Spring 2002 Newsletter - Page 6

www.bridgwater.net

It has been quite a busy time for the Town Web with new content being provided by some of the schools ( Brymore, Westover Green and Bridgwater College), churches (Bridgwater Methodist, Bridgwater Catholic) and carnival clubs of Bridgwater. This information and links to their sites can be found in the relevant areas of www.bridgwater.net The Bridgwater on-line quarterly newsletter (that you are reading now) can also be found at the site by following the links.

New sections are being planned. We will be developing the Town Centre Managers section and after a recent successful meeting with the Town Heritage Initiative, we will be providing the site with detailed information about this project. Following the Christmas period the number of hits to the site is increasing with 75,985 hits to the site since 1st Feb (that’s an average of 1,085 a day!). The main areas of interest to visitors are:

1. Contents

2. Business Index

3. Town History

4. Carnival Pages

5. What’s On section

 The most popular advert in this period has been The Old Vicarage Hotel & Restaurant.

A fairly large proportion of visits to the site are through people using search engines (Yahoo, Altavista, Lycos and Google) to find information. Also due to the few reciprocal links in place on other sites in the area we have started to get some local visitors to the site, thanks must be extended to Andys Taxis, Taunton Rock & Roll Club and Woolavington. On-line. Reciprocal links (a link from one website to another and a link on the other site back to the original) do work and benefit both parties. If any businesses or clubs have a site that they would like bridgwater.net to link to then please contact me webmaster@bridgwater.net and we can set the links in place.

Getting people to use the website can help to promote other features of the town and also make them aware of local businesses and facilities, both shopping and otherwise, that are available in the Town Centre.

How you can support and help to promote your Town:

1. Visit the Town Website www.bridgwater.net

2. Let us know your comments about the site, what you would like to see changed and what you would like added.

3. If you have a website, place a link to the Bridgwater Town Web and we will provide a reciprocal one.

4. If you would like to contribute to the site by adding content, eg The History section provided by Roger Evans, then please let us know.

Outside of local interest, most of the visitors to the site are from America and the rest of the UK but we have had visitors from Sweden, France, Netherlands, Germany and even China and Iceland. To all of the people that have contributed to the site and have helped to make it what it is I would like to say a big thank you.

Pip Martin - webmaster for bridgwater.net

Telephone 07887 658035

Competition Winners

‘VALENTINES’ COMPETITION

Mr & Mrs Pratt, Chapel Road, Puriton.

A meal for two courtesy of the Old Vicarage Restaurant, Luxury transport provided by Angel Place Shopping Centre.

‘DECORATE THE EGG’ COMPETITION

Bethany Mason - £70 Bicycle Voucher.

Zoe Gillard-Stamp - £100 Bicycle Voucher.

Victoria Modley - £150 Bicycle Voucher.

Competition sponsored by Angel Place Shopping Centre and supported by the Bicycle Chain, Salmon Parade.

‘HUNT THE EGG’ POSTER

Mrs Greta Cresswell - £75 Shopping Voucher.

Mrs Maxine Holt - Basket of flowers.

Competition sponsored by The Somerset Skills Support Project.

‘PAINT YOUR MUM’ COMPETITION

Winning School - North Newton Community School.

The winning Mum was Sandra Adams who received flowers & chocolates courtesy of Flowers International, Competition sponsored by Angel Place Shopping Centre and supported by Bridgwater Arts Centre.

Wendy White, Town Centre Manager would like to thank all sponsors of these competitions, the judges, participating businesses and other organisations who gave their time.

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