That is all. Well, not quite all. At the risk of arousing the ire of some, let me just say this: HOLY FUCKING SHIT, I LOVE THIS WEBSITE AND THE PEOPLE WHO POST THEREUPON!

OK, that's really all now.

...for being the architects and custodians of this little community so full of community spirit. Long may it last, and long may they prosper! And a doff of my cap to Backwards, the Captain, Ms Drakey and the runners up...

As well as the bonhomie, the fun and the sometimes all too necessary (to deal with life) spleen-venting that goes on around here, I get the feeling that a lot of regulars go a lot of extra miles for others off-list. I won't embarrass the lady in question by mentioning her name but I, for one, am being helped currently - through an unexpected off-list offer of advice/practical help - in an incredibly generous, very time-consuming and (for me) very, very necessary way by one of my peers here. I'm more grateful to her than I can say, and I salute The Word for fostering and promoting this spirit that can help to 'beat the system'. The karma is good - no, it's not good: it's wonderful!

was going to work and I had the curious experience of snuggling up on my sofa watching people milling around a pub, via Frasers iPhone, beamed into my Android phone while at the same time tweeting with the Massive while the picture and sound flickered in and out. It was like waiting for the moon landings.
My WiFi went kaput just after the webcast crashed so I didn't get chance to follow the action. Hearty congrats to all the winners especially my North West homies!, and can we see all the categories, nominees and winners in full?

Thanks to everyone who voted for me, and to The WORD for hosting the evening and bringing the Southern contingent together one last time before Christmas.

I was a bit tired and, at the time, as I shambled around bumping into things (tables, Kate Mossman’s head) and struggled to fathom the intricacies of the microphone stand, it felt like it was all happening to somebody else. It finally sank in on the train journey home. I do appreciate it.

This evening singled people out, but I think the strength of the WORD blog lies in it being greater than the sum of its individual parts. Everybody here contributes something. Everybody here matters.

no, its too easy.....

In a slightly chilly Hovel listening to Orbital burbling quietly away,mug of hot tea close to hand,the Aged P settled in her armchair downstairs,the glow of the laptop screen and a string of fairy lights illuminating the room it strikes me not for the first time what being a part of this wonderful Wordiverse has come to mean to me.The fellowship,kindness,good humour and decency of The Massive,The Word and the marvellous people who write and produce the magazine have become an intrinsic part of my life.

Hearty congratulations to everyone.I think we are ALL winners because we've found one another.WE ARE MASSIVE AND WE FUC*ING ROCK.

offered for my lack of appearance. Explanation? Life stuff, sorry.

I'd never felt compelled to organise anything like the north-west meet ups before, but the quality of the posts, and goddammit, the sheer NICENESS of the bloggers made me think that I'd like to gather as many of us as possible in one room somewhere and let the chemistry work itself out. There could be no bad.

Taking a lead from Hannah's sterling work in the big smoke prompted myself and the good Beany to postulate the notion of a north-west meet up. That it has continued to grow, that we've met in Manchester, Liverpool and Chester, and that some exceptionally warm friendships have developed as a result, is testimony to the quality of the people that blog. You're all very good souls who I can't wait to see again next Friday.

I'm not the most eloquent of Bloggers, but thank you WORD staff and everyone that's risked the horror of contemporary social interraction with "strangers" from the internet in order to meet up. This forum has given many of us a chance to connect on many levels, from the trivial, to the technical, to that most personal. Without it, my life and no doubt many others would be much the poorer.

Thanks.
XX

and here are the nominations and winners (winners in bold)

Newcomer of the year:
Pencilsqueezer, Idiotbear / Bob and Drakeygirl

The Party Starter award for the most replies to a thread:
Five Centres for (apologies FC didn't catch which thread), David Hepworth for the Randomizer and Cadabra for 3 song introduction

Social Secretary of the year:
el hombre malo, Grant and Hannah :-D

Best Reaction in the Word Office to a Contribution: Captain Underpant's Crowded House and Some Fuckwits

Post of the Year: Popstars breaking wind by Mavis Diles, Portrait of the Massive by Pencilsqueezer and An Acquired Taste for Moon Sausage by Backwards7

Blogger of the year: Patrick Crowther, Archie Valparaiso and Backwards7

Hoorahs all round.

Thanks very much. This is a delightful place, and the meetups that I have been to fly by in no time.

Credit is also due to James Blast, "Spiritual Director of the Scottish Massif", for his regular requests for me to sort my diary out and arrange another meetup, and to all the Scottish Massive for being brave enough to take the step of meeting up in a pub with people they only know through online blethers. If there's anyone out there swithering about whether or not to meet up, I would say 'come on in, the water's lovely'. I've been to a couple of London ones too - I hope someday I can wangle a trip to the North-West too, they're only 200 miles south of home.

Warm congratulations to Hannah and Grant, too, and also to all nominees, winners, voters, bloggers, and lurkers. Thanks are also due to Fraser for his light touch in running this joint.

I'm very touched.

...encouraging me to buy a Word subscription as a Christmas present for someone. It was described as "the gift that keeps on giving". And, I thought to myself, that's probably one of the few times that such a cliché is actually warranted. The love you take really is equal to the love you make.

Mark "Chuckles" Ellen
David "The Hep" Hepworth
Fraser "Webmeister" Lewry
Kate "Simply Lovely" Mossman
Mike "Seventies" Johnson

All the other writers and columnists
Regular bloggers and lurkers
Massive minglers, especially the North West contingent
Word Twitter community, especially Hannah for keeping us in touch last night when the lights went out.

The winners and nominees are much deserving of praise.

It has been a year of tears and laughter for me this year and I could not have got through it without you. So this song is for you.

BRING ON ISSUE #100!

is enough to thaw the chill covering the nation.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners who were worthy to the man/girl, and long may they continue to post.

I bet they all went to bed wearing their rosettes.

And here is a clip of "Love & Death" for Twangothan and Lucas Hare on the back of the nonsense I was shouting last night. And by extension, for the rest of the Massive too. At 6 minutes 20 seconds in:

to hear the night went well. Hearty congratulations to the winners, commiserating pats on the back for the losers and a "well girls/guys, we'll just have to try harder next year" to the rest of us.

I hope the rosettes are still being worn on Jan 7th!

Cor!! My first double post ever! How did that happen?

I walked through a very cold King's Cross with a very warm heart and my rosette proudly displayed for all to see, until I remembered I was still wearing it and realised I looked like a dick.

It was a night of personal triumph for me as I managed, for the first time in three attempts, to have a conversation with the lovely Kate Mossman without hesitation, deviation, demented gurgling or conspicuous drooling. I am 46.

Glad you had a great night.

to all who won. I was gigging last night so missed the whole thing, but caught up with events on Twitter when I got home. I think that there should have been a 'thanks for making me smile in spite of all the recession gloom' award! I could award it to whole site!

A couple of people that I voted for actually won - how did that happen ? One of them even in the category that I voted for them in.
This makes me feel like a winner by proxy ( and let's face it, that's as near as I will ever come to a rosette... )
Hurrah! and congratulations to all of the worthy winners.
I predict that this award will grow bigger than the Oscars...in five years time it will have a Technical Awards ceremony, one week before the big gala, where rosettes ( by then rosette shaped jewellery in silver and gold ) will be handed out in categories such as Best Post About Speaker Plugs, Best Consumer Advise On Purchase Of Electric Guitars, and of course Best Explanation For Newcomers On The Way To Post Pictures In A Blog ( TMFTL ).

Wish I could have got down, and hope one day I can meet y'all. I love this website - possibly one of the politest and 'un-angriest' on the web.

This is a wonderful site and its even therapeutic - its really helped me to calm down and wind my neck in a bit about the iniquities of the way we are governed - though I still go off on one at pretty minor provocations nobody seems to mind all that much and I have learned some interesting and valuable stuff along the way. What's odd is that in person I am soft as your pocket.

I have heard (and sometimes bought) some fantastic music too and frequently laughed out loud. It really is a community and I'm so glad to have bumped into it.

worthy winners and lovely people,one and all. Sang christmas songs to myself on the way home. Always a rosy glow ( and a shocking hangover) the day after these, by now, unmissable events. see y'all on the 7th. Oh and Drakeygirl, ta for the nip of Jack Daniels!

They are all thoroughly deserved and give the rest of us an incentive to raise our game.

This is not the time for soundbites, but I feel we're all winners in the wonderful world of the Word.

and still there were people I didn't get to speak to. A marvellous evening none the less. Many congrats to the winners and hearty thanks to The Word team.

Have a good Christmas and I'll see you on the 7th.

everyone

The fairy lights flicker on and off.
One strand has dropped into the fireplace and has turned into melted bolus of plastic.
The red carpet has been rolled up and helium filled balloons have sunk another few inches towards the floor.
Hannah is stepping over the snoring bodies heaped around the room. She’s dropping the empty champagne bottles into a bin bag using one of those litter picker-uppers with a claw on the end.
Drug paraphernalia is spread across the tables.
In the centre of the room sits a Spinal Tap-sized model of Stonehenge, constructed entirely of caviar and beermats.
A bra, snagged on the chandelier swings slowly back and forth.
Backwards7 is smiling. He is sitting on the bar, naked, an ice bucket on his head, and a rosette pinned to each nipple.

Good night, wasn’t it!

This was only my second ever Word event, and I spent most of it grinning from ear to ear as I reacquainted myself with the splendid people I’d shared a bevvy or two with in September.
It was great to meet even more Word people in the flesh. It’s very odd, saying hello to a person you’ve had scores of ‘conversations’ with, but have never spoken to before.
And it was lovely to chat to the Word team, whose voices are so familiar from the podcasts, and who are just as much fun in real life. And lads, yes, Kate Mossman is ridiculously gorgeous.

As for the awards themselves?
Huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees, particularly Backwards7, for his double dose of recognition. The man is a legend, with a truly original mind.
I found it very difficult to single people out when I cast my votes - I’m sure everyone else did too. There are many contributors on this site whose posts I love, all for very different reasons.
I was mortified upon learning that Bob (The Artist Formerly Known As Idiotbear) and Pencilsqueezer were in the newcomer category, though, as I’d assumed they’d been posting on these parts for years. I strongly suspect they may have missed out on a few votes for this reason.
Even so, that didn’t stop me clutching my rather fetching red and gold rosette firmly to my chest and punching the air, shouting: “In your face, Valparaiso!” I must explain this exact phrase is what Mark Ellen suggested as an example of the kind of short, pithy, thank-you expected of winners on the night, so that’s all my befuddled brain could think of. Sorry Archie.

I was, and remain, genuinely thrilled to have got an award.

I can’t wait until January 7 for another night of entertaining stuff and nonsense.

I may even find out the answers to the following questions:
Retroman - why did I tell you to change your username to RetroGirl and then RetroTits, sparking off a conversation about old-fashioned pointy bras and clingy jumpers?
Ganglesprocket - why did we decide you and the future Mrs Sprocket will adopt the surname McAlmont?
Jimmyshoes - How many times was it necessary for me to shake your hand and repeat ‘jimmyshoes’, 'this is jimmyshoes’.
Lucas Hare - As I kept telling you you looked good in HD this time, will I be wearing special glasses to make you 3D next time?
Twangothan - Will I actually recognise you in January, without that rather fetching Movember 'tache?
Vorgongod - How come you are such a bad influence on me?
Mr Underwood, you lovely gentleman - did you catch your train, after escorting me safely to Euston?

I missed my train home, in fact. But I snuck on to a London Midland one (despite only having a Virgin ticket) and made it home safely. In your face, poorly staffed rail companies!

It was a joy to be there despite the strangely disappearing barman!

All were worthy winners and finished off nicely with coffee at Chez Retro Man!!

Wilko on the podcast, Backwards double award-winning status. A great night of, chirpy nattering with a lovely bunch. Looking forward to January..perhaps I won't have a JD for the road this time

PS any more photos from last night?

welcoming groups of people in the London area, if not the world, than the Massive at large last nite. A few hesitant moments at the bar trying to listen in to conversations and grasp words like 'Backwards7' , 'bus stop shouter' and 'its should have been me, Kate' as indicators that your were amongst virtual friends.

Great to put faces to names althou no doubt will have forgotten them all again come January 7th. Sorry to those I didn't get round to meeting properly and drinks I did not buy in return. These nights are always too short. If anyone fancies coming down to join the first Word quiz team at the Lexington on 6th December you'll be most welcome

And to those world weary souls who were blithering about 'too smug, self reverential, step too far' etc - fools, every single one, If there is one thing you can rely on these nights being it is none of those things.

If you're nervous about attending in the future, don't be, you'll just be missing out.

what's already been said in the way of congratulations to all. Sorry I couldn't be there - looks as if I missed a top night.

As Backwards7 has rightly said, this blog is greater than the sum of its individual parts, but having had a look at the list of winners and nominees, it'd be a damn sight worse off without that lot.

managed to make it home in about 20 mins, although I'm luckier than some in only living 5 stops north of the Angel. It was my first Word 'social' with the exception of the Divine Comedy gig, and I didn't have the good fortune to meet anyone that evening. I'd just like to echo everyone else's commments about the friendliness and general bonhomie of the Massive and the Word staffers on the night, and I'm only sad I won't be able to attend on the evening of the 7th of January. Not sure my body's up to it after 5 pints on an empty stomach last night, but just about to head off to the friendliest club night in the whole of London - Heavy Load. Best wishes to all,
Mark

don't post all that much but love the joy these awards/subsequent piss-up have afforded everyone. I do read the blog every day, but until I feel I can contribute something worthy - and certain folk do set the posting standard incredibly high! - I tend to shut up and enjoy. That's what this blog is for me - a rich, varied and massively enjoyable source of friendly fun and illuminating banter. Well done all of you winners, nominees and everyone else who posts here - all of whom make this such a damn fine place!

'you've all done very well'.

Thanks to all the lively minds for the entertainment. Sorry I couldn't be there.

don't remember any of you lot getting a celebrities wife all riled up and involved but then again most of you talk less bollocks than I do! Some awards make you think FIX, but not these, great nominations perfect winners and here's to the next batch of genius, nonsense and bullshit for us to enjoy and be involved in. Thanks for just letting me keep posting among such lovely people.

...as I can't make the Jan 7th soiree either.

But well done to all; sounds like it was a blast.

...more or less everyone else's sentiments, really. It was a terrific evening.

The Word meet-ups are always good, but there was something really special, too, about the willingness of the magazine folk to get stuck in, meet their public and add the extra layers of recognition and hilarity the Awards provided.

I've discovered, though, that I might actually be physically too short to speak to Mark Ellen. I tried. But the poor bloke looked like he might be on the verge of breaking his neck through excessive stooping.....

Thanks to everyone involved for a great night.

Sounds like a great night was had by by all.

Long may it continue

I don't post much but I thoroughly enjoy what I read

... consoling back patting to the runner-ups. Great to hear the night was a success. Hope to meet all you guys'n'dolls sometime.

at the bottom of my bag. It was tearstained and had curry over it but I think I can decipher most of it

I promised myself I wouldn't cry *takes quick sniff of onion in pocket*. Firstly a thank you top all at Word Magazine.......behind 3rd cubicle, Euston Station. Non consecutive notes as requested.

I recognise this award is for the wit and insight of my posts produced with great pain to myself.....mixture of drugs, drink and endless stream of cigarettes and magazines.

Although apparently a popular poster......the fact people have unfollowed me on Twitter after meeting me in person is not a bad thing

So in closing thanks to Jesus, God, my old grandpappy.......you like me, you really like me *fall in heap and have to be comforted by KM*. Niiiiiccccee!'

Heard from Davy Ghost I could be seen having a natter-about - any other Massive members (oo-er) get seen onscreen?

http://theghostofelectricity.blogspot.com/2010/11/meanwhile_27.html

... to all the winners. It's times like this I wish I was still living in Blighty.

worthy winners all round, great to talk about Norman Lewis with you Ganglesprocket.

no one spotted old B7 recreating Todd Rundgren's Back to the Bars album cover

shabby you Saft Southern Jessies!

There are some things in life which are not necessary, but serve to make our brief passage through it happier and more pleasurable. These are things which make yourself hug yourself with glee and lessen - even for a short while - the weight on our shoulders.

The Word Magazine is one of those things. Not just the magazine itself of course, although this is a joy to read - as a subscriber I don't have the busy cover to tell me what is inside, and I skip the contents page, and so turning each page and seeing what is coming up next is a great feeling. The blog, my first port-of-call in the morning (with first coffee), is wonderful and by turns funny and thought-provoking (as well as a time-suck). The podcast, though, is one of The Great Things In Life - for some reason the sound of a few guys, and occasional gal, just sitting around chatting, joking and laughing together is enough to make the birds sing and flowers bloom.

Subscription renewed.

...Fraser had nipped over to Archie's place in Spain and was hanging around in his bathroom? And he STILL managed to run the webcast from the pub in London?!?

Crikey, the fellow is even more brilliant than we all imagined... :-)