Many happy returns
And so here we are. Well done, everyone. We have been collectively writing this computerised record of events and impressions for an entire year now. I don’t want to sound too much like an Oscar winner because it’s a dubious achievement to have rattled on about myself for 365 days straight. But thanks to all of you who have left comments, right from the outset when I was surprised by the response to the very first entry, a year ago today. Perhaps it is a bit pathetic to be so uplifted by the responses of complete- or near-strangers to some largely underwhelming thoughts, but hey, we all like to feel important. And on that note, especial thanks to the people who have become unwisely fixated on the continued unbrokenness of this blog, and in some cases staked unwise amounts of their mental health on the successful outcome of the (quite frequent) 11.30-midnight blogwatches. And yes, I do mean ‘especial’. It’s a word. This blog’s always been about learning something rather than just having fun, eh kids?
Rather than ending on this self-and-generally-congratulatory note, I’d like to let you know that if you’re not able to come to the live Radio 4 show next week, or not willing to for that matter, you can nevertheless pitch in by going to this link:
http://y2u.be/5QhVZ50kbGk
The theme of the show is Ambition and we’re asking for your stories of successful, or massively misguided, ambitions. Have you done anything really impressive or really awful as a result of ambition? Etc. There’s also a youtube clip asking for contributions along the same lines, but by now the page will have filled up with personal abuse, I expect.
But let’s not end on that note. It’s been a lovely year. May the remaining nine be equally satisfying all round. Thanks for reading.
Posted by James on February 23, 2011
I’m very late to this, but still; better late than never. Happy Blogiversary.
I’ve met many great people through this blog. And realised that one of the skills I am lacking, is a cake-making one.
As everyone else has already said, this blog is great. Well done Mark.
I will make a cake every day until the next blogiversary, so I can get it just right. I will probably eat the cakes every day as well.
Actually, I’m all booked up for eating cake next year. So happy blogiversary for next year as well.
I’m sure you’ll understand.
Cake.
Posted by Maddie on February 23, 2011
A very belated happy blogiversary!
My lack of internet has left me rather behind and somewhat absent, but I am still here!
Woop woop!
Posted by Kevin Scollick on February 18, 2011
I used to live in Kent. I am now a school teacher so its a bit of a grey area, but Rod Hull and emu were childhood heroes of mine. He used to hold garden fetes and potter around Sittingbourne high street. I was awestruck – the pink windmill, grotbags, there’s somebody at the door…anyway me and some boys from school were waiting outside the train station – we were about 10 years of age as I recall. We saw rod hull on the Sittingbourne to London Victor platform with a holdhall reading a paper. I WAS A MASSIVE ROD HULL FAN – I MEAN MASSIVE….HE WAS LIKE A LIST CELEBRITY TO A TEN YEAR OLD! I went over and asked him for an autograph and I think it was his wife sort of acted like a bouncer and said he was busy. I could see he wasn’t. I collected autographs when I was a kid and I thought he was a bit off with me. There was a phone booth outside and I phoned my nan and grandad to tell them “You’ll never guess who is at the station…” I was on cloud nine. Then Mark Calder who i was with shouted out “I bet you’ve got that emu in there then red have you?” and pointed to the holdhall. With that, he threw his paper onto the connex south eastern seat – and it blew away, and he gave his wife a look that said : You were suppossed to get rid of them…and then he shouted at the top of his voice “WHY DONT YOU BOYS DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE AND JUST FUCK OFF”! Well needless to say, my ambition to get his autograph ended in us skulking off and not quite believing what the guru of kids TV had said. I remember seeing him on TV after that and thinking – you are missing from my autograph collection….I did however go on to get Big Daddy and Keith Chegwin very soon afterwards – In recent years I was at the recording of the WORD and I asked shane richie if he would sign. I was 19 then – guess what – he told me to fuck off too!
Posted by Juliet on February 18, 2011
Happy birthday blog! Oh, a year now, unbelievable. I’m sooooooo happy, thanks for doing this Mark!!!
Posted by Al Kennedy on February 18, 2011
Good job, that man. Always an interesting read, and with a good community of commenters, too – the internet could do with more blogs like yours.
Posted by Corry on February 18, 2011
Who’d have thunk you’d manage it eh? Couple of near misses but still going strong. Congrats. I look forward to the next 9 years. x
Posted by Lydia on February 18, 2011
Yay, well done and thank you. Just nine more years to go ;] x
Posted by Ingrid on February 18, 2011
Happy Birthday (for yesterday) blog! Looking forward to the next nine years!
Posted by Allie on February 18, 2011
I’m quite a new follower. Long may you continue as I am enjoying this immensely. I am looking forward to seeing you in Middlesbrough tonight. So excited I can hardly contain myself!! So a very Happy Blogiversary to you Mark.
I even made cake!!!!
Posted by lisan66 on February 18, 2011
I completely missed the blog yesterday. I feel like a traitor
Posted by cymruangel on February 18, 2011
Wooohoo! 1 down 9 to go and all that, and with such a fabulous first year as a foundation, the blog can only possibly go from strength to strength.
Posted by Simone on February 18, 2011
Nice one, Watson.
I’ve made some lovely friends through this blog and your writing brings me so much joy. I am forever grateful.
Posted by Beth on February 18, 2011
Congratulations!
I love this blog, and hope that you/we make it through the next 9 years as well as we’ve made it through this one.
Posted by Joelle on February 18, 2011
Congratualtions!
To be honest, I thought the blogless day would’ve come by now. It is inevitable however. Such a sad though!
I hope you’ve had a lovely day
Posted by JoC on February 18, 2011
Congratulations Mark! Loved every day of it, even those short, tired ones when you said nothing really at all.
Posted by Miz on February 18, 2011
I’m relatively new and lurky, but happy blogiversary! I’ll be over here, raising a virtual glass.
Posted by Craig Tubb on February 18, 2011
Happy Birthday blog!
Posted by Zoe Fell on February 18, 2011
I’m all emotional now. I can’t quite believe it’s been a year that this little blog’s been going. And what a year it’s been. I feel that the Blogwatch was one of my more successful (land less strange) ideas that really took off this year, and meant we Watsonians had another channel of communication. The hacker won’t be forgotten in a hurry either. I still haven’t quite recovered from the panicked “ZOE, PLEASE RING ME OR TEXT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE” text I got from Aislinn on that day. Nobody needs to read that whilst they’re trying to eat tapas!
I digress, as per usual. Hurrah for the blog. Hurrah for Mark Watson. Hurrah for the Watsonians. Hurrah for cake. Long may all of these things continue.
Xx
Posted by Aislinn on February 18, 2011
I’m bloody well getting ready to upload a picture of my cake. I’m hoping if I’m quick enough it MAY still be used in time. Regardless, the thought is still there. And happy birthday, and happy blogiversary, and all the other things over the last few days I’ve only just managed to catch up on. You are a wonderful chap.
Posted by Madeleine on February 18, 2011
Also, it seems like Radiohead have decided to give us an aniversary gift! New album went up today. (www.kingofthelimbs.com) I seem to remember a few Watsonians are fans (and Mark of course). I myself am a massive one.
Posted by Cat on February 18, 2011
<3
Posted by Tracey on February 18, 2011
Happy Anniversary to the Mark Watson blog! Looking forwad to reading every day as usual, even if I sometimes don’t have anything to say I enjoy reading all the comments. Here’s to many more anniversaries! Tracey x
Posted by Carl on February 18, 2011
Well done, mate. Proud to be a part of it.
Posted by Rachael on February 18, 2011
BANG! (party popper)
Posted by Briony on February 18, 2011
It’s been a good year. Well done everyone : )
Posted by EmT on February 18, 2011
Happy one year anniversary to the blog! Thanks for keeping us entertained all year Mark! It’s the difficult second year, hope the follow up is as good as the début offering.
Posted by Beth (Doomed1) on February 18, 2011
Happy Birthday Blog!!
Sorry Ive been so quiet of late, but lifes been a bit busy, and I hadnt yet managed much of my TYSIC challange! HOWEVER!! On our one year anniversary, I managed to tick off two of my major goals!! Ill wait for them to happen next week and then reveal all – Incase someone is spying on here!! But it was the perfect way to end our first year!! So well done us! and didnt have a chance to do my cake yet, so will have to be a delayed weekend one!!
From a very happy Beth!! x x
Posted by Madeleine on February 18, 2011
Yay Mark! Yay Blog! Yay Us!
Posted by Elise on February 18, 2011
Happy 1st Blogiversary! Even if all this celebration is more for us than the blog (he’s too young to really understand what’s happening).
Posted by Alex on February 18, 2011
Hurrah! Happy blogiversary! We’re awesome.
Posted by Shell on February 18, 2011
Should we have given Mark or the blog ‘the bumps’? Hope you guys know what that is…
Would a Mexican wave be too much? Questions questions…
We should definitely have some cheers:
Hip! HIP!…
Posted by Sue (DiB) on February 18, 2011
Can’t believe it’s been a year already. Well done. I was inspired to start a blog after reading yours and only managed 16 posts in a year. To post every day of the year must have taken a lot of discipline.
To mark the occasion I made heart shaped cupcakes, you’ll just have to take my word for it.
Posted by Dan on February 18, 2011
Happy Blogiversary to you
Happy Blogiversary to you
Happy Blogiversary to Maaark
Happy Blogiversary to you
(sang)
Posted by Heather Jones on February 18, 2011
Happy first birthday, MWblog! You’re a lovely wee dote, so you are. I look forward to continuing this strangely addictive relationship for another year (or, rather, a further 9 years!)
Live long and prosper, Blog – big congratulatory hugs (and one for you too, Mark) xx
Posted by issey on February 17, 2011
Happy Blogiversary! Can’t believe it’s been a whole year since it begun – well done everyone!
Posted by Josh (the magnificent one) on February 17, 2011
HAPPY BLOGIVERSERY EVERYONE!
MANY HAPPY BLOGTERNS!
You’re all brilliant people and the past year has been 1000% cultier than expected.
Posted by Emily on February 17, 2011
Happy Blogiversary! It took me a while to start commenting, I think, and it’s only more recently that I’ve been officially blog watching on late nights, but I’ve enjoyed it all. I really find it hard to realise it’s been a whole year. Bring on the next 9!
Posted by Natalie-Helen on February 17, 2011
I have thoroughly enjoyed the past year and look forward to the next lot!
Happy Blogiversary!
I made an ipod cake as this has been an underlying theme of pretty much the whole year!
^_^
xxx
Posted by hornseygirl on February 17, 2011
A belated Happy Birthday and a timely congratulatory Blog-iversary. I’ve been without internet access these past few days, so it’s been good to get caught up at this significant time.
All the very best for 2011/12; I shall keep reading! x
Posted by Katie on February 17, 2011
Happy Blogiversary! It’s been a joy – long may the blog continue (or at least for another nine years). x
Posted by lisaBrunders on February 17, 2011
Thanks for writing!
Posted by Misha on February 17, 2011
A lovely blog to come home to after my first shift at a new job.
I’ve definitely put what many people would call far too much time, into this, but I don’t consider it a waste at all.
Posted by Shell on February 17, 2011
Happy Anniversary, Mark Watson Blog!
I hope you got the photo of my very childishly decorated but yummy cake via Tibbs and my thoughts on the blog via cymruangel but in case not (I became somewhat confused as to what was happening with all that) here they are again:
Congratulations Mark!
Your daily blog is one year in and going strong. You have created a fun and charming community around your blog and TYSIC. It’s often inspiring and interesting, always fun, sometimes tense/suspenseful and a great thing to be involved in.
Onward into the second year and beyond…
Love Shell xx
Posted by Cathy (traineeflorist) on February 17, 2011
Well done Mark, I am a relatively new MW blogee but I think I’m here to stay, looking forward to more of your wisdom in the months to come …
Posted by Beth on February 17, 2011
Congratulations on an excellent year of blogging I hope there are many more to come : )
Posted by Beth (Bloomability) on February 17, 2011
Happy Birthday, Blog! I would make more cake but we have no eggs
Posted by Ally on February 17, 2011
I’m finding this very exciting and inspiring. I think I’m going to get a lot of writing on my TYSIC novel done today. Looking forward immensely to the next nine years!!
Posted by Catherine aka Cathy on February 17, 2011
Happy Anniversary, Watson Blog. It went by fast. Here’s to the next 9!
Posted by Tibbs on February 17, 2011
Happy Blogiversary! I’m delighted we’ve made it this far and I can’t wait to see what’s coming!
I’ve gotten loads of pictures, but I noticed that a couple of people left comments over the last entries saying that they’re going to send a cake picture but I haven’t received them. So Ally and Hannah, if you did in fact send off a picture, could you try to resend it? watsoncake [at] yahoo.ca. I just want to make sure you didn’t send them to the wrong address!
Posted by LB on February 17, 2011
I am literally sat in The Winding Wheel in Chesterfield waiting for Mark to come back on stage. I wonder if there are any other blog readers here. Probably. But not definitely. I hope someone gets chased in the second half. Happy 365 days of the blog.
Posted by Kathryn on February 17, 2011
This year has been fantastic, blog-wise. Thanks, Mark.
Happy Blogiversary everyone.
(This probably sounds a bit understated. Maybe over the next nine years I’ll get better at blog commenting rather than spending so long agonising over tone and word choice.)
Posted by Tom Beasley on February 17, 2011
Well done Mark for making it this far and thanks for brightening up the last 365 of my days!
Posted by Laura-B on February 17, 2011
Happy Birthday, Blog!!
(And Bloggers)
xx
Posted by Anji on February 17, 2011
Yay! Dont think I’ve ever stuck at anything for so long! Well done Mark for keeping us all going! And well done to everyone for keeping going!
Here’s to the next nine years being as wonderful! x x
Posted by Laurs on February 17, 2011
Congratulations! It’s been a great year of blogs/blog reading/insane but totally cool round the country challenges, and I am so pleased to have been a part of it!
Here’s to the next nine being just as much fun!
x x x
Posted by amycool on February 17, 2011
As mentioned, the cake I intended to make got made. And pies. I accidentally ate lots of it before I remembered to take a picture though. oops. On the plus side, it was delicious. One of the best and easiest cakes I’ve ever made.
Posted by Jen on February 17, 2011
hooooray – big congrats and even bigger thank you…i love reading your blog and all the fab comments too!Jx
Posted by Katy on February 17, 2011
Happy Blogiversary!
Thank you for doing this, its really changed my life and I’ve had the most wonderful year reading and taking part in dicussions.
Long may it continue!