By Michael Casey
YourThurrock (YT) is ten years old today.
On September 1st, 2008, we published our first stories with the simple aim to chronicle life in the borough. 36,000 stories later, we are still doing that. If we closed today, we would like to think that we have created a rich resource that, should they wish, people in a hundred years time, could look at in order to find out more about life in a busy and varied borough.
We would no have been able to do this without the help of those who have supported YT, whether it be right at the start or even this week. Thanks you all so much.
It has taken a long time to build up an audience. In our first year, we obtained 62,000 page views (inc.the grand total of eight on Christmas Day). Last year, we got 2.7 million.
On a quiet day, we get around 3,000 page views. At our busiest, it can be 400 views a minute.
It took a while to find our shape. Initially, we wanted to be like Local TV, a hark back to Nationwide in the seventies but now, we are much more formal.
The fact is, there is always stuff going on in Thurrock. From Aveley to Fobbing. Otherwise, how would we have written so many stories? There are so many people that care and so many interesting individuals that make up the place. That is why it is important to report on all aspects of life in Thurrock.
Thank you to all those who take time to comment. You do get some cracking debates going on. Thanks to those who have just spotted the police/air ambulance/a fire etc.
Oh and thank you to our advertisers and clients. Without you, we wouldn’t be here!
So onward we go. Every day is a blank canvas and we really do feel that you are only as good as your last day. Never take your audience for granted and treat everyone with respect.
Sometimes people ask me if it is hard work? Yes, publishing stories is just one aspect of life running two on-line newspapers (we also run YourHarlow.Com) but it sure beats working down a mine or up a roof.
Thurrock folk keep you grounded. I was once reporting in the Garrison Estate, and a women said to me: “Ere mate, what you do, just posh gossip really innit” Think she had a point.
So please keep looking in and we will keep reporting.
Thanks again
Michael Casey
September 1st, 2018
So you know where to find us
Twitter @yourthurrock https://twitter.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yourthurrock/
If you want to see our archive of films, you can go to
Films from 2008 to 2011
https://studio.youtube.com/#/channel/UCyIZenDIDpjmPV9G9TR20Uw
Films from 2012 to 2018
https://studio.youtube.com/#/channel/UCSktai_BjzRNqBROjE-la9A
Happy Birthday!
YT is an important stream of news and opinion for Thurrock.
Thank you!
May you have many, many more birthdays to come. I think I have been fortunate enough to have contributed, by means of blogs and comments, since YT’s birth and I am grateful to the editor, Michael Casey, for giving me a platform to air my views, along with many other bloggers and commentators. Vive la YT!