The Romaniacs are in a bit of a flap. We’ve received a Versatile Blogger Award from the lovely Anita Chapman. We’d like to say thank you to her for giving us the award. Anita is also on the NWS and has met a number of us at the RNA Winter Party. Her great blog can be found here offering lots of information and discussion for writers.
Cue long acceptance speeches, a bit of a sing-song from Laura and a few bad jokes from the rest of us… That’s how you accept awards, right?
Oh, no. Sorry. We need to be a bit sensible (tiaras off, girls!) OK, we’ll stick to the Award format, only we’ve turned it into a bit of a game for anyone who wants to join us in our tiara-wearing, tipple-downing celebrations. We are supposed to give you seven facts you didn’t know about The Romaniacs. Instead we’re going for nine secrets. Each Romaniac is going to reveal a secret – you just have to guess which one belongs to which Romaniac.
Romaniac 1: After one too many, this Romaniac, for a £20 bet started an impromptu conga across the concourse at London’s Victoria Station, managing to rope-in 18 people before two policemen good – naturedly broke up the party.
Romaniac 2: Is related to the famous Welsh opera singer, Ivor Emanuelle.
Romaniac 3: Aged 15, this Romaniac changed her name by deed poll.
Romaniac 4: She’s no Brucie, but one Romaniac can tap dance! Mostly under the influence of alcohol.
Romaniac 5: Hit the big screen at aged 11 when she starred as an extra in The Good Guys alongside Nigel Havers.
Romaniac 6: Aged 18, this Romaniac was approached by a man and a woman in a pub who asked whether she would be interested in being a ‘bum’ model, modelling jeans? They gave her a business card, but thinking they were perves she never contacted them. A couple of years later, she kicked herself when she chanced upon the business card and discovered they were from a top modelling agency!
Romaniac 7: This Romaniac managed to blag her way into a job as a cycling coach without letting on she couldn’t ride a bike.
Romaniac 8: When this Romaniac worked abroad she once drunkenly gate crashed a wedding by pretending to be the bride’s distant relative from England. What made it worse was that even the bride fell for it!
Romaniac 9: This Romaniac, on winning the coveted lead role in her primary school musical production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was so out of tune she ended up having to lip-synch her songs on the night while a more tuneful girl sang behind the curtain. No one ever realised until now…
From the look of those confessions we really are a versatile bunch. Can you work out which Romaniac matches up to which secret?
We also get to recommend seven other blogs to pass the award onto. Here are out 7 top picks:
1) Countrywives
2) Nicky Wells
4) Liz Fenwick
5) Sarah Duncan
7) RNA Blog
Please join us in guessing which of the above belong to Catherine, Celia, Debbie, Jan, Laura, Liz, Lucie, Sue, and Vanessa. Only one of us knows who they all belong to so we’ll be joining in the fun!
The Romaniacs 
Thank you for the award, Romaniacs!
You are very welcome, Phillipa. Your blog is always interesting and entertaining. 🙂 Laura xx
Apart from my secret, I suspect they are ALL Sue’s. I wouldn’t put any of them past you, Sue 😉 Laura xx
LOL – I’m not sure what kind of girl you think I am Mrs J! xx
Thank you Romaniacs!
Thank you, Sarah. Your blog is so helpful for new writers. We love your writing as well. I’m currently reading A Single to Rome and finding it hard to put down.
Catherine x
This is so frustrating! I’m sure I’ve heard bits and pieces from you all that would give me a clue. I’m sure someone said something about being Welsh, but I can’t think who. I want to say Vanessa but that’s too obvious and I know she’s not Welsh by birth. Hhmmm. Let’s say, Laura for that one.
I know someone mentioned working abroad. I think it was Liz. So I’m guessing Liz gatecrashed the wedding.
I couldn’t begin to guess the bum model … sorry girls but you’ll be pleased to know I haven’t studied your backsides in too much detail!
Will have to think some more…
Te Hee! I am enjoying being keeper of the secrets. OK, well, Laura I think saying they are all Sue is kind of cheating so not giving that one away.
Sue, you get 2 points. Laura is indeed related to the Welsh Opera singer and Liz did gatecrash the wedding!
So we have 2 correct guesses. Now to work out the rest 🙂
Catherine x
I have visions of Debbie leading a conga and Celia tapping her way across…if these are wrong, then I suggest Debbie and Celia actually try these out.
Nil point, I’m afraid. Although I can see why you’d think that. Catherine x
Well, so far I’m going with Catherine for the tap dancer, Celia as Snow White (apologies if you have the voice of an angel, Celia!) and Laura as Nigel Havers sidekick. I’m probably way off, but now donning my ‘guessing hat’ for another gander 🙂 I like this game…
Nil point 😉
Ha! That’ll teach me to read properly. I’ve just realised that Laura has been correctly identified. Do I get a second guess at Nigel Havers sidekick? 😉 x
I think Lucie changed her name – well the spelling anyway.
Do I get another point?
Yes, she changed it from Lucy to Lucie 🙂 That’s 3 points now, Sue. You’re storming ahead 😉
Catherine x
Catherine – were you Nigel Havers sidekick….??
I think that the tap dancing belongs to Celia and that Sue blagged her way as the cycling coach. Sue strikes me as someone who can blag her way through anything! 🙂
(ps. we do love Sue very much, btw! It only looks like we pick on her alot.)
One point for those guesses, Lucie! I was the Nigel Havers sidekick. They did some filming at Dreamland near where I used to live in Margate. I got three days off school and was paid to walk about in the background – it was great 😉
Catherine x
Right: Debbie The Derriere model, Jan the Flapper Tapper, Celia the cyclist and Sue, the Conga Queen, which leaves Vanessa as the mute Snow White.
I’m done. xx
Hmm… Well you have 3 out of 5 correct. But if I tell you which it makes it obvs as to what the other two are 😉
Single guesses from now on 😉
You’re so strict, Catherine. 😉 Laura x
I know, but someone has to keep you lot in check 😉
Having seen some of the answers, I can work out my pathetic score, and I’m not going to share it *stamps foot & hangs head in shame*
I wouldn’t worry, Liz. We are doing really badly ourselves. Thanks for popping by to join in.
Catherine x
It’s like a game of Cluedo!
I think Jan led the conga – I can imagine her doing that and honking like a good un at the same time!
It’s bad enough sorting out the secrets. Can’t cope with secret guesses as well 😉
This is correct, now who is going to claim the point? 🙂
Catherine x
Sorry that was me who guessed Jan.
Sue x
Oh, I’m loving this game! So much better than working on a Monday.
I’d guessed right with Laura and the voice.
Ok. I’m gonna go with Sue and the conga! That’s so funny 😀
And Celia the cycling coach?
which makes Vanessa the tap dancer?
lol xx
One out of three. Celia is the cycling coach who couldn’t cycle 😉
Hmmm – red herrings, anyone?
You are just the most amazing group of people: what a lot of amazing facts, and thanks for sharing the secrets! Oh, and…. whoooop whoooop! Thanks for my award! I am delighted to accept and will share my acceptance news as soon as possible… XXX Wow! So honoured. 🙂
Whilst sitting, cogitating, I experienced a vision of Sue in a fringe dress and head band, jazz hands out to the front, her feet tat, tap, tapping….
Hello ladies, I got to this too late and I’ve missed all the fun. Got lost in the comments and can’t work out who crashed the wedding though-that was brave, reminded me of the hilarious film, The Wedding Crashers…A X
OK – So as they’ve all been guessed (more or less) here is who the secrets belong to: identified:
1 is Jan – Conga Queen
2 is Laura – Opera Diva
3 is Lucie – Deedpoll Lady
4 is Sue – Twinkle Toes
5 is Catherine – Film Flop
6 is Debbie – Dreamy Derriere
7 is Celia – Cycling Supreme
8 is Liz – Wedding Crasher
9 is Vanessa – Singing Sensation
Did you guess them all right? As you can tell, we had a hard enough time working it out ourselves 😉
Brilliant! Congratulations, ladies, on your well-deserved award. Okay, now to work out what belongs to who…… or even whom
🙂
I’m still reliving the moment when it became obvious that cycling wasn’t one of my few skills…they gave me a bike at the first training session and said – “Ok, now just weave in and out of those cones, like we ask the children to do. “Ah” I said. Well, it was weaving, but not as we know it, Jim. The playground was very hard.
Great guessing, folks,
Celia