Hard to believe, but ten years ago this month our good host Mr CU - who is too modest to sing his own praises - kicked off the mighty C@W with this deathless piece ...
... the first of 3,876 posts! And millions of hits. Yes, it certainly got motoring once he hit his stride and found his natural (and rather eclectic) audience with its highly congenial hardcore of opinionated frequent-flyers.
Wow. Where would you all be without a regular spot of C@W, eh?
In many ways, 2006-ish was the heyday of good old amateur blogging. Guido, Dale and ConHome were showing the way and not so much trying to make money from it, even if they had their agenda. The Left was nowhere to be seen. There were our old mates Croydonian and Newmania and Dizzy and Alice Cook and Hatfield Girl and Tuscan Tony; and Mutley the Dog, and Idle, and the Hitch ... remember them? - and the dirty Devil busy in his Kitchen; and Scotton Pinkney was flourishing. We'd get a link on Peston or Robinson at the Beeb and thousands of hits would come deluging in (before they black-listed us, the bastards! And who reads Pesto now?) Egad, one could reminisce for a whole coffee-break.
Or maybe over a beer? It has been known. Watch this space.
Anyhow: a big hand for Dom, the founder of the feast - and Many Thanks to All Our Readers, without whose fine retorts and brilliant banter we would never have kept it up. (How those tumbleweed bloggers keep going is beyond me.) Keep coming, keep contributing, and we'll try to keep you entertained.
ND
31 comments:
Happy Anniversary
Seriously, thanks very much indeed. Perhaps, like most, I stumbled round these parts accidentally from Colonel Von Fawkes' place - ooh, back in late 2007 I guess. It became rather obvious that whilst the subjects posted were serious, strategic and in many case, scary as hell - that the prose was both comedic and inquisitive.
A shit load has happened in those 10 years - through Blair, Brown, Coalition, Cameron and now May. In 2007, a £billion was a lot of money (in economic terms) whereas now it's spent on footy players. We've gone through 30 or 90 day detention, ID cards, QE, 2 referenda (3 in Scotland), Credit Crunch and global recessions, BRICs being the future, Obama and his hopey change, interest rate bottoming, pound devaluing, Abenomics and now Brexit.
I'm not sure a more opportune moment could have been picked to create this noble and august institution. But as an avid reader and keen political anorak - I sincerely and from the bottom of my bottom thank you. It's been amazing fun and a genuine thrill to learn from your erudite and sagastic commenters and submitters. I think it's fair to say, I've learnt more from coming here on a macro level than any publication on the net.
Thanks in huge abundance.
DtP
Although I comment highly infrequently, C@W is basically my first blog read of the day—long may it continue!
See you at the next drinks session, as per... ;-)
DK
Happy anniversary from Timbo as well.
I don't know how I found you initially, but I was reading intensively about finance and banks and all that stuff about the numbers being too big. I was also very angry just after the FC, I had been forced to pay a huge amount (for me) of tax 'n' stuff but when the banks were in the $hit, "they" just printed 350 Billion to dig them out of it, litterally 3 days after I survived by handing the tax-man my cheque! What was the point of me desperately finding 47K compared to 350 Bn of free money for banks! I wanted to know more...
Anyway, back then and still now I was impressed to find a blog where the authors actually interacted and comunicated with the commenters even to the point of inviting them out for a drink! Most financial blogs someone prints their opinion and you like it or lump it.
Thanks guys, I have learned a lot and although I don't say so much anymore I pop in here every day :)
So Anniversay drinkies... unless really important not to I'll make it this time!
All the best, Timbo.
bon anniversaire,
As a long time lurker, I can't profess to having contributed to the community here. However I hope I can speak up on behalf of those of us who are less vocal than others (ahem!) and express my thanks to our hosts.
I think it was probably Devil's Kitchen who initially turned my attention on to the blogs several years back, so lots of thanks to Chris for many entertaining rants. (and wasn't there a lot to rant about!) I hope life is treating you well...
From thence onwards to Burning Our Money and Tim Worstalls blog among many many others, some of which have not stood the test of time. Somewhere in between, I came across here and have never left.
Like many, I have received an education of the kind that you would be hard pushed to find anywhere, whether it be on economics, finance, the monetary system or the intricacies of vertically integrated energy markets!
And none of this would have lasted, or been as entertaining, were it not for the many intelligent, informative ,and, sometimes, obstreperous commentators.
As DTP mentioned above, we have been through some interesting times. I have no doubt that there will be many more to come.
So a toast to all of you, it's really appreciated.
Congrats, onwards and upwards.
Scotton Pinkney started it all for me, and it was such fun too!
But for serious stuff, C@W got the old ball rolling with Guido and Dale as well.
I didn't realise that Hitch was a real man until I met Lilith, and she confided...
But does anyone remember 'Throne Out'?
Back then, you could learn several new words/facts/thoughts a day (and disbelieve them)!
Scrobs started soon afterwards, so that made it all worse I suppose..;0)
Thanks all and thanks Nick. We literally would not do it without the comments and hits...so keep 'em coming.
I'm almost completely under the thumb these days, so while there's little more than zero chance of being allowed to catch the Easyjet down for a drink - congratulations!
It was 2007 or so I started coming here. I think I've had four blogs come and go in that time. I do envy your commitment, and hope to be still coming here in 2026.
Were you really blacklisted by the BBC? They're even more deranged than I thought.
I agree with the comments above, I've been a reader and occasional commenter for years and tend to look in most days. My favourite memory is CU anticipating the Cameron/Clegg deal before the 2010 election. I thought he was dreaming and, err, then learned the error of my ways.
Please keep it up. Much appreciated.
Congratulations. You chaps have been blogging longer than I've been retired.
Congratulations. Regular visitor but rarely comment. When I first came across you there were some wonderfully funny posts about Gordon Brown. I suppose comedy opportunities like that only come along once in a lifetime (with any luck).
Well done indeed.
A daily must read.
And I must admit, my prose may have been slightly influenced, albeit subconsciously, over the years...
Congratulations Guys and a Huge thanks to you and the commentators. Came in 2007 from Guido I think? And never left (like my viewpoint:-) It's been an absolute education. Thanks
How can an economics blog be a hoot ? But C@W certainly is !!!
Well done all. And Very well done CU !
(Come back Blue !)
Michael - I went back-packing and bivvying with Hitch. He stayed at my house a couple of times. (Seriously) In fact we bivvied in Liliths garden once (now there's a name for a book.)
We also started a fire on her patio. (Sorry Lilith - and Elby)
He's ex SAS (territorials) An EXTREMELY individualistic character. He once had Peter Hitchens (the real one) banging on the door of his flat because Hitch's site called The Real Peter Hitchens caused protest and near rioting outside the Daily Mail offices in Derry Street.
I have never known (in my entire life - and I speak as an ex Fleet Street/Barts Medical bar dwelling copper) known anyone drink dawn to midnight as he does/did.
As I was getting up from my digs in the pub garden at dawn (ready to do tea and toast) I saw a hand reach out from under his tarp and grab for a bottle of cider.
The intention was for us to be in the wilds and not in a pub garden at all, btw.
I do not know if he is still alive even. I shall attempt to reignite contact (it's been well over a year now.)
10 years and never a dull moment... congratulations to you all.
(I was hoping for some cartesian asides on Hinkley Point after Theresa May's side swipe at Hollande - "the Government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and will make its decision..." followed by - to his face, the great French-trained enarque - "I have just become Prime Minister. It is my method.", but ND you remained straight faced.
I'm not sure if you have many female "fans" but I'm one and I've had a good laugh on many occasions plus you've given me a real insight into lots of stuff. I think I arrived via Robert Peston back during the credit crunch...not sure now...as you say where is he now?. If I were still in the world of work I doubt if I'd have the time to read it but it's definitely one of my favourites.
Can I add my congrats? Always an erudite, informed, good humoured and reader-focused read, with real meat under the burger bun
Keep it up!
Congratulations ladies and gents,
A well deserved milestone.
Like one or two have said here, although I don't comment nearly as much as I used to - and I think I've been here almost since day one - the C@W new post alert is the only one I never ignore. The posts and the comments mix well and it always an interesting, jovial read. As someone who works in construction (office-based, natch.) and hasn't got a clue about the more intricate financial posts, the commentary doesn't leave us philistines floundering and feeling like idiots...that's not as common a quality as you might imagine.
Pip pip!
Thanks, all
Jan - not only legions of female fans (+: but 3 ladies have even graced some of our occasional blog-drink sessions! (and lived to tell the tale)
YDG - yep, after a time all links to C@W were instantly deleted by the Beeb-blog machine, so quickly it must have been automated (or a moderator with nothing else to do). We also used to be on the FT blogroll, but that dropped off as well
Mike f - yup, there was something about the Blair/Brown era that could well have contributed to politico-blogging actually getting off the ground: just so much in their regimes to be mocked and abused (I started by posting satirical doggerel on Guido) which Cameron could never really match
HG - never fear, there is more to come on Hinkley: lots of it. And on Mrs M too, I do believe: there's something, hmmm, odd going on in there - or rather, not-going-on: this business of repeating the same points, line-by-line, after several weeks ... hmmm
"not only legions of female fans (+: but 3 ladies have even graced some of our occasional blog-drink sessions! (and lived to tell the tale)"
Sorry to disappoint - it may have only been 2 ladies (p'rhaps fewer)
**confession alert** - one was me in drag. I was too ashamed to come without disguise.
God, those stilettos are killers ! Never buy at Primark - not even for a one-night stand.
Blimey, Kev, I went to one of those piss-ups. That explains everything ...
We also used to be on the FT blogroll, but that dropped off as well
You're still on the FT Alphaville one, not always on the front page, but still there every time you click 'view complete list'.
For those that might care I've a horrible feeling that the worst has happened to Hitch/Beast of Clerkenwell/Beast.
I know he'd been a very ill man but it has been some while since he responded to emails and his telephone is now disconnected. I'm pretty sure I wasn't so bad that he'd go to such lengths to avoid me - or maybe so.
A nice fella and often very thoughtful and generous despite his robust blog persona.
Cider for breakfast is never a good sign in a middle aged man. He commented on one of my blogs once back in 2007, I was really chuffed :(
Thanks for the update, Kev. Feels like obituary-time, even if hopefully not.
NK first popped up, IIRC, on Guido's comment strands as "David Cameron MP" (sic), and there was another moniker (which I've forgotten) before he settled on "The Real Peter Hitchens", then Hitch etc
You could always tell because his style was so utterly distinctive, just overflowing with manic & restless creativity and a biting wit. His reactions were fast, too - any rejoinder that piqued him would get an instant and very funny response, either scathing (frequently) or, if it provided impetus to his line of thought, another massive shove forward, in some unexpected direction
The first engagement between him and Mutley (on Guido) was a thing to treasure
I met him (blogwise) in the cause of Scotton Pinkney where we knocked a few sparks off; and then in person (at Lilith's & Elby's, of course). Nil nisi bonum etc - but he'd be the first to admit to a self-destructive tendency
But the humour, oh, the humour ..!
I get you Nick.
It goes back further. NK was a co-writer of a blog called C***s Corner where he warmed up for Guido.
I know he ended up sharing a real office with Guido (and his tech man) though I don't think he was co-writing that blog.
I was a regular visitor on The Real Peter Hitchens when eventually he asked me to contact via email and then in person. A scary moment - eventually a bit like meeting the Wizard of Oz for the first time.
He seemed to hit the balance between barely legible prose but with rapier like wit - pure, raw intelligence.
He also put me in contact with one of his oldest friends over a credit card fraud I was victim of but worse was the hounding (and credit problems) I was getting from the leading collection company that had bought it. This chap told me all of NK's past was utterly true. "Now what of this debt ?" I told him the details and within a day it had been sorted.
It's always good to have friends in low places - especially non bullshitters.
The self destructive tendency you mention, ND ? Yes. I feel utterly guilty about buying drink but also not being available when it mattered. I know I could go the same way unfettered by job and family commitment - but I thoroughly enjoyed my time getting blitzed with Hitch.
NK informed me that Mutley was a long standing personal friend of Guido.
Mutley - Another great void left in the blogosphere. Things were never quite the same after his passing.
Dear old Mutley's moving on left a great hole in gorgeous fun-blasted blogging.
He was a masterpiece, and I don't think anyone has filled the void he left so young.
Elecs, Lilith told me once that Hitch was quite capable of punching a hole in a wall, and he did once...
So that's another Wayfarer Deluxe caravan demolished while the bell-tower is also rapidly demolished by that super chap (Modo) who was best able to - er - demolish things!
Nick, you used to be able to spring so many funny surprises there, so I hope that you happily survived, at least able to write with one hand (The other either tinctured or in a sling from various onslaughts from said person above..;0)
Scrobs: I have long since relinquished the freehold on No.9, The Ovaries, after the Hitch and I (and his Bulgarian uncle Григор) suffered so grievously at the hands of Dennis Legge and the 'gas main explosion' (unproven, but we all know it was him)
the days of writing songs for the village panto are past, and Fuller can whistle for it
the one consolation is the attentive nursing Hitch received afterwards at the hands of Heather Mills
my regards to Bunty when you see her
Scrobs - I'll raise a pint of Old Lesbian Ale to that !
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