Clifton and Hotwells
Improvement Society (CHIS)

Web Statistics for www.cliftonhotwells.org.uk August 07- July 08

Maggie Shapland, Webmaster

I have now been looking after the website for four years. Usage has now flattened out this year after its meteoric rise since 2004. It now has 761 files which include

§         524 images- an increase of 120 from last year- relating to street lights, Clifton Rocks Railway, parking, some to Sutton House

§         61 word documents- up 10- relating the weekly planning lists that we now put up

§         148 web pages- up 30- relating to the Observatory, street lights, planning, parking, lighting, information from Neighbourhood Watch

In February I added 40 pictures of street lamps taken for a survey which will be used as part of the Clifton Conservation Area assessment. This proved very useful when Clifton was accused of taking Victorian lamp posts from St Andrews in June, since we knew exactly how many lights we had and of what kind, and that they had been there a very long time. I also added pictures I took when the replacement for the historic lamp in the Mall was finally put back- a very pleasing sight. I was also asked by the Council lighting department to add their lighting strategy- which is apparently not on their website!

Christmas Day had 557 hits (206 last year)

Streetscape seems to be consistently the most popular section this year, followed by Clifton Rocks Railway progress and pictures (people sent me worried  emails when the diary stopped in September when we had insurance problems), planning, noise, news and plaques. Parking is very popular at the moment due to the residential parking scheme (it is really hard to find details about residential parking on the Council website). Indeed when analysing the responses from members, I got several compliments about the pictures I had put up about bad parking.

Most people still find the CHIS site by searching for specific topics, committee members, streets, plaque information or pictures, and the topics looked for are as varied as ever and one can tell what is causing concern each month. This can lead to me putting up more information. I give a few examples of each below.

• Tree sculpture- this can get 20-40 hits per month and is consistently the most popular searched for phrase despite the fact I only have one picture.
• Streetscape: lionhead doorknockers on doors; canopy and balcony; Georgian iron balcony; rusty balconies;  iron railing finial; old street lamp; Georgian house door; old Victorian shopfronts
• Social disorder; Clifton park intruder scam
• Actor William Powell’s addresses residences
• Advertising boards on cobbles
• American chestnut tree dead; fascinating trees; hydrangea grayswood; pleached tree of heaven; do squirrels eat hydrangeas; how close to a wall should a hazel tree be planted in England; monkey puzzle tree; limestone lettuce plants
• Bristol city council unexploded bombs records
• Bristol residents parking
• Bristol wheelie bins rubbish clean and green; images of litter study
• Building cracks; arguments to demolish derelict Victorian building
• Driving a motor vehicle on a footpath; how to get rid of noisy car driving outside
• Highways act 1835 bicycles
• Examples of bad planning; development canygne road; Edwards Garage, Alma Vale Road; grounds for objecting to planning applications
• Plaque: Francis Greenway; Gertrude Hermes; Thomas Guppy; Sarah Guppy; Eugenie de montijo contribution to the civil war; Prince Rupert military buildings
• Hotwells 1900 Dowry square; influence of georgian conducts books on Victorian society; Betjeman Christchurch; born 1840 many moods doctor Clifton; 1940’s graffiti; Avon Gorge Hotel pump room restoration
• Clifton Arts trail

So its still good fun, if a bit time-consuming- and I get lots of compliments and requests for help