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

Hi Websailor! Good to meet a familiar Hootoo name, sorry we didn't get much chance to talk, we always seemed to end up at opposite ends of rooms, boats or tables.

ST, hope you do write that article, it'd be brilliant to get a proper canals entry. I actually enjoyed seeing the more neglected parts of the city waterways, with their ghosts of industry past - but would have been loads better with a more knowledgable and interested guide...

MC

Hi, Metal Chicken,

We did seem to split in to two groups a bit didn't we? Maybe there will be a next time, when we actually know what we are going to be doing for sure.

It was a shame the view was obscured on the boat and the commentary was, well, not as one would have hoped. There was another boat there I think. I wonder if there is another operator with a better line in chat

Birmingham has such a long industrial history which is quite fascinating if well told. We might consider the Jewellery Quarter another time. There are several museums dedicated to gold and silver jewellery making, and a pen museum if I recall. I have been to the gold one and it is just as the workers left it when the business closed down, even to the coffee mugs in the sink!! It feels like they have just left.

Of course such things are not to everyone's taste.

I wish there were boat trips round the prettier parts of the canal system. Some of it is gorgeous.

I am looking forward to ST's article too. Mustn't put too much pressure on him, he is a busy fella these days

May I put you on my Friends list? Phil is there already

Websailor

Yes of course, you're welcome to put me on your friends list

I lived in Birmingham for nearly 5 years, a long time ago now, and used often to walk along some of the canals on the more Southern edge of the city. Very pleasant It's a shame that the city centre tours have to stay very central, but I guess that's forced by the short distances they can travel in a brief boat trip.

I worked in Bournville and was always fascinated that the canal was right beside the Cadbury factory for deliveries - or was it the factory built alongside the canal - I was never sure which came first. There used to be a Cadbury's purple canal barge permanently moored there if I remember correctly.

The Jewellery Quarter museums do sound interesting, maybe if there's a next time...

Friday 8th May 2009 7.30

Good morning Metal Chicken,

We have not really corresponded, but I remember reading about you and had actually "painted" a picture in my mind of who you were and what you looked like. !!

It was good reading your post and also reading about the Bourvville's and the Cadbury's. They were very influential people and disliked the Industrial Revolution and the fact that money invested gained so much interest. I believe there was also a gentleman called Fry involved.

They decided to enter the Industrial Age by opening chocolate factories where they thought - presumably (never presume when commencing anything!)- that they would not earn interest. Their dislike of the Industrial Age was the fact that they were Quakers. They were also able to benefit from the fact that with all the exploring that Britain was involved in, the exploration teams were bringing home to Britain a lot of a new crop called cocoa beans. These were very light but took a lot of space of the much smaller sailing vessles in use at that period. They were therefore much more costly than other products to bring to the mother country.

Anyway, most of us have a sweet tooth and one of the most difficult things I have had to do is to curtail my sweet tooth and love of chocolate. !!So I would have loved to have been on that canal boat with you all last week. !!

End of story.!!

Good to meet you. Do enjoy all the wonderful confectionery w hich was, so to speak, nascent in your neck of the woods'

Those three gentlemen who disliked making too much money through earning interest, certainly did not envisage the popularity which their chocolate would achieve and which was "born" so to speak in Birmingham - the English birthplace of that most deelicious of goodies - chocolates. !!

Have a wonderful day.

AlsoRan80

hi websailor
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i thought now you had your first meet, as the say, under your belt, you might have gone for the london on today.
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ive done what i set out to do on h2g2, one guide entry, over 5 entries on thepost, go to at least one meet, the 2008 to hull.
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and ive met a few idvidually in the past, in scotland, lancashire, ponte, so ive acheived my goal on here. lol
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now if i can ever have my first time in a plane or helicopter, as the trip outside engalnd is now all but a dream, maybe france still a possibility or ireland.
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jim xx

Friday 8th May 2009 11.55

Dear Jim,

It is wonderful when h2g2 researchers post their news and we are able to share all their wonderful lives with them.

go well, and have a good weekend - and you WILL fly in an aircraft one day.

I certainly would NOT like to fly in a helcopter although I saw the first one that ever flew in 1933 at Le Touquet airshow in France. In those days a helicopter was called an autogyro, and the inventor Sikorski was flying it. I was five years old and still marvelled at this extraordinary craft going straight up into the sky 9nstead of rolling along the ground and then taking off. !!

My father used to fly as a hobby in those days and held pilots licence no 100 iin south Africa.

I was a very lucky little girl. !!.

NoW I am a very lucky old "girl"

Have a good weekend.,

Christiane.
AR80

Friday 8th May 2009 Noon

Dear Jim,

I have just written to you and have obviously forgotten to forgotten to press the "publish" key so have lost it.

Just to tell you that one day you will fly in an aircraft and will love it.

we are so lucky that h2g2 researchers share their experiences with us.

Have a great weekend.

Christiane
AR70

i christiane
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i can see both your messages
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maybe one day i will take a half hour trip,or even an hour, i have the leeds/bradford airport about 10+ miles from me.
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jim xx

Saturday 9thMay 2009 8.20


Satuday 9th May 2009 8.25
Hi Jim cracker,

That is very close to you. You should go and chat up some of the people who have their own planes and perhaps they will invite you to have a flight with them I do know that in order to keep their flying licences valid they have to fly with a pax(passenger)for a certain number of hours - and sometimes they might not find anyone able/wiling to fly with them. You should go and hire yourself out to being a passenger for pilots who want to keep their flying licences valid. You would be doing them a favour. !!!!

Go well

Christiane.
AlsoRan80

Dear Christiane What a good idea , way to go Jim

Saturday 9th May 2009 8.50

Thank you an oldgreymoonraker.

Just be careful of those "tailless lizards" my dear friend. ! Does one really eat those huge bamboo canes? what do they taste of.? I know I used to buy tinned bamboo shoots in the olden days when I was cooking oriental food. !

Nice to hear from you.

Christiane
Alsoran80

hi christiane
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you dont have to use my tagname, use jim.or even jimbob my sunday namelol.
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there is a flight that goes from leeds to most places in sotland, and even to london. which are about an hour round trip.
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when the weather picks up i might look into them.
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i suppose its the, i want to try it once, but can i follow through
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i arnold, ou popped up and then dissapeared on me again,
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well with some in london at the meet, its quiet on here this weekend jim

Not gone far Jim actually I was just feeding chelly our toy poodle

I still think you should try for a freeby on a small plane

hi arnold
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at one time if a ball was on a roof, i would be the one to go get it.
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now even watching a scene looking over a hight roof, gets to me.
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if i get the nerve to do it, it will have to be a large one, with pressurised cabin.and plenty people around.lol.
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im not in my wheelchair yet, so still time to get round to it jim

must catch the next bus to town, and a few hrs at the cybercafe later alligator, jim