I missed a day already - aaahhhh!

But I haven't been lazing around. I've been updating CWN and playing with my two daughters.

Which shall I tell you about first.

It's got to be Mivi and Ellie.

You might well have come across them already on CWN if you are a regular reader. 

Ellie's birth was the first in our births, deaths and marriages section. Curiously despite having quite a few requests for that service we've never had too many takers since we actually set it up. It's free so please do send us entries and ideally photos as well if appropriate.

Mivi has also popped up once or two on CWN - for example she's our Teletubby model - Ragdoll Productions wouldn't let us have a press photo in case we misused used it???

Oh well, Mivi got her own back - she's moved on to the Tweenies now! [By the way who knows the Coventry connection for the Tweenies? Email me if you are interested and I'll explain.]

On the subject of the Tweenies et al does it frighten you how marketing is targeted at ever younger children? At only eighteen months Mivi was grabbing at anything with a Teletubby on it in the supermarket.

I don't recall it being the same when I was that age (1962) - but then again I don't recall much from that age anyway!

Mivi by the way had an excellent farmyard set from her Grandad for Christmas - she plays no end with this - and I must admit I do too! My farm animals were one of my favourite childhood toys.

It's funny how with all the hi-tech games around and the heavily marketed Tweenies, Teletubbies and co it's still something as down to earth as a farmyard set that keeps Mivi amused the most.

And Mivi was down with a two day fever after partying the night away on new year's eve - she came with us to the city centre festivities. She particularly enjoyed dancing away to the DJ in Holy Trinity Church and to the 50's band in the Precinct - Box Clever.

[Congratulations to all at Coventry and Warwickshire Promotions for putting on a splendid evening that even two-year-olds could enjoy.]

But she made a great recovery on Sunday evening after eating a tin of Barbie pasta shapes (I got caught by the marketing men again!).

So then I was free to engage in my favourite Sunday evening activity - updating CWN. Especially Find a Schoolfriend and the Guestbook.

I have to confess - and I'm sure some of you may have discovered for yourselves - there is rather a backlog for both of these. My great apologies for this - but I'm sure you won't begrudge me a little time off to play with Mivi and Ellie!

I should logically do the oldest messages first - but I don't always. I usually get lured into the idea that I will deal with the newest ones first and work backwards. So here's a secret tip - if you really want to get a message on CWN send it to me on a Sunday!

Something struck me quite boldy when I was adding the January section to the Guestbook - this is the sixth year of the guestbook. That is truly ancient on the Internet.

When I started CWN - or the Coventry Community Network as it was in the beginning - in May 1995 did I really believe I would still be doing it in the year 2000?

If I recall I think the vague plan was to do it for six months or so until the City Council came and took it over and ran it properly.

Interesting...

I wonder what makes people keep coming back to CWN? Please tell me.

Is it that it's slightly different - have we managed to maintain a human touch in the anonymity of the Internet.

I think we used to, but I know some people felt we have been losing that over the last year.

This diary is part of bringing that back. CWN is - for better or worse - a lot about me. There is an awful lot of Chris Studman in this website - I'd never been in a job for more than two years before I started CWN.

But this isn't a job for me, it's something else.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT OR RAISE A QUESTION EMAIL ME AT chris@cwn.org.uk
  

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