Catsup is the brainchild of Ann Dickinson and Paul Furness, who live next door to each other in Whitley Bay, in North East England. Ann has written all the text, with a great deal of help from Spock and Dracs. Paul created the website and does all the technical stuff.

The black cat logo is in memory of Alexander, a half Siamese cat who lived with Ann for nearly 18 years. She still misses him.

Ann spent most of her working life as a Civil Servant, but in 1997 she escaped, a move she has never regretted. In 1998, she registered as a volunteer for the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and worked for them as a Volunteer Trust Administrator until September 2000. She now concentrates her fundraising efforts on the Catsup website and marketing Spock and Dracs books and cards. In 1999, she became a trustee of Design Aid Ltd., a registered charity which does free graphic design for other charities.

Her interests are wide ranging and include, theatre and films, books, Verdi, Vladimir Chernov and José Carreras singing Verdi, various handicrafts. She has currently taken up bookbinding again after a 12 year break. Since translating and editing "The Wilderness Weeks", she has become an amateur writer and graphic designer, publisher, distributor, PR lady, sales rep, market trader, inadvertent body builder (try carrying a box of 250 books any distance) and all round scrounger.

I am blinking everywhere!

Paul is far too modest to write about himself, so let it be said that he's a good looking twentysomething with infinite patience. Especially when he's helping Ann with her computer.

As well as designing Catsup, he designed and launched the original Design Aid website. He is currently in the throes of setting up his own Internet business and is hoping to study for an MBA. Paul has already been commissioned to design some websites and "Give us a flash Paul" takes on a whole new meaning when you see the banners he's designed!. Have a look at his own website www.adverq.com and see what he can do. Ann has come to the conclusion that he can't possibly find time to sleep.

Apart from computers, Paul's interests include football (don't phone him if there's a match being televised), golf, sport in general, music and travel. Little did he know what he'd be caught up in when, hanging out the washing one sunny summer's day, he innocently answered "Yes" to the question, "You know a bit about computers don't you Paul?" which wafted over the garden wall.

Copyright © Ann Dickinson 2000