Gerry Hassan in Top Scottish Blog Vote
Gerry Hassan
February 2nd 2010
The Scottish Blog awards today gave their verdict on the best journalist and mainstream blogs in Scotland http://scottishroundup.co.uk/2010/02/02/top-journalists-mainstream-media-blogs/ putting me in an honourable third place, behind Alex Massie of The Spectator and with the winner Joan McAlpine – with Go Lassie Go, a site whose praises I was only singing last week!
As a bit of a novice at this and just beginning to find my feet I am a bit chuffed to find myself in third place. That’s like having a proper hit single in the days when you used to be able to have one! Fascinating to see whom I am ahead of in terms of Scottish heavyweights, Iain Macwhirter (no. 4), Brian Taylor (no. 5), Lesley Riddoch (no. 8), and Douglas Fraser (no. 10).
These are all big hitters and either current or ex-BBC Scotland staffers, and perhaps a bit establishment orientated and predictable in their views; Taylor for example is BBC Scotland’s main Political Editor and his blog, ‘Blether with Brian’ has its fans, but I have always thought it does not say very much of interest or controversy because you have to be like that working for the Beeb, and also because Taylor is someone with fairly anodyne views about most politics.
Well done to Scottish Roundup and Duncan Stephen for organising this set of awards, which have really given a wide, varied and revealing account of different parts of Scotland, from the cookery awards to the photograph ones and the local history sites. I have to confess until last night I didn’t know the story of the first Glasgow Airport http://exceptthekylesandwesternisles.blogspot.com/2009/12/renfrew-airport-that-disappeared.html which was based at Abbotsinch and ran from 1954-66 with its terminal standing derelict until 1978. I had just thought Abbotsinch was the original name of Glasgow Airport.
Great stuff and there is still more to come this week. Who needs the Grammys and the Oscars when we can have such excitement in our own nation?
