Talk:Harrogate

Hi Spike, just to let you know, I'm in Tramps!  EStop ⚓ 20:29, November 3, 2015 (UTC)

You are editing the section? If there is a retail business called Tramps, to go with Bettys, you had better write about the Great Harrogate Apostrophe Shortage. Spıke 🎙️21:17 3-Nov-15

No I'm done. Had the Recent changes on update, so knew you were editing, so it was just to let you know. Just having a read through and think of what to do with Tour De France (it went past my front door!).  EStop ⚓ 21:21, November 3, 2015 (UTC)

I'll do the Apostrophes as I go. So for future reference, you prefer too many or not enough?  EStop ⚓ 21:24, November 3, 2015 (UTC)

Just the right amount, always. Now I am in Tramps, and disappointed that you discarded my take that "they can avoid faking interest in the reading materials" as it introduced the idea of tramps being in a library in the first place. As for the town news-agent, I don't see what the point is here; he seems like Harrogate's only normal person, unless you are saying he is credulous and uncareful with his money. You need to try more to integrate this into the theme of Harrogate as pretentious and vain (perhaps, not having a Jaguar, his way of putting on airs is to contribute to the youths needing to have a pizza sent in because their mates are studying down at the pub) or the article becomes just about a town where everyone is neurotic in different directions. It worked for Green Acres but it's harder to pull off as a text overview.

Everywhere you use the second person breaks the encyclopedia cover and simply means there hasn't yet been time to edit that passage from a personal exclamation into a paragraph that will get the reader to do the exclaiming. Spıke 🎙️14:06 4-Nov-15

That's fine, restore whatever you like. I did not realize the reading material addition was yours, I got it, and liked it but was going to play on tramp care first. The edits last night were more to get some ideas down quick as I was running out of time. They were never going to be the final draft. I don't mind if you ditch the lot. Having a break from Harrogate for a bit, just to clear my head.  EStop ⚓ 14:27, November 4, 2015 (UTC)

The big issue seller does exist as described, is well known and is commented on for his courtesy. I have never seen him sell a copy! He is always chatting to one of the locals, and passers by are always giving him fivers. Clearly it failed the litmus test as something that would only be funny to someone outside the town. I.e. I'm being too specific.  EStop ⚓ 18:11, November 4, 2015 (UTC)

It does seem that here you are writing a blog rather than a section of a comedy article that will hang together. I didn't intend to "ditch" any of your stuff but just give you my reactions. Spıke 🎙️18:41 4-Nov-15

PS--Having edited near to the description of B.E.D., it is impossible for me to tell whether this establishment is a fiction, whether the joint is real but the quotation is a fiction, or whether you are calling attention to the real-world ridiculousness rather than creating some ridiculous fantasy. Spıke 🎙️18:50 4-Nov-15

Yes, it was bloggish. Other than that diversion, everything in the article is completely real. Bed is a restaurant and the slogan is quoted verbatim. Everything "tactile" or feathered in this article exists in the town, as do the characters in one form or another. Even the A59 is rated as one of the UK's most dangerous roads. The pictures are all from Harrogate. It is a unique place:  EStop ⚓ 19:59, November 4, 2015 (UTC)

I never went to Bed in Harrogate.

Well, the article is halfway between clever stereotype and catalog of real-world inanities, and I hope you settle on the former. Spıke 🎙️20:12 4-Nov-15

I will, was running dry on ideas for characters a bit. However, I have been thinking about the Tour-de-France, and this has potentially opened up another character avenue. The Of-Cambridges were there, as were both Davids (Cameron and Beckham), and associated Ad-Fab tastic PR and media events, and the ever road-closing celeb razzmatazz (I volunteered for dog-sitting duty) — and Harrogate loved it.  EStop ⚓ 21:14, November 4, 2015 (UTC)

Notes/Ideas.

Tramps

Harrogate boasts the poshest tramps in the world. Special Brew cannot be found anywhere in the environs of Harrogate; instead, the order of the day is Moet Chandon, or sometimes Chivas 12 year old premium Scotch whiskey. Harrogate tramps would not deign to drink Tanqueray unless it came in a heavy bottomed tumbler, with ice, a slice of lemon and a punkawallah.

The Harrogate tramps favourite congregation point is the local library, where well-meaning locals have provided them with a picturesque Victorian shelter in the gardens in which they can bathe, be given a free haircut and shave, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, laying face down under the beautifully manicured hedges of the Valley Gardens. When it is raining, however, the tramps take their drinks inside the library, and do sometimes browse through a book on cocktail mixing.

The town centre's Big Issue seller is the most charming "hoody" you have ever met. He is exceptionally courteous, remembers everyones names, birthdays and pin-numbers. Not that he has ever used this information for his own gain, he doesn't have to. Welcoming the opportunity to show generosity to a lovely young man's cause (whatever it is), his massive ruck-sack is bursting with £20 and £50 pound notes within a couple of hours.

Tony Blair, stood proudly outside no. 10 Downing Street, on his first day as Prime Minister in 1997, always adorns the front page of his newspapers. This is because he had to cancel any subsequent because he has never actually "sold" a single one. It is speculated that within a decade, he may be the richest man in Harrogate,

Big Issue

Thanks for restoring that section Spike. The Big Issue is a Brit thing. It's a UK-wide newspaper on sale for a pound, raising money for the homeless. The sellers are present in every town, like charity collectors. The sellers are normally young volunteers, sometimes from the shelter itself so can be (sadly) quite rough, for want of a better term (hence the "Harrogate hoody" standing out being very polite and well spoken, and he is too). Just changed the shop to the paper in the paragraph, but don't want to do too much more as you have written it better than I could have. The angle I was getting at was: although he doesn't sell any copies, the townsfolk pile him with money and chat to him as their good deed, but really would rather not have to actually "read" about the poverty thanks, so here is another fiver if that's ok.  EStop ⚓ 08:42, November 5, 2015 (UTC)

You had better do much more, as after reading your paragraph, I obviously got the direction of the cash transfers exactly backward! Spıke 🎙️08:59 5-Nov-15

Esse quam videri

The real translation of the actual motto of WP:Ashville College is "to be rather than to appear"; that is, achievement over pretentiousness. That is incidentally also the exact opposite of the article's strong thesis about Harrogatians, which might be fun to play with. Spıke 🎙️23:02 5-Nov-15

Nice! Thanks for persevering while I languished for a bit.  EStop ⚓ 10:41, November 6, 2015 (UTC)

Tour de France

You want me to expand on "the Tour" or you think that is enough? I'll look at Ashville.  EStop ⚓ 10:41, November 6, 2015 (UTC)

You had better expand it! All I did was rewrite the part that explained the motivation for it; the reader will be begging for an explanation of what happens there! Spıke 🎙️12:42 6-Nov-15

That is the plan, unfortunately I did not attend however, my other half has been recruited to describe the event from the PR angle, as she was in the middle of the schmoosing in the press enclosure. I can properly bend it out of shape then!  EStop ⚓ 13:00, November 6, 2015 (UTC)

The new paragraph doesn't fit. Again, what I had was an intro -- and youse improved it by re-casting it that locals were originally clueless as the Tour de France passed through. But now youse have put an Intro before my Intro, which takes the opposite tack, that locals knew well and viewed it as carrying out their cosmic destiny. I think this would come better afterward, Harrogatians belatedly understanding that the original was a bicycle race and contriving to make the re-stagings mesh with their exaggerated view of themselves. Spıke 🎙️15:15 6-Nov-15

That makes more sense, I was not sure either. I'll change it back and have a re-think. This is by no means the final draft, as keen to explore the atmosphere, just tinkering. EStop ⚓ 15:44, November 6, 2015 (UTC)

TDF will be getting a significant edit by the looks of it. First quote from Mrs EStop HQ :“..he's never got over the fact that I was with Team Sky hospitality, while he was in the cheap seats with Barclays Bank. He just can't seem to let that one go....". Hoping they both will have an input as "He" is a close friend of ours and her old business editor, and a renowned hilarious, acerbic columnist.  EStop ⚓ 09:06, November 7, 2015 (UTC)

Yikes! You will surely mention to both that this is a humor wiki? Spıke 🎙️13:56 7-Nov-15

Nah... this way it will be far more amusing.  EStop ⚓ 14:06, November 7, 2015 (UTC)

Hallo Spike! Thanks for the tweaks, I am going to give Ashville a splash of "traditional" public school life too. Wondering whether there should be a section on the Harrogate Advertiser?  EStop ⚓ 14:23, December 7, 2015 (UTC)

I have never perused it! I changed "Harrogatonian" to "Harrogatian" in one place; please revert me or carry it forward. Spıke 🎙️14:27 7-Dec-15