I’m celebrating two years (yesterday) since I started writing this blog.
This isn’t the first blog I have written though, as I started in October 2010 when I was working for The Grasslands Trust. That one lasted just under two years, before TGT went under.
It’s customary to bore you with statistics on anniversary days, so here goes:
I have written 240 posts in the last two years (that’s got to be a book’s worth) and I have received 102,711 page views, for which I am eternally grateful.
My best day for views was the 4th October 2014 when I had 2415 views. That was when I published The Strange Case of Dr Earth and the UKIP Environmental Policies. This has been my most popular blog, so far, with 4326 views; and I’m pleased that people are still discovering this particular bit of fun. I don’t know whether Dr Earth himself has read it yet, if he has, he hasn’t let me know.
In a very respectable second place on the list is Held to Ransom: Solar Farms: green or greed, with 2295 views. And in 3rd place with 2,040 views is The New Natural England Chair Andrew Sells.
Perhaps the one that means most to me is the Obit I wrote for my brother Simon, who died nearly two years ago; and being able to publish the tribute written by his great friend Bob Hornegold.
I’m really pleased to have received 1215 comments from a wide range of contributors. Top commentators are Dave Dunlop, Mark Fisher and Mud-Lark – all from the North. Thanks to you and to everyone else who has commented, especially those who have disagreed with me.
I can see this blog being part of my life for some time to come. It has certainly been helpful to me, in some kind of therapeutic way. As some of you will know the last five years has been very difficult for various reasons. But despite what happened on Friday and its potential consequences, I feel positive about quite a lot of things (even if that doesn’t necessarily express itself in what I write about) and I am still hoping to set up a new nature charity this year.
In the meantime, kind people have given me paid work which I find interesting and doesn’t cause me ethical problems: for which I feel lucky. I have also lost nearly 4 kilos in the last 7 weeks on the 5:2 diet and that is definitely helping my health and wellbeing.
Thanks for reading.
a new nature blog 
Hi Miles
Congratulations on the 2nd âbirthdayâ.
And best of luck with the new charity.
Best wishes,
Jason
Jason M. Reeves MCIEEM
Policy and Communications Manager
thanks very much Jason.
Thanks to you for writing, Miles!
Eating that cake won’t help with the weight 🙂
I know. I’m having a fasting day today – just the sight of it made me hungry!
Enjoy reading what you write, have learnt a bit as well just wished I picked up on it sooner, will read back blogs! Good luck with the new charity. 😊
thanks Jane. Yes there’s a back catalogue of 2 year’s worth on this blog, then another 2 year’s worth on the Grasslands Trust blog. But a lot will have dated rather horribly…
Many happy returns as they say ‘lad’!
Here’s to many ‘moor’, from a ‘rambling’ northerner!
keep ’em coming please mud-lark.
Just to burn off a little of the carbs in the cake and prompted by the conversation between you and Jane …. 17 May 2013 and the NAO report into overstated economic benefits of HS2: was there ever any evidence provided to substantiate the Govt. claims? Apologies if I should have located it between then & now.
I just worry about onus of proof and the swing that the developers assertions and claims are bona fide quality, call me suspicious but I sense there will be a coach and horses driven through already weakened environmental ‘protection’ and the muzzled watchdog of 1997 is perhaps best put out of its misery?
Your posts are so informative and I hope all will not be as you predict but it certainly shows what we will be up against. Keep on the great work and the diet. I try and do 2 vegan days and that works unless I eat crisps!
Congratulations!
I’m now left wondering when the 2nd anniversary of my blog is … I think it might actually be next month!
celebrate your 2nd blogging anniversary Megan!
I shall do, when I work out when it is XD