Annwyl gyfeillion
Today, it just happens to be four years since the date of the first post on this blog. And, with a bit of clever forethought, it also happens to be this blog’s 500th post (I’ve deleted the individual Christmas quiz questions because otherwise the total would be inflated by 47).
A double celebration—and a time to reflect.
The BBC’s North East Wales blogmaster posted a comment here as long ago as 29 February 2008 wondering whether new technology and sites like the Rhuthun/Ruthin Blog successfully encouraged more people in making a stand or in raising local issues of concern.
We’re sorry we overlooked his comment. It’s an interesting question and I wish I knew the answer though perhaps one person completing the recent Rhuthun/Ruthin Blog survey may. “I know that some councillors read the blog, and it may influence their views on matters.” Judging by other comments received during our recent survey, readers seem content that this blog makes a contribution to Rhuthun life.
There’s evidence that people who matter read this Blog. Though I can’t say for certain who actually *does* read Rhuthun / Ruthin, I do know from the survey, comments left and impressions made on the stats counter that they *regularly* include some of the following:
At the least, this site has a modest impact. We know, for example, we’ve been instrumental in launching a couple of stories in the local press but we never think that’s our role. We’ve even been dubbed as a ‘citizen journalist’ by someone in the local media.
The debate about whether the town should be called Rhuthun or Ruthin once spread from here to Wikipedia, quoting this site (till someone butchered it out), and very soon after, spread to the letters page of the Free Press.
We also feel that we have been instrumental in changing the name of the housing development north of Rhuthun from the ill-conceived Rhuthun Parc to our suggestion of Glasdir. We know Bryant Homes/George Wimpey staff visit this blog from time to time. Even here, we’ve simply only reflected what locals in Rhuthun are saying.
The local newspapers that monitor the Blog will no doubt have found commenters’ views on how the media present news both interesting and perhaps a little disturbing.
Beyond that, I can’t easily answer the BBC’s question. Things might be different had this site been specifically designed to agitate a response to particular issues. The Blog started simply as a means of monitoring the extent to which Tesco would change (and subsequently has changed) the town. As such, the Blog isn’t specifically anti-Tesco, or anti-anything for that matter.
Instead, it’s staunchly pro-Rhuthun.
It reports and comments on issues rather than deliberately campaigning on them. The Blog has developed beyond Tesco to consider anything that impacts on Rhuthun—from petrol prices to the Glasdir housing development to wind farms. It always *tries* to be positive. There are times when, believe me, the Blog owner wishes to scream and rant about a particular inequity but tries instead to keep matters impartial. That readers agree the site *is* impartial is of considerable note.
I think, therefore, that the Blog would have a greater impact had it adopted a truly campaigning stance. But in doing so, we feel we’d be the poorer for it—and probably shed rather than grow readership. Better to point to both sides of an argument. Yet, we ourselves feel we have also been in trouble in the local press for allegedly running Rhuthun down, something of course we wholeheartedly refute.
There are few local blogs with which to compare but try the stance taken by Conwy’s Thought’s (sic) of Oscar. We would not, for example, wish to emulate Oscar’s populis’t style as he picks off and snipes at public figure’s in Conwy county and elsewhere which, some might conclude, are wholly ill tempered, ill judged, unclear—and rather grammatically challenged to boot. His approach is Oscar’s choice, of course, but we feel it does him no favours. To think Oscar once linked here (shudder), with the epithet “Rhuthun/Ruthin—lover of small shops?”.
Small shops. That and good service are the essence of Rhuthun—and its unique selling points. This is how Rhuthun will survive, through local distinctiveness, a niche market and a strong sense of pride and place. If, of course, it can withstand Tesco.
This site started as a way of measuring whether Tesco was going to have an affect on Rhuthun. It’s interesting at this point to reflect on the answer to the recent survey question here, “Is Tesco in Rhuthun a good thing?“ Almost exactly two thirds of respondents felt Tesco was having a positive impact on Rhuthun.
May we be permitted to express an opinion at this point? Respondents’ views seem to run contrary to the evidence quite literally on the street: fewer people in and shop closures around the town centre, plus a marked reduction in convenience shopping outlets. While we have pointed this evidence out, what matters I guess is public perception. More than that, of those who identified themselves as running businesses, two thirds also felt that Tesco in Rhuthun was a good thing (though this will depend upon what you sell).
If respondents are a scientific sample of Rhuthun, this blog has now done its job and, judging by the original task it set itself, has probably run its course.
So, to part answer the BBC, I suppose we can at least say we’ve been successful at what we wished to achieve. 2½ years after Tesco, it’s not the result we expected. And we do feel it runs counter to the data—but it would appear that the arrival of Tesco is accepted.
And so it is time form us to take a break.
Yr eiddoch yn gywir
Non Liquet
Today, it just happens to be four years since the date of the first post on this blog. And, with a bit of clever forethought, it also happens to be this blog’s 500th post (I’ve deleted the individual Christmas quiz questions because otherwise the total would be inflated by 47).
A double celebration—and a time to reflect.
The BBC’s North East Wales blogmaster posted a comment here as long ago as 29 February 2008 wondering whether new technology and sites like the Rhuthun/Ruthin Blog successfully encouraged more people in making a stand or in raising local issues of concern.
We’re sorry we overlooked his comment. It’s an interesting question and I wish I knew the answer though perhaps one person completing the recent Rhuthun/Ruthin Blog survey may. “I know that some councillors read the blog, and it may influence their views on matters.” Judging by other comments received during our recent survey, readers seem content that this blog makes a contribution to Rhuthun life.
There’s evidence that people who matter read this Blog. Though I can’t say for certain who actually *does* read Rhuthun / Ruthin, I do know from the survey, comments left and impressions made on the stats counter that they *regularly* include some of the following:
The BBC (from various locations) North Wales Newspapers (publishers of the Free Press) Trinity Mirror Newspapers (publishers of the Denbighshire Visitor & Daily Post) Heddlu Gogledd Cymru/North Wales Police Cyngor Sir Ddinbych / Denighshire County Council Coleg Llandrillo Coleg Iâl/Yale College Cyngor Sir y Fflint/Flintshire County Council National Health Service ITV The Co-op Gareth Thomas, our former MP Sundry councillors A number who own or run businessesMany other impressions sadly give no indication as to the visitor. Most remain hidden behind an indecipherable string of numbers that is their anonymous & often dynamic (i.e. changing) IP address and even then, the stats counter hides the last digits.
At the least, this site has a modest impact. We know, for example, we’ve been instrumental in launching a couple of stories in the local press but we never think that’s our role. We’ve even been dubbed as a ‘citizen journalist’ by someone in the local media.
The debate about whether the town should be called Rhuthun or Ruthin once spread from here to Wikipedia, quoting this site (till someone butchered it out), and very soon after, spread to the letters page of the Free Press.
We also feel that we have been instrumental in changing the name of the housing development north of Rhuthun from the ill-conceived Rhuthun Parc to our suggestion of Glasdir. We know Bryant Homes/George Wimpey staff visit this blog from time to time. Even here, we’ve simply only reflected what locals in Rhuthun are saying.
The local newspapers that monitor the Blog will no doubt have found commenters’ views on how the media present news both interesting and perhaps a little disturbing.
Beyond that, I can’t easily answer the BBC’s question. Things might be different had this site been specifically designed to agitate a response to particular issues. The Blog started simply as a means of monitoring the extent to which Tesco would change (and subsequently has changed) the town. As such, the Blog isn’t specifically anti-Tesco, or anti-anything for that matter.
Instead, it’s staunchly pro-Rhuthun.
It reports and comments on issues rather than deliberately campaigning on them. The Blog has developed beyond Tesco to consider anything that impacts on Rhuthun—from petrol prices to the Glasdir housing development to wind farms. It always *tries* to be positive. There are times when, believe me, the Blog owner wishes to scream and rant about a particular inequity but tries instead to keep matters impartial. That readers agree the site *is* impartial is of considerable note.
I think, therefore, that the Blog would have a greater impact had it adopted a truly campaigning stance. But in doing so, we feel we’d be the poorer for it—and probably shed rather than grow readership. Better to point to both sides of an argument. Yet, we ourselves feel we have also been in trouble in the local press for allegedly running Rhuthun down, something of course we wholeheartedly refute.
There are few local blogs with which to compare but try the stance taken by Conwy’s Thought’s (sic) of Oscar. We would not, for example, wish to emulate Oscar’s populis’t style as he picks off and snipes at public figure’s in Conwy county and elsewhere which, some might conclude, are wholly ill tempered, ill judged, unclear—and rather grammatically challenged to boot. His approach is Oscar’s choice, of course, but we feel it does him no favours. To think Oscar once linked here (shudder), with the epithet “Rhuthun/Ruthin—lover of small shops?”.
Small shops. That and good service are the essence of Rhuthun—and its unique selling points. This is how Rhuthun will survive, through local distinctiveness, a niche market and a strong sense of pride and place. If, of course, it can withstand Tesco.
This site started as a way of measuring whether Tesco was going to have an affect on Rhuthun. It’s interesting at this point to reflect on the answer to the recent survey question here, “Is Tesco in Rhuthun a good thing?“ Almost exactly two thirds of respondents felt Tesco was having a positive impact on Rhuthun.
May we be permitted to express an opinion at this point? Respondents’ views seem to run contrary to the evidence quite literally on the street: fewer people in and shop closures around the town centre, plus a marked reduction in convenience shopping outlets. While we have pointed this evidence out, what matters I guess is public perception. More than that, of those who identified themselves as running businesses, two thirds also felt that Tesco in Rhuthun was a good thing (though this will depend upon what you sell).If respondents are a scientific sample of Rhuthun, this blog has now done its job and, judging by the original task it set itself, has probably run its course.
So, to part answer the BBC, I suppose we can at least say we’ve been successful at what we wished to achieve. 2½ years after Tesco, it’s not the result we expected. And we do feel it runs counter to the data—but it would appear that the arrival of Tesco is accepted.
And so it is time form us to take a break.
Yr eiddoch yn gywir
Non Liquet