another train, by which time there'd be numerous squabbles and just as we arrive there they'd be about ready to want to run off in opposite directions non-stop, and as my daughter's 2 years younger she gets tired quicker and would want to head back home soon after we arrive. My son really enjoyed himself and I was impressed with the new museum building – now I have to decide whether to update the article on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway or write a separate article just about the new museum. Or maybe wait until next year, as although the building is open, it isn't fully finished and so I've not yet seen it at its best. I do love their 'Steam Trumps', an interactive game of top trumps in the museum with all their locomotives. If they sold sets I'd get one.

I have just written about the Royal Armouries museum – let me know if there's anything you think I should add.

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You've taken on the Disney Flea Market rescue – yay, the old team working together again.

'Toby, Hound of the Baker Street' - should that be Hound of Baker Street?
I was trying to make that sound a bit like 'Hound of the Baskervilles' but I don't think it really works...

Maybe we could change that paragraph to:

'That the last successful film that Disney had made, The Rescuers, had similar themes helped Basil the Great Mouse Detective get the green light. Just as Basil the Great Mouse Detective involved the mouse queen living beneath the shadow of Buckingham Palace, The Rescuers had involved an international mouse organisation located inside the United Nations building2. Although it had this similarity in its favour, due to Disney's financial problems the film was only given the go ahead on the proviso it met strict conditions."

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