horndeanmatters

In June 2012 I stood for election in Downs Ward, Horndean and the feedback at the door was that Councillors were only visible at election time and the only time newsletters were distributed were in the run up to the vote. I committed to ensure this could not be a personal criticism at the next election and set about the first newsletter out of the ten that have now been written and delivered to every home in the ward I represent, and followed it up with this blog.

I have now posted just about 400 articles from planning to local history and Local events to community issues. I am very proud of the feedback I get from the blog which I also get some considerable pleasure from maintaining. It is also very shortly about to reach its 100,000 visitor milestone which has to be celebrated. For me this is quite remarkable considering it targets a village of 5,000 homes and has been running for just about 2 years. It has also been visited from every continent in the world and the 102 countries it has been downloaded from include Burkina Faso, Montenegro, Lebanon and Cambodia! Some of you holiday in some very exotic, cold, hot, dangerous and bizarre locations!

I should also like to thank fellow Councillors who provide material to post as well, particularly Cllr Schillemore who has collaborated on some of the most interesting articles (Horndean At War) and been a key partner on many planning related items.

Most importantly though, I would like to thank the visitors to the blog who keep coming back and to mark the event when it happens will be giving a prize to one visitor.

On the right hand side of this blog there is a visitor counter in a box called ‘Blog Stats’. At the time of posting this article it is around 98,000 visitors. Whoever can get a screen image of the visitor count that gives the closest to 100,000 will get some champagne as a prize. Very simple, just use the ‘print screen’ function on the keyboard and this will then allow you to insert an image into an email by using right click and paste on a PC. Mac users will know what they are doing. The screen image will show the date and time in case anyone is tempted to use photoshop…

If anyone can get exactly 100,000 they will get 6 bottles of champagne.
A image between 100,001 and 100,010 will get three bottles of champagne
The best number over 100,011 will get a bottle of champagne.

1) There will be one prize which is awarded to the closest number to 100,000
2) The number must start 100,XXX, not 99,XXX.
3) You must live in the Parish of Horndean and be happy to have a photo taken with the prize for the blog.
4) Entry to be emailed to guy.shepherd@easthants.gov.uk
5) The screen count refreshes every minute (according to WordPress) in the event two or more people have the same number then the prize will be shared.

Good luck and thank you for visiting the blog!

Any comments on the blog are always very welcome including articles that would be of interest to view here.