A Brummie Home and Abroad’s Top 10 Posts of 2020
There was a time earlier in 2020 when I wondered “what exactly AM I going to write on a travel, theatre and lifestyle blog during a global pandemic?” I considered gently closing the laptop and giving A Brummie Home and Abroad a bit of a break. And then I realised the thoughts in my head during lockdown 1.0 may amuse some people. You might want to know what I’ve been reading. And listening to. And eating. Then we tentatively started to travel again – albeit here in the UK, in the form of the minibreak.
And oddly, 2020 has been my best blogging year so far for views and visitors. It turns out you do like my rambling and random thoughts after all. So here are my Top 10 Posts of 2020. I’ve split these into my 5 Most Popular Posts of 2020, and my 5 Most Popular New Posts of the year. It’s a good chance for you to catch up with a post you may have missed, or revisit an old favourite! As always, I love comments so please feel free to let me know what content you’ve enjoyed in 2020. And hopefully travel, theatre and lifestyle content will resume in 2021.
Top 5 posts of 2020
No 5: The Life of a Photographer’s Wife…
This blog post from a couple of years back had a new lease of life in 2020! As people found new hobbies and new ways to keep themselves busy during lockdowns maybe a new host of photographers were born. And with them, a whole host of disgruntled spouses, standing in fields during thunderstorms and sitting on mislaid camera equipment.
No 4: 6 Amazing Easy Hikes to Take in Jasper & Banff
This old favourite was my most popular post in 2018 and 2019 but has fallen to fourth place in 2020. This was one of my favourite trips, and one that Mr Fletche and I have reminisced about lots in this odd year of no-international-travel. If you want inspiration for Canadian hikes though, A Walk And A Lark is your gal 🙂
No 3: 6 Great Places to Eat and Drink in Liverpool
In a year that hospitality has suffered greatly, many of you sought out my recommendations for fab places to eat and drink in Liverpool. Sadly I know at least one of these suggestions is no longer open, and I will re-visit this post soon to ensure that all of the info is up-to-date for future visitors.
No 2: Top 8 Places to visit with a Rental Car in Tenerife
The Canaries were one of the few places that Brits could travel to during our brief respite between lockdowns. My 2nd most popular blog post of 2020 covers some of the wonderful places you can visit with a rental car in Tenerife. But just in case you don’t have a car, there’s info about travelling on public transport too!
No 1: 10 Travel-Related “Would You Rather” Questions
A Brummie Home and Abroad helped those long days of lockdown pass quicker by posing very important questions. Like “Would you rather travel the world for a year on a shoestring budget, or travel for one month in complete luxury?” And “Would you rather sit next to a chatterbox on a plane, or a crying baby?”
Top 5 New Posts of 2020
No 5: Van Gogh Alive: No Ordinary Art Exhibition
Between lockdowns, there was a short time when we were allowed out in public. As long as it was 2 metres apart, wearing a mask and our hands were washed raw. And Mr Fletche and I used this opportunity wisely to get our culture on at this fab immersive exhibition at Birmingham Hippodrome. The run has been extended until 31st January 2021, so if you’re lucky you may still be able to bag yourself a ticket here.
No 4: A Little Life Update
This January blog was from pre-COVID times. Remember them? It was a bit of a personal one, as I spoke about the excitement of moving into our new house, tinged with the grief of my father-in-law passing away. All in the same week. January was a rollercoaster. We thought the year could only get better…
No 3: Dear Diary…Week 2 of Social Distancing (The Lockdown Edition)
Back in March, when we thought COVID/lockdown/travel restrictions might be a fleeting thing, I decided to document some of my rambling thoughts. Week 2 highlights included Mr Fletche and I being a liability in a virtual kitchen, the first “Clap for Carers” and a cheese and meat feast from Arch13.
No 2: Lockdown Library: What I’ve Been Reading
2020 has been the year to get stuck into a good book. And there have been books I’ve loved, books I’ve liked, and a few books I’ve felt a bit “meh” about. I love book recommendations from other bloggers, particularly when we’ve enjoyed the same books previously. I find Claire and Laura of Twin Perspectives always have great suggestions and I’ve recently found the You’re Booked podcast, which features authors talking to Daisy Buchanan about what’s on their bookshelves.
No 1: Embracing the UK Staycation
Unsurprisingly, this year’s most popular new travel post was this blog on planning a UK minibreak. This was written way back in March, when the future of travel was uncertain, but I was still hoping to sneak in a foreign trip or two in 2020. Instead, I’ve followed my own advice, and had fun staycations in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Cornwall, Norfolk, Wales and the Peak District. All hail the UK minibreak!
Honorable mentions
Technically my two most popular new posts of 2020 were very specific to my local area here in Coleshill. I compiled a list of local independent eateries participating in the August Eat Out To Help Out Scheme, and also what services they were offering during Lockdown 2.0. Writing for a very specific audience and sharing in neighbourhood Facebook posts can pay dividends when it comes to blog views! And hopefully a few people stuck around for my other content too.
Thank you to everyone that has read, liked, commented or shared my blog posts in 2019. There have been times when I’ve lacked the motivation to blog this year, and time when I’ve wondered if it’s even worth continuing. But then I remember that I’ve had a number of great collaborations this year, more people are finding my blog posts through Google ever before, and writing is what I love. So once again, thank you to those of you that continue to support A Brummie Home and Abroad.
Emmalene xx
