Blackberry Competition from O2 - Results!

When we were collecting info for the 2007 Bridgestone100 Best Places to Stay, we were surprised when, minutes after our email to Bryan Leech of Kilgraney House, we received an answer, even though we knew he was in France (we had tried to make a booking the previous day).

How are you managing to stay in touch with us even on holiday? Bryan's answer: "We bought a Blackberry from O2 in June so that we could keep in touch with reservation emails whilst on holidays in France. The only regret that we have is not buying an O2 Blackberry sooner".

We, on the other hand, belong to the generation of folk who have heretofore believed that a blackberry is something you gather from the hedgerow and so, as a small business under constant time pressure, we were interested to hear more. Small publishers like B&B owners, farmers and chef proprietors need to be able to function in all sorts of locations, and this seemed like an answer to a constant
prayer.

The Blackberry, it seems "pushes" your emails direct to this handheld device. It's an easy-to-use device that involves no dialling in and no wires. And of course no missed opportunities! The Blackberry enables you to manage your contacts and your calendar, keep on top of your email, make and receive calls, and send text messages, despite the fact that you are on the move.

Bryan has some tips for those interested in purchasing a Blackberry. He suggests checking out the GPRS coverage in the area you are most likely to use the device. He would also recommend choosing a model with a full QWERTY keyboard, as he finds it fastest for typing emails, using two hands as he would on his keyboard at home.

We asked Bryan for a photo of himself in front of Kilgraney with his blackberry - ("far better to get one of me on the beach with my blackberry, because that's where it really comes in handy.") We also requested some of our Bridgestone Community to send us in recipes for blackberries (the ones you gather from the hedgerow).

These are some of the recipes we received. They're all brilliant, but the one we like best (just… they really are all brilliant recipes) is Anna Heagney's Spiced Blackberry Vinegar. For this recipe, Anna wins a 7130g Blackberry from O2.

Thanks to O2 for sponsoring the competition, and to all those who sent in recipes.

The Recipes