The Parsnip #366photos2020
My top ten tweets of 2019
Last year I posted my top ten tweets for 2018 and I did the same in 2017 and 2016 which was interesting to see which tweets of mine were popular.
The top tweet back in 2016 was this one for #WednesdayWisdom
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. #WednesdayWisdom
— James Clay (@jamesclay) May 18, 2016
Whilst top tweet for 2017 was this one from the 2017 ALT Conference and it was my sketchnote of Bonnie Stewart’s keynote on openness.
My sketch note of the @bonstewart keynote here at #altc pic.twitter.com/1ZvARS9R7t
— James Clay (@jamesclay) September 5, 2017
The top tweet back in 2018 was this one about the newly revamped WHSmith at Bristol Temple Meads complete with storage cage!
Ooh nicely spruced up new WHSmith at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station. Compete with new flooring (no carpet), new signs, new shelving. Original storage cage in shop floor though. cc @WHS_Carpet pic.twitter.com/fJg0EgO6f8
— James Clay (@jamesclay) June 21, 2018
So in 2019, my tenth most popular tweet was this one about my son appearing on BBC Points West whilst working at Bristol Temple Meads as a GWR Apprentice.
Always nice to see one of those outstanding @GWRHelp @GWRApprentices on the telly. #BBCPointsWest #prouddad @bbcpointswest pic.twitter.com/zUGlzdcvjI
— James Clay (@jamesclay) February 8, 2019
In ninth place was a nostalgic tweet about a steam train visiting Weston-super-Mare ten years ago in July.
On this day ten years ago that @60163_Tornado was in town (as in Weston-super-Mare) pulling the Torbay Express. pic.twitter.com/ZtWXhbOSlA
— James Clay (@jamesclay) July 5, 2019
I did tweet a lot about the past this year, and will do less of it next year.
At number eight was a tweet about the phrase “digital detox” which gets bandied about a lot when people feel they need to take a break from services such as Twitter. If you feel you need to take a break, you probably do, but is it necessary to tell everyone about it?
I hate the phrase “digital detox” as it implies that digital is toxic by default. #DigiFest19 pic.twitter.com/XMamfblYLL
— James Clay (@jamesclay) March 13, 2019
Seventh was about about an incident at Oxford Circus. The tweet was picked up by some news outlets and my photo appeared on a news website.
Emergency Services at Oxford Circus Underground Station, including British Transport Police, London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service. I counted at least 12 vehicles. #oxfordcircus pic.twitter.com/VpNbGXSQ35
— James Clay (@jamesclay) November 13, 2019
The sixth tweet was about WHSmith in Bristol being covered in plastic last February.
Sealing off parts of WHSmith in Bristol today. This isn't an image for @WHS_Carpet as this is refurbishment not normal day to day operations. Can you tell the difference? pic.twitter.com/elCjCEGXif
— James Clay (@jamesclay) February 23, 2019
I did find this reply amusing….
Is Dexter there?
— Simon Harper (@sixteenhp) February 24, 2019
The reason was less worrying, it was because they were putting the Post Office into WHSmith.
The tweet at number five was one about great women in edtech from March for International Women’s Day.
Here are some great women in edtech that I look up to and follow on the Twitter.
@MarenDeepwell @sheilmcn @DonnaLanclos @LornaMCampbell @sarahjenndavies @bonstewart @audreywatters @KerryPinny @ambrouk @VivienRolfe @chrissinerantzi @suethomas @suebecks #InternationalWomensDay
— James Clay (@jamesclay) March 8, 2019
Fourth was another nostalgic tweet about the #140conf Twitter Conference I attended in 2009 and was on a panel session with some great people.
On this day ten years ago I was at the O2 in Greenwich for the #140conf organised by @jeffpulver I was on a panel session with @shirleyearley @daveowhite @digitalmaverick and @Dr_Black where we talked about education and the Twitter. pic.twitter.com/AkQyyvfgAs
— James Clay (@jamesclay) November 17, 2019
And now the top three, with the third tweet was an early morning tweet celebrating that GWR were now using old HSTs as commuter trains, so we had more seats and faster trains.
With the introduction of the new @GWRHelp IET trains we now have these wonderful HST 125 trains as our local commuter services around Bristol and North Somerset. Ace. pic.twitter.com/R2fjBrVavo
— James Clay (@jamesclay) July 15, 2019
At number two was a tweet about the revamped WHSmith in Weston-super-Mare.
Ooh the outside of the WHSmith in Weston-super-Mare looking very nice. Re-opens on Monday, looking inside though, not much has changed they still have the same @WHS_Carpet pic.twitter.com/Gy1UMc2WMx
— James Clay (@jamesclay) June 9, 2019
So the most popular tweet of 2019 was this one about keeping the old Twitter.
…and we're back!
So you want to go back to old Twitter?
Click More
Click Settings and Privacy
Click About Twitter
Click Directory
Click Home pic.twitter.com/PGMF4WeTFB
— James Clay (@jamesclay) July 25, 2019
So what does this tell us? Very little.
Stuff: Top Ten Blog Posts 2019
Over the last twelve months I have posted 68 blog posts to the blog. This is less than in 2018 when I published 89 posts. However most of the 89 posts in 2018 were from the Gromit Unleashed 2 trail across Bristol. I did post 24 televisual advent calendar posts in 2019 so this boosted the total.
Most of the top ten posts are nostalgic posts about Bristol in the 1990s…
There are in reverse order starting off with the tenth most popular post on the blog.
https://jamesclay.net/bristol-harbourside-in-the-1990s
https://jamesclay.net/bristol-harbourside-in-the-1990s-2
Ten more amazing sand sculptures
After last week’s ten sculptures, here are another ten.
For over ten years now, there has been an exhibition of sand sculptures on the beach at Weston-super-Mare. To call them sandcastles is a bit of a misnomer as these are truly remarkable sculptures and the artists have spent hours and days carving the compacted sand.
We have been most years and I bring my camera to capture the sculptures, here are some photographs of this year’s carvings.
Ten Amazing Sand Sculptures
For over ten years now, there has been an exhibition of sand sculptures on the beach at Weston-super-Mare. To call them sandcastles is a bit of a misnomer as these are truly remarkable sculptures and the artists have spent hours and days carving the compacted sand.
We have been most years and I bring my camera to capture the sculptures, here are some photographs of this year’s carvings.
The theme this year was “What if?”.
What if Rome had never fallen?
What if mermaids were real and were suffering due to the pollution and plastic waste in the sea.
Incredible Sand Sculptures
For over ten years now, there has been an exhibition of sand sculptures on the beach at Weston-super-Mare. To call them sandcastles is a bit of a misnomer as these are truly remarkable sculptures and the artists have spent hours and days carving the compacted sand.
We have been most years and I bring my camera to capture the sculptures, here are some photographs of this year’s carvings.
These sculptures all start like this, wooden frames, filled with sand which is then compacted down.
Stuff: Top Ten Blog Posts 2018
Over the last twelve months I have published 89 posts.
The tenth most popular post on my personal blog was Cinematic Advent Calendar #07 – The Eagle has Landed.
In at number nine, is one of a few posts about the harbourside in Bristol, Bristol Harbourside in the 1990s Part Five
Eighth most popular post, was about how Trenchard Street in Bristol had changed from the 1970s to today.
At number seven, was a post about the Bryan Brothers’ Garage Demolition, Bristol, in 1999.
The sixth most popular post was about A nice clean new shiny Millennium Falcon as would be seen in the Solo: Star Wars Story film.
The post at number five was a post containing photographs from the harbourside in Bristol. Bristol Harbourside in the 1990s
Fourth most popular post was Bristol Harbourside in the 1990s Part Three. This was another post containing photographs from the harbourside in Bristol.
Post at number three, Changes at the railway station, was how things have changed at Weston-super-Mare railway station.
Second most popular post was some photographs from the Bristol Harbourside in the 1990s
The most popular blog post this year was Cinematic Advent Calendar #05 – Leon.
4. Giggles
One of the aspects of the Gromit hunts are those sculptures that are outside Bristol. This year there are two Gromits down in Weston-super-Mare, one at Puxton Park, the other at the Grand Pier.
4. Giggle is a clown themed Gromit who you can find at the entrance to the Grand Pier.
In a nice touch, the people behind the Grand Pier have placed a Grand Pier background, so when you take photographs of the sculpture you have a ready made background.
Back in 2015 I attempted to see and photograph all 70 Shaun the Sheeps I managed to get 62. This time I am aiming to get all 67 sculptures.
I have created this page to record all the sculptures we find.
3. Merry-go-Gromit
One of the aspects of the Gromit hunts are those sculptures that are outside Bristol. This year there are two Gromits down in Weston-super-Mare, one at the Grand Pier and the other at Puxton Park.
3. Merry-go-Gromit is a funfair themed Gromit who wouldn’t look out of place on a carousel.
Gromit does look a little forlorn and sad, but I think that might be the way he is sculptured.
He is just outside the main entrance to the park, so no need to go inside, but you might want to visit the farm shop if you like your food.