In just a few hours time, we will be saying goodbye to 2022 forever... And just what a year it's been! We all know that the 2020s got off to a bad start with the pandemic that caused the world to grind to a halt. Not so much roaring twenties as much as boring twenties as we were all forced to stay at home and fear for our lives and that of our loved ones. But with the commencement of 2022, life has been kickstarted back into action.
So what happened this year?
On a personal level, it was the first time I'd got on a plane since the world went mad, flying off to Atlanta, Georgia. And then a month later, I hoped back on a plane and headed over to London to see my family and friends for the first time since the world, er, went mad! I got to meet three of my Insta buddies in the flesh and giving them hugs in person was just the best!
And in other news..
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Well we had a long running Australian soap get the chop after being on air for thirty-seven years - only for it to be announced after much fanfare that Neighbours would be returning to our screens next summer! But at least we got to see Scott and Charlene one final time on Ramsay Street. Come on - who thought that would ever happen! Though I think it might be safe to say that should the axe or even 'axe' should fall upon Neighbours a second time, it's unlikely that Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan will be taking time out of their busy schedules to fly across the world just to say five words. But hey - maybe Guy Pierce will return again!
And in the world of sport, for the first time ever, the 2022 World Cup was held in November rather than it's usual summer window due to the tournament being held in Qatar so the later slot was to avoid the intense summer heat. There was a great deal of controversy over the event being held in a country with questionable human rights records, with celebrities such as David Beckham and Robbie Williams being criticized for their involvement in the Qatari World Cup. The whole world and it's mother waded into the row but the World Cup still went ahead in Qatar...where footballing legend Messi finally found out what it was like to be on a World Cup winning team; Morocco went further than any other North African team has ever gone in the tournament, and England... Well England failed to bring it home again! Even though we always know what the outcome is going to be, it never stops us from cheering our boys on. Perhaps 2026 will see the end of sixty years of hurt.
The world also went Meghan and Harry crazy with the airing of their Netflix documentary. Once again the whole world, her mother and her second cousin twice removed had something to say about it - and for the most part it wasn't good! Personally I found the documentary incredibly boring and could only watch about thirty minutes of the first episode - which is thirty minutes I won't be getting back. But then I didn't need to watch it, did I? Not when the whole world and it's family were talking about it.
Some of the famous faces and well-loved people we sadly lost in 2022. Rest in peace.
2022 also saw us lose a whole lot of familiar faces who we'd grown up watching on screen. Apart from us losing several former members of the EastEnders cast, we also said goodbye to Sidney Poitier, Dennis Waterman, Robbie Coltrane, Kirstie Allie, Angela Lansbury, Olivia Newton-John, Bernard Cribbins, Taylor Hawkins, and Meatloaf to name just a few. And within the last couple of days, news broke about the passings of Barbara Walters and Pope Benedict XVI. May they all rest in eternal peace...
But of course the most notable event of 2022 was the death of Queen Elizabeth II just months after her seventieth jubilee celebrations. For many of us, Queen Elizabeth had been the only reigning monarch we'd ever known. We began 2022 with one monarch and ended the year with another - a king no less. We look forward to seeing what the reign of King Charles III brings.
And in the realm of British politics there seemed to be a bizarre game of musical chairs being played where the role of prime minister was concerned. After Boris Johnson resigned in July, the leadership of Great Britain eventually went to Liz Truss - the last prime minister to be appointed by Queen Elizabeth just days before she passed away. But when Liz Truss was forced to resign within the month, the race was back on to find a new leader with Boris also back in the running, deciding that it wasn't such a bad gig after all. But it was Rishi Sunak who eventually became the new prime minister. It was quite a historic day for Britain as the country got their first Hindu prime minister. This year really has been a year of major changes for the British public.
What were your highlights of 2022? What do you wish for as the new year approaches? As a new year dawns, we wonder what 2023 has in store for us, for our families, for the world. We hope it'll be something good.
Happy new year everyone! We wish you health, peace, joy and prosperity for the coming year. x
Blog graphics: Angel Noire
Photos: YouTube
