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

Well, the journals will be filling up with scale and scandal I expect, so I reckon I'd better get my version in quick.

I've met around 20 more Hootooers, AND the italics, I've drunk with Roymondo and 2 Legs, I've met Gnomon, I've arrived and have lived to tell the Tale.

And from a relatively sober point of view, too, I might add.

Honest

Twas a great day and evening. The main set of Meetees elected to go to Wetlands, but I have a tendency to shrink in the rain, and the lure of the Tate Modern and the current exhibit of Slides appealed more. Its dry, for starters. And its got naked people on most of the walls, which is no bad thing



O-K - got up to London AND found ReddyFreddy's flat (he very kindly offered me Bed and Bucket for the weekend) with very little trouble, which surprised me - I'm none too good at London Driving, but obviously Word had got out that the Witchmobile was on the roads, and it was unaccountably clear, so that was alright

After a restoritive cuppa, we set off along to the Tube into..erm some station whose name escapes me, but it was a Tube station, anyway and began a long meander-y sort of mooch along the South Bank - I, of course, was rubber necking like a yokel and it was all rather jolly.

I learned about Oyster cards and the new fangled travel card system they've got up in Town... I'd forgotten just how BIG the stations are there.

Sigh

I really must get out more!

Theres a fantastic Foodies Paradise Market at Borough - you name it, they've got it, so I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. 97 different types of cheeses, fish I didn't know that existed...oh, all sorts. It was greatbiggrin

We found the Tate, and first off queued for tickets to go down the new exhibit - the Slides - bought em at 12.30, for a 3.00pm slither, so you can imagine the popularity.

They're big buggers - one from the 1st floor, on up to the 5th floor. They looked like MRI Unit scanners only a lot more glamourous and helterskeltery. And from what I saw, there didn't seem to be too much blood. So that was OK

Did the Cultural bit - there's some really good exhibits there, as well as the ones I privately think of as Money for Old Rope, and adjourned for lunch. Waved to the permanent Picasso there, because thats what I do.

Found a Book fair on the way back, which of course, was compulsory enjoyment as well!

Back to the slides.

The British tradition of forming an orderly queue was well in evidence, but when we got to the end where the attendants were exhorting the vic- sorry, punters - into little sacks to whizz down the tube in, together with baseball caps with head protection, it occured to me I still had my bag - and apparently you have to deposit ones bag in the cloakrooms.

However, despite the fact that I nobly offered to just watch (it had suddenly occured to me (a) I'm not too good at heights and this WAS the 4th Floor and (b) I'm a tad on the claustrophobic side) RF volunteered to bring my bag down with him to the basement part of the Tate - where the slides eventually spew out the slidees, once he'd had his turn

So thats what happened.

Its more fun watching than doing, on reflection - but I wouldn't have missed it for the world - I was shreiking like a banshee for the complete duration of the slide - it's a real buzz, and more than a bit fast - and there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to slow down, even if you want to - once you've launched yourself down the first bend - which I didn't think I'd be physically able to do, frankly, then thats it - You don't stop until it somehow magically levels out and you come - in theory, anyway - to a dignified and gentle halt.

Yeah. Right. Trust me on this, 8 seconds is a very long time from certain perspectives.

The elbows are healing nicely, thankyou. Soon, I will be able to play the violin again. I may even be able to stand without the knees going to pulp in a few weeks time, too

It was Great

And if it wasn't for the queues, I'd have done it again. Immediately!


****TO BE CONTINUED***

PART TWO

Where was I?

Ah yes, gibbering once I'd landed. Right.

Time was moving on apace, so, after a rather good home cooked lasagne, we set off to Holborn to meet up with the others. I mean... how hard is it to lose a whacking great pub? In a rather wide London Thoroughfare?

Well, when you're on the wrong side of the street (direction has never been a strong suite, so it was my fault) and there's a clutch of London Buses who have the inconsideration to park right infront of the one building you're aiming for, its not very hard to lose a pub atall.

But we got there!

Inside was a large gaggle of miscreants - I knew it was the HooToo crowd by sheer intuition. that, and the amount of H2 Merchandise, might have been a bit of a clue. There were hugs, and whoops of "Oh... so this is you" and it was great - a really friendly crowd of people. Beer flowed (sometimes across the table) lots and lots of random conversations - I don't think I managed to talk to everyone, but I certainly enjoyed listening and watching and quietly supping some rather good Youngs. They did have a beer at the bar called Witches Brew, and I was sorely tempted, but when I saw the alcohol percentage decided against it, on the grounds I value the brain cell

Who was there?

Oooh, hudreds of em - the 2 italics, Natalie and Jim, Roymondo and 2 legs, the Mad Fiddler, (who I *still call Martin, even tho his name isn't Martin atall, but something completely different) ReddyFreddy, Bald Bloke, Wood Pigeon, Gnomon, Azara... Dr Mo, Skankyrich, Jack Naples, Alex Ashman... they're the ones I can remember, anyway. Sorry if I've missed anyone out.

More conversations I can remember, and lots of laughter and foolishness. I sat exactly between the Serious and the Not So Serious people, so I got ALL the gossip in sterio (and being a woman I can multi task quite well) so if you care to leave your name and numbers, lads, I'll get back to you and arrange monetry bribes not to say too much.

And contrary to popular propoganda, there was absolutely NO Dancing on the Tables.

But hey... you cannent have everything and there'll be another meet where that could be remedied, I expect!

Time whizzed by, and it was all great fun. I'd recommend anyone who hasn't braved an H2 Meet to come - they're well worth attending.

Eventually, the cider drinkers sort of slunk off, and the rest of the gathering slowly disappeared in a reasenably orderly fashion.

Finding Holborn Station from the pub was surprisingly easy...and not only did I get to go on the Tubes .....

(Now: Sliding down the Escalators banisters *would be fun - and don't think it didn't cross my mind, either. Once you've slid from the 4th Floor of the Tate, nothing is beyond you)

... I got to travel on the Docklands Light Railway, too. Its a bit odd knowing you're moving, and there's absolutely no driver.

(But then, I suppose people who travel in my car might feel similarly apprehensive)

And finally, a real live London Black Cab, - haven't done that for yonks- for the last leg of the journey.

London is really pretty by night - its all twinkly lights and neon tubes and things. Even before Christmas. But then, I saw it at the weekend, and not during the aggressive commutoring times, so maybe I'm being a bit Rose Specticaled about that. Must admit, though I've missed London, more than I realised. Perhaps, if and when I get a bit more mobile I'd be able to keep up with a faster pace of living than that which I'm used to currrently.

You never know.

My thanks to everyone for a great meeting - it was good to meet new faces, and match them up with the names and to re see the ones I had already met

And a particular thank you to RF, who was kind enough to offer me bed and board for the weekend (and, I might add, an excellent breakfast; people have, apparently, travelled from Germany purely on the basis of these breakfasts) I could have done the afternoon jaunt, but would't have managed the evening one without somewhere to stay.

So thanks

A great account! I had a lot of fun over the weekend - sorely tempted to go to the spring meet in 2007.

W

Health/Ops depending, I'm definately going to make a spirited attempt to, so I don't see why you shouldn't! Meeting 2 Legs is one of those life time aims one should attempt at every opportunity!

I had a read of your account, as well (don't mind me, I'm just nosey... but quietly nosey) - you packed a heck of a lot into your weekend and it looked a lot of fun!

Did you have a chance to mosey thru my pomes yet?

If so, what did you think? Good or bad, I don't mind; just as long as its constructive

Am off out in a bit, to see Thatcher- The Musical, so have a good weekend, and catch ya later

I'm reading the poems and I love them. Wow. They just hit my heart every time. That latest poem - Scars - just caught me. The word you use for people like you. Damn right it's "amazing".

After our talk over the weekend I'm writing something down. I'm not finished with it yet by a long shot, but I'll send it along as soon as I am happy with it.

Thatcher the musical? Really? Wow - lots of blood and gut there I guess!

The first draft ended "There's a name for people like me - damaged" which although accurate, came accross as defeatist. So I took a deep breath and bluffed (as you do) and used "Amazing" instead

To my total surprise, people agreed. I didn't expect them to atall.

I think up until then I didn't actually realise that,yes...people (possibly like me) *are amazing. Perhaps the trick is to believe in the bluff eventually!

Thatcher the Musical was bloody brilliant! Very clever production - equal uses of body language, song (very biting lyrics) dance, facts, humour, pathos, clever lighting and sound and brilliant charactorisations. Very talented company - if they perform around here again I'd certainly go and see them

I'll look forward to seeing -if you'll let me, no obligation - your writing.

Its about time I got my backside in gear and got going again, I think. I've enough drafts to start working on them again for the time being.

And there's a rumour of a new Company looking for performing poets and auditions in the pieline, so keep your fingers crossed

I'd love to see more of your poems! How long do you usually spend working on them? I'm afraid I don't have the patience to work on them more than a day or two. I really know very little about poetry, so it's often just what my heart is saying to me, plus a few revisions just to see if if flows well.

I've just finished my poem (the first one in ages) - I'll email it to you if you would like. My email is on my personal space, just just drop me a line, and I will reply with it.

Glad you enjoyed the show! Man, what next? Boutros Boutros Ghalli - the Comedy!

Ooh! By all means email - I'll nip over to your space in a bit and drop you my address

I wouldn't worry about knowing much about poetry, frankly. I knew sweet FA when I began doodling, and wasn't even aware it was poetry till the teacher hauled me up infront of the class and began praising my efforts - even then I said "Its not poetry miss, it doesn't rhyme" Its much easier to just pour your heart out - somehow or the other the subcoonscious knows what to do - or at least, I've found that to be the case, anyway!

It wasn't till I was in my thirties, and I finally got "edited" as such (one Anthology was done by Richard Murphy, another by Seamus Heaney and I'm jiggered if I can remember who the third one was done by) that I discovered there were "shapes" or structures" to poetry's appearance - sometimes it helps to know that - you can become focussed into using less words to better effect, for instance...and sometimes it doesn't. 'Tall depends on the subject, I think. And ones own particular style of expression.

It also helps *not to have much of an education, I think. Mine was absolute rubbish - I had facts drummed into me, certainly, but it never occured to the teachers to encourage their students to *think, or question - or indeed, learn anything more than a basic vocabulary.

So there were all these *words I didn't know about, but sounded interesting...I couldn't draw or paint, and I was a technician musically, rather than a natural musician, so I couldn't use them to express myself as I wanted to. Or at least, not to my satisfaction, anyway.

And I was repeatedly told I was too fat and clumsy to be any good at dancing (although, till the stick came into my life, I was pretty good once I'd lifted two fingers to that idea and tried),and wasn't talented or attractive enough to act (but again, oddly enough, I actually *was a professional actress for a time, so Yah Boo Sucks to them as told me all that nonsense!. You don't have to be attractive atall to act - thats why its "acting" Talent, on the other hand can be honed and refined once you lose the self consciousness)

So that sort of left words to play with

The rest, as they say, is history

Ah...

Having a bit of trouble sending you a messgae via your link

Bear with me - I don't understand what the question o means about "Connections" and POP3 servers, so I'll try cunning, stealth and a bit of common sense after I've had a thinking cuppa