The Glasgow Gallivanter

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gallivant: to go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.

I think that might be a good description of what I do, no? When I started Anabel’s Travel Blog I had good reasons for choosing such a prosaic title which are no longer relevant. At first, it did what it said on the tin, but lately I’ve been writing a lot more about Glasgow and its surroundings. I’ve also found the title a bit restricting: I might want to write about something else occasionally and, indeed, I do on Adventures of a Retired Librarian which I now intend to – well, retire! Hence the change to The Glasgow Gallivanter.

So new year, new title – but before plunging into 2016, a quick look back at 2015. My page-views more than doubled, though I admit to suspicion about WordPress’s stats. I’ve had a few of those “Your stats are spiking” messages where investigation showed one post, or even one image, was getting multiple hits in a very short space of time. As an example, my top-read post in 2015 was apparently A visit to Cambridge. Huh? Written in July 2012, it has no likes and no comments – I hadn’t learned how to make friends yet – so how did that get there? Spam bots? I don’t know – but I’m happy to accept the upward trajectory even if I don’t believe the actual figures. I’ve posted more frequently and made more connections with all you lovely people reading this right now.

Thank you for your companionship in 2015. I look forward gallivanting with you in 2016.

Scotland, UK ,

60 Comments »

  4. Great name Anabel – love it! I’m none too sure about all the stats either – I also get strange spikes every so often, which I suspect are some spam bot but it’s still nice to get a stats boost!! All the very best for your blog in 2016 and I shall enjoy reading your posts and updates 🙂

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  7. I know what you mean about stats. My blog isn’t on WordPress, but I get truly odd numbers, too. Like 20 a day from Russia, four days running, having had none from there before. And, as for your A Visit to Cambridge, you now have one like and it’s legitimate. It is mine. Like your new title, too.

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  8. Hi Anabel,
    I was intrigued by your experience of WordPress stats, as I’ve had a similar experience. My all-time best day was in September 2012 when 1,750 people Googled “Victorian Time” and found my blog (I don’t think!) Today I’ve got one visitor viewing 35 posts, but the country breakdown lists the USA, Malaysia, Ukraine and Canada. I guess we have to take these things with a pinch of salt!

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  10. I love the new title of your blog Anabel! My mother used to always chastise me for ‘gallivanting around the countryside’; a derogative comment for me never staying at home and doing, I don’t know, perhaps ordinary mundane things! So, bearing that in mind, I wish you a year full of exciting adventures gallivanting around the globe!

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  14. Great title! I know what you mean about wordpress stats, although they are more reliable than bloggers, which counts all the spam and bot visits. WordPress does filter them out, as it does from the author of the post, but recently I’ve spotted that it counts my own visits if I’m not logged in, which it didn’t in the past. Maybe it’s just confused.

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  18. I love the new name too. It is funny how a blog changes over time isn’t it? My travel words has become less about travel recently and more about the place I live in, as travelling further afield has dwindled. And I have to agree with you on the stats, one of my ‘top’ posts on the flower blog was a fairly insipid horse chestnut photo from 2013, with 3 comments (one mine) and 1 like! What?????

    I look forward to gallivanting through 2016 with you 🙂

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    • Thank you! It seems it’s a general problem then. I must remember to check next time if I get a lot of spam comments soon afterwards which would bear out my theory of a spam bot at work.

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  21. Love the new title, and I do like the alliteration.

    I suppose I really should change the title of my blog as the ‘caravan’ bit hasn’t been relevant for some time, but I’ve had the name for over five years and I’m used to it.

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  24. Nice title. I am dreadful at thinking of good titles. It is always the most difficult part of any article I post on my blog and the title of our blog is very boring but we can’t think of anything else plus we do everything in 2 languages so it adds an element of complexity. Looking forward to continue following your adventures!

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    • Thank you! It wasn’t what I originally planned to change it to, I just had a light-bulb moment when it came to me. As I said in another comment, I like a nice alliteration.

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  26. I am looking forward to he name related changes 🙂
    I had one of my top posts was visited one day God knows how many times from Russia. That did not happen again but was quite obvious…

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