(Midnight 31st December) Close of voting and today has been a madhouse. Votes have been pouring in even faster. Leads have been changing – and sometimes changing back. The highest scoring finalist has been back and forwards like a tennis ball and at one point another player strolled in, looked like carrying it off, stood around thinking about it – and we’re saying no more just now.

We are saying some things about the contest, though – because tomorrow all you’ll want to know is little more than who the winners are.

This year has seen twice the volume of voting as last year which was itself numbingly high.  And more even than last year, this awards sequence has been a fascintaing snapshot of Argyll.

When the winners are announced tomorrow we’ll be asking everyone to look at those who haven’t won – because every single finalist was a worthy winner and together they shout the richness and diversity of Argyll.

Many of the initiatives represented in the final are breathtaking in ambition, scale and achievement and they range from the engineering to the scientific, to the cultural and to the creative.

Community strengths in events, community building and websites are impressive and with the support shown in their votes are the engine of the dispersed territory that is Argyll.

Initiatives focusing on the environment, on outdoor activities, on wildlife and on linking these to tourism have been signally well represented and indicate the growing awareness in Argyll of its unique strengths that are there to be developed.

As Mark Morpurgo pointed out in a percipient posted comment after the nominations stage, the emphasis amongst the nominess and the finalists on those from the cultural sector was very marked. It had:

• All four finalists in the Best Achievement for Argyll
• Two out of four finalists in the Best Tourism Initiative
• Three out of four finalists in the best Community Initiative
• Over four out of five finalists in the Best Homecoming Event
• One out of four finalists in the Best Major Event
• Two out of five finalists in the Best Community Event
• All three finalists (unsurprisingly ) in the Best Arts Programme

There is capital to be mined from this strength and this perceived value and we will return to this issue at an appropriate time.

For now, until tomorrow, thank you all for your participation in this recognition of achievment in Argyll – and Happy New Year.

(Midnight 30th December) With the final 24 hours to close of voting starting now, there is every reason in every category for a last concerted push to get the votes in – for different reasons. In some cases it’s a drive to overhaul. In  others it’s a need to take a lead and break away from a tight draw situation.

To remind you who the finalists in each category are, here is the link to the list of finalists and their websites.

Every single finalist’s vote has increased significantly during the day – obviously some more than others.

The holder of the highest vote recorded to date remains one of the competitors in the Best Major Event category, who has now worn the Yellow Jersey for two days in a row.

Tonight we’re going to identify only the categories where it will take a huge push to catch a flying lead. All of the others are too close to call and leads have been changing between finalists all day. The categories with strong established leads are:

• Best Environmental Initiative
• Best Major Event
• Best Arts Programme
• Best Wildlife Website
• Best Local Newspaper

(Midnight 29th December) 48 hours to go and the pace is hotting up. Virtually no finalist is in a position safely to see its support tail away. Some finalists have stalled a bit, some have leapt into action and almost all have built their positions.

There is a raft of second places – and of ties of two or three for second place – where a last energetic push could see them taking the lead just when it really counts and there’s no time to come back at them.

There are some categories too close to call, even now – and there are a few back markers who look as if, without a galvanic dash, they  won’t make a catch-up.

And the accolade of finalist with the highest recorded vote to date has passed tonight from a candidate in the Best Local Newspaper category to one in the Best Major Event category.

Category by category again, here’s the up to date picture.

• Best Achievement for Argyll: The snail that hit the accelerator pedal has extended its lead again but is still within range of two other finalists in a dead heat in second place, with the fourth still in close contention.
• Best Tourism Achievement: No way of guessing this one. There are three finalists with no daylight between them and a fourth nipping at their heels.
• Best Environmental Achievement: The streaker here is still flying – a finalist quick off the blocks but with the stamina for a distance challenge. The other two finalists are very close together but jointly look as if they are starting to lose place to the speed machine.
• Best Community Achievement: The leading finalist last night has consolidated that position. The other three finalists are tightly bunched at a point where an energetic push could see any of them take the award.
• Best Homecoming Event: Another ding-doing battle. Two finalists are together in the lead. A third is not far off, a fourth within range and the fifth has had a relatively stalled day.
• Best Major Event: This is the category with the finalist holding tonight’s lead for the highest recorded vote to date. While the lead is a long one it is still within reach of the current second placed candidate – with the third and fourth placed candidates looking less likely to sustain their challenges.
• Best Community Event: Last night’s leader has opened up the lead a little more, with three other finalists in a virtual dead heat in a fairly close second place. The fifth candidate is also still in realistic contention.
• Best Arts Programme: This is another of the categories with a sprinter way out in front – but still catchable by two virtually identically placed contenders.
• Best Activity Website: Last night’s leader has extended the lead but is still within manageable reach of the second placed candidate and even of the third finalist who is not far behind.
• Best Wildlife Website: The lead here has been extended although it is not yet safe from assault by two other finalists who are virtually dead-heated. with the fourth close behind them.
• Best Community Website: The modest lead of last night has been lengthened but this is still a very close race wiith the other two candidates not far off the mark and carrying all-but-identical votes.
• Best Local Newspaper: The strong lead in this category has maintained position but ceded the role of highest scoring candidate to a finalist in the Best Major Event category. However, this honour is still so close it may change yet again before close of play and there are two other high scorers in a position to take this ‘man of the match’ title. The second placed candidate here could still overhaul the leader but, at this stage, will need a new surge of support. The third candidate, with a very respectable vote, is looking stalled and may not sustain a challenge for much longer.

(Midnight 28th December) The pattern in the last 24 hours of heavy voting has shown the great strength in Argyll’s communities. The lead has changed in some categories, by a substantial amount in one or two. Some early runaways have been overhauled but are still in there with plenty of fight left. Some categories have settled into a pattern of a dogged battle, with finalists keeping pace with each other and no one getting free of the pack.

There are categories where one finalist has a long lead – but with 72 hours of voting still to go, no lead at the moment is beyond catching.

Comments have been posted on some of the awards stories from Bute folk determined that the Clyde island will get stuck in next year and see off the opposition. That’s the sort of noise Argyll needs to hear. Shout out what you’re doing. Argyll – and well beyond – really wants to know. People are paying serious attention. Today has seen even more click-throughs to the links we set to the finalists websites.

And there is good news for the esteem in which Argyll’s great local newspapers are held. The honour of holding the single highest vote (and there are many high voting finalists) at the moment is held by one of rthe finalists in the Best Local Newspaper Category.

Tonight we’re going to give you an insight into the voting  picture in each of the 12 categories.

• Best Achievement for Argyll: The early snail whose supporters came to yesterday and started voting, gaining a small lead, has extended that lead today by a little more, although all finalists have improved their standing,
• Best Tourism Initiative: There is little to choose between three of the finalists here, with the fourth stalled for the last two days.
• Best Environmental Initiative: there is one streaker in this category – but not yet out of sight of the other two neck-and-neck finalists.
• Best Community Initiative: Here one finalist has a clear lead with nothing to choose between the other three.
• Best Homecoming Event: One finalist has a small lead here, one is the back marker, the other three are in close contact with each other – but the distances between all five are not great.
• Best Major Event: One finalist has been in the lead here from the outset and is well ahead. The other three are evenly spaced out behind.
• Best Community Event: One finalist has a moderate lead with three others in virtually identical positions and one back marker still in contention.
• Best Arts Programme: This is one of the ‘streaker’ categories with one candidate in a strong lead and nothing to choose between the other two.
• Best Activity Website: Strong voting category here – one finalist has a modest lead and the other two are pushing very close behind.
• Best Wildlife Website: Another sprinter here with almost no difference between each of the other three.
• Best Community Website: One of the toughest categories with strong support for all three finalists. One candidate is maintaining a small lead from twin performances close behind.
• Best Local Newspaper: Best of all the speed merchants but not by a mile, this category currently has the finalist with the highest score in the entire competition. The other two have respectable scores and the finalist now in second has the capacity to refuel and get moving.

(Midnight 27th December) There’s been a lot of action today both on the voting front and on people clicking through on the links we set to the finalists’ websites. We are delighted to see this pattern of behaviour as it’s exactly what these awards are for – finding out about what’s going on across Argyll.

Some strong leads are opening up while others, ahead yesterday, are being brought back into the Peleton so to speak. The highest numbers of votes cast for single finalists have been in the following categories:

• Best Environmental Initiative
• Best Major Event
• Best Arts Programme
• Best Wildlife Website
• Best Local Newspaper

Some of last night’s tightly contested categories are now seeing one finalist pulling ahead a little – but still easily catchable.

Tonight’s tightest fights are the same as last nights. although tonight, in almost all cases, the modest leads have changed:

• Best Achievement for Argyll
• Best Tourism Initiative
• Best Community Initiative
• Best Homecoming Event
• Best Community Event
• Best Activity Website
• Best Community Website

(Midnight 26th December) Two days of manic voting has seen some fascinating activity – we’ll give you the picture below – and, sorry, some periods where the site has been jammed with traffic.

Stick with it. Don’t give up on the finalists you want to do well.

When you’re voting – it’s a single form – scroll up and down and check out the spectrum of activity and achievement that is Argyll – and vote for more than the one or two you probably went to the voting zone to support.

Voting across the categories is lively and well spread. Some categories are already very fiercely contested, with finalists breathing down each other’s necks as the lead changes almost hourly:

• Best Achievement for Argyll
• Best Tourism Initiative
• Best Community Initiative
• Best Community Event
• Best Activity Website
• Best Community Website

Strong early leads have been established in some categories, although we expect most of these to develop into ding-doing battles to the bell. There are some cracking finalists whose supporters still haven’t recovered in sufficient numbers from the Christmas soporifics but when they start moving they’ll be awesome. The categories currently showing this pattern are:

• Best Environmental Initiative
• Best Major Event
• Best Arts Programme
• Best Wildlife Website
• Best Local Newspaper

In one category, there is a leader not too far ahead of a fellow competitor and with the other three finalists all but identical in votes but some distance behind. This is:

• Best Homecoming Event.

At the moment, although we’re pretty breathless keeping up with the voting patterns, we wouldn’t put money on any one result. There’s too much energy and the situation is too volatile.

We’ll have another update at midnight tomorrow and every night until – and including – 31st December when voting closes at Midnight.

With winners announced at some point on 1st Jauary – you’ll understand the uncertainty as to the exact time – after the last update you’ll simply have to guess and keep your fingers twisted behind your back. But that’s your escape clause as you make your New Year’s resolutions.

Related Posts

• Results: For Argyll Awards 2009 (20)
• 2009 For Argyll Awards: get ready (0)
• 2009 For Argyll Awards: Nominations update (13)
• Living in Argyll: sustainable design (1)
• Finalists: For Argyll Awards 2009 (8)

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