Conference govt02::basingstoke

    There was a silly 'sci fi' style quiz show (for kids I think) on tv in
    the mid eighties (err..The mumble Game possibly).  One of the key
    phrases on this was 'Basingstoke Basingstoke'.  I can't remember if it
    was a password, or something that had to be said whilst bowing to the
    ruler of the world they were on (played by a potted plant).
    
    
    mikef

   <<< Note 866.1 by UBOHUB::FIDDLER_M "The sense of being dulls my mind" >>>

>    There was a silly 'sci fi' style quiz show (for kids I think) on tv in
>    the mid eighties (err..The mumble Game possibly).  One of the key
>    phrases on this was 'Basingstoke Basingstoke'.  I can't remember if it
>    was a password, or something that had to be said whilst bowing to the
>    ruler of the world they were on (played by a potted plant).
    
    
     mike,

     Are you getting confused with Patrick Fitzgeralds(?) , 70's
     punk poet and chanteur, epic tome "Lewisham Lewisham"??


     stuart

    Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy mentions Basingstoke in a snetance to
    do with roundabouts I think.
    
    I seem to recall either Dr Who and possibly Monty Python menitoning
    Basingstoke.

    re.1 The show you are thinking of Mike is, I think, The Adventure Game.
    This marvellous piece of television was made by BBC2 and featured
    celebrities from the worlds of BBC1 and BBC2 doing crystal maze style
    thingies but with a much smaller special effects budget. These special
    effects lent more to Rentaghost than Terminator2. The potted plant was
    the Uncle of a presenter appearing in what I can hazily remember as a
    pleasing female form. mmm memories of Keith Chegwin being vapourised.
    
    dickie...ex of wonderful Odiham. 

    Re-1...thats it!!  great show...
    
    mikef

    I am informed that the actress who played the female neice of the pot
    plant was the same actress who played Ace in Dr Who, but I haven't seen
    the Adventure game in so long I couldn't say how accurate it is.
    
    If anyone can get hold of any tapes of The Adventure Game I would love
    to see it again
    
    Mark

    In the Monty Python sketch about the bloke who hijacks the plane to
    Cuba and makes them fly to Luton ('If it's not too much bother'), he
    jumps out of the plane and lands on 'a bail of straw just outside
    Basingstoke'. As we all know, this bail of straw is now one of the
    top tourist attractions in the south...

    re-2
    
    No, different actress I'm afraid.  much taller...
    
    mikef

	Was one of them Bonnie Langford?

    Bonnie Langford was an assistant to Dr for a short while (19 episodes I
    think).
    
    Mikef

    I've got a big book called something like "The History of the British
    People in Pictures".  Each page has a big picture and a bit of writing
    underneath, my kind of book :-)  It's about fifty years old but one
    picture I do remember was the siege and sacking of Basing House in the
    Civil War.
    
    I guess there'll be other references to this event as I believe it was
    quite significant.
    
    tmp
              

re .6

>    I am informed that the actress who played the female neice of the pot
>    plant was the same actress who played Ace in Dr Who, but I haven't seen
>    the Adventure game in so long I couldn't say how accurate it is.

	I'm afraid that you are sadly misinformed. we are talking about 
actresses of different generations here. The delightful Leslie Judd late of 
Blue Pete was the host in the Adventure Game. The delightfil Sophie Aldred 
played Ace in Doctor Who and is now to be found weekday mornings hosting Tiny 
TCC on the Childrens Channel on the Astra satellite.

Nigel Barker (The Man Who Knows)

    re-1
    
    Leslie Judd the Blue Peter presenter?
    She wasn't the host on the shows I saw...I can still picture the
    presenter very clearly..
    
    I don't think Leslie Judd was from Basingstoke either?
    
    mikef

    Leslie Judd was one of the contestants that was left behind ina one of
    the games and stayed there and acted as a kind of misinformation
    person, we've gone over things like this on alt.fan.pratchett when the
    topic came up, which is why my friend informed me baout who he thought
    it was.
    
    Mark

re .0

>	I'm also sure that the town gets a mention in a G&S opera.

	Ruddigore. Because of the vast bin at Park Prewett in Victorian times
the town was notorious & able to raise a laugh simply with a mention of the
name.

Nigel

re .13
    
>    Leslie Judd the Blue Peter presenter?
>    She wasn't the host on the shows I saw...I can still picture the
>    presenter very clearly..

	Ah you mean her of the curly hair & clipboard, sorry I can't remember
her name either. Leslie Judd was definitely on it though.

Nigel

	Somebody mentioned a B'Stoke reference in the 'Hitch Hikers
	Guide'. Does anybody know the scripts well enough to confirm ?

    There is a Guildford reference, and a Croydon one, but I can't remember
    a mention of  Basingstoke?
    
    mikef  

        I don't remember the scripts well enough to pinpoint it,
        though I do remember it.  I've got both the radio and TV
        versions on tape, so I'll check if I get a moment.
        
        Ian.

    Ford Prefect is from Guildford (though originally from another planet). 
    The mention of Basingstoke is in the (first ?) episode when the Vogons
    are blasting Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass.  Ford (who
    unbeknown to Arthur is from another planet) shows Arthur a Hitch-Hiking
    device saying that he's doing the space equivalent of thumbing a lift,
    to which Arthur replies.  "What ! We're just asking some green-eyed
    monster to give us a lift and asking to drop us off at the Basingstoke
    roundabout".
                
    Or something like that.
    
    tmp

    Hoorah, that's the one, I knew it was in there, as it was me who said
    that I thought the reference was there

    re:20 - but WHICH roundabout...??????

    Basingstoke is just one big Roundabout, so in reality he was talking
    about going to Basingstoke

    Well, the thumb is an electronic sub-ether device, and the
    roundabout's at Barnards Star six light years away...
    
    mikef

    No it's not, it's lot's of little ones and one or two big ones...!
    
    Cheers,
    Nick$contradictory!

>    Well, the thumb is an electronic sub-ether device, and the
>    roundabout's at Barnards Star six light years away...


Must be the Golden Lion Roundabout .... sounds like average 
GL conversation to me .