Got to drive the Caterham 7, Evo VI, Vauxhall VX220 turbo, Jaguar JP1, Renaultsport Clio, go-karts, offroady things and a (slightly) restricted Formula Palmer Audi single seater!

That sounds like fun. In October I'm off to Wigan to drive a Formula Ford for a day, which I'm really looking forward to. I expect I'll be dealing with different extremes of weather by then though...

P.S. for some reason the car that they take you out in to teach you the circuit and guage your abilities is a MG-ZR (the Rover 25 based one) which seems odd. Take someone out in a front-wheel drive car and then throw them at a rear wheel drive racing car. I guess it comes down to cost.

I know you're just kidding, but I wanted it on record that all the people we met during our time in London and Cambridge were friendly and nice. I didn't get those antisocial impressions at all.

I don't think it's really viewed as anti-social. Brits (in general, not universally) don't strike up conversations with other Brits because they don't much like other Brits striking up conversations with them. Most of those same Brits, though, will behave differently to foreigners, cheerfully engaging them in conversations. I don't know whether this is because we think foreigners (and particularly Americans) naturally appreciate a nice chat with a complete stranger more than Brits do, or because we think people visiting foreign countries will appreciate being put at ease or offered advice or assistance... actually it must be the latter, because the only time you're guaranteed to see British strangers engaging each other in conversation is when both are overseas...

Peter

Spot on Peter. During my three week trip to Seattle I was gabbing away to every stranger who would listen, back home I avoid talking to strangers whenever possible.

It was a top day out, and they have it organised so you don't sit around much all day! That Jonathan Palmer bloke - got his head screwed on pretty well - knows how to do corporate entertainment.

The amusing thing is the way the cars handle - drove them in pretty much the order described which was kind of weird. The Caterham really showed up my driving style (hard on the brakes to loosen up the back end, and then hard out of the corner), because I managed to spin 7 times in 4 laps! Was getting a bit disheartened till we got to all the other cars which do respond well to turning in late and booting power from just before the apex.

The Palmer Audis are just like a computer game though - no sliding at all, just point and you turn on rails (although I understand it can be a bit different in the wet!)

But the best fun of the day had to be the Clios. I had a nutter instructor. All the other folks were told to back off and change down to 4th for the small chicane in the middle of the long straight. Mine kept shouting at me to get it up to 6th - I usually came out of the chicane a bit sideways and laughing hysterically. It is an awesome car.

Mind you, for pure sideways-ness, the track they have set up for the Evos is mad, two concentric laps to confuse you. The inner one needs some careful steering, but then you come round at top whack, sideways, on wet tarmac trying to aim for a huge yump!!!!

You guys have got to try it Bedford Autodrome - if you are in the UK.

Aye - when going out first footing at New Year, the kilt is de rigeur dress. Even when there is snow and blizzard conditions. And it is always warm - it would be way too hot if you had to wear anything underneath it as well!!!

At ceilidhs, it is actually far too hot, but it looks so much better than a suit that it is not a difficult decision.

You guys have got to try it Bedford Autodrome - if you are in the UK

Were you on a corporate day, or did you go by ourself on a shared day. If the later, how much did it actually cost ?

It was a corporate day, but I'm not sure how much it cost as I wangled in due to a drop out, so it was already paid for. Think it's about £450 - £500 each, but value wise it has to be the best I've seen, having been on various other track and rally dos where you pay £250 for an hour. This was pretty much driving from 9.30 until 5.

A few of us are pushing to see if we can get them to do a Clio day (they do Caterham days already) or even a JP1 or PA day where you get to stick with one car, because although you got a fair bit of time in each, you still didn't feel like you were nearing the limits of the car (your own limits, maybe) and I could let you know if we get success.

Oddly though I'm not really kidding about much of that stuff. Yes we are mostly friendly, but there are certain rules that have to be observed...

I really wish I could find a clip from Douglas Adams' last book, The Salmon of Doubt. It's about he and a stranger waiting on a train, and it involves cookies... I'll try to find and post it later on when I get home. Very funny.

It's about he and a stranger waiting on a train, and it involves cookies...

Yeah, he told that one on Letterman several years ago. Great little story. Apocryphal, but great.

(It's actually an old story that he's retelling. It's important when retelling a story like that, you have to say "it happened to you". Storyteller tradition and all.)

It's about he and a stranger waiting on a train, and it involves cookies

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's also in So Long And Thanks (happening to Arthur) and Don't Panic (happening to Adams).

Peter

Speaking of which (Don't Panic), did you realize that that was written by Neil Gaiman well before he was famous for other things? If your response to that is ``Neil who?'', then nevermind.

Speaking of which (Don't Panic), did you realize that that was written by Neil Gaiman well before he was famous for other things? If your response to that is ``Neil who?'', then nevermind.

I'd already read Good Omens by the time I came across Don't Panic. I didn't realise until just now that the first edition of Don't Panic was in 1987...

Peter

I got Don't Panic shortly after it was published, then went on to read Good Omens, and, before that, a lot of Sandman comics. One day I went back to my folks house, where DP was sitting on a shelf and it took a few seconds to reconcile why my folks had a comic book author's work there. My brain hurt for quite a while.

The only things I know about Neil are the references Tori makes in her lyrics. And most of those I don't understand.

Get me Neil on the line, no I can't hold
Have him read "Snow Glass Apples" where nothing is what it seems
"Little Sis you must crack this," he says to me,
"you must go in again. Carbon-made only wants to be unmade."
Blade to ice, it's Double Diamond time...

Greetings!

He and Tori are pretty close. She did the introduction for one of his comics (I think it was the first episode of the Death spinoff), and I think she was also (partially) the model for Delirium...

Ah yes, Cookies.mp3.

Thank for that MP3! Cool!

Charles Atlas?