Free Gifts

When you have a website, you naturally want people to read it. The standard way of achieving this is to get lots of other people to link their website to yours. When I found that I could get a free listing on www.yell.com, the online Yellow Pages, I decided to register EatNottingham.com in the "Newspapers & Magazines" section.

As it turned out, they don't actually give you a proper link to your website at all but they certainly do list your business (if you can call this silly blog a business).

The result of my listing on Yell.com has been a spectacular increase in junk mail (the sort that the postman brings) and unsolicited telephone calls. Unfortunate perhaps, but some of it has been interesting...

Just before the long school holidays I was besieged with phone calls from very young people hoping for work experience at my "newspaper". In an era of general paedophile hysteria, it seems incredible that schoolchildren are cold-calling strangers out of the Yellow Pages and asking for an interview.

Brrrrringggg!
"Hello? Is that Climax Video Productions?"
"Yes it is. How may I help you, young lady?"
"I'm looking for some, err... work experience."
"Are you indeed?"
...

Just before Christmas I received through the post an extraordinary number of carefully monogrammed pens, each bearing the name of EatNottingham.com. Some of these pens were rubbish, but a couple of them have become instant favourites. They are easily the best pens that I posess, great big chunky chrome jobs with beautiful presentation cases. Thanks a lot, whoever you are.

Now, as a representative of the media, I am starting to get invites to film premieres! Admittedly, only at the Broadway so far but this surely bodes well for the future. Improve the quality of your junk mail and sign up with Yell.com today!

Anyway, Friday is my birthday and 8 of us are going to Merchants for dinner. Watch this space...