And a belated congratulations and thanks from me - sorry I was off sledging in the Peak District when you were all celebrating last week! We really do appreciate the time and effort you all put in to helping others on the forum and hope you'll continue in 2010 and beyond.

I hope you had a great Christmas and here's to a healthy and prosperous New Year. I can't believe we're about to start another decade - doesn't seem a minute since the world was worrying about a technological meltdown as a new century approached!

Anyway, thanks again,

Clare

Jalexa - Congratulations on the award and the shiny new avatar of recognition I am certain lots of punters will be approaching you very shortly. When I first noticed my avatar it nearly blinded me....I thought ..what the.? is that.??? it made me feel like a Dog with a new collar.

I can hear huckster and ATM scratting around like rabid Dogs...trying to remove their collars.: -- )

Paul & mooreaz - Thanks, for your very kind words of appreciation.

mooreaz - you are 110% correct..without the valuable contributions made by ALL the other backbone and fringe members, this forum would not function for the purposes it was intended...so a very big thank you to all participating members is called for in recognition of their unselfish services rendered, in donating the necessary help and advice to other less fortunate people.

It's so easy in this World to become complacent by sadly sinking into the thoughtless habit of only looking after number One, instead of sparing a thought and providing a little time and attention for those other people who are less fortunate than ourselves.!

Graeme Delap:

Thanks MS for the avatar. Now all that's needed is someone needing help......

Sadly, given the weather, the price of energy and the poor level of insulation in many homes it can't be long.....

Still a few days to the New Year, but no harm in starting early. My first New Year advice is to keep on top of the meter readings, i.e. your consumption, and never allow estimated readings to slip through unless you are 100% confident they are accurate. Should not be a problem for most able bodied and sighted people, but if anybody has a difficulty, make sure the supplier knows and records the fact in your customer record.

Woah - that's quite some pic CMK - nice one!

Well done to all the winners and nominees, but not forgetting every other user that has shared their time and knowledge in order to help people that they have never met.

Happy Christmas to you all...

A.

Well Done Conmankiller and thank you all on this forum for your help this year!

Take a well earned break because without doubt there'll be more issues around next year. I hope to help in some small way but it is so reassuring that people like Conmankiller and willing to devote a great deal of time and effort to others!

On On On!!!

Regards,

Paul

Graeme - Thanks to you and Fliss plus all other staff involved, for the award and all the hard work and effort you have placed into the award ceremony to make it a enjoyable and successful special occasion, importanly not to forget the voters for their kind nominations and subsequent awards in recognition......much appreciated.!

Again a huge THANK YOU TO ALL. !

Meh!

Thanks Felicity. No need, though. There's no 'I' in team. There is in 'meat pie', though. You've been a huge help yourself this year, so thank you. Take a well deserved bow. (You'd never guess that we sit next to each other, would you?!)

Honestly, it's a real pleasure and thoroughly enjoyable. I'm honoured to count the people on this forum as some of the wisest, most knowledgable, passionate and clever people I know. It's my privilege and I hope we can all meet up at some point next year and sink a pint or two in celebration. You're the real stars of this community. Please give yourself a pat on the back.

At the risk of over-sugaring this lovefest (*grins*) I'd like to thank Graeme.

He works very hard at this forum, logging on at all hours of night and day, defending its integrity from spammers and supporting our community moderators. Sure, it's his job, but he does do it very well.

Merry Christmas,

Felicity

x

Many congratulations, conmankiller. A fully deserved award and recognition for your tireless efforts.

Hearty congratulations to all our winners and my commiserations and a mince pie to all the nominees. If I could bottle all your wisdom, advice, help and cheeriness and sprinkle a little of your magic in the wider world, I wouldn't hesitate to do so in an instant. You're all stars.

As I'm sure you're all aware, there's a little reward to go with these awards, so if the winners would like to contact me on my email address below, I'll be happy to arrange for the love2reward vouchers to be sent out to you as soon as possible in the New Year.

As a little extra gift, we've also lined up a smart and shiny forum avatar for you to use throughout the year. I'm happy to add these automatically to your forum account, but I'm aware not all of you may want to have an icon. Drop me a line if it's a problem (but don't hide yer light under a bushel!)

And the giving doesn't stop there, either. As a little Christmas present to all our nominees, you should notice that you all now have the ability to create a poll whenever and wherever you like, as well as create 'sticky' posts. Use them well and use them wisely - Clare, Felicity and I will be looking for some great polls to use in our Rate Alert emails in 2010!

If we don't speak before, have a great Christmas and wonderful New Year. All our best wishes to you and your families from everyone at moneysupermarket.com:

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Thank you all Fliss, Graeme and ALL fellow members.

I am honoured to receive this award and reiterate my previous post, which expresses my respect and sincere thanks to all other contributors.

Without the other extremely worthy posters the forum would not be the extra special place it has become, in order for people to seek the appropriate advice required to satisfy their needs.

I once again wholeheartedly THANK YOU ALL.!

CMK

Well deserved !!!!!!!

Sit back and enjoy a large VAT.

Have a good Christmas!!!

Huckster

Yes a well deserved award to CMK, I had a book running on this nomination down at the Winchester, I am potless now... Arfur, Terry and Dave all had a monkey on CMK at Evens favourite so £1500 down for me....

Maybe make some back next year. lol

bdm-bdm-bdm....

The winner of the inaugural Best Overall Member 2009 in the moneysupermarket.com online community, as voted for by you, is...

Conmankiller.

I am sure we can all agree that he works tirelessly at supporting this forum's users and is also an All-Round Nice Bloke.

Well done, CMK.

So...

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. This is it. The time for talk is over (woo-hoo! I hear you cry).

Put the kettle on, open those chocolate Hob Nobs, charge your glasses in preparation, put your feet up (if you haven't already) and sit back and relax. We're about to enter orbit...

Really, each and everyone one of you is a winner and deserves a medal. I'd like to put on record my sincere personal thanks and best wishes to all those involved: the winners, the nominees, those who voted, those who read, those who post looking for help and advice and all of you who make this a great and wonderful (and relaxed) community forum. Have a great Christmas and a prosperous and lovely New Year. All the best for 2010.

Felicity, would you kindly do the honours? It's over to you...

[drum roll, please...]

bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm-bdm

Amidst continual applause coming from the reprobates, sat at the back.!