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

Hi there Beloved

I hope to get back in the swing of things - probably about another month!! We're off to Norfolk tomorrow (Sunday) until about Thursday -we need to order some more oil for the central heating there - hope it doesn't run out while we are there!!

We're pretty fed up with the cold weather & my body is not very happy, so my other half decided we'd go away somewhere for a week. Madeira - here we come, from 29th to 5th March. It promises to be "spring-like" - that'll do fine!!

Sarum is basically about Salisbury from the time of the Ice Age through to almost present day. It follows five families - not in a too complicated way - their fortunes & misfortunes & the building & renovating of Salisbury Cathedral. It takes you through various parts of history, explaining feelings of the day in, I think, a fairly unbiased way (although my mother disagrees, but she always does!!)

ER has written another book called simply "London", my daughter says it's along the same sort of line. So as I said: intend to read it. Unfortunately, the couple of "light" books I've chosen to read first seem to be turning out to need a little more concentration!! "The Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M. Auel. This is: "other race" young girl orphaned by earthquake, meets up with Neanderthal race, who of course do not have the vocal chords to speak, they take her in & kind of adopt her, etc...... don't know where it will lead, but there is a follow up book!! Anyhow, I was reading it before I tried to sleep the other night and unfortunately I broke into uncontrollable laughter, which must have sounded good to the neighbours!!! There was a piece written:

"Again Creb grunted. It was the usual non-committal comment used by men when responding to a woman."

Either part of Neanderthal man has seeped through to modern man or this authoress has a terrific sense of humour!!

Sorry chaps!! No Real offence intended

Cornucopia - aha, "horn of plenty"! I spoke to other half, R, & he knows someone who is a "bit of an expert" on apple trees & should know exactly where this apple place is. When we find out, I'll let you know.

Maybe we ought to be coming out there if it's as hot as that!! Mind you, I do understand, we went to Egypt 2 years ago & oh boy, talk about mad dogs & Englishmen go out in the midday sun! I don't enjoy very hot weather either.

All for now - I'll log on at the end of the week on my return.

Now, be careful out there y'all!!
Shirps

Hi there Beloved

The other half rang his friend this evening (the chap is 81 years old, but he & his wife are still driving around). Anyway, he thought the apple place you found out about was to do with the University of London, Wye College. So I looked it up on the net & found this site:
http://www.brogdale.org.uk/ It has everything you would want to know about apples, including an apple festival in October (maybe, if you were coming back to Englande, you could time it for then?).

Anyway, enjoy the site!! Norfolk was verrrrrrrrry cold (thank goodness for central heating now!) Just sorting out a few clothes & bits for next week! Also trying to finish the Clan book before I go, so I can sort out a new book to take!!

The weather here has been freezing cold, but then it warmed slightly & hey presto - snow!! Of course, this is England, so now it is ...raining, but warmer. I suppose you still have a heatwave out there?

Does Tasmania have much history? Was it/is it inhabited by maoris or aboriginees?

All for now.
Shirps

Hi Shirps

Fantastic! Thank you so much for finding the website. I've had a quick look and can't wait to get back to it. I'm fascinated by all the varieties of fruit etc which we don't hear about and don't get to taste these days. Such a shame.

Have you finished Clan yet? Any other pearls of wisdom from Creb?

I've finished Cornucopia. Not bad though a bit too much focus on foods I find disgusting, like offal. The topic ('regional' food in Britain) is, I guess, a bit limiting but I'd have preferred more of a focus on things other than innards. So a bit repetitious, or maybe predictable.

I'm now reading Nancy Mitford's 'Love in a Cold Climate'. I haven't read it for years and remember it as a BBC (I think) series on TV which was wonderful. Nice and light so no great brain power required.

Norfolk sounds cold, although snow has it's own charms doesn't it? (I can say this from the safety of 22 degrees and sunny!). We're having a really lovely summer although in desperate need of some rain. Generally it's 20-30 degrees celsius during the day and 10-15 at night - about as good as it gets I think.

Where are you off to now?
Talk with you soon.

Beloved

Sorry forgot to say - Tasmania, like Australia, has a long history pre white settlement. There's a Tas Government website which has bits and pieces on Tasmania - the address is http://www.tas.gov.au. I'll see what I can find on Tasmanian Aborigines for you.

B

Hello again Beloved

Glad you found the site of interest. I must admit R & I were quite amazed too!!!

Nearly finished the Clan book & am trying to decide whether to take the sequel away with me next week, but I should get a few days to begin reading it & see. The other choice is a book my daughter has lent me: Stephen King "Others", but I'm not sure if I'm in a 'St.King' mood!!!!

Thanks for the website, I'll look at it tomorrow & any other info you manage to find.

I think we all take for granted various areas of the world that "appear" to have no history & concentrate too much on the very historic places (Egypt, Greece, Italy, etc). However, having read the Clan book (with a little imagination!), makes you realise that every sq. inch of this world has history of some sort. The cultures also, in alot of ways, are different, but at the same time very similar. Sorry, does that make sense to you?

I do envy those temperatures you are having, but I guess this is your summer - so how cold does it get in winter?? We're off to Madeira next Monday for a week - hopefully it will relieve my boneache!!! Just trying to decide what on earth to pack - usual problem!!!

All for now.
Shirps