Which is mostly full of blogs

I am just emerging from a long period of work-related insanity to rediscover this blog. Well, howdy Manchizzle! Hello five remaining doughty readers. I've been busy working on the Manchester Literature Festival, where I have been doing digital marketing things this year, and also running the 2013 Blog North Awards. Since both of these roles involve reading, writing, thinking and talking about blogs and blogging so much, writing a post here wasn't high on the to-do list. But this hectic time was, as always, hugely fun and inspiring. The 2013 Literature Festival was definitely the best one to date, and you can revisit it over at the new MLF Blog Chapter & Verse, where our festival blogger team has reported on the festival in a series of thoughtful and entertaining reviews.

The Blog North Awards was a great event this year, with Chris Killen's commissioned story/film A Short Guide to The Future (above) the highlight for me. It managed to be funny, disturbing and moving all at the same time, and was most entertainingly read by the author wrapped in tinfoil. But the shortlisted bloggers were rightfully the stars of the evening, and you can read the full list of winning and shortlisted blogs over here at the BNA site. Definitely expect to hear more from these talented people.

So, I have two blogging workshops to tell you about. The first one is called Blogging for Artists. It's a short intro to blogging and social media marketing for the independent creative practitioner. I'm doing it at Castlefield Gallery in Manchester on 5 November at 6:30pm as part of their excellent CG Associates scheme, though it is open to non-members too. I think there are a few slots left; booking and info here.

On Friday 22 November I'll be teaching a daylong blogging workshop in lovely Cardigan as part of the Do Lectures. I'm really happy to be working with this always interesting, well-curated and inspirational series. Called simply How to Blog? it's a hands-on introduction intended to give you all the tools you need to start blogging. Booking and full details here at The Do Lectures site.

I've stopped organising blogmeets myself,  but I'm happy to report that that other folks have started running them around Manchester. Rachel from Well Worn Whisk is organising one at Parlour, Chorlton on 7 November; for details get in touch with her via Twitter.

Image: Katie Moffat

Manchester Blogmeet Aug 28 with Revolve

A quick reminder about our blogmeet on Tuesday, August 28 from 6:30- 8:30 at Common Bar on Edge Street. And one change to announce: our previously-announced sponsor Hannah Makes Things has sadly had to cancel, but we have an equally wonderful replacement in Blackburn-based Revolve Boutique.

Sophia Smith (right), the woman behind the pre-owned designer clothes and jewelry online emporium, will be on hand to introduce the site and share her tips for decluttering your wardrobe. And bloggers with designer clothes or accessories they no longer feel the love for are welcome to bring them along and see if Sophia can help them find a new home and make you some dosh. To buy more clothes and accessories, natch.

But even if you're the kind of blogger for whom designer fashion is, erm... not a priority, get yourself down to Common and meet your friendly blogging compatriots. It's a very laid-back evening of informal conversation over a beer or coffee, and anyone with a blog is very welcome. Drop in for a chat.

Images courtesy of Conker Communications.

Manchester Blogmeet August 28

It's been a while since our last blogmeet. So I've organised one. Hurrah! This one will be happening on Tuesday 28 August, from 6:30-8:30 pm at Common on Edge Street in the Northern Quarter.

Our sponsor this time will be quirky jewellery store Hannah Makes Things, which operates a shop just down the road in Afflecks and also sells online. Hannah Nuttall, designer and creator of Hannah Makes Things, will be on hand to show off some of her latest goodies, talk about how she started her own jewellery company and share the inspiration behind her handmade statement necklaces and  unique designs. I've been admiring her work online for a while now; it's just amazingly original. These are real conversation pieces.

Come along and enjoy an after-work drink in the fine surroundings of The Kestrel Suite at Common and mingle with others of your ilk; all bloggers from Manchester and elsewhere are very welcome. But please don't come if you do not actually have a blog on the internets (otherwise, it's just embarassing for everyone.) We're a friendly bunch, so don't be shy. But it's best to be up front about the fact that we will make you wear a name tag with your name and blog's name on, unless you're one of those people who has your blog url tattooed on your forehead. See you there.

 

Manchester Blogmeet March 8

The next Manchester blogmeet will be happening Tuesday March 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 at Common on Edge Street. As usual, all Manchester-area bloggers are welcome to come along, schmooze with your kindred, and drink some fine beverages courtesy of our generous sponsor.

This particular blogmeet will be sponsored by leather jacket website I Love 2 Love, which we'll be hearing a bit more about at the event. Thanks for your support, guys.

The blogmeet will be held in the Kestrel Suite at Common, which is the room to the back and the right of the area with the booths. No need to rsvp or book a place, just come along. Don't be shy, we're a friendly bunch. We will force you to wear a non-ironic nametag, however. You've been warned.

Common image Tim France, courtesy of Common

New blogs: The Mangle Street edition

Hey, it's new Manchester blog time. First off, I have whole heap of new writing blogs to add. Seriously, a lot. Check this out: Write in for Writing's Sake is an interesting use of the tumblr format to host an online writing group. And Figs Might Leaf is a short story blog. And Manchester-based Fantasy and SF author Andy Remic has a blog here. And Khmer Rouge Strippergram is a joint Mancunian-Irish humor blog. Other Manchester writing blogs: The Paper Face Girl and Something Every Day. Oh, and Potwatch: Observations of a Kitchen Porter. In verse. You don't see that every day, eh?

Onto the city and neighbourhood section, where Manculiar is a new blog about the city's past, present and future, and has turned up some very interesting stuff. mightaswell is exploring the city and poking her nose into all sorts of odd corners. There's plenty more fascinating reading over at Manchester's Radical History. And Hulme seems to have some new hyperlocal action with Best of Hulme.

Mediawatchers will be interested to hear about the MediaCityUK Blog, which "delivers the latest news, views and rumours about the MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays, Manchester - entirely independently and unofficially."

On the arts and culture tip, Andy Brydon writes Curated Place,"A blog trying to capture, critique, explain and explore the meeting points of culture, tech, art, places and people in a world that has gone beyond the museum." A couple more new arts and culture blogs: fellow Rammy-ites Fishink and Pinnikity, who both make stuff. And there's a new fashion blog: Pastime Bliss.

Music-wise, Richard H-J's blog an appropriate response to reality is mainly video-based (music and other stuff.) Bad Cover Versions, on the other hand, is pretty self-explanatory.

The photo above is from this week's new photoblog. Being a former New Yorker in Mancunian exile, you know I love photoblog Manchester is Not New York. Those fire escapes are something you don't notice at all when you live in NYC, so I was almost surprised how taken with them visiting Brits are (someone I know returned from a trip to NYC with hundreds of fire escape photos.) And who knew the Northern Quarter had so many of them? This particularly ornate example is from the corner of Dale Street and the delightfully-named Mangle Street.

And if anyone wanted to get to but missed our Manchester blogmeet last week, I'm sorry for you. It was really great. Seriously enjoyable. The inimitable Fat Roland has an exhaustive (and slightly spooky) round up on his blog here. Many thanks again to the folks from The Lowry for coming and telling us all about their Spencer Tunick exhibition and buying us beer. And also thanks to the fine people at Common, who have a way with the taps and whose halloumi and felafel kebab is a thing of awesome beauty.

Stay tuned for news of another blogmeet in the Autumn.

Manchester Blogmeet July 27

Mark your calendars: The Manchester summer blogmeet will be happening Tuesday July 27 from 6-8pm at Common, and I'm very happy to tell you that the event will be sponsored by The Lowry, in celebration of their current exhibition, Everyday People: Spencer Tunick at The Lowry (on until 26 September, free entry). One of their curators will be there in person to talk briefly about Spencer's compelling photographs - and just what it was like to work with 1,000 naked people in several secret locations across Salford and Manchester.*

Come along and enjoy a drink, a spot of culture and the conversation of your fellow bloggers. All Manchester-area bloggers welcome. Common is the apple-green coloured bar located on Edge Street in the Northern Quarter. I can personally recommend the root beer, though they have a fine array of beverages on offer as well as some tasty food in case you want to grab a bite. We'll be hanging in the Kestrel Suite, which is the new room to the right of the entrance. See you there.

*Clothing, however, is NOT optional for this event. Sorry!

(Photo: Everyday People: Spencer Tunick at The Lowry)

New Blogs: The Bank Holiday Blues edition

New blog time. So what have we got? A whole mess of new arts and culture blogs. Blog Station is the blog linked with Chorlton's Lead Station, showcasing the MCR artists whose work they exhibit in the restaurant. Artist Jai Redman of the UHC Collective has an interesting blog about his work and what he's up to, most recently working with the Buddleia Commissions project in Cheetham Hill.

Look Up Manchester is a collaborative blog by students at the Manchester School of Architecture - some great images of the city on there. There's also a new crafty blog, Sally Fort's Tinkering Times. And another food blog, Manchester Foodie.

Headstretcher is the blog of Creative Concern honcho Steve Connor. Jon from music blog Black Country Grammar has started a more broadly-focused posterous blog called I'm Jonthebeef. Some more personal blogs: The Laughing Housewife, Rich Rich Rich, and a new photoblog by Boris.

Some media additions: BBC Producer Gemma Hodgson, and the (mainly) media oriented blog by my neighbour Andy Walker, Walker's Rambles. And my other neighbour Jamie and his friends have also a started new music blog, Good for the Soul. Go Ramsbottom!

A new made-in-Manchester comic blog - yeah! Flesh and Bone serves up new strips every Monday and Thursday. That's one of them up top. It's the work of David Bailey, whose excellent illustration work (as part of the Mount Pleasant duo) on gig posters and the like you may already be familiar with.

Had good chats with some new-to-the-blogroll folks at last Wednesday's blogmeet, including Abbas of Call Centre Confessional, Benjamin of the brilliantly lo-fi Ribbons & Leaves, and not one but two Gareths (The Cardboard Kid and Cutteruption), among others... please remind me if I've forgotten anyone I said I would add. It was a good night all around, thanks to the ever-delightful Common and sponsors Skiddle.com. Look out for another one in a couple of months.

Incidentally, it's another busy week for social media in Manchester, with the hyperlocal themed Social Media Cafe at the BBC tonight, and the Manchester Aggregator group meeting tomorrow night (7pm at Madlab, any curious bloggers welcome.)

Manchester Blogmeet March 31

Time for another gathering of the blogging clans. Yes, our spring blogmeet is upon us, and this one will take place on Wednesday March 31st from 6-8 pm in The Kestrel Suite at Common. It sounds very fancy, but don't worry, it's just the extra room they added on in their recent renovation. For those who haven't been before, Common is the bright green bar on Edge Street in the Northern Quarter (just off High Street). They serve a full range of hot drinks and tasty snacks as well as a fine selection of beer, wine and spirits.

The drinks will be courtesy of our sponsor for this blogmeet, Skiddle.com. Jamie Scahill and Richard Dyer will be on hand to tell us more about their site. They say: "Now in its 9th year of operation, it's is officially one of the largest and fastest growing what's on guides in the UK. With over 222,306 events listed, 620,000 unique visitors and 119,754 registered members we offer the ideal platform for club promoters, festivals and event organisers to promote their event."

As always, you don't have to RSVP but you can always leave a comment to let me know you're coming. Or just turn up. All bloggers are welcome, so if you haven't made it to a blogmeet before please don't be shy. It's a chance to meet your online comrades in a relaxed and friendly setting. And it's usually lots of fun.

(photo: Tim France)

Blogjam

Oh, it's you. Hi. Just taking a break from reading blogs, which is making me crosseyed. I'll be doing a lot more of that as I compile the shortlist for this year's Manchester Blog Awards. An incredibly difficult task, given how many fantastic blogs there are this year. We had almost 200 nominations but not quite. That's loooads more than last year. I blame twitter and the flash new website. Anyway, look out for the shortlist in a week or so. Hopefully by then my vision will have returned to normal.

Some nice writeups of last week's blogmeet at Cord here and here. And here, which also comes with an excellent bonus poem at no additional charge. About 30 intrepid souls came out, many of them new faces. Thanks for coming, guys. It was fun. And thanks again to the extra-fancy Creative Tourist for sponsoring the event. It looks like we may have a sponsor on board for a blogmeet in November already. I'll keep you all posted.

Manchester Blogmeet Sept 17

I've organised a long-overdue Manchester blogmeet for Thursday September 17, from 6-8pm at Cord, off Tib Street in the Northern Quarter. All are welcome... bloggers, friends of bloggers, blog readers, whatever; come on down to the basement.

And for the first time this will be a sponsored affair. The folks from Creative Tourist, the web magazine of the Manchester Museums Consortium, will be buying everyone a drink and giving us a brief rundown of their goings-on.

As nobody put forward any objections when I asked around a couple of months ago, I'm trying out this sponsorship model for future blogmeets. Seems there are quite a few organisations about who are interested in working with Manchester bloggers, so if they'd like to buy us a beer or a coffee I figure we're willing to listen to what they have to say for ten minutes or so.

As ever, the rest of the time will be spent in making friends, catching up, flirting, frontin', bullshitting and otherwise interacting with other Manchester blogfolk. If you plan on coming say so in the comments, comment on the MCR Bloggers FB group message I'm about to write, or email me so we know how many to expect.

Blogging Business: July

I have genuinely been trying to get there for months, but never quite did. So I was happy to be able to make last night's Manchester Social Media Cafe held in the subtropical microclimate of the BBC cafebar. I especially enjoyed Maria Ruban's film The Joy of Ceefax and Tandot's wickedly-executed game of Ceefax bingo, both of which served as my initiation into the bewildering world of Ceefax. I actually got very nostalgic for the British childhood I never had. And I now understand the cultural significance of Bamboozle. Hooray.

There is another opportunity this weekend for those of the social media persuasion to enjoy chatting amongst themselves. Labour blogging guy Mark Hanson has organised a political blogmeet for this Saturday at 4:30pm at Nexus Art Cafe on Dale Street, in the red room off to the side.

Mark says: "This is largely social/informal but we also have an open invitation to ask for more help from HQ in terms of access/info/content as well as thinking of things we might want to work on together to create an impact." All are welcome.

I am working with a couple of potential sponsors to organise a regular old Manchester blogmeet this summer, but it looks like it won't happen until August now due to holidays and MIF-related calendar overload. Watch this space. Also have some riotously exciting Manchester Blog Awards news to announce soon.

Oh, that reminds me of one more thing: Dazed and Confused is getting into the Blog awards game with the first Dazed Raw Blog Awards. they say:

"The open nomination period has begun and will be open until July 31. You can nominate your own blog or it can be someone else's blog, as long as you think it's browse-worthy. Whilst we would love to feature blogs dedicated to heartclogging fast food, we have decided to restrict our blog categories to mirror the Dazed Digital categories; fashion, music, photography and arts and culture.

Dazed & G-Star will be shortlisting 15 blogs from each category which will all be put forward for a public vote. The winner of each category will be featured in the Dazed October issue and will also receive £500 worth of G-Star product."

Go on, don't be shy.

Manchester Blogmeet at Centro Tuesday

I've sorted things out for our blogmeet. Unfortunately Trof NQ couldn't give us a dedicated space that would be big enough, but Centro can give us their whole basement area. Centro is on Tib Street towards the northern end heading away from the city centre.

We'll be meeting there on Tuesday, March 10 from 7-9pm. Just come downstairs. They do very nice beers and drinks as well as coffees and non-alcoholic bevvies. They don't do food as far as I know, so maybe grab something nearby (Hunters BBQ?) beforehand if you're coming straight from work. I'll bring the nametags.

Centro say they have wireless there in case anyone wants to liveblog. However, anyone showing too much love to their laptop or mobile phone will be gently encouraged to extricate themselves from their devices and engage in real world interaction. That's what it's all about, folks. See Samantha Bee's behaviour in this Daily Show clip as an example of what NOT to do...

Please reply to this and say you're planning on coming so I have an idea of numbers. (Unless you already replied to the earlier post.) See you there!

Manchester Blogmeet: The Fellowship of the Ping

Anyone feel like getting together for a blogmeet? There are loads of new folks on the blogroll I've never met, and it'd be real nice to see some of my old blogging buddies. We never talk anymore.

I'm thinking upstairs at Trof NQ might be a good place. It's usually fairly quiet up there before the DJ starts at 9 (and they can reserve us tables). Plus they do all manner of drinks as well as good food in case anyone's hungry.

I am most eager to avoid clashing with any other Important Business though (are the Decemberists in town? heh heh) so anyone who might like to come let me know if Tuesday March 10 is a really bad idea. We could do the following night, or another night entirely. Suggestions appreciated.

Is blogging dead?

Slow summer? Or has the blogging mania died down? Yes and yes. Blogging, along with every other form of media output, always slows to a trickle during the long, wet days of silly season. But it can't be denied that blogging isn't a craze anymore. Amen to that, I say.

All the cultural mavens chattering excitedly about blogging say, five years ago, have moved on to twitter about Facebooking. That means that the people who started a blog to be trendy and in-the-know have mostly drifted off, leaving their stale urls littering the blogosphere like fallen apples. The many organisations and companies eager to get a piece of the action have figured out exactly how blogging best fits in with what they do (or whether it does at all) and reconfigured things.

The result? I think people who blog now are likely to engage with it in a more substantive way. Blogging as a form of journalism and cultural comment has been subsumed into the mainstream media, while blogging as a way of publishing creative writing online continues to evolve in exciting directions.

So yes, blogging's profile has dropped a bit, but I don't think that's a bad thing. On a local level, I feel like I haven't helped much, y'know, going off and having a baby and all and not blogging much or organising blogmeets (not to overstate my own role in the Manchester scene. Ahem.) But hark! After months of me dropping hints someone has finally seized the blogmeet baton: Julia of Notebooks and MEN Online Editor Sarah Hartleyof The Mancunian Way have between them cooked up a real, live blogmeet. It's set for Wednesday, September 17 at 6pm.

The action is in two parts: first, a tour of the Manchester Evening News newsroom and Q&A with an editor there (limited numbers - go here for info. Second, a more traditional unstructured blogmeet in a nearby pub. Voting on which pub is happening at Sarah's site now. In choosing a pub, I would advise you to consider two important qualities 1.) "dive"-ness and 2.) likelihood to be empty enough to afford the gathering bloggers enough space to comfortably unwind at that thirsty hour. I will try to attend with the littlest blogger in tow, but I probably won't make it. Early evening is our fussy time.

Manchester Blog Awards Tonight

Just a final reminder that the blog awards is happening tonight at Matt and Phred's. The whole thing kicks off at 7, though the actual announcement of the awards will be happening around 7:50 or so, after readings from some of the city's most lovely and talented bloggers.

I'm really looking forward to having a pint and a chat with my blogging brethren. It's been far too long since we've all gotten together. And there will be lots of new folks to meet as well. I predict a late night.

Blogmeet Monday at MIF

Richard and Robin over at BBC Manchester blog have organised a blogmeet Monday evening in the Manchester International Festival Pavilion (AKA GMEX, Manchester Central or whatever they're calling it today.) They'll be there from 6 pm, and will have a table reserved for blog folk. The food and beer ain't free, but the wifi is. More details here. I'm going to try my darndest to make it, but Monday's busy for me.

Manchester Blog Awards 2007

I'm happy to tell you that the Second Annual Manchester Blog Awards are in the works, and they're going to be bigger and better than last year.

The judges will be picking winners in the same categories as last year (political, arts and culture, best personal blog and blog of the year) as well as a new category that recognises the best creative writing on a blog. And we're sorting out cash prizes for the winners this year. I'll let you know about how to nominate blogs closer to the time.

We're getting our own star-studded event where we'll have even more readings from bloggers, an exciting guest speaker, and the city's music bloggers are going to be asked to do some dj-ing (so don't even think about going to a gig that night. I'm looking at you, GirlonaTrain and JustHipper.)

The blog awards going to be happening during the Manchester Literature Festival on Wednesday, October 10, at around 7:30 in a new venue on Oldham Street called Moho Live (this is all tbc for now). Put it on the calendar.

We're also planning some blogging workshops during the festival - more info on that later.

So... does any one of you design wizards feel like whipping up a "second annual blog awards" logo? And if anyone has any ideas or strong opinions about this year's blog awards, speak up.

The thrill of the grill

So Yer Mam! (whose blog just got linked by Wikipedia, in a quite surprising and humorous way) and Jon le Beef have floated the idea that instead of blogmeeting in a pub this July, we hold a Bloggers' BBQ in some verdant Manchester park.

This sounds like a marvelous idea to me. Maybe it could be BYOM (bring your own meat) or even BYOVGFoC (bring your own vegtarian grilling foodstuff of choice)? Or we could just chip in for a hundredpack of e-number dogs, a family size bag of twiglets, and a shitload of White Lightning. We're now welcoming suggestions for scenic park BBQ locations in Manc, and preferable Saturdays in July.

Manchester Spring Blog Meet April 7

I know, I know, it's been way too long since we've all met up. But I'm still over here in the states, and still don't know when I'll be coming back to the UK. Fortunately, James Yer Mam! has kindly volunteered to organise the next blogmeet.

It's going to be going down at 3 in the afternoon on April 7 at The Hare and Hounds on Shudehill, a pub many of you may remember fondly from previous glittering Manchester Bloggers affairs (The quaintness of the decor! The cheapness of the beer!) For those of you who aren't quite sure where that is, it's in the Northern Quarter, just across the street from the new bus station and just across the tram stop from the Printworks.

As usual, everyone's welcome: people with blogs, people who wish they had blogs but aren't quite sure how to go about setting them up, people who like to read blogs, bloggers' significant others who secretly resent being forced to attend these geekfests but haven't quite managed to get out of going yet, people who don't understand why all these loud youngsters have taken over their pub in the middle of the afternoon but hope they bugger off soon. Have fun.