WELL, what an interesting week with the cyber fall-out over my blog “Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to Bournemouth?”.
The blog was picked up by the journalists’ website, Hold The Front Page, who lit the blue touch paper on Monday with an article headlined: “Former regional daily editor likens job to ‘toilet roll’” and retired. The article was swiftly picked up by several other websites and discussion boards.
That, in turn, prompted some interesting on-line comments and several emails too – an interesting mix of positive and negative - from former colleagues, journalists, business contacts and friends.
The negative fall-out came from several characters who had clearly seen the HTFP article but who had not read the blog. Had they done so, they would have recognised the light-hearted, mocking mood it was written. The clue was the amusing photograph of Blakey from “On The Buses” and the irreverent tone of the article.
The angry writers conveniently forgot the HTFP article posted weeks earlier on their website (the link was provided within Monday's HTFP article) when I was quoted as saying: “I have thoroughly enjoyed editing the Swindon Advertiser and was privileged to work with a very talented team of journalists.” They are comments which still hold true, but then you only read what you want to read, don’t you?
Fortunately, I received unexpected support on HTFP from former Birmingham Mail editor, Steve Dyson in his well-respected blog “Dyson At Large”. On Wednesday, Steve was complimentary about my editorship at the Adver, but he also described how he “laughed out loud” at the blog for the “self-deprecating accuracy” of my toilet roll description.
To clarify one point which cropped up in Steve’s blog, I resigned from the Swindon Advertiser – I wasn’t made redundant, I wasn’t sacked, I didn’t even jump before I was pushed – although any pay-out after 11 years with Newsquest would have been nice! No, I resigned from the paper on principle and it was amicable. Those who needed to know were told the reasons why I resigned before I left.
What was interesting about the whole experience was how fast the cyber world moves. The blog was posted to my friends and contacts on Facebook and Linkedin, as well as to my four illustrious Twitter followers, yet very soon Toiletrollgate became the number one read story on HTFP.
My blog is in the public domain and so it is fair game. I just wish that those who choose to comment and let fly with their brickbats, do so accurately and informed, while understanding the context of the article in the first place.
- Thank you to everyone for their kinds emails about Ross. He went back to school this week and we are seeing the doctors next Wednesday. This new phenomenon of typing random words onto his laptop seems to know no bounds with Ross writing new words each day such as "penguin", "monkey", "bicycle", "puzzle" and "crayon". This does provide plenty of hope for the future and on Sunday we will be celebrating my son's 14th birthday.
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