Dear Brothers and Sister of the Blog

Many years ago, too many to remember, when the land was threatened by the barbarian and the thug, when law and justice were in danger, and when the nation had been betrayed by the corruption and incompetence of its political classes, a man stepped forward who was willing to resist the decline into the coming Dark Ages, and who with courage and virtue took up arms against the coming Night.

He is known to the modern world as Arthur, and he was dux bellorum, leader in battles. The name Arthur was probably a “battle name” derived from a nickname or pseudonym – from the welsh “Arth”, meaning “bear”. So we had a noble leader, courageous and true, and going by the name of an animal.

Now it is said that Arthur did not ever really leave us and pass from us into that eternal slumber that awaits us all. Wounded, he merely departed the stage temporarily, and, so it is said, lies sleeping, awaiting the call should Britain ever again face ultimate calamity. He is thus, ARTHURUS, QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS; Arthur, the once and future king.

This week Anna Raccoon retired from blogging. She has placed the blog itself in the capable hands of SadButMadLad and Matt Wardman.

I am relatively new to the Blogosphere. I merely stumbled across it at a time of great personal crisis for me, whiling away the hours. I do not remember making any conscious choice to seek it out, but merely found a variety of sites which by varying degree amused, informed, provided catharsis and engaged.

However, the Anna Raccoon site was very special. If I say that the Blog had a Libertarian bent, I may be doing it an injustice. I am not a political expert, and have no fixed affiliations. What I discovered was a Blog which boasted a cadre of free thinking, independent minded commentators and freedom fighters. Anna herself, of course, but also others. Common themes were the protection of freedom, the exposure of injustice by the state, and the cause of the Common Man. The writing was always of the highest quality, and there was quantity too. I do know that Anna herself worked tirelessly to review a host of daily sources and keep up the volume of posts. And these were not your ordinary pithy Internet posts, but eloquent essays. It was less of a blog and more of a magazine.

But it was never purely political. There could be a hilarious and moving essay Anna’s somewhat eccentric family one minute; a polemic on the evils of petty bureaucrats or foolish local councils the next, or a scabrous satire on a political figure and then a simple diary piece the next. Less a blog than an online magazine.

There was always vigorous debate and contribution.

Anna had a passion for the defence of the weak and for defence of liberty. In that regard she was in particular a hawkish observer and critic of the murky workings of the Court of Protection helping Mark Neary and his son Steven fight against their council, and played a leading role in the campaign to free Landlord Nick Hogan from jail for breaching the anti smoking legislation, and smote the Stalinist Sandwell Council, forcing them to withdraw their threat to prosecute a pensioner for allegedly dropping cigarette ash. On a personal level she was endlessly kind to me, and even gave me the pleasure and the privilege of posting a few of my scribblings.

Anna has now hung up her blogging hat. I do know that keeping up such a prodigious output and maintaining the site, sometimes in the face of the abuse and backbiting that comes with it was very, very hard work.

She has departed, like Arthur, silently and mysteriously into the mist, a great leader of courage and virtue. No longer with us, but, I hope, not finally departed either. Perhaps she will return. She will certainly never be forgotten

And so I can think of no finer tribute to Anna than to hail her thus:

HIC ANNONA PROCYON LOTOR ERAT; REGINA BLOGGORUM QUANDAM REGINAQUE FUTURUES!

Or in English: This was Anna Raccoon; the once and future queen of the blogs!

Good luck Anna, from all of us.

Gildas the Monk

Originally published (in a slightly different form) on Grumpy Old Twat’s site

Châtelaine May 17, 2012 at 20:04

“Originally published (in a slightly different form) on Grumpy Old Twat’s
site”

October 2010? I could have sworn it was much longer ago …

Single Acts of
Tyranny May 15, 2012 at 18:57

I love the Latin, if I may suggest another for our erstwhile host

Nec vi, nec clam, nec precario

Backwoodsman
May 15, 2012 at 17:34

Gildas, I look forward to your contributions towards filling the void left
by Annas’ retirement . They normally require a second read to fully comprehend
– saddly a reflection on the paucity of much of modern journalism, rather than
a reflection of my declining powers of comprehension – I think !

Thomas May 15, 2012 at 14:56

The (Anna Racc) King is dead! Long live the King!

Pericles May 15, 2012 at 11:19

Good piece, Gildas.

ΠΞ

Caedmon’s
Cat May 15, 2012 at 11:16

I only hope that Anna’s successors in contributing to this blog are as
vigilant as she was in taking up the causes of those unfortunate enough to
have fallen foul of the machinations of the petty council jobsworths and
assorted apparatchiks of our wondrous State. The bully boys must never be
allowed to win. La lucha continua.

SadButMadLad
May 15, 2012 at 12:26

We will do our best but we don’t have Anna’s experience and knowledge.
That doesn’t mean that we won’t stop at highlighting abuses by those in
authority. Others can take the baton from us and delve deeper whilst we use
the popularity of this blog to raise the issue in the first place.

Henry May 15, 2012 at 10:41

Real shame. I wish her the best and hope she will be back.

I’m guessing that others feel a little demoralised – as I do – when someone
who has spoken so eloquently decides to quit. Really that means the ball is in
our court. If we care, then we have to try and communicate and reason as well
as Anna did, (better if we can)

macheath May 15,
2012 at 10:21

Amen, Brother!

Caratacus May 15, 2012 at 09:15

Sic ire optimum, Anna. Leave them wanting more

Wish you joy in whatever follows.

Mummylonglegs
May 15, 2012 at 09:13

Since I started reading blogs and then blogging myself, many have come and
gone (and come and gone again-ahem). Some were good, some were bad and some
were downright ugly, however all had one thing in common, they were the voices
of people trying to connect with others of a similar bent.
I have not
always agreed with Anna, in fact once or twice I was down right enraged by her
(and was terribly rude to her, for which I humbly apologise). One thing always
stood out though, and that was the honesty and passion with which She wrote.
She wrote about things She believed to be important and never wavered no
matter what came her way.
I was sad to see, in Her goodbye post, that the
negative had finally worn Her down. I was pretty vicious a couple of times but
I hope to God I never threatened Her or caused Her too much distress. I doubt
it somehow, She has dealt with far worse than a ranting, opinionated stay at
home Mum whose mouth was oftentimes bigger than her brain.
I cannot tell
you how relieved I was, reading Her post, when I realised that although She
was retiring The Raccoon Arms was still open for business. So Anna, I wish you
all the best in your ‘retirement’, I for one will miss you greatly, I didn’t
always agree with you but by golly, I looked forward to your postings.
All
the best, Mummy x

Frankie May 15, 2012 at 08:55

Way to go, Gildas! Anyone who is not an evil eccentric mad troll will feel
thus… I have been thinking on this earlier today.

What did these quite dreadfully evil people, who have treated Anna in such
a despicable manner do before the invention of the Internet. Well… Hitler
invaded places, Haig dissolved people in acid baths and Dahmer ate people!

When you consider what she has been through personally recently is it any
wonder that she has hung up her apron? I’ll bet she needed some of those
personal attacks upon her like another hole in the head.

I am sure the blog will survive and hope against hope that we have not read
the very last word from such an erudite blogger but that is for the
future.

With contributors such as yourself on board we will be okay. Not great, but
okay. Anna/Susanne can reflect that she did so much good, whilst those morons
who have caused so much personal angst can gloat that their evil nature has
hurt a good person. Great. Surely, in their calmer? moments they may come to
realise their inadequacy and lack of worth to the rest of society.

Fred Thrung May 15, 2012 at 07:13

It’s all very sad. But Anna has left a legacy of work which can be read
again and again. We’re all very lucky that SBML and Matt have agreed to take
up the baton and I trust you, Gildas, will continue your superb
contributions