Wiki of the Week

Yay, we have a new feature to celebrate our members and get to know them better.

If you would like to nominate a member, please contact me by PM, thanks.

This is our first Wiki of the Week member: Fiona.

• Can you please describe, briefly, how long you’ve been at Wiki and why you joined?

I first “met” the founder of Wikivorce which didn’t exist at the time on another internet forum. About a month or so after Wikivorce was up and running at his invitation I had a look and joined I knew the answer to a poster’s question and thought I may be able to help. Also professionally I’m driven to find out how things work and I wanted to learn more about family law from the experiences of others.

• What’s your top tip for surviving divorce?

Keep focussed on the things you actually know. With relationship breakdown it is too easy to jump to the wrong conclusion and your perceptions and beliefs cannot always bet be relied upon.

• Do you have experience in or specialise in any particular area of Family law?

I don’t have any professional experience in Family Law. In the past I have served on the Children’s Panel in Scotland.

• Do you have any short humorous stories, about yourself, you wouldn’t mind sharing? (this doesn’t have to be linked to separation or divorce)

How I ended up sitting in a police cell abroad chatting to a lawyer on Wikivorce before breakfast (I really could not make this up!)
Going back to the time when I joined Wikivorce reminded me that in the early days I was regularly travelling abroad to work. On one visit to the country where my family had emigrated to I missed my flight back and as both my parents had died by this time I could not find anywhere to stay. It was quite late so I went to a café for a meal and to think about what to do next. A man came over and said he thought we had been at school together. As he was speaking I vaguely remembered he had joined the police and had a reputation for inviting people back to his office for a drink. In fact someone had complained to the police about the noise at a 21st birthday party and this guy, who was sent out to deal with the rowdies, had just joined the party!
We talked until the café shut at about 2 am and by then I had decided the only thing I could do was get a taxi back to the airport and wait for the morning flight. No taxi arrived and almost on cue my school friend suggested we could go back to the police HQ, have a drink or two and reminisce about our school days to pass the time. The HQ building was a relic from the Napoleonic Wars I think. As we past through the long corridors I thought it rather strange that everyone saluted him on the way to his office where he produced a bottle of schnapps from the filing cabinet. I found out later he was then the country’s equivalent to the commissioner of Scotland Yard.
In the morning the man asked if I would mind waiting in a cell whilst he went off to arrange some coffee and organise transport to take me to the airport. In the meantime I fired up my laptop to catch up with the news and read my emails when one of the solicitors who posted on Wikivorce in the early days PMd me before he started work. A little worse for wear I replied “You will never guess where I am.”

• What do you do to unwind/relax?

I go the gym and swim or do aqua aerobics most days, cycle when I can, listen to music, do voluntary work with young musicians and organise music events, lead health walks and read.

Thank you Fiona for your fantastic responses

WR

This is really interesting White Rose,and thanks for doing it.

We all get to know the wikinames,and as it goes with the nature of the site,we only know about people as much as they are comfortable saying,and I know that some wiki''s have had amazing lives,and experiances,albeit we have shared the sad one in divorce.
So whilst many of us are lucky to have made really good friends from the site,it is still good to know about others,(enquiring mind or just nosey lol)

Charles,you have certainly helped many,long may your support be available to us all.

Cwtchs
Afon Xxx

A brilliant idea and so interesting to read the comments from Charles. He certainly helped me a great deal on my journey.

Ooopsie

A little (?) faux pas - this Wiki of the Week responses are from Fiona.

I made an error saving the document and oversaved Charles responses with Fiona''s.

Ahem, apologies to all and I hope I haven''t offended anyone too much.

Sorry

I now have .Charles responses and he''ll be our Wiki of the Week next week.

WR