The FastDay Forum

Hi all

It's been such a busy few months for me what with prepping for our house move, Christmas, family visiting and now our poorly old cat I feel like I've missed out on properly meeting lots of new people here!

So, I thought why not have a topic to quickly all introduce ourselves to one another and find out a little bit more about everyone - and satisfy our curiosities!

It's entirely optional of course and you don't have to give any really personal info, or any info at all. Short answers are fine, long answers are fine too. Let's just have a quick look and see who we've got here amongst our regulars and newbies!

The questions, so you can copy & paste them to give your answers!

Where do you come from?

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)

How old are you? (an age range will do!)

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)

What are your hobbies/interests?

What do you wish you had more time for?

Do you have a partner and/or kids?

Do you have any pets?

What's your favourite colour?

What's your favourite film?

What's your favourite song or band?

What's your desktop wallpaper?



I'll start us all off! Will try not to give an essay for each, lol.


Where do you come from?
Dorset, UK (but half "Scandinvian mongrel" as my dad would refer to his origins)

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)
Dorset, UK

How old are you? (an age range will do!)
32

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)
I'm a web developer working from home and a homemaker (lazy husband).
I didn't train for this job in any way, just raised with computers. I actually always wanted to be an animator for Walt Disney! Studied art and psychology at college with a view to going into advertising/marketing. That didn't happen.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Fishing, fishkeeping (I know the two somehow seem incompatible, we just love fish!). Enjoy learning new web stuff when time allows or the need arises. Love crafty stuff but never seem to have time or motivation/need to make something. Gaming (videogames & boardgames) are my guilty pleasure.

What do you wish you had more time for?
Reading & crafts.

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
Just the husband, no plans for kids.

Do you have any pets?
Lots of fish and our dear old cat (pushing 17 years now and sadly not doing so well of late). I'd have loads of cats but Phoebe isn't good with other animals and her needs come first. As the sad day draws ever nearer even the prospect of a house full of cats doesn't make the thought of the loss any easier.

What's your favourite colour?
I always struggle with this one, but I think it's probably purple.

What's your favourite film?
All time fave is probably Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure! So many films I love though, mostly in the scifi or fantasty genre.

What's your favourite song or band?
I'm totally out of touch with modern music really and seldom listen to music as I find it hard to think. Quite eclectic tastes I suppose. Always loved Madonna, seen her in concert 4 times now!

What's your desktop wallpaper?
A photo my husband took of the sun setting at Chesil cove, a local spot.



So, who's next?!

hi Moogie, great idea lol and thanks for sharing your answers too!!

Where do you come from? I was born and bred in France and came to the UK in 1983,to work as au pair for a few months, and never left

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)I live in Deal, East kent in the south east.

How old are you? (an age range will do!) 48

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)
I work as a visitor assistant at the Tate Britain in London

What are your hobbies/interests?
I love movies( horror, true stories,drama and thrillers)I love walking my dogs lol, music and dancing, chatting! oh and watching fav series on tv such as NCSI,COLD CASE and others... I love travelling too as I love languages..

What do you wish you had more time for? travelling defo... and spend more time with my sons too..

Do you have a partner and/or kids?, hubby and 2 sons

Do you have any pets? 2 dogs I adore Tilly and Rory and 12 chickens!

What's your favourite colour? I love dark navy blue, some pink shades, baby blue

What's your favourite film? oooh too many to mention!! but I loved Titanic, The Godfather's series amongst others which I cant remember, bloody typical grrrr

What's your favourite song or band?
again quite a few, I love soul music, especially the 70's ( shows my age) Isaac Hayze, Earth Wind and Fire.... you get the picture
What's your desktop wallpaper?

my doggies!!

Where do you come from?
Leicester

Where do you live now?
Northumberland, but I move on Sunday to Californa. Not that there is much difference between the two

How old are you?
51

What do you "do"? Erm.... hard to describe. Exec in technology. Business transformation, people, communications, frequently chief cook and bottle washer. Spend alot of time sitting in Board meetings (normally as the only woman). I also Chair a small tech start up. I'm the person people come to when they want to get things done.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Yoga, hill walking, sailing, fashion, gardening, photography, watching box sets, drinking wine, anything to do with food (cooking and eating)

What do you wish you had more time for?
Holidays of course, but reading too. Family and friends

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
Just my adorable OH

Do you have any pets?
Yup, Archie the cat. Found abandoned, we took him in and now he is a fat boy.

What's your favourite colour?
White

What's your favourite film?
Don't have one, but really enjoyed 'Argo' last year.

What's your favourite song or band?
Don't have one. My music taste is eclectic. Everything from classic to latin, jazz and pop. Current fave on my playlist is Goldfrapp's Tales of Us, but occasionally I sneak in Marbella Sessions 2013 to wake myself up and dance around the house.

What's your desktop wallpaper?
Tramauntana Mountains in Mallorca

Ooooh this should be interesting, given the number of newbies

here's mine - I'm very boring, compared to you lot

Where do you come from? Merseyside, but of Welsh parents

Where do you live now? Back where I belong - Wales!

What do you "do"? I now make chutney for a living, though my previous career was education, both secondary and adult.

What are your hobbies/interests? Going away in the caravan, where I can't make chutney!

What do you wish you had more time for? Going away in the caravan!

Do you have a partner and/or kids? Yes, yes and 2 grandkids

Do you have any pets? Yes, 4 dogs

What's your favourite colour? I think it matches my mood - sunny yellow when happy, blue when not and black on occasions!

What's your favourite film? No particular films

What's your favourite song or band? Currently... Coldplay

What's your desktop wallpaper? Grandkids on laptop, dogs on main 'pooter.

Where do you come from?
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)
Worcestershire, UK

How old are you? (an age range will do!)
54

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)
Freelance medical writer, ex medical researcher

What are your hobbies/interests?
Hobbies: cooking, reading (sci-fi, crime novels, historical fiction), riding, swimming, scuba, knitting. Interests: food, science and nature, history (ancient Rome)

What do you wish you had more time for?
Coffee with friends!

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
Yes and yes

Do you have any pets?
It's been a bad 12 months for pets for us, as we used to have a horse, two cats and four chickens (and some tropical fish) but as of 1st Jan 2014 we only have 4 chickens and one fish . One cat disappeared never to return last spring, my horse died in the summer, the second cat was run over on NYE and our fish have been keeling over one by one all year. I don't think it's anything to do with us, just bad luck! So I'm hoping to restock with cats and fish soon, and maybe a horse if I can find the time to put the research into finding something suitable.

What's your favourite colour?
Um, I think, like Moogie, it is probably purple

What's your favourite film?
Hmm, lots of good ones, but probably The Green Mile...always makes me well up!

What's your favourite song or band?
Ooh, very eclectic taste in music and my favourite song changes regularly. Recently it has been The Graffiti on the Train by The Stereophonics

What's your desktop wallpaper?
The view from our family's summer house in Sweden on a rainy/sunshiny day when there was a fantastic rainbow spanning the bay in front of the house.

Where do you come from? Cambridgeshire

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty) The Fens, Cambridgeshire

How old are you? (an age range will do!)39

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?) Auditor, Education sector

What are your hobbies/interests? Cooking, travel, pets

What do you wish you had more time for? Rest!

Do you have a partner and/or kids? Husband, no kids

Do you have any pets? 8 cats

What's your favourite colour? Blue

What's your favourite film? Can't narrow it down to one!

What's your favourite song or band? Like a mixture - Radio 2 taste!

What's your desktop wallpaper? Haven't installed one but used to be a picture of our wedding in Sri Lanka (when I was slim!)

Where do you come from?
Sarf East London

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)
Lewes, East Sussex

How old are you? (an age range will do!)
53

What do you "do"? I've worked in online marketing/communications for the last 15 years (gulp) and been self-employed for 12 years. The work has changed a lot in that time. These days I mostly do training, mentoring, consulting and writing. I wrote a book on how to blog - 'Blogging for Creatives'.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Poetry - writing and reading, music - choral singing, reading generally. Painting - but haven't had the time and space to do that recently. Husband and I did take up golf a few years ago but put it on hold (got a bit expensive, and we couldn't really find the time). Blogging. Generally noodling about online.

What do you wish you had more time for?
Painting.

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
Husband. There are a number of grown-up step kids, but they've never lived with us.

Do you have any pets?
Not officially, but the next door neighbour's cats are our frequent house guests

What's your favourite colour?
Hard to say ... yellow? But it needs to be a specific shade. Or cerulean blue perhaps.

What's your favourite film?
A number come to mind - Working Girl, The Matrix, Singing in the Rain, Some Like it Hot ...

What's your favourite song or band? I'm struggling with this! I haven't bought any pop music as such in decades. Steely Dan, James Brown, Madonna ... this list is looking a little strange so I'll stop there

What's your desktop wallpaper? I haven't set anything in particular so whatever default the Mac comes up with

lizzieh wrote: What's your favourite colour?
Hard to say ... yellow? But it needs to be a specific shade. Or cerulean blue perhaps.

I hadn't intended to add any conversation to this thread, so we can all easily read through each other's answers, but I just had to jump at this and ask if you're an X-Files fan?

Where do you come from?
Harrogate, in Yorkshire, until my late teens, then I went off to college in London.

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)
North Norfolk

How old are you? (an age range will do!)
63 but don't feel that old at all!!!

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)
I used to work for Service Children's Education abroad, but am now retired and back in the UK.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Antiques, gardening, science, being with my small family, restaurants and French cuisine (my downfall!), holidays in France & elsewhere, visiting our friends all over the place.

What do you wish you had more time for?
I have plenty of time now!

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
Yes OH and two sons, a daughter in law and future daughter in law.

Do you have any pets?
My cat died and we didn't replace her

What's your favourite colour?
Burnt orange!

What's your favourite film?
It's a Wonderful Life.....'cos it is!

What's your favourite song or band?
I love all sorts of music, and still love 'The Beatles', my first love!

What's your desktop wallpaper?
A photo of my back garden in early summer...to remind me the summer is on its way!

Where do you come from.
Cambridgeshire, UK

Where do you live now?
The fens near Ely Cambridgeshire UK (just down the road from Madcatlady)

How old are you?
44 but not for long

What do you "do"?
I'm currently working in a secondary school being a science tech. Hoping to v. soon get back to what Im qualified for and that's a veterinary haematologist.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Jazzercise, good food, nice wine, trying to grow things in the garden, insane terrain!! and now running,

What do you wish you had more time for?
Re- decorating the house,and doing the garden

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
One husband, two kids 17 and 12

Do you have any pets?
Two cats, male brothers, 6yrs old. Two laying chickens, two tanks of various fish.

What's your favourite colour?
purple

What's your favourite film?
Something that makes me laugh...cool runnings, not a rom - com fan, and I laugh at horrors.

What's your favourite song or band?
Bit of a Robbie Williams fan seen him 5 times. Plus 3 with take that. But I like anything which makes me happy at that moment, running, music, housework music, driving music, all different types.

What's your desktop wallpaper?
Ipad and mobile is a family photo in Brisbane. PC, nice pic I took in Blackpool, which looks like a Carribean island.

Where do you come from?
N.W. England
Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)
Cheshire bordering Merseyside

How old are you? (an age range will do!)
65! yikes!

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)
Retired teacher of French, then Reception class. Now work as a volunteer in a Age UK charity shop.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Reading, aquacize, zumba, cooking, eating, catching up on this forum.

What do you wish you had more time for?
Being retired I can generally fit most things in.


Do you have a partner and/or kids?
Married to hubs for over 40 years, two grown up sons and two grandsons.

Do you have any pets? no, had a Siamese cat but never replaced her when she died.


What's your favourite colour?
Love all shades of blue and jade green/aqua

What's your favourite film?
The Quiet Man, Brief Encounter, mostly old B&W 40s or 50s stuff

What's your favourite song or band?
Crowded House, seen them 4 times live.,Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams

What's your desktop wallpaper?
Gorgeous pic of my two grandsons, the apples of my eye!

Just editing to add another film I could watch over and over, 'The Bridges of Madison County'.

Where do you come from?France for the most part but may have a part Irish

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty) A small town between Chartres and Orléans, if you want to look at a map

How old are you? (an age range will do!) 40 in a few weeks

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?) Pet sitter

What are your hobbies/interests? Reading, cooking, looking after my "girls" and man man

What do you wish you had more time for? learning to garden (just simple things like herbs)

Do you have a partner and/or kids? yes for the partner, no for the kids

Do you have any pets? 2 cats at home, Boo and Sitaëlle, another cat at my parents house Lily (Sitaëlle's sister) and a dog, also at my parents' house, Volcan

What's your favourite colour? purple and orange

What's your favourite film? The Way We Were and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Edit to add 4 Weddings and a Funeral I saw 5 times when I lived in England

What's your favourite song or band? Angels losing sleep from Our Lady Peace

What's your desktop wallpaper? Pictures taken by OH from his last trip in the high mountains last summer (they change every hour or so)

from Edinburgh

Now live in the highlands of Scotland

Now retired I used to have my own art gallery and gift shop

I am a keen walker, just started running a very keen skier, I dabble in painting, and I love going to ballet and opera in the theatre also love meeting friends for a coffee even though I don't drink coffee.

I have plenty time for all I want to do.

I have a husband 5adult children and 10 grandchildren.

We have 8 hens and 8 pheasants 2 golden 2silver 2white and 2 everyday pheasants.

Fav colour is purple but also wear black a lot.

Fav films are all the shriek films, Kung foo panda an despicable me. Guess who I go to the china a with.

My fav music is any opera area.

My daughter who lives in Brisbane is my wallpaper on

I missed my age now 67 years young.

This is me:

Where do you come from?
London, England

Where do you live now? (no, I'm not asking a postal address! a country or region is plenty)
California, USA, south of Los Angeles, between Disneyland and Laguna Beach

How old are you? (an age range will do!)
62

What do you "do"? (eg - what's your job, are you a homemaker?, volunteer work?, in education or training for something?)
Retired now (tho' I keep thinking I should find a part-time job) but was a legal secretary and typed my way around the world. For a change of pace, I've worked in a gift shop in Maui, Hawaii and, most recently, in the jewelry/handbag department of Macy's department store

What are your hobbies/interests?
Travel, golf, a little art, reading, theatre

What do you wish you had more time for?
I guess I have too much time - need more money!!

Do you have a partner and/or kids?
My partner is my hubby

Do you have any pets?
Our little white-faced cockateil, Bunky

What's your favourite colour?
To wear - probably olive drab or grey (yikes, sounds really drab!!)

What's your favourite film?
Have many, but did see Dr. Zhivago 5 times - does that count?

What's your favourite song or band?
Beatles, Frank Sinatra - yes, I am old

What's your desktop wallpaper?
Actually its a photo of me my hubby uploaded - glass of wine in hand!!!