Alan Rusbridger and I were both on strike together
Iain hadn’t updated his blog by the time I went out today. Around lunchtime I had a phone call from a Grauniad journalist telling me I was mentioned on Iain’s podcast. I had no idea what she was talking abou; it was his weekly Channel 4 blog feature on which he announced I was his Blog of the Week.
The reporter was writing about women and political blogging - and who isn’t these days - and wanted my views about this. She had spent some time scrutinising my site and was amazed that I had publicly acknowledged my fear of public speaking and wondered how I coped with any criticisms. I explained that this was all part of the game and, anyway, you can learn from constructive criticism and observations - we don’t know it all, far from it.
I told her I believed there was a niche for someone to blog about Conservative issues for women and that I was hoping to develop this and plug that gap. Maybe this is the bait needed to help more women develop an interest in blogging, in sharing their views interactively.
I then chatted to her about how I used to work with Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger at the Cambridge Evening News, how we were both on strike when I joined the paper on 1st January. It was freezing cold and we would huddle around a brazier for warmth. We are talking about a 24 hour picket too, as well as visiting local pubs with our begging bowls. How times have changed. The Guardian’s Managine Editor Chris Elliott was the “father of our chapel” which represented our union, the NUJ. I still see Chris at reunions and parties - he hasn’t changed at all and is great company, and his wife Sue too, but Alan doesn’t attend, I guess he is too important now. I do have some party pics of him though from his Cambridge days!
By the way, my blog will have a new snazzy look in the next week or so, it is still under construction and will be found at http://elleeseymour.com
Blogger Geoff, who launched me in blogsphere, is doing this for me as a very special birthday present with his son Nick, it will be in Wordpress and quite impressive. Geoff is currently chaperoning his daughter’s post-exam break at his bolthole in the French Alps with her teenage girlfriends (this is against his will as he trusts his daughter, one of the other parents requested his presence). He will be thrilled when he catches up with this news, none of this would have been possible without his support.
