THE END OF THE GH ONLINE FORUM

























Since its launch in October 2003, our forum The Blackboard became the star attraction of GH Online. It started just ahead of, and outlasted, an official Grange Hill forum operated by Conker Media in 2004 and boasted a very happy, friendly community of Grange Hill fans which we are extremely proud of.

Unfortunately, the forum became an increasing problem in recent months. It grew to such a size that ended up much bigger than the site it was designed to be a part of, and was no longer possible to maintain without dedicated management. As you may know I have not been in the best of health this year. The final few weeks caused increasing worry for us, with increasingly aggressive spambot activity that could have brought GH Online into disrepute.

Despite the obvious pleasure we knew the forum brought so many people, it became an unsustainable burden on myself and Andy. It also prevented me from developing additional content for Grange Hill Online, another cause for concern.

The Blackboard therefore closed down on 22 October 2007 - close to the 4th anniversary of the first posts.

 

BUT - PANIC NOT!!!

We know how much the forum meant to you so we couldn't possibly leave you without an online community which, for many of you, became a way of life and a great place to meet like-minded people. So our good friend Jack Turrell, previously the brains behind Chris Perry-Metcalf Online - is now running The New Grange Hill Blackboard. It has many of the features you enjoyed with our forum, but is independently administered and moderated from GH Online. The new forum also has its own URL:


http://www.ghblackboard.co.uk

The new blackboard is now online and taking registrations. It will continue to be linked from the main GHO site. Because this is a new forum starting from scratch, you will all need to reregister on the new board if you have not already done so.

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
If you were a member of the GH Online forum, you need to reregister at The New Grange Hill Blackboard. You do not have to but we hope that the previous community will once again show itself as one at the new home.

We know that some of you bookmarked the GH Online forum separately from the main site. Please be sure to amend your favourites list!

 

WILL GHO LINK TO THE NEW FORUM?
Yes - there is still a link on most GHO pages in the same places (navigation bar etc), though the buttons now reflect the graphics of the new forum.

 

WHAT ABOUT THE VIDEO EXCHANGE?
The Grange Hill Blackboard has now decided to resurrect the Video Exchange. Full details and an online application form can now be found there.

 

AND WILL I BE INVOLVED?
Yes! I'll be as active on the new forum as I was here, but I am no longer a moderator nor do I have any direct involvement in the running of the new forum. Of the original GH Online forum team, only Jack and Emma (Digi.Em) remain; the rest of us have decided to move on for personal or work reasons.

If you want to get in touch please make sure you contact the correct administration team - GH Online for all issues relating to this site, and The New Grange Hill Blackboard for all forum enquiries.

The two sites should continue to be great resources to exchange the latest news about Grange Hill and the upcoming Series 31. The separation of the forum from GHO is essential to allow me to get back to producing new content for GH Online and I know this has been suffering in recent months as the forum has continued to eat into my time.

 

So there you have it - GH Online no longer runs its own forum but there is still a Grange Hill forum for you to go to. We are grateful for all your kind words and I hope you will appreciate the previous arrangement simply could not continue.

From the old GH Online Blackboard team of

Simon Luxton
Andy Gregson
John Lewis
Matt Hopton
Emma Robertson
Jack Turrell
and former moderator, Gazza

to the new Grange Hill Blackboard team:

Jack Turrell
Emma Robertson
Katy Booth
Ruth Currie
Dave Ash
Hayley Stuart

...may we wish you the very best of luck for the new forum, I hope you will be happy in your new venture and I hope as many of you as possible will support it. Thanks for everything over the last four years!