Celebrating ten years since HWC London started

A little over ten years ago I hosted my first meetup in London called Homebrew Website Club (HWC) London. Back then I was still mostly unfamiliar with the IndieWeb community and with organising events. After attending a few HWC meetups in Brighton hosted by Jeremy Keith and one in San Francisco, I had the idea and wondered whether London could have its own.

For the best part of three and a half years, with the help of two co‑organisers, Barry Frost and Ana Rodrigues, we ran bi‑weekly in‑person events in London.

The pandemic put a stop to in-person events, but we persevered through the lockdown with online events. Thanks to James and Mark Sutherland who have continued to organise the online version of HWC London in more recent years.

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Last month I organised one more in‑person HWC London to mark ten years since the first. I was delighted so many people came. Twelve is about the capacity of the café venue where HWC usually meets in central London, and eleven of us, including myself, attended. There’s always some uncertainty about how much to promote the event when it’s held in a public venue with limited space like a café.

Conversation flowed across everything to do with personal websites, and the atmosphere was really positive. Ana kindly brought celebratory IndieWeb cupcakes.

A lasting memory that warmed me from the 10‑year celebration was Ana’s Bluesky post just beforehand. She’s been integral to HWC’s success over the years, both in person and online, and I was so glad she could make it.

In nearly a week, I will be attending HWC London to celebrate ten years since the first one. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for it 🧡
@ohhelloana.blog on Bluesky

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As for the future, I’m not yet sure I can commit to restarting a regular in‑person HWC, but I’m certainly encouraged by last month’s turnout.