Aunt Rose

Had bad news last night- my Aunt Rose had a heart attack. It was pretty serious and she was critical for a few hours, but she's a tough wee Scot and she's recovering well. She is the lovely lady on the right, when we visited her last summer. I know that everyone is sending healing prayers and energy- and this is to you, Aunt Rose, with all our love xxxx

Fab Karen, Stef and Badger

Karen and I met at Uni in 1992 and have been the bestest buddies ever since. We live far apart now, but we're still close :)

We drop e-mails, phone and visit each other. We enjoy similar music and we've gone to the V festival together and even saw Metallica in Birmingham together back in 1992 (is it that long ago?!) She and Stefan share D and I's passion for comedy- Green Wing, MIGHTY BOOSH! etc. Infact in March just gone, all four of us went to see the Mighty Boosh Live- and made a day of it! (It was excellent by the way!) Stef is her man and together they make a brill team. Karen and Stef run their own successful web design company- created by Karen herself and well established and respected. You wouldn't believe how proud I am of her achievements. Stef ditched the 9-5 job and joined in last year. She's a fab person, warm, kind, and a great listener- but knows when sound advice might need to be voiced!

Badger the cat is the Lady of the House, and had to be weaned off her addiction to pet-friendly lazer pens.

Karen is a Cool Chick and I love her to bits.

Ann & Terry (and Charlotte)

Ann is my wonderful best buddy. We have been friends since we were 13/14 years old- so that's twenty years. I would have gotten less for murder. I am trying to brain-wash her into Columbo (raincoated sleuth), but as yet, efforts have failed. She has me obsessed with Sweet Chilli sauce from Dominos, which can't be good- as I have to order a Dominos to have some *looks at waistline*. Tez and her have been together forever and have a lovely daughter, aged one, Charlotte. I was privileged to be asked to be her GodMum and I love it! What worries me is that I remember Tez's 21st Birthday party...gulp *Celia checks for wrinkles*...

We have a new car!!

Ahhh yes...afraid to say that trusty wee old Frog- my Peugeot 106- has been given a new home. We part-exhanged the S reg for a lovely little black number...Vauxhall/Opel Corsa 1.4 16v SRi , only 7 months old! Ahhh....it has lurvely power steering...fantastic for me as the old car didn't have it.

The small cuteness of the car hid the fact that it was as heavy as a mule on the steering. I hurt my back in April last year, and trapped a nerve in my neck, one in-between my shoulder blades and slipped a disc. Not to mention the torn shoulder muscles. Ouch. I'm still not right, but getting there with the help of my physiotherapist, hospital and GP. Painkillers are fab! So you can imagine, getting back to the car, that driving was very painful. The new car has made such a difference- I LOVE POWER STEERING!

Darren loves it too-



DARREN CONGRATULATIONS ON FIRST TIME PASS!

He passed his driving test first try in Feb this year!

Poor wee Peugot 106 when it snowed Jan '06

Hello and welcome...

Hello and welcome to Celia & Chums' Blogg! This has been inspired by my gorgeous cousin Nici in Deutschland, who has a fabulous one of her own. Welcome all our friends and family- feel free to potter around the Blog, and share thoughts/stories with us.


Celia

I was born in Belshill, Scotland, just outside Glasgow in the dark 1970's. I was forcibly removed from Scotland by my parents before I was one yr old & moved to sunny Blackpool on the north west coast of England. I left, well escaped, at 19 to go to University in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, and after graduating with a BSc (Hons) Psychology with English upper second, I continued to live in different areas of the West Midlands, Stourbridge (town of The Wonderstuff!!), Wolverhampton, Warwickshire and Coventry for a few years.

After leaving Uni in 1994 with high hopes and optimism, I discovered psychology jobs impossible to find and in desperation for money, entered the dark world of Insurance and became Assistant manager in Solihull to a company that shall remain nameless.

I escaped that evil world in late 1996, and returned to Blackpool to be with my Mum after my brother Brian and darling Gran Daly died in 1995 and 1996. She was not well and sadly we lost her in May 2000.

I excelled in my choice of next job- I became a Civil Servant. Oh gawd. I still work for the Civvie nearly 9 yrs on and can't escape.

All I need to do now is become a Traffic Warden and I'll have done the three most hated jobs in the world.

Darren and I love going to gigs, love music (all sorts- pretty eclectic) and have a passion for The Mighty Boosh. I have a cute leetle black cat called Greebo and a wonderful fiance in Darren.


Darren

I was technically born in Blackpool, but actually raised in Fleetwood- home of that lovely yet tart throat lozenge, Fisherman's Friend. I was born in December '69, so I could be said to be a child of the '60's, albeit the arse-end of the sixties!

After finally being forced to leave school because I had to (where else can you go after Sixth Form?), I eventually found myself irresistibly drawn towards the dark shady world of the Civil Service (the "Ministry" in those days). If you asked me what I do there, well, I'd have to kill you if I told you. Or you'd die of boredom. 17 years later, I'm still there (sigh) but hey, it's a job.

I had the good fortune to meet a gorgeous woman there in 2001. Unfortunately she was only there to change the toner on the photocopier and I never saw her again. But I did meet Celia and life's never been the same since. Apparently we agreed to get engaged in 2005 after much prompting from a gun-butt against the back. Ho ho ho. Just a joke, my sweet. (SLAP)

We live happily with our son/cat, Greebo and life is grand.