Sorry Xenia...

[duchesse]

...for starting that thread when I didn't believe you existed (and I genuinely didn't). I've done some proper research now, and realise that you are real person with fantastic real achievement. I apologise unreservedly for my previous thread, which was genuinely not designed to get at you since I did not believe you existed. I am aghast and incredibly impressed at how much you have achieved, and look forward to sparring with you again some time...

[duchesse]

It's no excuse I know but I have been tired and unwell this week.

[moondog]

Absolutely lmao at second post.

[duchesse]

?

[duchesse]

I didn't say "tired and emotional".

[Rhubarb]

Me and Xenia are at opposite ends of the universe yet I still find myself bizarrely fond of her and live in hope of her remembering who I am!

[Lulumama]

good for you duchesse

[Fireflyfairy2]

I heart Xenia.

Well Done Duchesse

[Marchioness]

Xenia probably cares not a jot for the first thread.
And probably cares not a jot for this one!

But an apology was most certainly in order.
So good on ya, Duchesse.

[Nighbynight]

I am glad Xenia is around, because there are so few single mothers of familles nombreuses who work full time.

[hunkermunker]

Well done for apologising.

However, there's a chance she won't like that people have been talking about who she is in RL or researching her.

[hercules1]

What if you couldn't find her in rl? Would you then not have apologised? Do we have to prove who we are in rl to stop those with different views to us starting similar threads?

[duchesse]

Yes, but if you're in an article published online there is a chance that people will read it. It wasn't very hard to find- a few judicious search terms. If anybody wants to work out who I am they probably could find out everything about me including full contact details, birthday, etc relatively easily.

[WanderingTrolley]

Completely OT - how did you pick your name Marchioness?

Sorry for hijack.

[hercules1]

Not something I'd ever be vaguely interested in doing tbh to look for a poster. I hope noone ever looks for me.

[Marchioness]

WT - it's how my mother used to refer to my grandmother (her MIL), when grandmother was being a bit... erm ..... high and mighty!

Seemed perfect for my postings on here!

[duchesse]

My moniker is a childhood nickname. Probably for the same reason. I was an exceedingly lofty small child.

[hercules1]

Perhaps you shouldn't be telling others how to out her in your apology thread!

[duchesse]

no, you're right.

[WanderingTrolley]

Er, have you googled it?

[WanderingTrolley]

Obv, I am a vagrant supermarket vehicle.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I think if you're using a pseudonym on an anonymous talkboard, and somebody questioned your existence, then I might think .

If that person then came back and said, ooh, you know, I think you do exist now because I've googled you and have found out loads about you in real life, so that's OK, I'm not sure it would make me feel any better TBH.

I think just "sorry" would have been better.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Ooh, my computer is slow. Point made already...

[duchesse]

No, but it explains the sudden about-turn, and what will here end up being a very puzzling thread for Xenia if she is not online right now (although I thought she was).

[Vacua]

I have met x in real life, as have many other mumsnetters I imagine. Then came across her on one site and then again on this - like it or not she is real.

[hercules1]

Perhaps you could have just said 'I'm sorry, it was a shitty thread. I don't agree with your views and we are very different people but that doesn't entitle me to start a thread saying I don't believe in you'.