With the World Cup but a stone's throw away, many of you will be wondering who to support once England get knocked out thanks to a dodgy refereeing decision/a penalty shoot-out/the Germans. Well, allow us to lend a hand. Because we're urging all Zopa members to get behind 2 particular players this summer: BOROWSKI from Germany and LINDEROTH (pronounced LENDER-OFF) from Sweden. As the world's first lending and borrowing exchange, we'll be cheering on BOROWSKI and LINDEROTH throughout the tournament, and there'll be regular updates and analysis of their performances on the Zopa blog. So come on BOROWSKI, come on LINDEROTH - do it for Zopa.

It's been another manic month in the world of Zopa. Here's what happened in April:

• 6,534 new members joined Zopa
• The new marketplace screens were unveiled to critical acclaim. To have a look at them, sign in to your account and select The market tab.
• You can now use your debit card to transfer money into your holding account. Simply ring 0207 636 7712 between 10am and 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, and one of the guys featured below will help you.
• We've tweaked the Free Champagne offer and made it open to both lenders and borrowers - have a look here if you like free champagne
• The Easter Egg Hunt came to an end - and the winners will be revealed shortly
• The Founder Member scheme closed its doors
• The Free Chickens offer finished - and we'll be donating lots of chickens through FARM-Africa on your behalf
• We were featured on Slashdot, which is a very important blog, according to Dave, our resident internet guru
• We got loads of good write-ups in the press, with articles in City AM, European Business, Wales on Sunday, and several regional titles.
• The inaugural Zopa Q&A session was held - read a full match report below.

To the uninitiated, getting a call from a lending and borrowing exchange is probably on a par with being called by a double glazing salesman. But those of you who have ever spoken to Des, James or Pardeep on the phone will know that it's a pleasure rather than a chore. Because Zopa's Three Amigos are polite, courteous, personable and, most importantly of all, useful. They're not pushy, they're not trying to flog you stuff you don't need - they're there to help. And seeing as they speak to loads of you each day, we thought it was only fair for you to meet them properly.

So guys, what do you like most about your job?

James: Every day is different - you might speak to a serious investor or someone looking to borrow who needs your help.
Pardeep: Yeah, you never know who you are going to speak to next. Each caller is different, a character in their own right.

And have you spoken to many 'characters' since you've been at Zopa?

James: I once spoke to someone who said he'd think about lending but it'd depend on how much his Chinese lunch came too!
Des: I get to speak to quite a few characters here. One guy said to me 'Yes, I want to be a lender. Now when do I get my money?'

Hmmm, think he might have got the wrong end of the stick. What's the best thing you've heard one of the others say to a customer?

James: 'My name? Oh, it's Pardeep. Par-deep. Par as in golf, deep as in shallow.'

Genius, Pardeep, sheer genius. Do you have a favourite Zopa member?

James: David Noton
Pardeep: Can't say I have a favourite as there are too many - they're all nice.

Pardeep, you old charmer. So do people always know what Zopa is?

Pardeep: Mostly, but some people get confused and think I'm calling from a sofa shop - perhaps it's the way I say it.
James: And some people think it's an Italian restaurant.
Des: I get Bupa occasionally.

It must be your Irish accent Des. Now, a question you probably don't get asked much on the phone: what's your favourite sandwich filling?

Des: Chicken, bacon and avocado
James: Prawn mayo or seafood
Pardeep: Cheese and tomato

All good choices. And what would you choose as your specialised subject on Mastermind?

Des: WW2 documentaries
James: Econometrics and mathematical economics - only kidding. Seriously, probably military history.
Pardeep: You choose mate! Don't know.

OK - I'll pick the portrayal of Native Americans in the Western movies of the 1950s, 60s and 70s for you Pardeep. And just finally, who do you think's going to win the World Cup?

James: England of course. Though we'll probably get to the semis and get robbed by the referee again.
Pardeep: First choice - England. Second choice - Brazil. Third - Holland.
Des (the Irish one): I'm keeping a close eye on Trinidad & Tobago!

Cheers for chatting to us guys, and keep up the good work.

You can tell a lot about a person by the username they choose. People's personalities, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, even their views on the Euro can be revealed by the usernames they pick for themselves. And one thing that you can definitely tell is who they'd get along with, and who they wouldn't. We had a look at the lists of Zopa members and tried to work out who should meet up and who shouldn't.

Jealousy might stop baldingcoot striking up a friendship with bouffant, but he'd probably get on well with fivehairs.

Beardface though should definitely sit down with cleanshaven and discuss the pros and cons of facial hair.

hannahsdad, Rodsmum and robertsdad could form the backbone of a Zopa PTA.

Whereas geordielass, wiganbird88, sussexgirl, and LakesideLass sound like the line-up for a raucous hen night in Dublin.

If voodoo10, mysticmerlin, SATANSKULL and wealthwizard got together, the conversation would definitely focus round the occult.

But dopeydave and clevercat would have little in common apart from their joint love of alliteration.

You just know there'd be a spark between matchbox and matchsticks.

And porscheman and loverealgems sound like they'd push each other's buttons - and a passionate fling could ensue, provided he manages to resist the charms of vikingminx, bustyjane and foxyone.

fatdad53 would feel at home with PastySupper and candyBar, and would definitely get on well with PintOfBass.

Pandemonium and anarchy are probably best kept apart to be honest.

And you've got to wonder whether headhurts has already run into edbutt in a dark alley.

Can you do any better? Bet you can. Send any username connections/stories to tom@zopa.com and any good ones will get published next month.

In last month's This Month at Zopa we broke the good news that April saw the first Zopa borrower to completely repay their loan (not including early repayers). We promised you an interview with that borrower, and when we promise you something, we rarely let you down. So ladies and gentlemen, it's our pleasure to introduce you to Chartered.

Hi Chartered. Just to start off with, is your username perchance inspired by your job?

“Yes. I'm a Chartered Surveyor and thought it sensible to use a word that may inspire a measure of trust amongst potential lenders, rather than a gimmicky, nonsensical name which may have made me appear more likely to be 'dodgy.'”

Good thinking, though we'd certainly never discourage gimmicky, nonsensical names. So tell us a bit more about yourself - age, kids, that sort of thing.

“Nearly 40; happily married; happy children. I was born and still live in Merseyside and have always worked in the Merseyside/ Cheshire areas. I love traveling but am definitely a home-bird when it comes to living and working.”

And what were you borrowing money for?

“To clear a bank overdraft and buy a 2nd hand laptop from eBay.”

How's the laptop working out for you?

“It's quite old, but a good workhorse. I got a new laptop from work several months after buying this one, and so have since given it to one our sons.”

Lucky lad. So how did you find using Zopa?

“Very pleasant. The straightforward process was augmented by a very well laid-out website.”

Excellent - we'll use that quote in our next press release. Now that you've repaid your loan, have you got any final message for your lenders?

“Thanks for having the trust and courage to lend to a stranger.”

Nice. Would you consider lending at Zopa?

“Yes, assuming that the rates were at or near "market leading," I would certainly trust my money to other Zopa members.”

Good on you. What do you get up to in your free time?

“My interests include Northern Soul music, 'The Twilight Zone' [the 156 episode 1950's and 60's US TV series], pre-1980 films [American and European], Everton FC [most people who are actually from Liverpool support Everton rather than the reds] and mountain biking. The football and bike riding activities are often a mixture of fun and horror ... it all helps to keep life exciting.”

If it's excitement you're after, you should try supporting Leicester City. What's your favourite book?

“Erm…as is the case with the old 'favourite record' question, any one of a dozen or so could come to mind on any particular day. Right here and now I'll say 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.”

Nice choice. Now which celebrity rubs you up the wrong way?

“Tom Jones. Swiveling hips, 'Sir Tom,' knickers on the stage, nose job, sun tan etc ... I just don't get it at all. I'm a fan of the truly great vocalists [soul music] and to my ears, he just sounds like a social club shouter.”

Crikey - strong words indeed Chartered. Just finally, did you know that peanuts aren't actually nuts?

“Yes, I remember learning in a Biology lesson that they're part of the pea family.”

Wow - a strong testament to the Merseyside education system. Thanks for speaking to us Chartered.