As I have said many times before, I don't like awards given for places where opinions are expressed.
If I didn't believe that Ted Heath was the best Prime Minister of the 20th century, way above Thatcher, Blair and Churchill; if I didn't hate the Labour Party with a passion and if I didn't think that Plaid's commitment to the evils of socialism was a betrayal of Welsh nationalism, my blog might have been a tad more popular in the Total Politics Blog Awards!
Despite being a member of the awkward squad who peeves all sections of political opinion at times I was pleased that both my blogs were in the Top Ten of the Total Politics Awards for Wales. MOF was at no 6 (down 4) and HRF at no 4 (up 10) a net up!
The thing that gave me the greatest pleasure was that both of my blogs are higher than the site that has the audacity and arrogance to call itself the HOME of Welsh Politics. If you don't know which site I am talking about, I'm sorry but I have been barred from linking to it, because by doing so I am accused of abusing the site in order to drive traffic to my own (much more popular –it appears!) blogs.
Up yours Duncan Higget!
These are the winners (Unlucky 13 excluded)
1 Blog Menai
2 Plaid Wrecsam
3 Syniadau
4 Hen Rech Flin
5 Vaughan Roderick
6 Miserable Old Fart
7 Cardiff Blogger
8 Betsan Powys
9 Peter Black AM
10 Everyone's Favourite Comrade
11 Blog Guto Dafyyd (aka Blog Guto DAFYDD!)
12 Pendroni
13
14 Welsh Ramblings
15 Freedom Central
16 Bethan Jenkins AM
17 Ffranc Sais
18 Dib Lemming
19 The Druid of Anglesey
20 Valleys Mam
21 Blog yr Hogyn o Rachub
22 Glyn Davies MP
23 Plaid Panteg
24 Polemical Report
25 A Change of Personnel
26 Leanne Wood AM
27 Politics Cymru
28 Blog Answyddogol
29 Liberal Smithy
30 Inside Out - A Jaxxland Perspective
31 Alun Williams
32 Gwilym Euros Roberts
33 Institute of Welsh Affairs
34 Dylan Jones-Evans
35 Borthlas
36 Paul Flynn MP
37 David Cornock
38 Morfablog
39 Red Anorak
40 Mike Priestley
41 07.25 to Paddington
42 Blog Golwg
43 Plaid Cymru Llundain
44 Rene Kinzett
45 This is My Truth
46 Denverstrope
47 Independence Cymru
48 Grangetown Jack
49 Blog Rhys Llwyd
50 Cambria Politico
Brilliant. Those on Wales Home will be gutted. They've been doing all they can to make sure they get top spot. Didn't pay off obviously
ReplyDeleteAlwyn,
ReplyDeleteNot really my beef to get involved with, but spelling someone's name correctly might be a decent start when flipping them the bird surely?
Marcus to the rescue. How desperate is he to be asked to contribute to Wales Home. Its cringworthy
ReplyDeleteWales Home, time they went home
ReplyDeleteand the half a dozen people they banter with
Wales Home or Labour drinking pals in the Bay home?
ReplyDeleteWell done to everyone in the top twelve! Interesting to see the likes of Everyone's Favourite Comrade getting some deserved attention over some of the more, shall we say 'loudmouth' blogs.
ReplyDeleteValleys mam at only 20!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteshes' the no.1 in terms of quality, it should go on clicks or hits rather than vote for yourself and mates,
In fairness to Wales Home it does get some good debates going - even if Normal Mouth steers them a bit...
ReplyDeletePenddu
Ooh cutting.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is very much in my top five, and was full of praise for it only this week.
I reckon #13's doom is at #33. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMarcus, if I wanted to treat Duncan as indecently as I feel that I have been treated by him I would have spelled his name with a W rather than swapping an i for an e!
ReplyDeleteIf I have understood Penddu and anon's comments Duncan is the blogger formerly known as Normal Mouth if this is true I am doubly disappointed with his attitude, given the amount of traffic that my blog stats use to suggest were sent to the Normal Mouth blog.
No Adam Higgit was normal mouth
ReplyDeleteAlwyn,
ReplyDeleteI am not taking sides, I did say I know nothing of the issues between you two, I was merely saying that spelling his name right might be a good start.
Given the silly comments since, I kind of wishing I never said anything in passing. You are one of my favourite bloggers.
Alwyn you are deeply wrong on this matter.
ReplyDeleteWelsh Ramblings said...
ReplyDeleteAlwyn you are deeply wrong on this matter.
How am I wrong? Am I wrong to be pleased that my blogs scored higher in the awards than Wales home? Am I wrong in stating the fact that Duncan told me not to link to Wales Home? Or wrong in believing that Duncan is a Banker with a capital W?
Duncan Says:
ReplyDeleteAnnwyl Alwyn,
I thought I’d drop you a line about your post yesterday. I really don’t mind what you write about me, and the “arrogant” epithet, I’m sorry to say, has more than a ring of truth about it – perhaps “unjustifiably arrogant” might have been nearer the mark...
But I really am struggling to remember how I upset you, and I’m surprised that it was over driving traffic. I can only think that this happened in the site’s early days, when I understood far less about the blogosphere and how it all works. Plenty of comment leavers on our site post links, often back to their own work, and we’re happy for them to do that. Syniadau is a good example here.
If we did have this conversation, then I owe you two apologies: 1) for getting it wrong about traffic; and 2) for not remembering it. And you are more than welcome to leave comments on WalesHome that link back to your own site.
I thought it was worth letting you know that Normal Mouth was actually my brother Adam, who you’ll know is also a co-editor of WalesHome.
Lastly, llongyfarchiadau to MOF and HRF on doing so well in the Total Politics poll. I thought there were many deserving sites there this year.
Diolch a chofion cynnes,
Duncan Higgitt
I am happy to accept Duncan's apology and to accept that he peeved me by accident rather than design.
I will reinstate my blog list links to Wales Home, and hope that this draws a line under the unfortunate incident.
Diolch, Alwyn.
ReplyDeleteIf you're at conference next week, I'll stand you a pint or two by way of saying sorry.
Hwyl.