Sep 062009
Well, it seems that many locally started blogs and sites are being closed down almost as soon as they started.
I’m currently on holiday, so maybe they’re being nice and not bullying me yet. But I’ll be back bigger and badder..
Feel free to theorize and discuss here.
Glad to hear it Phil, something funny is going on, first NQH, then Sir Colin Ireland (aka Herbert) comments are deleted completely off the Gazette next thing Herbert’s blog is gone as well. Whatever happened to free speech?
Really don’t know what’s happening – or why. Unless wordpress have been served a threatening letter by someone who deems they have been “defamed” on the blog. Better be careful to criticise their actions, rather than them personally.
Hello all, Colin Ireland released a posters email address from his WordPress.com blog and posted it on the Gazette comments section.
That is why the Gazette and WordPress pulled all his posts
lies, utter lies, seasideFLID/”Researcher”
you are nothing but an excremental smear.
Just to let everyone know NQH has been in contact to say he is fine and he just wanted a break from blogging for a bit. He appreciates everyone’s kind words and in some form or other will be back.
I’m just pleased he is well.
Still rather strange though… when i want a break from work i dont burn all of my folders, format my computer and walk out without telling anyone >:(
Freedom of speech does not automatically mean anyone can say whatever they want. NQH allowed people to express their opinion but also moderated his blog. This isn’t to say he censored too much, he didn’t, but he did moderate it. He took responsibility for it and I believe the majority of posters on there respected that. NQH respected peoples right to speak their mind but also respected peoples (including his own) right to privacy. I think it was at the point where moderating the blog became more than a part time job, and there was the risk of his contacts becoming exposed, along with the threats of legal action from Political parties, Councils and Newspapers, it was at this point where NQH probably thought, you know what? Fuck this for a game of soldiers!!! and who could blame him??? certainly not me.
NQH will be back. Other bloggers are getting their legal protection in place and will be back with a vengeance. The politicians, Councils and local media need to be held to account and they will be. We all just need to keep a cool head and be patient.
Afternoon, all
I suppose I should drop by and say a quick ‘hi’ and let you all know that I am still alive.
Thanks to everyone who has expressed concern and an interest – I’m heartened to see that the blog meant something to some people, no matter how small the audience was.
As has been mentioned, I decided, on a whim, to take a bloggging holiday. Increasingly, it was something that took up quite a bit of my daily time, with researching and writing for it, dealing with emails and moderating what I could of it.
The blog had not received any threats – legal or otherwise – and so I can confidently say that this was not a reason for its closure. The blog’s email address was freely available and the right of reply was always guaranteed. Nobody has ever contacted the blog to request the removal of or to dispute articles or comments, which would obviously have warranted an appropriate response.
I tried to allow comment to be truly free – although I reserved judgement, I feel that opinions are best dealt with openly and tried to be consistent with that, no matter how much I disagreed with a particular comment.
In the end, spending three or four hours a day – way more than I ever expected to! – was just too much to spend on running the blog.
I would hope that, as the Blackpool blogosphere grows, that burden will be more evenly distributed as people find the confidence to speak up and blog. I firmly believe that this can only be a good thing for Blackpool, if people find their voice, start to ask questions, share their opinions and importantly, hold those in positions of authority to account.
Good to see your name on a blog again NQH!
Ahem.. So when can we expect BTNL to be around again? or are you giving up..?
If it was getting too much, just make less posts. PhilTheOne hardly ever updates but the blogs still a good read haha.
Oh how nice to hear from you I had been trying to find out what the hell had happended, I was starting to think the worse, hope you’re back soon.
Maybe we should agree to try and share the burden so no-one’s spending too much time?
Paul Daniels, (odious goblin that he is), is right; in fact he has shown remarkable restraint. The town is an obscene festering slum plagued by some of the most revolting species of pond life known to man: freaks, weirdoes, paedophiles, drunks, druggies, thugs, chavs, hoodies, thieves, pimps, retards, robber, vagrant, autards, lollops in buggies abound the town, contributing nothing but misery to the many locals who have been let down by successive generations of Masonic worshipping councillors who are bereft of any planning vision. The undynamic Callow duo aka the Fallows, (cartoon characters out of the Simpsons), are simply way over their miniscule heads. The rate of regeneration is so slow, that within 10 years Preston will have eclipsed Blackpool by 2 regenerations whilst the new “world class” council offices are still being built. Most of these schemes were started by Labour (much as I hate them, and where was Peter Callow demanding that we should have a plan B during the casino bid?).The Fallows should retire to their intended new home on the Moss/Pontins site.
WAKE UP PEOPLE, turn that unjustified pride into anger and demand the exit of these useless people, e.g. Steve weaver, Doug Garrett & Alan Cavill along with the equally useless MP, Gordon Marsden. Vote ANYONE except Tory or Labour in 2010, before Blackpool falls so badly behind, it will never recover.
I could almost believe Herbie has been reborn under the name of John Horrox. Haven’t seen a good old rant like that for days.
Good to hear from NQH. Glad you are OK my friend.
Good to see you back NQH, excellent comment John Horrox. But don’t give Labour credit for the regeneration, most of their ‘grand’ schemes are incomplete (Houndshill, phase 2 cancelled by Fisher), scaled down (people’s playground, Talbot Gateway) or just non-existent (casino with no plan B). I never supported the casino but those useless jobsworths Fisher and Weaver should have considered alternatives instead of slamming the door on them. Then Brown the Clown promised us a ‘substantial’ package, kicking us in the balls with a load of old money repackaged and Marsden did nothing about it, if we had a Tory Government, Marsden would be raising hell, he is just a sheep.
apologies TB,nu labour = scum, as always!
Glad to hear it, I just jump at a chance to rip Labour to pieces. But I completely agree with your comment. I think we should get an elected Mayor like Doncaster who actually has administrative powers unlike the pointless elite ‘ceremonial’ position it is now reserved for ‘long serving councillors’ no matter how useless a councillor they are.
Now your are talking, marsden out 2010!
Hi All,
Glad to see that we can still have a bit of a say, about what has been happening around Blackpool…
Well Callow is going to town to sack as meny of the torys that don’t agree with him and his way’s , that prat from Manchester turned tail, didn’t even defind his findings , I see that the Callows are trying to put all the blame on councilors that really do make a differance in Blackpool, so that they may keep control , and continue to backstab any and all that gets in thier way…
Ron bell has lost interest in almost everything and is going down the same path as the Callow’s, Fowler well what can be said there ??? just a lap dog to the Callows , he still won’t admit that he proposed the minutes that had that first £5,000 donation on ..
And of course won’t admit that he has a vested interest in the plans going forward so he can get the scaffolding job on the site …
Like i’v said in the past this lot needs to go and some one with some thing about them needs to get in and start afresh perhaps Jo public will be able to trust councilors again ….
Now did everyone sign the Callows secret council meetings act ?????
Again school yard play time antics ….