Monday, May 5, 2008

Wegians

Galway, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee. It's been a busy week. I wasn't travelling alone though... the publishers make sure I have a baby sitter. Ed came with me for the first three and then I was met by Helen in Edinburgh who took over for the Scottish events.

The week began with a train ride to Luton and a flight to Galway. Except you can't get a train all the way to Luton airport at the minute so actually it was a train to Luton Parkway and then a bus to the airport. It was sunny when we left Luton. It was pouring when we got to Galway. This theme was maintained for the whole week. Whenever I left a city it was sunny. Whenever I arrived it was raining. Apart from my return to London. It wasn't raining when I landed in London. But Boris was mayor and that's worse. Honestly, I turn my back on the place for five minutes and they elect a buffoon. What can you do?

Rather than brave the weather in Galway, Ed and I settled for lunch at the hotel. I browsed through the festival's brochure while we waited and discovered therein that the people of Galway are known as Galwegians. I had no idea. It's the kind of new word that makes me smile. I like it.

"It makes sense," said Ed. "Norway. Norwegians. Galway. Galwegians."
"Yeah... but you get Glaswegians and that doesn't end with 'way' does it?"
"No."
"Are there any other places that end in 'way'?" I asked. "I can't think of any."
There was a pause. Hardly a beat.
"Luton Parkway," said Ed.
"Where the Luton Parkwegians live?" asked I.
"That's right," said Ed.

Lovely.

Started on Grand Designs Live last night which like all live shows seemed to whizz by at such speed that I already can't really remember. I'm back again every night this week bar Thursday when I'll be in Cornwall for the final book reading.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was nice to see you turn up on Grand Designs live, always good to get some Dave Gorman on the telly.. More please! Also, are you friends with Bill Bailey now? Is he as funny in person as he is doing his day job?

Also, I couldn't agree more with your thoughts on Boris.. What a disgrace! Being a fellow Londoner I can't help but feel ashamed..

Simon Varwell said...

Dave, people from Stornoway are called Stornowegians - so there's another to fit the pattern!

Anonymous said...

Voting in Boris as Mayor of London has restored my faith in England as a country.
I was getting disullusioned with the place what with rising petrol prices and taxes on the majority but now i'm proud to call this place home.

Craig

Ben Paddon said...

As a former resident of Luton (I now live in Los Angeles) I can only apologise for just how utterly cack Luton is.

Stevyn Colgan said...

Well, if you're going to be in Cornwall, do pop in on the Bodmin Parkwegians. Enjoying the book. :-)

Steve said...

To Ben / S2k - from Luton to LA - thats a move from the ridiculous to the sublime ! (unless you live in a /really/ poor part of LA.

Chris Nixon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I think you will find that London has voted out a buffoon - although that is rather too kind a word for the corrupt criminal trotskyite who has finally seen an end to his reign

Anonymous said...

I'd rather Ken any day over yet another public school boy who, in the end, will only benefit other former public school boys.

Anonymous said...

Ha, I just spent about half an hour tring to work out what 'Wegians' meant. I should have just read on. Obviously.

John Doe said...

What's even worse than Ken being voted out and Boris being voted in, is that George Galloway didn't get a seat on the London Assembly.

Is there going to be another series of Annually Retentive?

Anonymous said...

If you lived on George Galloway would you be a Gallowegian?

Unknown said...

Ya'll elected Boris? What in the hell ...!!? I am amazed and slightly alarmed.

Anyway, congratulations on the success of the book, it warms the cockles of my old and cranky heart :=)

Lx

H Dickins said...

Apparently some folk in fairy-stories should be known as "Farfarawegians!"

(I am delighted by this discovery)