A Quest for Places, November 2012
"Round my hometown, memories are fresh
Round my hometown, ooh, the people I've met
Are the wonders of my world"
- Song "Hometown Glory" by Adele
I remember RAF Laarbruch, in Germany. I was four, and would ride up and down the pavement on my tricycle after the rain, running over worms and putting them in the tin breadbox-thing at the back. For whatever reason, this made me very happy; perhaps I thought, as kids do, that each half would one day grow into a new, whole worm. That street was my world for the longest time. I have many stories to tell you, and one day, I hope to share some with you.
Places are important to us. They form and hold memories, help determine who we are, what we do and where we go. They are part of the fabric of our lives, for good or ill, and how we interact with our geography can dictate the people we grow up to be.
So sing to us of the dirty old town of your youth or your favourite park or hangout. It could be a mountaintop, a riverside, a city block. All that matters is why it is important to you.
Tell us about the landscape, the buildings, the streets and the journey there. Here's an opportunity to share with us some local knowledge. Impressions of places you know well, from your childhood onward, whether school, church or museum. Tell us stories, give us history, inform us of the interesting people and what they do. Home town or favourite vacation escape, these places call out to you, so node them for all to enjoy!
Equally, tell us of places to avoid, and why. That town that you really cannot abide. But make it interesting - a writeup simply saying "this place sucks", but with no engaging story will not be accepted.
Rules are simple - it just has to be about a location you can pin down. Feel free to link to map references, photos and above all, tell us a good tale in prose or poetry. Link to this node, and let me know when you are posting something.
The Quest will run through November 2012, and any new writeup posted with a November timestamp may be submitted. As the Iron Noder quest also runs in November, it will run in parallel with this, and entries for this quest will also qualify for Iron Noder.
Rewards will be allocated, of course. Each entrant will get 75 GP (worth several Easter Eggs), each entry a further 50, plus a bonus for C! and how keen I am to visit (or not!) the location.
Bonus prizes are also available, courtesy of haqiqat: a book by Robert Kaplan - The Ends of the Earth (described as "a travelogue of shitholes"), and The Art of Not Being Governed by James C. Scott. These prizes will be given to the two noders who have, in the opinion of the judges, done most to prove themselves worthy in whatever manner we think fit.
The Entries
‡ From wertperch's nodeshell challenge