The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition

By Sue Griffiths

The LOTNA recently visited the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy exhibition held at the Science Museum in London and for some it was only right to dress appropriately. That’s why the London Underground had the pleasure of the company of a right bunch of Arthurs – decked out in dressing gowns of varying descriptions with some even going as far as wearing pyjamas!

We met at the Horseshoe Inn at around 12pm to get some Dutch courage inside us, deck ourselves out in said dressing gowns and head off. I headed up to meet the gang with my brother that day – we had to leave earlier than usual as we both needed to get a dressing gown and a towel… As we walked to the station, passing car drivers were treated to the sight of a row of Arthur Dents trying to thumb a ride. Strangely, none of them stopped…!

The journey there on the underground was a really good laugh, particularly sitting on a carriage in the company of normal people whose reactions were very amusing! We got to the museum itself, then paused for a photo opportunity before heading into the exhibition itself.

The exhibition started with Arthur Dent’s house and a display of the clothing worn by the movie Arthur Dent. I was pleased to see that I was wearing the right coloured top that day… Then it was onto the Vogons who were an impressive sight (no poetry – please!!) with one of them sitting on a deer in the centre of the room, and a couple to either side while there was a balcony of moving Vogons up above. There were also displays of various Vogon related paraphernalia – for example a really large square coffee cup! There were also information boards along the way to shed some light on the exhibition’s displays and the HHGTG sorry itself.

The next room featured the Heart of Gold, costumes from the movie and some video games and quizzes situated around the console. That wasn’t bad but didn’t hold the attention for very long – although the video games were relatively amusing. They were a bit hard to get the hang of, though!

We found out that the meaning of life is 42 from another room, which was in a kind of Aztec style with a thoughtful figure with a very large head in the centre thinking deeply…. The room also featured some seating. It’s a shame we weren’t allowed to take pictures in the event itself as a row of Arthurs taking a breather would have made for a cool shot!

The next part of the exhibition was interesting and featured planets of all shapes and sizes, including a bizarre looking landscape. It was all very good to look at but like the majority of the exhibition could have done with being a little more interactive. The reason for no photography being allowed in the exhibition was apparent when we got to the end and there was a photo opportunity, where you could have your photo taken against a backdrop and buy a print for £4.95. That was ideal for people like me who never seem to have a camera in their possession and it made for a nice souvenir of the day!

We stopped off for pizza on the way back to the pub and were then treated to a quiz courtesy of Dave – a challenge to the brain cells but a very good way to round off a fun and varied day!

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