Egluntyne Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Are they a modern day curse or a witty, self deprecating tongue in cheek view of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 That is an interesting question - I have been thinking of doing one myself - and then realised most people would be at the talk of chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Em.....what is a round robin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 So glad I'm not the only one scratching my head over this one Fee! To me, a round robin is the great bg fat bird that was sitting on top of the chicken run singing last night at dusk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Its when you do a "newsletter" just going through all that has happened to you over the year - quite good if you only keep in touch properly at Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 We get one every year from a couple we knew only vaguely when we lived in Cambridgeshire. Their 2 ludicrously named children are, according to them, paragons of all the virtues and geniuses to boot. They like to boast that their son is at "Oxford" but he is in fact at Oxford Brooks University. (Nothing wrong with that I hasten to add, its just the economy with the truth that encourages folk to assume he is elsewhere). Naturally he is doing "terrifically well" and delighting all who come into contact with him. Their daughter is "Currently enjoying a gap year, whilst she considers her options". In fact she is slobbing around, staying in bed all day, refusing to go out and find a job. Her A Levels were a "triumph"! (3 D's) We get the truth form a real friend with whom we are in regular contact, who knows them, and also gets their round robin. Tales of "Mum's" hip replacement and "Dad's" adventure on the way to Peterborough stagger us with their unspeakable dullness. Without wishing to be unkind, why do people whom we barely know insist on burdening us with this dross, which is gaily illustrated by the writer. I am not conceited enough to think that people whom I barely know would be remotely interested in the minutiae of my daily existence. I feel like sending one back to these people saying that Child No 1 is now happily recovering from the scabies that she picked up in prison in Kuala Lumpur. Mercifully the charges have been dropped. Her other infections are responding to treatment at last. Child no 2 has now got eleven body piercings, which look lovely with his tattoos. His collection of ASBOs is the envy of all his friends. Child No 3, who spent last year "discovering himself" is currently undergoing gender realignment and from now on would like all his friends to call him Beyonce. His probation officer is delighted with him. Sorry...this has turned into a bit of a rant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I dare you to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Without wishing to be unkind, why do people whom we barely know insist on burdening us with this dross, which is gaily illustrated by the writer. I am not conceited enough to think that people whom I barely know would be remotely interested in the minutiae of my daily existence. I feel like sending one back to these people saying that Child No 1 is now happily recovering from the scabies that she picked up in prison in Kuala Lumpur. Mercifully the charges have been dropped. Her other infections are responding to treatment at last. Child no 2 has now got eleven body piercings, which look lovely with his tattoos. His collection of ASBOs is the envy of all his friends. Child No 3, who spent last year "discovering himself" is currently undergoing gender realignment and from now on would like all his friends to call him Beyonce. His probation officer is delighted with him. Sorry...this has turned into a bit of a rant. I agree with you on this Egluntine we get one every year from my OH's first girlfriend Why would I, his wife of 19 years want to hear about her sad little life I usually throw it at the OH and then screw it up and put it in the bin, it really makes me very angry, we never see them and even if I bumped into her in the street I wouldn't have a clue who she was........... Sorry I feel much better for that thanks for starting this topic it has been very therapeutic I now feel much better............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I'm not keen myself. I get some lovely ones from my friends who live abroad, but there's a member of our family who lives in the far east and insists on sending a lengthy missive about how wonderful their life is out there and a list of the daughter's achievements. I have to admit to throwing it in the bin unread every Christmas. Having said that, I treasure the humourous, self-deprecating ones from my friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I just bore people with the blog, at least they can choose to look Never having had kids mean I probably enter into 'you should see how Clever daisie, maisie, harrie, charlie, ollie, tinks, lottie, wills and flo are BBxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 Buffy says: I just bore people with the blog, at least they can choose to look 1. Your blog is not boring. You have something worth saying. 2. Exactly...people can chose whether or not they want to visit a blog. It does not come to us uninvited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I have never had one You are very funny Egluntine I think you should do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 You could always post them on here and we could all read them and decide whose newsletter is the best! Egluntine, I think you should send the one out you have quoted from. Imagine the faces when they read it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I love them, and I/we write one every year. (I have never knowingly sent one to Egluntine ) Maybe I get them from different people (maybe I mix with different people??) - but we hardly get any smug aren't-our-lives-wonderful letters - most of them are tongue-in-cheek - yet they are a great way of keeping up with people who are (and will probably remain) on the fringes of our lives. we are not going to meet up frequently or send carefully crafted hand-written letters every week - but we are still interested in the lives of people we knew at University... I would much rather receive a card with a letter in it (even if it is a round-robin) than a card that just says - "Happy Christmas from Jo and Peter" humbug to the lot of you! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 An update is nice but a load of old 'porky's', like Eglutine mentioned, seems daft and a waste of effort BBXx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 I agree Buffie, chatty news from people you actually know/knew and like/liked is one thing, but a work of fiction which sets out to outdo everyone in the promotion/children's achievements/expensive holiday/possessions stakes is quite another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 fair enough - but the poll title was about round-robins in general - not smug showoffy round-robins full of fibs... on that score - I don;t like anything that is smug and full of fibs - that would apply to round-robins, emails, forum posts, letters, postcards, blogs, telephone calls and telegrams from the queen.. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooner.girl Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I'm with Phil and the other round robin lovers - Mike and i started sending one a few years back - just a brief update - i hope it doesn't come accross as horrible and smug. I don't think it does! I love reading the ones my mum and dad get from all our old friends - see what their kids are up to now etc... I quite enjoy producing ours as its a nice look back through the year. In a book of mine (Adrian Plass Phil have you read any of his - he's a christian writer?) there is a great example of one of the smug round robin letters you guys talk about - have to see if Mike can scan the pages in and i'll try and get it on here.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I'm with Helen and Phil on this one! Love to get them from friends that I just never get round to ringing as often as I should. But I do get one every year from my Godmother, who I vaguely remember, and who always remembers my birthday but it is full of references to people, places or events that I've never heard of! I know that sounds very ungrateful, I'm not, honestly! I think it's one that she sends to everyone she knows. I prefer them if they are at least a little bit personalised! I've read the Adrian Plass one Helen - I agree, very funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 Em.....what is a round robin? hee hee. im glad im not the only one who thought this!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 I think I have read the Plass one - but a lonf time ago - I'd love to see it again! Simon Hoggart has written two very funny books of these: The Cat That Could Open the Fridge: A Curmudgeon's Guide to Christmas Round Robin Letters and The Hamster That Loved Puccini: The Seven Modern Sins of Christmas Round-robin Letters SynopsisSimon Hoggart is back with a new treasure trove of Christmas round robins. And this time they illustrate the seven deadly sins of their writers, including boastfulness (dazzlingly clever children who play the saxophone and ski for Britain); smugness (their job, their house, their holidays are all perfect); tiny-mindedness (do we really need to be told how to start a jigsaw by looking for the straight bits?); whimsy (letters written by pets or babies); and the dreaded over-sharing, in which every illness and operation is described in minute, unwanted detail. Accompanied by Hoggart's wicked commentary, The Hamster that Loved Puccini invites us to ponder what compels people to pen these letters, and what they tell us about them - and ourselves. The Hamster that Loved Puccini is outrageously funny and the perfect Christmas gift for readers of all ages. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 Revnev says: Simon Hoggart is back with a new treasure trove of Christmas round robins. And this time they illustrate the seven deadly sins of their writers, including boastfulness (dazzlingly clever children who play the saxophone) My darling son plays the Saxophone - brilliantly of course. Stopped lessons when he hit the terrible teens and had reached Grade 5. Naturally I wouldn't dream of boasting about such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 (edited) Well, I know I have this annoying habit, but I wanted to vote for Love 'em and Hate 'em in the poll! I have never dared send one because I do receive one that, even if only intended to be newsworthy, has sometimes come across as both boastful and trivial (weren't the daffodils lovely last spring? ) It then said it was lovely to catch up with our good friends in St. Albans, which felt odd addressed to me, until I thought perhaps they meant another family, which was a worse feeling! Then, over the years, they did have some very challenging & unhappy times with their teenagers, and reported that too! At this stage I thought they were both brave and honest, sharing the bad as well as the good. But then, it also raises whether it's fair to air the woes of young adults to all their parents' friends, forever there in print? On the other side though, I love to receive them! A couple we lived with (for 3 months in a car in France 30 years ago ) send us one which is very witty, never smug, but somehow conveys updates so we feel in touch even though we've barely met in the last decade. Also, a friend moved to the states & couldn't possibly have sent individual letters to everyone they knew, so I could understand how they've come about. So, I love receiving them, but just can't quite bring myself to send them. Yet. Maybe I could just copy the one Eglutine posted, as it's not far off the truth.... I tend to write a personal message anything from 1 to 10 sentences to friends who are far in distance but close to my heart. Takes ages! Edited November 29, 2006 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 To be honest, if I'm friendly enough with someone to send them, or receive, a Christmas card, then I expect to be friendly enough with them to be able to share with them what happened during the year, if they don't already know. If you don't like the annual 'family update' then just stick it in an envelope and send it back to them. I'm sure they'd take the hint pretty quick..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 Chookiehen says: If you don't like the annual 'family update' then just stick it in an envelope and send it back to them. I'm sure they'd take the hint pretty quick..... Funnily enough I was going to suggest exactly that strategy to Nichola H re the ex girlfriend of her OH. Mind you It sounds as if she would be too thick skinned to take the hint. (The ex I mean... not Nichola H ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
