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[echidna]

I'd just like to agree with everyone else - excellent write-up Pineapple!

As for what I learned, or had confirmed, here's my list:

1. Fforde fans are all very lovely people - it was great to meet you all .
2. Whenever I desperately want to get somewhere I will inevitably end up in the world's largest traffic jam.
3. The day was so much fun it was worth being stuck for an hour in the world's largest traffic jam.
4. Still on traffic issues, The Magic Roundabout in Swindon is a work of evil the likes of which I hope never to encounter again (especially when I'm running late and extremely flustered).
5. Swindon is a lot larger than I thought it would be - especially when you're running around it trying to find every phone box in town.
6. The gods of the phonebox do not like me, Myf or PuzzledPineapple.
7. You can hang around phoneboxes, and indeed ATMs, in Swindon for at least 15 minutes without any of the locals seemingly becoming suspicious of your actions.
8. If you see any suspicious-looking characters (wearing evening dress and pedalling a bicycle through an underpass at one in the afternoon) always question whether they are in fact part of the ARG you are following rather than just assuming, as I did, that they're students doing a very late "bike-ride of shame" home after their grad ball .
9. If you see a suspicious-looking character hanging around a pub and watching your group's every move, he's most likely to be a puppet-master.
10. There is such a thing as Wind in the Willows porn - or if there wasn't before then one of our group just invented it .
11. I can drink a JD & coke in under 90 seconds.
12. Crocheted dodos are very, very cute.
13. Finally, and most importantly, I want to change careers and stage live-action ARGs/treasure hunts for a living - it's much more exciting than traditional theatre (my current job)

[myf]

As Pineapple mentions at the end of her write up, I did eventually find a copy of Three Men In A Boat in Waterstone's in Swindon. I checked at about 12:15, and it wasn't there. Less than 2 hours later, whilst sitting down waiting for people to get stuff signed, I saw it. Apparently it had been hidden by someone behind a pile of Harry Potter stuff. I think someone said that people kept hiding it to stop others finding it

Those who took photos: please add them to the Flickr group (which I've now renamed "The Great Samuel Pepys Fffiasco")

[cows]

Good work people, nice write up as well

It said that at one stage we had a Puppet Master almost pulling out their hair... What had (or hadn't) we done to warrant such a response?? Did you find out?

[Canzonett]

I just got home from a nice, but pretty intense and demanding seminar. Logged on immediately - looking forward to reading your report, pineapple! Crocheted dodos? I can't expect it ... You luckyluckylucky people!

[Etta]

yes, I would like to know more about the crocheted dodos as well.

[Canzonett]

Thank you so much for the detailed report! Sounds as if you all had a really wonderful and weird time. And it seems that Aornis' presence didn't affect your memories in any way, did it? Would those of you who had the opportunity to talk to the minor characters mind describing your experience? Some more pictures would be great as well.

[chanticleer]

Lovely to meet you all! Never participated in an ARG before but enjoyed it hugely. And got to talk to Thursday Next on the phone, which is a bit of a priviledge.

[Canzonett]

By the way: Ffforde appears to have been banned into another book this time. At least, he has not reappeared in Thirlestane Green up to now, according to the Book Cam:

http://www.jasperfforde.com/thirlestane-green.html

[myf]

I am a bit sad that I didn't end up with any random Ffordian swag for me to horde away somewhere. Oh well!

[chanticleer]

As am I. A signed book is enough to keep me satisfied in the meantime, though.

Besides, we did have to send postal details when we submitted our Scribblers...

[myf]

Ah, you see, I didn't even get one of them - I only buy the books in paperback, and will only read it once I've bought it. And I suspect the only thing my scribbler might earn me is a lemon!

[Canzonett]

I am a paperback person as well, what with the very limited shelf-space at home ... But surely your scribbler wasn't that bad, myf. Don't remind me of the rubbish I wrote myself - probably full of grammatical mistakes, and completely meaningless as well

More reports, anyone?
More fotos?
More fun?

[myf]

Amy's YouTube has been updated with the video clip of the Aornis library enloopment

[Canzonett]

[Sarah B]

I agree! I don't think I could have stayed that calm with someone yelling at me!

My pictures are coming, I promise, just haven't had a chance to upload them onto the computer yet.