Recently in our forums, Ally Oakes started a thread called Alphabetti Spaghetti, in which she began an alphabetical list of all the things we get from the forums. Others were quick to take up the challenge.

Why do we love the SfEP forums? Let us list the ways:

Advice, Answers and Anchorage

Buddies Bending over Backwards and Bringing things to our notice before we know we need them

Conference and Colleagueship, Cheese and Chocolate (not exactly provided by the forums, but our Collective Cravings make them all the more delicious)

Detective-work and some Dastardly Discussions

Encyclopaedic Expertise from Experienced practitioners

Friendship, Finding true gems, Functioning/ality and Furthering Freelancing

Graciousness, Gratefulness and Getting over ourselves when we’re bothered about something

Honesty, Humour and Helpfulness

Intriguing questions, Informed answers and occasional Impertinent suggestions

Jokes and Jocular observations

Knowledge (limitless) and Know-it-allness (occasional)

Love for our fellow-editors and Links to relevant topics

Mentors, Moral support, Management skills and Macro solutions to Minor problems

Nurturing and Networks for Nervous Newbies

Openness and Organisation, support of and helping with

Practical exPlanations, Proving the Pudding and Patient aPpraisal

Quick replies to Queries and Questions

Rapid Reassurance, Reinforcement and Real-life problems and solutions

Solidarity and Straightforward Support

Teamwork, Team spirit and Tangential Trains of Thought

Unstinting Über-Unselfishness

Valuable Validation and Varying Voluminousness

Wisdom, Wildcards and Wonderful Words

X-ray vision, eXplanations and all-round eXcellence

Yakkedy-yak-yak-yak (occasional) and Youthful enthusiasm shared with old-timers

Zip-files or oZalids, Ziggurats or Zoology – whatever your query, there’ll be an expert in the field.

And so, with zeal, zest and zing we continue to read and contribute to the forums. Thanks all!

Especial thanks to fellow-contributors – in first name reverse alphabetical order for a change (one of whom was ‘just crossing the Atlantic’ while contributing):

Sue Browning, Sabine Citron, Ruth Lewis, Priscilla Balkwill, Philippa Tomlinson, Michelle Bullock, Margaret Aherne, Lucy Metzger, John Firth, Guy Manners, Beth Hamer, Ayesha Chari, Anna Nolan and Alison Shakspeare

Ally Oakes

Precision, punctuality and a passion for clients’ words. These are all in the pot that is Oak Proofreading. Add many spoonfuls of focus, a large tub of knowledge from training and experience, and an overflowing ladle of SfEP wisdom-sharing. Season generously with great client-communication – and there’s a pot of Ally’s proofreading curry.

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the SfEP