2020 was a record year for readership (pageviews) on this blog. Here are the previous five years (1 Jan – 31 Dec) and this year:
2020, 1,331k pageviews (with a few hours still to go)
2019, 1,139k pageviews.
2018, 898k pageviews
2017, 876k pageviews
2016, 1,254k pageviews
2015, 808k pageviews
But what of the content? Well, that’s for you to decide. Here are a few examples (nothing more) to remind you of what has passed through these pages this year:
January: So why do you want to be Secretary of State for DEFRA?
February: DEFRA’s very clear explanation
March: Nature as a source of solace, in times of corona
April: Guest blog – International Dawn Chorus Day by Chris Baines
May: And the winner is…
June: GWCT drowning not waving
July: Riddled with errors
August: Natural England and crowdfunding
September: Dear Marian Spain, CEO of Natural England
October: Guest blog – The Willow Butterfly by filbert cobb
November: More on the new general licences for England
December: Brexit deal: ten words that spell environmental damage
And those 12 examples just scratch the surface – there were all the photographs and accompanying words from such as Tim Melling, Paul Leyland, Jane V. Adams and Guy Shorrock (and others) through the year, many and varied guest blogs, book reviews and cartoons from Ralph Underhill. And thousands of varied comments from you the readers.
December was the tenth month this year with more than 100,000 pageviews in the month, and the ninth month in a row passing that threshold. December 2020 was the first December ever to pass 100,000 pageviews here.
So a very strong year in readership numbers, and that probably means somebody is interested in what is featured here. But April 2021 will mark a decade of blog writing here and some time tomorrow I’ll let you know what to expect.
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I don’t know if this is the correct place to write these comments. My apologies if it isn’t. I would just like to tell you how much I valued the two poems you have published written by Pete Howard. Poetry is a great way of getting across the importance of environmental issues. Poetry makes you think and feel deeply. After reading the poem about the wildcat I did a lot of research into the subject and re-read the poem. The poem dealt with such a lot of relevant issues. I’m hoping you will publish more of Pete Howard’s thought provoking and beautiful poetry. Pauline Sallis
Pauline – many thanks for your first comment here.
In this this age of electronic communication and ‘blogging’ my waking moments, around 6.00a.m. are, firstly (after the usual) a read of the Guardian Country Diary, always a good and reassuring read by first class correspondents, many well known to this blog. Secondly, and it is rare if it’s not there by six o’clock, your blog. In the luxury of a retired household this often generates discussion lasting through breakfast and a decision whether to make some sort of reply, flippant by me, or erudite by Lyn. The day is punctuated by reading the comments and wondering why I didn’t think of saying that! Happy New Year.
Richard – thanks for that and thanks for your comments here in 2020. Best wishes for 2021!
Richard I agree with all you say except in this retired house I’m rarely mentally alert by 0600!
Marks Blog is quite simply a must read and makes us all think and often educates us as well. Great book reviews and wonderful photos and cartoons what more could we ask?
Couldn’t agree more with Richard and Paul. There are going to be a few retired people doing a second take – and thinking back nostalgically – later in the year when they remember, again, that your blog’s not there to be read first thing. We’ll just have to savour January, February and March.