Guest Edits - Highlights from 2010

Started in March, the guest edits have become a permanent fixture at the Good Web Guide. The newsletters are much looked forward to by both the editorial team and our subscribers. The series has given us all the opportunity to discover new sites, some daily essentials, others complete time wasters but fun all the same.

Everyone we've approached has accepted the invitation to pen their six favourite sites (all bar one and even they are coming round to it). The list is getting quite long now and for those that of you that have missed some of the earlier edits, to date Rachel Johnson, Trinny and Susannah, Thomasina Miers of the Mexican restaurant chain, Wahaca, and author Clancy Martin have done the honours for us, letting us know what they get up to online, amongst many others.

We've pulled together a list of six sites that have been chosen by guest editors that you've all clearly liked and clicked through to.

Unhappy Hipsters - Chosen by India Knight. 'Takes beautifully composed photographs from the poncier interiors magazines and captions them in a way that both highlights their essential absurdity and suggests that the hipsters are not only unhappy but riddled with existential angst. Very very funny.'

Cats That Look Like Hitler - Chosen by Mrs Stephen Fry. 'I asked the good people of Twitter to choose their favourite websites and, typical of the sophisticated and cultured aesthetes who make up my loyal band of followers, the overwhelming winner was this site.'

Awkward Family Photos - Chosen by Chris Wild of Retronaut. 'Its strapline is "Spreading the awkwardness" and as a mirror to your and my deepest fears, it is unparalleled.  Seriously, if you need me to explain the appeal of an awkward family photo, then its not for you.  Just don't go there.  These are not the droids you're looking for.  Move along. Move along.'

Retro To Go - Chosen by Charlie Gladstone of Pedlars. 'I don't like everything featured here but that's not really the point. What I do like is their tireless enthusiasm for seeking out retro and retro-influenced stuff and their knowledge and enthusiasm. The world of blogs is a wonderful one and sometimes I find it hard to get any work done because of their siren call. This is one of the best.'

TED - Chosen by Sebastian Conran. 'A series of really thought provoking talks, expressing ideas on a variety of pertinent subjects including design, technology and education. Each one is less than 18 minutes, and they are always relevant, often witty and downloadable as podcasts, which is useful whilst in travelling purgatory. Sir Ken Robinson's 2006 presentation on teaching creativity in schools (and its follow on blogs) is particularly inspirational and relevant.'

Smitten Kitchen - Chosen by Alison Cork of Homes & Bargains. 'A cult blog written by a Jewish New York housewife whose life clearly centres around food. I love the simplicity of the proposition, the unpretentious way in which she writes, and the drop dead gorgeous photography, which apparently she achieves with whatever light is available and often in the evenings after her baby has gone to sleep. It is about the food, but it's also about the passion that exists behind it.'

21 December 2010