Further to my recent item about the Total Politics 2011 Blog Awards, I was delighted to learn today that I have topped the poll in the “Top Councillor Blog” category and I can only repeat my thanks to all who voted for me this year. In addition to some excellent Liberal Democrat councillors’ blogs, there [...]
Archive for the ‘blog’ Category
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for www.dundeewestend.com in the recent Total Politics Blog Awards for 2011. In the Scottish category, I have made the Top Ten for the first time (18th last year; 28th in 2009) and in the LibDem category, I have also made the Top Ten (18th [...]
ASLDC, the Scottish LibDems’ Association for councillors and campaigners, held a “Kickstart” event yesterday in Perth – a really useful event in preparation for next year’s council elections. Ace blogger Caron has already done a resume of the day that’s rather better than anything I could have written (so have a read of it!) [...]
With 2011 fast approaching, I have given the main site http://www.dundeewestend.com/ a bit of a make-over. Its not a hugely radical change to the existing layout but goes give the blog a fresh look and moves the sidebar to the left.
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Harrogate at my ‘day job’ employer’s annual conference – and this is the first time I have attempted to update www.dundeewestend.com from a train on the East Coast Main Line … so here goes …! Lovely place Harrogate and beautiful weather yesterday … Awards Dinner last [...]
Later tonight, the results of the LibDem Blog of the Year will be announced during our party’s Federal Conference in Liverpool. Fellow Scottish LibDem blogger Caron Lindsay has been shortlisted in not just one, but two categories this year – Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year and Best Posting on a Liberal Democrat Blog! I [...]
I’m awfully pleased with the outcome of this year’s Total Politics top blogs poll! Now number 18 (last year = 31) in the Top Liberal Democrat Blogs category. I’m delighted at this rankings improvement! Congratulations to my Scottish LibDem colleagues Caron Lindsay (a hugely impressive 3rd place overall), Stephen Glenn and Andrew Reeves – who [...]
From time to time, I freshen up the look of this blog – the mirror site http://www.westendblog.org.uk/ had a bit of a makeover a few months ago, and today I have launched a new look for http://www.dundeewestend.com/. For the first time in a long time, I have changed from a three column style to two [...]
Today, my ‘visitor counter’ on http://www.dundeewestend.com/ reached 200 000 – not bad, I feel, for something that started off as a bit of an experiment four years ago and an addition to the regular West End FOCUS newsletter from the local Liberal Democrats. I’m now just shy of 2 000 blog posts and amazed at [...]
Updating this site has been a bit of a challenge this past week, relying on the dubious quality of internet access from a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. The photo below is of me, smiling through, despite a connection speed that was horrendously slow! This update is coming from Barcelona Airport as we fly home [...]
The Improvement Service last week issued a helpful briefing for councillors on the merits of blogging and featured comments from myself and other councillor bloggers in Scotland about why blogging is a good way to update and connect with constituents, in addition to ‘traditional’ methods, such as newsletters, attending residents’ meetings and surgeries. You can [...]
I took part today in a telephone interview conducted by the Improvement Service. They are currently working on a brief blogging guide for councillors in Scotland. They wanted to (to quote them!) “ask a few questions about your own blogging story and the benefits of using this form of social media“. It is good to [...]
This blog is a wee bit different from your average politician’s blog in that its primary purpose is to cover local news and views from Dundee’s West End (together with, err…, vital updates on matters like the X Factor …) rather than simply a daily digest of my views on the politics of the day. [...]
Many thanks to www.politics.co.uk for its complimentary remarks about www.dundeewestend.com, especially the bit about the YouTube videos! Information: Cllr Fraser Macpherson is obviously extremely busy and this is reflected in his prolifically updated blog. It’s a great resource for local information and, unlike a lot of similar blogs by local councillors, it actually gives opinions [...]
Some time ago, I set up a mirror site for www.dundeewestend.com (a Blogger site) at www.westendblog.org.uk (hosted by WordPress) when Blogger was experiencing problems with loading speed (thankfully now resolved). The www.westendblog.org.uk site has now had an extensive makeover. Over the weekend, I have experimented with a new template for www.dundeewestend.com as well, but concluded [...]
Having been on holiday recently, I missed my usual daily fix of LibDem Voice, at www.libdemvoice.org, so until today hadn’t actually realised that I was within the 5 blogs shortlisted for the Blog of the Year award in the “Best Blog from a LibDem holding public office” category (the Tim Garden Award) OK, I [...]
Most grateful to my LibDem colleague Andrew Reeves, who is the Scottish LibDem Director of Campaigns, for his kind words about www.dundeewestend.com following the recent “Total Politics” best councillor awards. See http://tinyurl.com/andrewreeves.
Yesterday, “Total Politics” announced the UK’s Best 30 councillors’ blogs and I am rather flattered that www.dundeewestend.com is the top LibDem councillor blog and 16th overall. For the record, here’s the result : 1 (1) Luke Akehurst LA 2 Bickerstaffe Record LA 3 Richard Willis CO 4 (3) Paul Scully CO 5 Steve Tierney CO [...]
Paul Burgin writes a popular blog “Mars Hill”, is press officer for the North East Herts Labour Party and once worked for Geraint Davies, when he was MP for Croydon Central. He recently asked me to contribute to his regular “Twenty Questions to a Fellow Blogger” feature. You can read my responses by going to [...]
This is the 1 000th blog article at http://www.dundeewestend.com/ (and its mirror site http://www.westendblog.org.uk/) since the blog started just short of three years ago in March 2006. Nearly 153 000 visitors later, I am most grateful to everyone who regularly reads the site and also to everyone who has e-mailed me with comments and issues, [...]
Union Place, West Park Gardens and www.dundeewestend.com!
Posted: September 19, 2008 in blog, union placeJust back from a ‘day job’ day in Tillicoultry to a load of phone messages and e-mails to follow up! On the way home, visited Union Place, where I have had complaints about a badly sited grit bin and the pavement condition caused by poor utilities’ repairs (see latter, right). Have reported this to the [...]
Many thanks to Liberal Burblings for including this blog in its 2008 “Good Egg” Awards! See : http://paulwalter.blogspot.com/2002/09/winners-2008-liberal-burblings-good-egg.html. To quote Liberal Burblings: “These awards are for LibDem blog authors who have kept up frequent and regular high quality postings this year. “Cllr Fraser Macpherson – A very lively campaigning blog which is particularly insightful on [...]
After coming 22nd in the Top 40 Scottish Blogs, my head size has continued to soar (not really) on hearing that I’m also 28th in the Top 50 LibDem blogs! OK, still way behind Scottish LibDem blogging ace, Stephen Glenn of Linlithgow fame, but a rather good result from a lowly councillor from Bonnie Dundee! [...]
Pleased – and surprised! – to see this blog named as 22nd in Iain Dale’s Top 40 Scottish blogs – see more by following this link – http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-40-scottish-blogs.html I appear to be second in the Scottish LibDem list – congratulations Stephen Glenn of Linlithgow who topped this ‘poll within the poll’. Great amusement reading some [...]
A number of residents have commented to me that recently www.dundeewestend.com has been taking quite a long time to load up. It is hosted by Blogger and it now has a rather huge amount of content. I have made a few changes to the widgets and front page content to speed things up, but I [...]
You’ll have noticed the blog is now a bit wider, with an extra column. It took a bit of playing about with the blog template, but we appear to have got there in the end!
The blog is very well read across the West End of Dundee and further afield (I had an e-mail from a lady in Australia recently, who was tracing her family’s history in Dundee and looking for a bit of advice as to who to contact in the City Council…!) BUT http://frasermacpherson.blogspot.com/ is not the most [...]
12th March is this blog’s 2nd birthday. The response to the blog from West End residents has been fantastic, with thousands of hits! Many thanks to all.
There’s a very useful site UK Poli Blogs at http://www.voidstar.com/ukpoliblog/ and my blog is now featured (click on headline to link to this).
Back from Conference and latest updates …
Posted: September 9, 2007 in blog, Liberal Democrats, Riverside AvenueWe’ve been away for the past few days running my Institute’s Scottish Conference (day job) which seemed to go very well. Was pleased to note on return that the “To Let” sign at the roundabout on Riverside Avenue (just west of the Marmalade Pot) has now been repaired by its owners, Ryden (see above right). [...]
