We in here have been left like little third world orphans in our cots, not knowing or understanding where our Matron has gone. The last time she visited this site was on May 12th.

How can we continue so complacently?

Or does everyone else know something I don't?

Because this forum is a FARCE without Roz.

I have found her on Facebook. It seems she is into drumming along with her normal photography work.

And bonfiring and pantomiming and playing Bejewelled Blitz and pimping her dog and...


And I'm sure the rest of the membership is as gratified as I am by your vote of confidence, Maab. I don't think Roz created this as a shrine to herself at which we are all supposed to worship. I rather thought she created it for us and here we all are.

I rather thought she created it for us and here we all are.

And we manage, so long as we take our sedatives, don't we? Still, I do miss her.

Somebody else, please tell that purple mouse to shut up! It's stopped listening to me.

You just don't get it, megra. To me it's bad manners and hurtful that she has abandoned us without a clue, a farewell or an invitation to join her elsewhere - unless of course, there is an inner circle who had such a privilege, of which you are a part; and an outer one, which did not. Of which I am a part.

Oh, I forgot to mention you too, Michael. You're IN, as well.

You've already had the answer to this once, Maab, and you're still being paranoid. There is no inner circle, as you call it. A few acquaintances encountered first on IDF50, here and elsewhere found that they were members of Facebook; far more again haven't even bothered to join Facebook. Although we see Roz's contributions on Facebook, she is far more concerned with her drum thumpers, bonfire, football and pantomime people than anyone here, although she does make an occasional comment. That is all.

If you choose to believe that there is a conspiracy to leave you here in the dark that is purely down to your own imaginings. If you joined Facebook and searched for people you know from various forums I've no doubt that a goodly number who are there would agree to be tagged as friends. If you choose not to join Facebook that is your affair. It is a public site enjoyed by millions worldwide and certainly not invitation only. My membership was certainly not contingent upon Roz being there but I was pleased to link up with her when I joined but I also correspond there with people who have nothing to do with the forums to which we all have belonged severally and with friends from the real world, just as Roz does and Zob and one or two others.

As to rudeness, all I have to say is bollocks. Roz set up this site for waifs and strays from other places and we should be damned grateful to her. We don't need her, however, to nanny us. We are grown ups and perfectly capable of carrying on the party after our own fashion without her. Her contribution would be welcome but she obviously has other priorities at the moment.

If Roz is so rude and has hurt you so much, if the rest of us merely constitute a farce, then perhaps you should start your own forum. Oh but you did that, didn't you?! Start another one and then you can exclude all of us for being rude, patronising and farcical.

This is my last word on this tired, worn matter. I can only advise you to either grow up and get on with it or go where you feel better appreciated.

You are such a cow, Deirdre.

Oh, I forgot to mention you too, Michael. You're IN, as well

You're not getting mixed up with Dante's description of hell, are you, MAAB, with 7 (or was it 9?) circles? The deepest, hottest circle, if I remember rightly, was reserved for sodomites and clerics, with a pope or two.

No circles in these wards, though, that I know about. Just specially-designed straitjackets for the chosen few.



Oh, and I forgot: we get an extra single square of chocklit once a month.

I too miss Matron's contributions here, but I'm guessing she's got other, (perhaps better), things to do and, judging from what megra has said, that's exactly the case.

Matron isn't alone though, a quick look at the 'Memberlist' reveals the names of 35 registered inmates, of whom (if the information is correct) 23 haven't visited since the end of August, that's 65% - in addition (based on the same information), 34% haven't visited at all this year.

So far as I'm aware, everyone has equal rights to start a new topic or reply to an existing one - if, because people have chosen not to, you've formed the opinion this place is a farce, then I'm afraid it's an opinion I can't share. I prefer to think of it as companionable silence - or perhaps they're just following what my Father used to say '.. if you've nothing worth saying - then say nothing'

Oh, Emma, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! I sympathise. Nobody has ever noticed when I have gone "missing" from a forum either!

I suspect (not having had any experience of it, you understand) that becoming a grandma is an awful lot easier than becoming a mother. The whole pain element is missing for one thing. You must be excited and I look forward to the happy announcement but sincerely hope that you will "green" these pages a lot in the meantime.

Best Wishes to all, Emma. Like Megra, I've no direct experience of the joys of parenthood either - thankfully. I prefer being an uncle: the fun but not the problems. So, best wishes.

Just a warning (for daughter or d-i-l. I'm not clear on that): you know what's said of a grandchild to whom the female pronoun applies: that she shares, with grandma, a common enemy.




PS: You got it wrong. It's hard not to notice the absence of a bloody (forgive the term) backside.

I miss Matron's dry sense of humour, but I'm sure she can trust us to frolic unsupervised around the locked wards. Never fear, the Herr Doktor can arrange private consultations...ladies first, please.