bitternepark.info celebrates its tenth birthday this year. In this audio, Catherine Wright chats to editor Guy Phillips about buggies, bombs, and some of the other highlights over the last decade – as well as some plans for the site's future.
Running the website involves sitting in front of computer screens a lot of the time – but it also involves getting out and about to meet people, going to lots of community and council meetings, and trying to cover events when they happen, like the bomb scare in May 2014, which saw us rush to the scene by bicycle! And fortunately lots of people send in photos and stories about the area all the time, which helps make the coverage more complete.
We try not to talk about ourselves too much - but hey: we are ten!
So if you're so minded, use the player below or click to hear Catherine Wright chatting with Guy Phillips about bitternepark.info's first decade. This was recorded on October 12, 2015.
There are links below to some of the articles mentioned in the piece, which should open in a new window, so if you wish you can browse while listening.
Bitterne Park roads sealed off due to 'suspicious package' - May 2014
Bicycle proved the ideal means of transport to cover this development!
Your buggy?
It probably wouldn't make the local paper!
Economic benefits of expanding airport questioned - October 2005
The web offered the means to communicate entire speeches verbatim for people who couldn't get to what was a very busy community meeting at Bitterne Park secondary School. Of course, photography wasn't very good back then!
Save our library! - January 2007
We've been covering, attempts to reduce hours or close our local library, and other city libraries, fairly comprehensively for eight years. Cobbett will shut from April 2016 if no one comes forward to run it.
Bitterne Parker - May 2014 - June 2015
Our popular Sunday Q&A column with local people. Will it return? We don't know.
Fury over Cobden Bridge toll plan - April 2008
Funny how news about these kinds of schemes often gets broken in April.
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New Cobden Bridge troll plan - April 2010
What?
Hydro scheme may incorporate park and ride - April 2012
The Woodmill hydro barrage will look something like the Barrage de Saint Maur Des Fossés in the south eastern suburbs of Paris (France).
Photo under CC2 by besopha
Fury at bridge closure plan - April 2015
One little word. Fury. That's all.
Animation: L. Weedy
Audio: Take a tour of historic St Denys - October 2015
Primrose wars! Listen up - this one's serious. An intriguing 40-minute tour of the suburb...
Audio: Remembering Bitterne Park 1925-1940. Published March 2008.
This series of interviews has received thousands of hits. We used to use mini discs for audio 'back then'. Remember mini discs? (They were actually pretty good.)
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Win dinner for two at Il Picchio courtesy of Enfields, coffee & cake at Il Picchio, and a family fish and chip supper from Charlie's for those taking our ten year reader survey and entering a prize draw. Tempted already? Click here to start straight away.