Update:

Allow me to interrupt your 43 bus blog experience for a rare deviation. Yesterday, at the first ever annual Manchester Blog Awards, ‘43’ was named winner of the Blog of the Year category! Can you believe it?

What's that? What do you mean 'No'? Look, I was even given a logo to prove it.

Yes, an unlikely turn of events, especially given the quality of the competition: ‘43’ was shortlisted for Blog of the Year alongside the venerable Mancubist, and the witty and intelligently written Airport Diaries. The writer of the Airport Diaries and I were even given the opportunity to read a few of our posts out at the award ceremony at Urbis, which was tied in to the Manchester Literature Festival.

A big thanks goes out to the Manchizzle for masterminding and organising the awards, and also for therefore disqualifying herself from the competition and hence giving the rest of us a chance.

While I’m at it I’d also like to thank my wife for staying out late and supporting me even though she has to get up early because she has a real job.

In more (shamelessly self promoting) news, it’s been an busy few days for the 43 blog, as only a week ago I gave a short interview for Richard Fair on BBC Radio Manchester. In case you are curious Richard has kindly posted about it on the BBC Manchester Blog.

Please accept my apologies for interrupting normal viewing to bring you this (I couldn’t resist), more 43 proper coming soon.