Well, it's got to be success of a kind - six weeks after the launch of personal Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/wordsmithforhire/ it's notched up its 150th visitor.
This may not seem too great in the grand scheme of things but for a site with 20-odd images of a fairly random nature it ain't bad. My opinion of spreadin the word via the internet is quickly being coloured brightly by the power of social media.
This new-found enthusiasm - or more accurately the evangelistic streak it's triggered - has led to Swansea Council and Dyfed Powys Police requesting reports into the pro's and cons of them using platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. That's work in progress ... so thanks to the creatives at Cult Cymru who introduced me to the power of e-marketing.
This way of communicating seems so essential that the days of simply putting a newspaper together on a daily or weekly basis seem distinctly old hat. Not that nostalgia doesn't kick in every now and again. Indeed, yesterday I was commissioned to pen a few hundred words on my time as editor of the Llanelli Star. The paper is celebrating its centenary this year and plans a supplement to mark the fact.
Good luck to all - and here's the poetry they've had from me.
Andy Pearson
Llanelli Star editor, Oct 2002-April 2006
It was early one October day seven years ago that I drove into town for the first time as editor of the Llanelli Star. Too early.
At 8am, it seemed, the town was still snuggled up in its autumn duvet. The traffic was limited to one car – mine – and the pedestrian throng along the chicanery of Stepney Place, Upper Robinson Street and Murray Street numbered one living being. It had four legs and was sniffing a lamppost.
Having been based in bigger towns and cities for the previous 19 years, with visits to Llanelli restricted to Stradey Park Saturdays, the initial reaction was: “Bloody hell, what’ve you got yerself into here, my boy?”
A whole can of worms, that’s what! The rugby club faced falling off Welsh rugby’s top tier, hospital bosses had gone anti-media due to a tragic story that had (damagingly) gone global, the burghers of Burry Port were tamping that there wasn’t enough Burry Port news in the paper … and the county council were deluging journalists’ in-boxes with wordy press releases about blue boxes.
The surface didn’t need too much scratching to reveal that every human drama, every Establishment conceit and every type of joyous occasion was there - ready to be reported, edited and headlined.
What fabulous fun! We helped win the long, bitter battle that kept the Scarlets in top-flight sport, we gave more localised pages to the people of Porth Tywyn, the Gwendraeth Valley and those on the dark side of the Loughor Bridge, we rebuilt bridges with the NHS and we virtually eradicated the use of repetitious PR snaps featuring the grins of County Hall big-wigs.
Magical supplements were introduced featuring the faces, thoughts and memories of thousands of local people. Circulation rose.
The secret? Nothing more than a motivated, eager, competent, friendly staff knowing what was the singlemost crucial thing in their working lives – the man on the street.
The Star staff of 2002-06 deserve praise as does every Star reader of that time. It was due to them – and the paper winning a newspaper trade national competition – that my last front page carried the headline: “Simply the best … your Star!”
Andy is based in Swansea and runs his own editorial services and public relations company, Hope Street Media. He’s written two books – including Faces of Stradey Park - and would love to hear from old Llanelli acquaintances. Check out his blog!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Be Bop Da Jig - look out for 'em!
It's always a joy to get involved with another wonderful creative force - and Be Bop Da Jig are certainly one of those.
They came to me via an acquaintance who makes a living as one of Wales' most inventive prop makers (www.propmaker.co.uk) - so a round of applause for Mr Jason Hicks!
They also came to me via a gig one of the quartet was playing down Gower way. Dan James hadn't been here for long but he'd already discovered the magnificent watering holes that are The Joiners in Bishopston and The Railway in Killay. He's a Real Cider drinker (like Real Ale but with bits of core left in, I guess) and had heard all about Swansea's finest boozers.
The point of Jason putting us in touch was to promote a gug by Dan's Be Bop Da Jig at the end of this month in Monmouth. The wheels are in motion for some decent Press, with press releases having just gone to a bunch of newspapers in and around Monmouthshire, Gwent, Cardiff, Powys, Gloucs and Bristol. Hope you get some media hits, Dan.
With just a hint of journalistic licence, Dan is now being bigged up as "one of Wales' most thrilling folk troubadors" lining up a gig during the forthcoming Monmouth Festival week (July 24-Aug 1).
Strings specialist Dan is due to play the historic border town's Bridges Centre on Friday, July 31.
Blaenavon-based James will be with his four-piece Be Bop Da Jig whose other members are Blackwood double bass man Steve Tarner, Cardiff keyboards wizard Gareth Hall and celebrated Gilwern saxophonist Martha Skelton.
James, whose summer performances will cover 13 English and Welsh counties, reckons that Be Bop Da Jig fuse folk and modern jazz with blues. Sounds like a genuinely intoxicating formula and they've delighted audiences all over the place, from Mr Wolf’s Noodle Bar in Bristol to Thetford's White Hart, one of East Anglia's folk hotspots.
With the stunning line-up they now have, they're relishing the prospect of playing somewhere closer to home. The Monmouth date comes the night after a show at Cardiff's Millennium Centre and just over a week before they play the Brecon Jazz fringe.
Be Bop Da Jig's flourishing and eclectic soundscape has brought a growing reputation. A CD is available through music stores, at gigs and via the web - www.myspace.com/danjamesmandocello. BBC Radio Gloucestershire's famed Johnny Coppin called it "a fine album, with good energy."
Be Bop Da Jig receive regular airplay on Blaenau Gwent internet TV platform Brfm.Tv which also plans to broadcast the Monmouth gig.
Full-time professional folk musician and singer Dan James plays ancient stringed instrument the mandocello and the seven-string guitar. He is half of folk duo Miln & James and part of ceilidh trio Brand F.
He was singer/songwriter with the folk rockers Reincarnation, was a member of seminal folk band Firebrand and was guitarist with jazz outfit The Gareth Hall Quintet.
Dan has played the Glastonbury Festival five times and has performed as far afield as Jersey and Scotland. He appears on highly regarded compilation CDs A Feast of Folk and Best of British Folk alongside such luminaries as Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and Kathryn Tickell.
More info www.myspace.com/danjamesmandocello, www.monmouthfestival.co.uk, www.breconjazz.org
They came to me via an acquaintance who makes a living as one of Wales' most inventive prop makers (www.propmaker.co.uk) - so a round of applause for Mr Jason Hicks!
They also came to me via a gig one of the quartet was playing down Gower way. Dan James hadn't been here for long but he'd already discovered the magnificent watering holes that are The Joiners in Bishopston and The Railway in Killay. He's a Real Cider drinker (like Real Ale but with bits of core left in, I guess) and had heard all about Swansea's finest boozers.
The point of Jason putting us in touch was to promote a gug by Dan's Be Bop Da Jig at the end of this month in Monmouth. The wheels are in motion for some decent Press, with press releases having just gone to a bunch of newspapers in and around Monmouthshire, Gwent, Cardiff, Powys, Gloucs and Bristol. Hope you get some media hits, Dan.
With just a hint of journalistic licence, Dan is now being bigged up as "one of Wales' most thrilling folk troubadors" lining up a gig during the forthcoming Monmouth Festival week (July 24-Aug 1).
Strings specialist Dan is due to play the historic border town's Bridges Centre on Friday, July 31.
Blaenavon-based James will be with his four-piece Be Bop Da Jig whose other members are Blackwood double bass man Steve Tarner, Cardiff keyboards wizard Gareth Hall and celebrated Gilwern saxophonist Martha Skelton.
James, whose summer performances will cover 13 English and Welsh counties, reckons that Be Bop Da Jig fuse folk and modern jazz with blues. Sounds like a genuinely intoxicating formula and they've delighted audiences all over the place, from Mr Wolf’s Noodle Bar in Bristol to Thetford's White Hart, one of East Anglia's folk hotspots.
With the stunning line-up they now have, they're relishing the prospect of playing somewhere closer to home. The Monmouth date comes the night after a show at Cardiff's Millennium Centre and just over a week before they play the Brecon Jazz fringe.
Be Bop Da Jig's flourishing and eclectic soundscape has brought a growing reputation. A CD is available through music stores, at gigs and via the web - www.myspace.com/danjamesmandocello. BBC Radio Gloucestershire's famed Johnny Coppin called it "a fine album, with good energy."
Be Bop Da Jig receive regular airplay on Blaenau Gwent internet TV platform Brfm.Tv which also plans to broadcast the Monmouth gig.
Full-time professional folk musician and singer Dan James plays ancient stringed instrument the mandocello and the seven-string guitar. He is half of folk duo Miln & James and part of ceilidh trio Brand F.
He was singer/songwriter with the folk rockers Reincarnation, was a member of seminal folk band Firebrand and was guitarist with jazz outfit The Gareth Hall Quintet.
Dan has played the Glastonbury Festival five times and has performed as far afield as Jersey and Scotland. He appears on highly regarded compilation CDs A Feast of Folk and Best of British Folk alongside such luminaries as Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and Kathryn Tickell.
More info www.myspace.com/danjamesmandocello, www.monmouthfestival.co.uk, www.breconjazz.org
Friday, July 17, 2009
August 16 - the future starts here
Exciting things are happening down the National Union of Journalists' Swansea and District branch.
Instead of suffering the recession in silence, NUJ members are exploring new ways of creating work (with pay!) for journalists.
As branch chairman, I've been involved in early explorations into the idea of a co-operative enterprise. They have resulted in some innovative thinking and a summer timetable for encouraging progress.
Now members are being invited to a groundbreaking August 16 gathering which will decide on the best business model(s) to pursue. It could be the start of the future so I've urged members to make every effort to attend: the more bright minds we bring together the more feasible a business model we'll devise.
The meeting will be in the form of a brainstorming session open to all NUJ branch members who would consider contributing or getting involved in the practical work of setting up a media co-operative. The venue is the Swansea Sub-aqua and Yacht Club, Pockett's Wharf, East Burrows Road, Swansea SA1 1RE.
The background to all this is that the recession means lost jobs in the traditional media and fewer freelance opportunities. It also creates opportunities. Could a co-op be the way forward? There’s a demand for news & info so why don’t we – the experts - supply it and make a fair living from it? Could we run a grassroots-up network using agreed union rates?
Did you know? Associated Press – the global news agency serving multi-media platforms - is a co-op. New Internationalist, the London-based social affairs mag, is a co-op as is Wisconsin’s 70-year-old weekly Inter-County Leader (7,000 circ, 75 payroll)
There’s enthusiasm for exploring Swansea and District co-op opportunities, a pool of skilled journalists and a lot of niches. Key questions include - What niche? Can we fill gaps left by established media?
What market do we go for? How will revenues be generated? Agency? Publication? New media? Rather than starting an enterprise from scratch, could we buy-out a company, run it along co-op lines & develop new-media lines?
Intersting - and encouragingly - there's UN, UK & Wales support network for co-ops. Individual support/encouragement indicated by co-ops across the UK.
Ideas on a postcard, please ...
Instead of suffering the recession in silence, NUJ members are exploring new ways of creating work (with pay!) for journalists.
As branch chairman, I've been involved in early explorations into the idea of a co-operative enterprise. They have resulted in some innovative thinking and a summer timetable for encouraging progress.
Now members are being invited to a groundbreaking August 16 gathering which will decide on the best business model(s) to pursue. It could be the start of the future so I've urged members to make every effort to attend: the more bright minds we bring together the more feasible a business model we'll devise.
The meeting will be in the form of a brainstorming session open to all NUJ branch members who would consider contributing or getting involved in the practical work of setting up a media co-operative. The venue is the Swansea Sub-aqua and Yacht Club, Pockett's Wharf, East Burrows Road, Swansea SA1 1RE.
The background to all this is that the recession means lost jobs in the traditional media and fewer freelance opportunities. It also creates opportunities. Could a co-op be the way forward? There’s a demand for news & info so why don’t we – the experts - supply it and make a fair living from it? Could we run a grassroots-up network using agreed union rates?
Did you know? Associated Press – the global news agency serving multi-media platforms - is a co-op. New Internationalist, the London-based social affairs mag, is a co-op as is Wisconsin’s 70-year-old weekly Inter-County Leader (7,000 circ, 75 payroll)
There’s enthusiasm for exploring Swansea and District co-op opportunities, a pool of skilled journalists and a lot of niches. Key questions include - What niche? Can we fill gaps left by established media?
What market do we go for? How will revenues be generated? Agency? Publication? New media? Rather than starting an enterprise from scratch, could we buy-out a company, run it along co-op lines & develop new-media lines?
Intersting - and encouragingly - there's UN, UK & Wales support network for co-ops. Individual support/encouragement indicated by co-ops across the UK.
Ideas on a postcard, please ...
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