A Decade

Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of this little corner of the internet.

As long-time readers will have noticed, the last year has been considerably lighter on content than previously, and in recent months very sparse indeed. This is because, sadly, a lot of real life has barged its way in - both business and personal - and has left me little time (and sometimes inclination) to write much here. I'm afraid to say that this will be continuing for the foreseeable future so it might be worth subscribing for email notifications of articles rather than checking back since they will be very infrequent.

As in previous years, I'd like to thank all fellow jewel robbers who have popped by since 2008 - over 300,000 of you have posted over 30,000 comments on more than 3,500 articles - creating nearly 6 million page visits. It's been a hell of a ride.

I have a couple of rather significant life changes coming up which could free up far more opportunity to write, but it won't be for some considerable time. In the meantime, thanks again for reading and engaging over the past 10 years with this "tabloid guff", as I am still proud it was described as many years ago by snooty twats.

À bientôt, mes amies.

Nine Years Later ...

Today is the 9th anniversary of this blog.

Still proudly "tabloid guff" (© Ben Goldacre fan-boys 2009), there is less content here in recent years due to the increasing pressures of Puddlecote Inc yet daily page visits are still marginally increasing. For interest, there have been over 5 million of them from almost 3,500 articles here.

Many thanks to all fellow jewel robbers who have popped by since 2008 (over 300,000 of you), I will be toasting you with a fair amount of chilled New Zealand white this evening. 

Eight Years On

Having been busy, the 8th anniversary of this place slipped past unmarked on Thursday.

Still proudly "tabloid guff" (© bien pensants 2009), we seem to be careering inelegantly towards the full decade albeit with far less content due to the increasing success of Puddlecote Inc. For interest, almost 3,350 articles have been published here in those eight years which have attracted a flattering 4.25 million page views.

Many thanks to all fellow jewel robbers who have happened by in that time (over 300,000 of you), I will raise a glass of something tasty and unapproved in your honour tonight.

Seven Years Of Deadly Sins

Today is the seventh anniversary of this blog, yes really! Described once early on as "tabloid guff" by a Ben Goldacre fanboy - a badge I have carried with pride ever since - we've tripped the light fantastic and cartwheeled 'cross the floor here since.

By way of a progress report, visits continue to tick up despite content becoming more sparse through pressure of work. Since 2008, there have been 3,157 articles published attracting 25,658 comments at time of writing and 2,808,143 page views according to miserly Sitemeter (Google Analytics reports a more flattering 3,585,000 plus, don't ask me how). Still an increase over an already good year last time out but with ever-decreasing articles, it's almost like homeopathy or something.

This less is more thing will, however, be sorely tested in the coming months because business is taking up more and more of my time. I enjoy recreational writing of an evening but posts here will dramatically reduce from hereon in, I just can't spare the time despite the vast riches quite clearly being lobbed my way by Big Tobacco.

Many thanks to all of the nearly 300,000 souls who have popped by this corner of the internet in the past seven years. In the spirit of Alcohol Awareness Week which began yesterday, I shall tonight be attending a fesity-looking event marking 10 years since mythical "24 hour drinking" was initiated and downing a Peroni or few myself in your honour. Other drinks are, of course, available if you feel like joining in.

Six Years Later ...

Today is the sixth anniversary of the evening when your humble host first asked "is this thing on" and began publishing what one early haughty detractor - to my great delight - once described as 'tabloid guff'.

Since that time in 2008, there have been 2,933 articles published here attracting 24,240 comments and 1,979,852 page views according to Sitemeter (or 2,909,702 if Google Analytics is to be believed!). Despite having to devote increasingly more time to my business - and subsequently less time on here - average daily page views are encouragingly up 5% on this time last year and April 2014 was the second most visited month in the history of the place.

Today is also noteworthy for me because I've just submitted a 21 page 11,000 word Puddlecote Inc tender submission for a potential £6 million of business over the next five years which has frazzled me for the past fortnight. This will, I hope, go some way to explaining the lack of content here recently. It is only a brief respite though, before I begin to tackle another hefty tender bid which will almost certainly lead to a few more article-free days in the next week or so.

Considering the above, and since today is also the start of Alcohol Awareness Week, I am very aware that a generous number of sherberts with a good friend of mine are definitely in order tonight.

Many thanks to all of the more than quarter of a million unique visitors who have passed this way since 2008, I shall raise a glass in your honour this evening, to be sure.

Five Years (And A Day) Later

As has happened before, the occasion of this blog's anniversary escaped my attention yesterday. It's five years now, which is kinda like almost half a decade of this tabloid stuff ... innit.

In the time since 2008, there have been 2,637 published articles here attracting more than 1.6 million page views - at an average of 999 per day (how frustrating is that figure!) - from 241,000 unique visitors and just over 950 RSS subscribers.

As I've mentioned before, though, I'm more proud of the 21,435 comments that have appeared here in that time. I do read every one, even when finding my time increasingly constrained to reply. Your input is also especially welcomed - commenters and lurkers alike - when acting as 'fellow jewel robbers' by submitting FOIs; sending letters to politicians; digging up dirty documents squirrelled away in the nether reaches of websites ... and brilliantly telling me all about it. 

Interestingly, although that real life thing keeps intruding and preventing me writing as much as I have in the past, visits have remained constant with July 2013 actually surpassing the previous record high of July 2011 when our Stony Stratford day out was the centre of much attention. I put this mostly down to the e-cig effect considering that my Twitter following has also increased commensurate with the elevated activity of the EU and MHRA against vaping.

Which is proof that I was on the right lines when I predicted this last year.

Well, if anything, the situation as regards personal liberties which encouraged me to set Casa Puddlecote up in the first place has become exponentially worse. Whereas before the problem of dozy MPs listening to self-interested trouser-stuffers was becoming sinister and worrying, masks have since slipped; gloves have been discarded; and they are now openly treating the vast majority of the public with utter contempt. 

Indeed, the themes that we discuss here are almost becoming fashionable as scales tumble from the eyes of many and this incessant anti-freedom, anti-social onslaught against human nature is beginning to be recognised.

And ... (emphases mine)

Being a stubborn sort, I reckon there will be even more nonsense to highlight in the coming weeks, months and years; even more nauseating stink bombs of state policy; even more hideously pompous egos to prick; even more corrupt arseholes from whom to steal big fat juicy analogous jewels from. No point stopping now.

Quite accurate, I thought. Let's go for another year then, eh? 

Four Years And Counting

After an incredibly problematic business week and a busy weekend, it almost escaped my attention that this blog yesterday passed its fourth birthday.

In the time since 2008, a not inconsiderable 2,467 articles of what was once described as 'tabloid junk' have appeared here, attracting just under 1.3 million page views - at an average of 944 per day - from 232,000 unique visitors and just over 800 RSS subscribers.

More importantly, in your humble host's opinion, are the 18,484 comments that have been placed here since November 2008. I have read every one, even if increasingly struggling to reply for various time-related reasons, and am grateful for your input which is sometimes brilliantly astute.

So what now from here?

Well, if anything, the situation as regards personal liberties which encouraged me to set Casa Puddlecote up in the first place has become exponentially worse. Whereas before the problem of dozy MPs listening to self-interested trouser-stuffers was becoming sinister and worrying, masks have since slipped; gloves have been discarded; and they are now openly treating the vast majority of the public with utter contempt.

Indeed, the themes that we discuss here are almost becoming fashionable as scales tumble from the eyes of many and this incessant anti-freedom, anti-social onslaught against human nature is beginning to be recognised.

Being a stubborn sort, I reckon there will be even more nonsense to highlight in the coming weeks, months and years; even more nauseating stink bombs of state policy; even more hideously pompous egos to prick; even more corrupt arseholes from whom to steal big fat juicy analogous jewels from. No point stopping now.

So, four more years then? Whaddya reckon?

This ...

... is the 2,000th article at Dick Puddlecote.

In the past three and a half-ish years, they have elicited 16,259 comments from just over 990,000 page views, which may or may not include click throughs from around 750 RSS subscribers. Last month's visits show that jewel thievery has never been more popular.

Many thanks to everyone who has popped by here since your host started with this 'tabloid junk' (© Bad Science), I read every contribution even if I don't have time or opportunity to add anything.

We're far from finished yet, though. That Lansley needs sorting for a start, I feel another little excursion coming on. Fancy it?

That Long?

It's just occurred to me that this blog has been going for three years today.

In that time, 1,840 articles have been posted, eliciting 14,603 comments from just under 840,000 page views and 560,000 visits.

I read every comment here even if I sometimes don't have time to add to them, so I'd like to thank everyone who has popped by to read this tabloid junk since November 2008. It's always pleasing to see that people feel relaxed enough to create stimulating and lively comments threads here.

That's not to say lurkers aren't appreciated too, of course. If you've enjoyed enough here to make you want to return, that's enough for me. Still, if you have never commented before, why not break your cherry under this piece? It'll be good to 'meet' you, so to speak.

The Stony Stratford Effect

I hope you don't mind, but I'll just leave this here as a permanent reminder that it did happen.


The leap into the top 20 is undoubtedly due to the Stony Stratford event which garnered one hell of a lot of attention. As such, everyone who viewed this blog in July, linked to it, or retweeted articles, has been instrumental in bumping us up from 24 to 17.

Please consider yourself enthusiastically virtually hugged by a grateful Dick.

As previously mentioned, this month will probably prove to be very sparse by comparison so a big fall will be in the offing, but if you're new to this 'ere tabloid guff please pull up a pew and make yourself a cuppa. You're most welcome.

Two Years On ...

This evening marks the second anniversary of this blog stuttering into existence following encouragement from its honorary Godfather, Ian PJ. I felt I had something to say but wondered at the time if there was room for yet another libertarian blog (how things change, eh?). However, Ian assured me that the more voices calling for less state interference, the better, and that a new point of view may bring something different to the bloggers' table.

I can't remember what my expectations were back then, or whether this is that dissimilar to other freedom-chasing sites ... although there always seems to be more hard-drinking, fag-puffing and kebab-munching going on here than most. Perhaps you'd noticed that?

Still, two years on and there have been 1,476 articles, drawing 9,306 comments from a readership which last month racked up 22,000+ visits and just over 500 daily RSS subscriptions, so there must be at least a few words of interest in amongst this lip-shot jumble of 'tabloid' guff.

I read every comment even if I sometimes don't have time to add to them, and have enjoyed the past two years immensely (though it can be infuriating to shoot down the same statist lies time and time again, as others have noted), so hearty thanks is owed to everyone who has popped by since November 2008 (except watchers from ASH, of course, you can go play catch with chainsaws as far as I'm concerned).

The libertarian blogosphere has a different look and feel about it to the one I joined back then, but I can only plough my own furrow. So all the while swivel-eyed health loons keep peddling their bullshit, I'll continue producing froth-mouthed rantings from this small, taped off bio-hazard corner of the web.

Stubbornness is a Puddlecote trait and I'm certainly not ready to give up just yet (Mrs P smiles at the thought of a further monopoly of the tellybox), so here's to the next two years. Cheers.

What A Scorcher!

It's not often I use that thar tag below but, as you can see, March was quite interesting.


A haughty righteous forum once accused me of writing 'like a tabloid', and I probably do, but it would appear that such vernacular is appreciated because last month saw over 20,000 visits.

There's a bit of a blip in February. Firstly, because it was a short month of course, but also due to the fact that I was so immersed in tinkering with the new blog design that I failed to notice the stats code had been deleted for two days.

But the trend is still upwards, so a huge thanks to all of you who return here day after day to read this, evidently worthless, tabloid guff.

I was thinking of making improvements by saying 'Cor!' a lot, doing bingo, and having a bird with her tits out commenting on the day's events, whaddya reckon?

With These Ferrero Rocher ...

Listen, guys/gals/slugs, a joke's a joke. But you're making me nervous now. Stop it!


OK. Thanks, really.

No Way Will All 20 Oblige

Tom Paine did it, so utmost respect decrees that I follow.

Well done to Constantly Furious for linking to all 20 of the top Libertarian Bloggers. He has requested that the other 19 do likewise and who am I to disoblige him?

1 Guido Fawkes
2 Devil's Kitchen
3 Old Holborn
4 Obnoxio the Clown
5 Underdogs Bite Upwards
6 Tim Worstall
7 Samizdata
8 Boatang & Demetriou
9 Dick Puddlecote
10 LPUK Blog
11 The Last Ditch
12 Constantly Furious
13 Anna Raccoon
14 Freedom to Choose
15 Rantin' Rab
16 Plato Says
17 Charles Crawford
18 An Englishman's Castle
19 Frank Davis
20 Oxford Libertarian Society

Reckon Boaty & D will have a problem with linking to at least two of the above.

Lows And Highs

I've been suffering my bi-annual one day cold today (unhealthy hedonist that I am).

It started yesterday afternoon and I have followed the same rigmarole as usual. Assault the virus with an inhumane dose of alcohol the night before, do the minimum of work in the morning, before donning three thick jumpers and wrapping up tightly in two 16 tog duvets with the heating on high**. Getting to sleep is a tad difficult to start with once the sauna-like conditions kick in, but boy do those germs bloody hate it.

Surfacing in a sticky thermidor mess at around 3pm, all was almost back to normal after an obligatory bath, though still a mite groggy. However, a quick schlepp around my RSS reader pulled up the fact that I made 8th in a list which shook off the residual lethargy. Just beaten by the blog written by two people (which is quite obviously cheating) to whom I gave high points with my vote. D'oh!

Thanks to all who voted for this stuff. I think I'll celebrate by popping up to the big city for a silicon top-up at inflated prices. Just after I've popped outside and brained the kid who has been sounding his Dad's car's horn intermittently for the past 20 minutes.

** A police jellycopter was hovering over here for a while earlier. Hope their thermal imaging cams don't lead them to believe I've got a hydroponic operation going on.

Nosebleed Time

I swore I wouldn't do this, but ...


Thank you to everyone who reads the psychotic drivel here. I only transferred from the blogosphere commentariat to writing my own because Hazel Blears was threatening to hassle anonymous bloggers and I wanted to be one more stubborn bastard for her to contend with (and because Ian Parker-Joseph egged me on).

I don't exactly know what I am doing right or wrong, only that I wouldn't care if no-one read it. I'd only be ranting the same at the TV, radio, or PC monitor anyway. So why not just type it out instead? Nice to know I'm not alone in my thinking via your comments, though.

I promise this will be the only time I use the label below. Honest!