I blinked and 15 years have passed. This is the story of the life of Sollerweb in the community of the Soller Valley and, in the wider sense, of Mallorca.
My day starts with a cup of tea and the daily letter. I aim to get it online by about 7 am but sometimes, although the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. On those days the word hits the page around 9 am. I give the information of the day as seen through my Soller resident eyes. I will tell you what the weather is like and sometimes give a glimpse of how I am going to spend my day. This letter started in Pandemic Lockdown, in those days it was serious, giving updates and information. As the situation improved the need for the daily letter declined. I suggested to faithful friends and readers that it was time to stop the daily missives as I wouldn’t want to be accused of a ‘daily letter self-indulgence’.
All I can say is WOW. The outcry was overwhelming. As a result of public demand, the daily letter plus all the other daily information from Sollerweb continues.
Thousands of people check in daily to touch base with the Solleric part of their lives. Readers are local, national and totally international. The readership increases every day and represent those who live here, second homeowners, frequent visitors, to those who haven’t visited at all, yet.
The Soller Valley is consistently beautiful. The Tramuntana Mountains, seaside, beaches and a place where local people live and work. This is not a purpose-built resort, and it has ebbed and flowed its history through the changing times in which we have lived. History tells of a factory and manufacturing town, a military base when Puerto Soller was requisitioned for that purpose, an outwardly looking exporter by sea to France and beyond. Nothing stands still here, and the entrepreneurial people of the past have been replaced by a dynamic younger generation ready to continue the growth.
‘Soller Shirley’ started as a Facebook Page to tell people of events. Sollerweb emerged from a collaboration with Tracey Ivell, super web designer. We could see what the interest in our place in the universe was and we took it out boldly to the rest of the world. Fifteen years later we are still here representing change and the future. What we can never do is stand still and say, ‘we have arrived’. There is always something new going on to be told world-wide, every day.
Tourism is the driver at present and the future challenge is to maintain the income from less people. This is a different story in the making and one which will require some explaining in the coming months. Sollerweb researches, reacts, and carries on telling current stories.
We are celebrating our 15-year anniversary and we thank you for being part of our story. Story telling always was and always will be at the heart of all we do. This resonates with so many of you and allows the Soller vibe and heart to get through to all who choose to read.
Other websites telling the Soller story have come and gone. This work can never be done as part of a 9-5 corporate job. This is what all the Town Halls on the island have found. They all had investment in their websites. On a certain date in the past, they were all shiny, new, and up to date. Thereafter, most of them were not willing to pay anyone to keep them current. Creation of an excellent website is just one part of the story. Any website is only as good as the regularly updated content and the story telling. This is what Tracey and I do on Sollerweb every day.
Thank you for being part of our past and joining us on the journey through the future.
Happy 15th Birthday Sollerweb!