Encomium

Never let it be said that SWSL is afraid to follow where other blogs have trodden long before - this time in publicly paying tribute to Mike, who has decided to put Troubled Diva on "indefinite hold, effective immediately", bowing out with justifiable pride and characteristic dignity.

Ever since I started blogging, I've looked up in awe at Troubled Diva - even more so since my original inspiration, Olav's irascible It Makes No Difference, was shut down by The Man in October. Here was someone based, like me, in Nottingham, with a brilliantly written and all-encompassing blog. Mike has always seemed streets ahead of the rest in everything he does - the range of content, the depth of knowledge, the wit, the Guest Weeks, the regular series... More than that, on a personal note, he's supported SWSL since its early days by reading, commenting and linking, and was one of the first bloggers to make me realise there is a genuine community out there. His site has been responsible for putting me and many others in contact with other people via their blogs.

Of course, he might very well claim (as in fact he has, in response to the influx of tributes and messages of goodwill) that Troubled Diva is / was "just" a weblog, one among thousands. Well, it's been a hell of a lot more than that to me, mate, as it has for many of your readers.

Anyway, in accordance with Mike's wishes, ahem, it's not all doom and gloom around here - hopefully this is more a celebration than a glum tribute. I'm looking not at the corpse but at the fucking flowers, as the man himself might put it.

So, would you all please raise your glasses in a toast - to Troubled Diva!

*clink clink clink*

Mike - SWSL salutes you. All the best.