A Year Of 'Silvertonia'..

Today marks the first anniversary of the launch of this blog. I had been playing with the idea of starting a blog for the village for sometime and finaslly decided to take decisive action on a quiet afternoon with nothing else to do. The genesis of the idea for the blog really came out of following the old 'Virtual Silverton' website run by Miles Snowdon in the early years of the decade and the experience of trying to start a yahoo groups based discussion group-also named Silvertonia- some years previously.I wanted to establish a blog where all aspects of life in Silverton and beyond, could ber raised and discussed but I knew that this could give rise to some problems. Knowing that the 'Virtual Silverton' website had eventually failed, partly at least, because of the activities of internet trolls, I wanted to make sure that the comment content of the blog could be controlled and to a large extent this has been achieved sucessfully.

Initially, the blog was very much a one person effort but shortly after its launch I introduced my landlady and good friend, Carolyn Frost to 'Silvertonia' and she became very much part of what this blog is about. What Carolyn brings to the blog is a very individual, sometimes quirky but always feminine view of life that prevents the blog becoming just another political rant forum of which there are all too many, out there on the internet. It has also to be said that without the encouragement and support of Carolyn, I doubt that the blog would have lasted beyond the first month. It was she after all, who coined the phrase that the two necessary internet tasks to be done daily were to 'read blog-do banking'.

We have also, of course, to thank those who have contributed to the comments section of the blog over the past year, particularly to Babyblox and Tanseylegs who have been consistant contributors but also to Foxy, Ken and all the various Anonymous contributors who have posted. Also, a special mention must be given to people in faraway places who have mentioned the blog on their own blogs, notably, Phil B-C of A Very Public Sociologist blog based in Stoke and Ally Black in Edinburgh. Also thanks to all those who have provided material for the blog, including Sue and Louise Banks, Foxy, Graham Parnell, Alan Haydon and many others. Thanks also to those who have registered as Followers of the blog and those who joined the 'Friends Of Silvertonia' Facebook group.

Over the past year 'Silvertonia' has covered issues as diverse as Buses and the BNP. We were the one outlet that gave extensive coverage and comment on the Travellers Site issue and have followed the continuing controversy about the hall site. In addition we have had some humourous and sometimes surreal outings into a fantasy world of giant chocolate bars flying over Wyndham road and pole dancing clubs at the old Londis. We have also covered as much of the history of Silverton over the past fifty years that I can remember or that is fit to print.

So thats year one done, the blog will be continuing, doing what it has always done and hoping that people continue to contribute. Perhaps the posting volume wont be so high but we shall endeaver to keep the 'Silvertonia' standard flying high.

For another year at least.