NE Blogger Awards 2014

October 23, 2014 by Rachel Kershaw in Festivals and Events 10

I am both shocked and delighted that as I glance up at my fireplace this evening, a prestigious award for North East Travel Blog of the year stands proudly next to my collection of family photos. I have been on a high for the last 24 hours and as you’ll see from this little video that was played out before the winner was announced, it was completley unexpected!

Being presented with my award by Matt Briggs from Newcastle International Airport who sponsored the travel category

The much anticipated NE Blogger Awards were organised by the fabulous blog loving team at OPR, a communications agency based in Ouseburn. Kari Owers, MD at the award winning agency said the event was the end result of ‘little idea she’d had back in the spring’. I’m sure I speak on behalf of bloggers across the region when I say that Kari’s brainwave was a welcome one and we hope the NE Blogger Awards will become an annual event!

With my bowling buddy Corrina who first encouraged me to become a blogger!

The new ballroom at Lane 7 was a fantastic venue for the event, creating a fun and informal atmosphere and with burgers, bowling and brilliant bloggers, it couldn’t fail to be a memorable night!

Dan Black from Metro Radio was a perfect host and managed to silence a room full of chatterboxes for the all important award presentations. The music, decor and drinks all got a big thumbs up from the room of reviewers too, which is no mean feat, let me tell you!

Posing with Sandra Tang after winning our awards

Every single finalist deserved their recognition but I couldn’t hide my excitement as some of my favourite bloggers were announced as winners… Sandra Tang, whose blog www.chicest.com was nominated in two categories, scooped the award for Best Style Blog. This came as no surprise to me as Sandra is always at the forefront of fashion and only last week I found myself buying a coat she featured on her site!

My blog could not exist with the support from my long suffering boyfriend James!

It was also great to see www.scranonthetyne.com pick up the award for Best Food Blog, it’s a site that always gets my tummy rumbling. I think my loudest cheer of the evening was quite rightly reserved for Samantha Rickelton though. Sam won the biggest accolade of the night, Blogger of the Year, for her blog www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk

A deserving winner, Samantha from northeastfamilyfun.co.uk with Kari from OPR

I can’t tell you happy this made me, not just because Samantha clearly puts so much time and effort in to her blog but because the lovely lady also provides other bloggers with encouragement, support and advice without ever expecting anything in return. Samantha is a huge inspiration to me, her personal writing style makes her blog so easy to read, it often feels like I’m reading a postcard from a friend and her cute family photos always leave a smile on my face!

Photobooth fun (and we weren’t even drunk!)

The NE Blogger Awards was undoubtedly one of my highlights of 2014 and if you hadn’t already guessed by the photos, I had an absolutely belting night! Big thanks to everyone involved!

By Rachel Kershaw