Sean Brady has a great Typepad based site in Formby, Lancashire/Sefton that is rather better than mainstream blogs by elected representatives. The content really nails what ultralocal or hyperlocal should be about. I liked a lot this post where Sean uses embedded video to make a point about a dangerous spot for cyclists – the video adds something that a simple written paragraph just can’t get across. There is some good stuff on allotments here and here.
This sort of reporting adds an extra dimension to the role of the elected representative at Britain’s most local tier – the parish council. The conventional press simply doesn’t cover the issues Sean reports and it allows his electors to keep up with what he is doing in their name.
Design-wise, the site is fresh, has a nice clean design and integrates a google maps plug in, Twitter and Vimeo. Given that blogging is often (wrongly) seen as an activity for trendy young things, it is refeshing to note that Sean is retired.
William Perrin
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Sean Brady says
21st January 2009 at 4:16 pmThanks for the review, I’m glad you like it. It says something about your site too, because immediately after your comments were published, my blog received an increase in traffic. Needless to say I have added a little story to my blog.
Interestingly, when I was speaking to a reporter from our local newspaper The Formby Times, she told me how her ‘Google alert’ prompted her to visit your site as well.
It was interesting and worrying to hear her on the problems now facing local newspapers everywhere.