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

Where in the vicinity of Freshfield are you from?

We last visited the reserve last July. The squiggles were rather elusive that day, but my kids enjoyed rolling down the dunes. It took me back - a morning in the dunes followed by an afternoon's blackberrying, down the path alongside the railway to Birkdale.

They've obviously had a clean up recently. A while back I saw the reserve on TV and they were talking about how it had become choked by rubbish.

Formby Point was also a popular spot for (ahem) male bonding.

So I heard, ugh
Im from a little further round the coast, but sadly I cant tell you the exact location on this damn thing. I worry about Birkdale sometimes, because it can never seem to make up its mind whether its a horrible place full of angry and bored teenagers, or a quaint outskirt full of interesting people and many, many schools.

Ugh? A polite 'No' usually deters

Oh my, the fact you speak from experience is mildly worrying

Ah, you've obviously led a sheltered life! You haven't lived until you've been chatted up by a person of different sexuality.

As for Birkdale...I've a friend from Glasgow who is in the process of buying a house there. I've not been in the area for a while myself, so I didn't notice any hordes of disaffected middle-class youth.

A lot of them seem to mooch around southport town centre or get the train to liverpool. Or (heaven forbid) St Helens. A lot of people I know live in Birkdale, its good for residential but not much else. Or so the monkey on my shoulder tells me.