About Alison

Dear Alison

Loving your diary! And it is great to see the person behind the book - the nappie years - My hubbie Alastair passed it on to me. I have not laughed that loud in a long time. Glad to see I am not the only new mum trying to get to grips with this little wee person in her life. Hope to catch up at some point & looking forward to reading a lot more of your work.

Patries MacIntyre xxx

hi alison,this column is even better than the sunday mag I love reading what you get up to you sound as mad as your friends , good luck !!

Thanks Beth. That's awfy nice of you. Alison x

Your hair is lovely in this Pic Alison That was the look I was trying so hard to achieve, till Thursday when i couldnt bear the long outa shape mess that had become my head. I got it all cropped off,....Failure again....Am Kicking Myself! Aaaargh!!!! xxx

Bet you look great. I was poking about with mine today thinking maybe I'll get it cut short am at that stage. Everything is hinging.

alison you still have not replie dto dsay if the archinalds advert on ns2 is yours.
Can you reply abck.
when are we going to see apocture of teenwolf your son on the page.
Keep up the good work.
how many series on gtv diod grow for it last

Hi Martin yes it is my voice on th archibalds ad.
Grow For it was on for 2 series.
Cheers!

OMG FACE-BOOK BUDDY!
HELLO!

Hi Alison
pleased to see you have not left us altogether.thought the same was goingto happen as ROOM AT THE TOP with Stephen Jardine,can now pop in and see what you are up to.Just reminds us what we got up to when we were your age!!! Keep up good work. Mary

eek found uh haha put a message in the wrong bit, put in under the make up bit haha never mind glad you still have a diary will miss u in the paper tho :( you defo better that a soduko

C'mon Alison, never deny the traits of a virgo woman.We virgos (being an August angel! myself) must stand up for our virtues! LOL!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

THE VIRGO WOMAN

One thing you need to know about a Virgo woman - she has guts and lots of them! It doesn't mean that she is not as shy and as reserved as she seems to be. It's just that she can do anything and everything for the people she loves. By love, she mean real love, no other type of love exists for her. A Virgo female is a complete woman! She has all the charms and tricks that any other female has, but she is not weak. Infact, she has quite a determination and can do anything if she sets her mind to it.

She will be completely devoted and loyal to you in a relationship. Still, if it doesn't seems to be working, she will severe all the ties and become as cold as the North Pole. Virgo women's characteristics profile is an odd mix of emotions and practicality, romance and common sense. When they fall in love, they show such extreme passion and intensity that only few other women can. Making them fall in love is, however, an entirely different task. They will demand total perfection from you, even though they may fall short in that arena.

It's better to get used to their critical nature. A Virgo girl believes that she is extremely efficient and organized and what is more annoying is, that she is right. She is a stickler for time and it's better not to be late when you are meeting her. She will not break the new, expensive vase when she is upset, but she can be very demanding and fussy. If the fault is yours, admit that you are wrong and say it while handing her the flowers. Don't even try to argue, or she will lose her temper again.

It is better to leave her alone for sometime and she will cool again. On the other hand, a Virgo woman will find it very hard to accept that she is wrong. The fact is, most of the time she's not. When you are courting her as well as after you get married, it is advisable to mind your manners. She cannot tolerate someone using abusive language, coming late, dressing sloppily, not minding table manners, etc. It's better to brush up your vocabulary too. She will not cling to you, nor will she become totally aloof.

She is also very good with finances and extravagance is not one of her personality traits. A Virgo female cannot stand public displays of affection and it is better to be subtle in this area. Her taste is very good and her intellect quite developed. If you are trying to woo her, take her to places like theatre, art gallery, etc. Just like a typical Virgo, she is prone to worrying about things too much and she will do your part of the job too. She is very much attached to the ground and prefers to live in the real world.

You let a Virgo female do her part of making things seem just perfect and she will keep you entertained with all her feminine charms. She is very sensitive and her feelings are pretty fragile, but she will become exceedingly strong when you need her support. With kids, she will be very considerate and you will never see them running around in their underclothes. She will gentle, but firm and will demand complete discipline from them. Even though a Virgo woman is very critical, she will not take criticism very nicely. It never works the other way round for her.

The reason for this is that she is as aware of her own imperfections as she is of yours. So, she doesn't need you to remind her of her own shortcomings every now and then. Instead of fretting over her perfectionism, you should feel blessed to have such a charming female who never makes your house look like a garbage dump. Your toast will never get burnt and your coffee will always taste just perfect. She has a witty side too and when she laughs, it seems like the ringing of little bells, doesn't it!

Sundays will never be the same!

Virgo lady..I meant to say.. oops, def no more champagne for me LOL

Woman after my own heart - I love our horoscopes Lynne - I am a Virgo by name and not by nature!
Thanks for you lovely positive words..., sometimes moving on is a good thing it's fair got me fired up.
Thanks for your support.

What a lovely, sparkling, vibrant, positive website you have created here, Alison, it's sad when a good thing ends, especially when it was working so well, loved by so many, me included.. I always grabbed the SM mag to read you, sure of the smiles it'd bring. Thing is, I feel sure you are going to not simply carry on doing well, but better..what you build this year, you're going to be so proud of..
Champagne glass raised, toasting your onwards and upwards success story Libra lady ! XX

good to see you on the internet as i dont know what I would do without my Sunday morning fix.Now I can get it anytime. keep up the brilliant work. Thank you for sharing your foibles?? with us all.

Thanks for clicking on Susan. I'm delighted you found me! See we couldn't blether before !

oh waitin in great anticipation for the dogs got all the luxuries ready, this was a 7* pet hotel for my wee Ben no longer with us I miss him like mad after 4 yrs.
changed the GC looked mad. whats gonna be on your page now then on a Sunday Alison? I will write for them if they want lol. desperate housewife seeks fame! xx
i like that your page now has competitions on it, hope to see more but mind am one of these mad teetotallers! so dont just have booze, what about a luxury cruise, if i win you can come with me wink wink!
have a great day x x x

what am i going to do on sunday morning now. had a routine, sunday morn 8am, boy delivers paper, jean gets out of bed, makes tea, sits down and read about your week. Now What!!!!! dont ask me to look up computer its taken me an hour to write this!!!! good luck.

Heya Alison
nice to see you've not gave up at all just switched to a diffrent plane so to speak. :-)
nice to see your family &friends, I love the dogs,,,,, if you need a dog sitter i'm right here theyre gorgus, Flora's a right cutie! lol, for a minit i thoughtyou had a warthog!
well i dont drink so you can drink the champagne, but id love to be in with a shout to win the nice pink bag, woop! woop!so how do i enter, good luck hunni with this new venture & all you've planned for 2010 x x x

Thanks Margaret GC. My brainis hurting with all this techno nonsense but it's good fun being able to have a blether.
To win the booze or the bag on the homepage you just need to fill in your email address and off you go.....
Good luck! Dogs in the post.

DANCING GUY.......Love him,what a sensational idea.

A quick Hi again. I can't believe I didn't realise the Dutch presenter laughing was actually a comedy sketch! I showed it to a few people who loved it but new it was a comedy show. Trust me to think it actually happened to the poor guy . Probably because I am prone to that happening to myself at times. Real or not ,it is hilarious. (I have found people on the internet who say they were at the show and swear it is not an act! I wonder what others think)

I thought it was real too!I still laughed my socks off!

Couldnt believe when reading your column that it was to be no more, though when i got to end and realised it was web based nowhad a sigh of relief.
loved all the antics with Dynamite Di and growing old etc and still getting drunk, we all do it lol
Good luck with new ventures

Hi Gwen, my getting drunk, growing old you are getting me mixed up with Rab C Nesbitt again? Sadly too close for comfort minus the string vest - that doesn't have the scaffolding to keep things where they need to be. Aye its a comfort to know we are not alone.

Will miss your column every week, going through a marriage break up at the moment but your column always managed to make me smile. So glad I can still keep up with your news in cyber space. Good luck. xx

Thanks Jacqueline for the post. Sorry to hear you're having a rough time - it's all about like-minded folk here so you're amongst pals - have you subscribed? Make sure you get a shot at winning a bottle of fizz. Hic!

Will really miss you column while lying in bed with my "tea & toast", It won't be the same!

Thanks Susan. It is a real change for me too but this internetty thing is instant - scary but good fun. Get yer laptop into bed with you on a Sunday and pop in from time to time as the site will be updating constantly...cheers A x

Had a lump in my throat yesterday when i read the column. You were the thing I looked forward to on a Sunday morning when the kids were up at dark o clock! I will have to log on now to get my fix. Thanks for the last ten years and I look forward to many more.

Thanks Amiz. Really kind of you to post. I looked forward to writing it too which is why I am determined to get used to t his web thing. It's actually lots of fun!

I enjoy reading your diary on the web every week. As I'm now resident in the USA it's great to hear a bit of home banter and humour. The Americans just sometimes don't get it! Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the post Catherine. I'm sure you'll keep them right! Iw ill post my diary weekly and do more regular Blog posts I am already loving it cos it is immediate and get the banter going ....have a nice day y'all Alison x

I already subscribe to Subo's site. I see so much of her in you that I just had to sign up. TskTsk. V.

Rumtumtoosh! You're a cheeky wee monkey!

Gonna miss your column on sundays with my cup of coffee and my special K but will catchup on cyberspace sundays wont be the same

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH Alison, After all these years!! No wait a minute, your right, Time to move on and up. I am sixties plus of age, and have for the last three decades every Sunday, read the Sunday Mail, While eating bacon rolls and supping my Assam tea, I read , I learn, I am amused. I love the crosswords, but, your diaries of every day life within the Craig household and your working career, have been something of an establishment, so you will have guessed by now I am a avid Fan of your column. Little old wine drinker Bill T, God Bless!!

Shucks Bill. Thank you. Really. I was hoping I might be like Joan Burnie - there forever but it seems I'm mare like JOan of Arc! So the diary goes on, you can still eat bacon sandwiches when reading it, but for goodness sake don't drop your crumbs in the laptop ! I hope you subscribe to the column and thanks for your kind words. Alison x

Alison, was sad to see today was your last column - I've enjoyed reading about your adventures for the past 10 years. Can't believe it's been that long. Good luck with the novels, and am looking forward to following your online diary. You feel like a friend - my dad says you're my role model!! Sundays won't be the same.

I've been called a horrible warning but never a role model. Tell your Dad I LOVE HIM. Thanks. Alison x

Oh gosh! I have just posted a comment in Alisons last newspaper diary and here I am again moved to writing a wee anecdote after watching the youtube Dutch presenter which had me in stitches. I would like to share this with people, as I am sure many have been in a similar situation to this presenter. Here is one of mine. Picture this. A 40 plus woman, sitting in a chrch hall, participating in a community fund raising venture,dear husband on one side,minister on a chair to my right. We all sat patiently while everyone who was entertaining for the evening did their turn. Fast forward to the grand finalle, when Dorothy the soprano let rip with a full on warbling rendition of a song with a repeated chorus of ' AND HOW ARE THINGS IN GLOCAMORRA' I looked at the red face of the minister next to me and the serious faces and droning of peeople humming in tune around me. I tried to hold back my laughter to no avail. My shoulders were heaving,there were tears running down my cheeks,I was sweating and I thought I would explode before the end of the song! All I can say is thank the lord for the applause at the end. I was able to turn to my husband and pretend to laugh at something else. This is one of many stories I have like this, as I can be prone to laughter at the most inopportune moments. That poor Dutch presenter,I know how he felt!

AND HOW ARE THINGS IN GLOCAMORRA?. What a hoot. There really is nothing worse than a burst of uncontrollable laughter. Dave and I did it at parents night once. Louis teacher was telling us very seriously as we were jammed into two small chairs that he was a terrible giggler and as a result was distracting the other children. She went on to say ' 'For example this afternoon we were talking about the history of the navy and for some reason he found the word poopdeck so funny that eventually he was sent out of the classroom'. Well of course the moment she said the word 'poopdeck' to us I felt that Tsunami of hysteria rolling up and a quick look at Dave and we were off. The pair of us sat there jammed in those chairs rocking with tears rolling down our faces as the teacher looked on in utter disbelief completely straight faced. Still makes me laugh now thinking about it. Thank for your messages - really. Alison x

Gutted Alison to have just read that your diaries will no longer be published in SM on a Sunday. Have read your column every Sunday in many different places for years ie the kitchen, the lounge, the bed, the loo!!, the car, cafes (with folk looking at me quite concerning when I have been laughing at something you have written!), our caravan, hotels and so on...... they have always cheered me up and made me think I am normal!! Glad you are online though, and I can still enjoy your diaries on my netbook when sitting wi my cuppa on the sofa. Subscribed and hope lucky wi the bubbly!! I am from up North but out on the town with my "Sex in the City" girlfriends in Edinburgh Friday night. I apologise now for any mischieve we get up too but lifes too short!!! George Street be prepared!! Intrigued with what will be on page 3 next week!!! Good luck. Luv Carol xx

Thanks Carol.
Next week Page 3 I think it's a crossword and a sodoku! God I hope it's not a topless lovely! Ah your plans for next weekend....24 hours ago to the moment I was lurching up and down George Street. Regretting it now. Still feel awful. Will we never learn? No of course not. Have a great time! Alison x

What a shock when I opened my Sunday Mail this morning to discover that my weekly sanity fix was to be no more. My weekly venture each week into the world of Alison was reassuring as it made me realise that my chaotic and randomly boozy and over indulgent life was pretty nearly normal! It will be rather nice though to be able to dip into the world of Alison any time I need on line among friends of a similar ilk. Good luck on your new venture......

Thanks Elaine.... I really hope it's going to be a great place for lots of like minded wimmin to have a laugh at ourselves, our livers and in my case my collapsing muscle tone. :) Alisonx

Been reading your column now for years (actually started reading your column after reading your book whilst preganant with my 5 year old twins) but after a bad split from my husband, my young children and I moved to England in November 09. You can get scottish newspapers here but you need to be quick! I hadn't read anything by you since I left but then rather wierdly saw the paper in my local newsagent tonight (one copy on bottom shelf) Only to find that it's your last column! Meant to be! Atleast now I can follow you online...you feel like a best pal and Ive never even met you....good luck honey x

Kathryn, what a lovely post. Thank you. It sounds like you've had a pretty tough time and us girls have got to stick together you know.
Be sure to subscribe to the column by filling in your email address. Who knows you might even win a bottle of champagne - now that would put a smile on your face!

This is a much better idea than the Sunday Mail. Great we can now get your column online. Especially handy for the émigrés amongst us to like to keep up with home.
Look forward to hearing the stories and insights from Edinburgh, and indeed Scotland's, foremost social columnist.
Keep it coming - as the actress said to the bishop....

o how i'm going to miss alli on sunday am, just when i think i'm drinking to much along came alli and her pals ,i'm not drinking enough! good luck for the future

Thanks Marie. Don't worry the behaviour will still be bad, the hangovers brutal and the backside droopy it's just a new location for it. I hope you've subcribed on the main page for a shotty at getting a bottle of champagne - ensuring more drink imminent.
Alison x

Sick as a parrot today when I read it is your last column. What is the world coming to? One of the best things about a sunday was reading what you had been up to all week. Aw,well just have to move on! Good Luck with the change!

Hey..Good to know you are on here now. Been following your diary for years and years. Lovely pic of you n ur dad. I also lost my dad (to Cancer) in May 08, and as you say...Still Miss him so so much. Anyway Alison, Loads n Lodsa Luck with you new Cyber diary xx

Gutted to read your stopping your column in the mail. Glad can still find you in cyberspace(did take me a while!!)

live in northern ireland have been reading your column for 9 years - gutted i wont get my weekly fix of fun any more when I open the sunday paper. Will probably get to know more now. Best wishes on your new venture.

Will miss your weekly column on a Sunday, glad to find your website though.

Gutted when reading your column this morning, but happier now that I have found you here and know that I can have a smile anytime and not just on a Sunday morning! Cheers!

Sad but happy you now have your own website where we can interact!

Hilarious! Had to wipe the tears from my eyes whilst ROFLMAO!

Thats a great photo Alison. Do you still look like that :o)

Smile if your heart is breaking -