So that was 2022, then? - Just a bit of a review...

[George 1978]

A fuller year as I can remember, rather than an Annus Horribilis... That is what her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II described 2002 and ten years before in 1992 respectively.

Firsts and lasts in any year need to be remembered if they were not recorded, and 2022 was no exception: "Out with the old and in with the new, welcome one and all to Twenty Twenty-Two", I personally exclaimed to myself in the opening seconds of New Year's Day 2022; a pony glass of Tesco brand sherry in one hand, an unbuttered cream cracker from the biscuits for cheese selection in the other, whilst having at least one eye on Big Ben on a very loud BBC One, garlanded by colourful fireworks in the background (at least five seconds out as it was Sky Digital), and also knowing that such a rhyme would only work once a decade.

The start of any year allows for optimism and positiveness, until Blue Monday comes around a couple of weeks later - December is for looking back and January is for looking ahead, and it just takes one second to convert. It would have been the "Year of Love", as I also optimistically announced, assuming that "this year" would be the one when I met that special person, although any "Love" to be found was well incognito to my own vision.

So what about 2022, then? Coronavirus was still around, although mild compared to its 2020 debut. The frequently parodied Downing Street press briefings seemed to no longer to be shown on terrestrial TV; perhaps another piece of optimism that we were close to the light at the end of the tunnel. I no longer wore a face mask in public, although I still carry one in my bag - I haven't worn it at all this year.

Does anyone remember the 1980s? If so, we are in the right place: a decade where the monarch and even the Prime Minister remained the same throughout. The "three in one year" concept happened with our Monarch in 1936; UK Parliaments in 1974; pontiffs in the Vatican in 1978 in which I was one of very few people to have been born when "in-between" pontiff Pope John Paul I (and not II) was the incumbent; and now we can add UK Prime Ministers in 2022.

Hasn't 2022 been an extraordinary year? More things had happened in the final four months than in a couple of decades! Any news review of 2022 would be heavily biased towards September and October in that year, especially September, but there have been other things happening as well. Russia has had prominence what with Putin's war with Ukraine; the former country being banned from competing in the Eurovision Song Contest, and the latter winning, and giving their 12 points to Sam Ryder's Spaceman. And now we (or Liverpool at least) will be hosting the contest next year. I was even thinking about packing it in after 2021's effort. In addition to Ryder, I also endorsed the Australian Eurovision entrant as he has Asperger Syndrome, and that is who I voted for on the night via the telephone.

Staying in Russia (or USSR), Putin's predecessor Mikhail Gorbachev had died on my birthday - I was staying in Bristol after seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour [sic] Dreamcoat at the Hippodrome. After the show, and getting some food sides from a local Domino's Pizza, I walked back to the Premier Inn room that I was staying in, and found out about it on the BBC's Ten O'clock News just before having a bath. Ironic that he died in the same year when one of his successors was "up to no good".

I have never visited Southend-on-Sea (I was thinking about visiting there in 2020, but Mr Covid said "no" to that). My thoughts have been with the people of that coastal town since the killing of the late Sir David Amess. First of all, I am glad that his successor Anna Firth had been chosen in a by-election, and secondly, I am relieved that Amess' killer Ali Harbi Ali had been found guilty in the Crown Court on Monday 11th April. I also congratulate the town for becoming City status. On the day that his killer found guilty, I asked my Alexa who the Member of Parliament for Southend West was, and she insisted that Sir David was still alive. And I congratulate the Cliffs Pavilion theatre for having Ashley Banjo and Diversity star in their Snow White pantomime - a great end to Southend's hectic year.

The Platinum Jubilee was a great "swansong" to the late Queen Elizabeth II's final few months' reign - it is quite sad that she did in her Platinum Jubilee year. I was planning to do something special during the first week in June but ill health made me stay at home. Despite in a bit of pain, I did enjoy the BBC's coverage and Kristy Young interviewing people, not to mention the Party at the Palace on the Saturday night, and the Pageant on the Sunday afternoon. The "marmalade sandwich in a handbag" sketch with Paddington Bear was the definitive part of the celebrations. And the appearance on the balcony... a masterpiece.

I didn't want Boris Johnson to have become Prime Minister in the first place, due to Brexit and all that, and so it was almost a relief that he had to stand down in July after several cabinet ministers resigned in protest. On 6th July I travelled to see the matinee of Chicago at the Lyceum in Sheffield and got the PMS on Radio 5 Live travelling there. I knew that Johnson's Premiership was living on borrowed time and that he would have bowed down within the next few days. The day that he left Downing Street had been a couple of years too late to be honest, and the Covid situation was a testing point.

In came Liz Truss, the third female UK Prime Minister, the first since Churchill to serve under two monarchs, and the shortest serving PM since George Canning. Rishi Sunak should have got the job in September. Truss was incompatible in what we have at the moment of a Cost of Living crisis and a recession coming up. It was a relief when she tendered her resignation to be honest, and Sunak was her successor. I think that we needed a General Election. No doubt that the lettuce that the Daily Star got excited about when it "outlived" Truss' Premiership would have probably made a better Downing Street incumbent in itself.

Until that happens, Rishi Sunak will hopefully provide the "bridge" between now and the next General Election whenever that will be. Sunak was the first Asian-decent Prime Minister to set foot into Downing Street, and more personally, I can say that for the first time, I am now older than the Prime Minister, although it was bound to happen at some point in the future. It's nice that the start of his Premiership coincided with Diwali.

And then, September 2022 where more things happened in one month than in more than a couple of decades. "Hello Liz, Goodbye Liz" was the name of the game. While Liz Truss settled herself in her new job as (what was to be, a mere temporary) Prime Minister, first of all having to travel all the way to Balmoral in the north of Scotland to meet a very frail 96 year old Elizabeth II. I was even shocked to see how frail Her Majesty was in the published pictures - I know she did look like an elderly lady for over 20 years, but even when Truss met her, I was so shocked. Funnily enough, I thought to myself that: "Liz Truss will be the final Prime Minister of Queen Elizabeth II's reign", and I was right.

Indeed, Margaret Thatcher was the late Queen's most average Prime Minister from an age perspective; her oldest born PM was Churchill in 1874, and her youngest was Liz Truss in 1975, making 1925, being the year of Thatcher's birth, and more or less average birth year of a Prime Minister. Thatcher was the eighth Prime Minister out of 15, and was closest to the most average in birth years, as well as the point in her reign. And yes, 1987 was the halfway point - Sunday 24th May 1987 to be honest. And Rishi Sunak became the first UK Prime Minister since Clement Atlee not to have served under Elizabeth II.

Thursday 8th September 2022 felt to me like an ordinary day to begin with - then just before 1.00 pm I saw that BBC One had an extended One O'clock News as a concern for the Queen's health. It didn't end at 1.30 pm, but carried on and on throughout the afternoon. At around 3.00 pm, it made me think that something has happened and one should be prepared for it - I just new in the back of my mind what was to happen, and I knew that she wasn't 21 any more.

It was still a shock when Huw Edwards announced the news on BBC One just after 6.30 pm (although it actually happened at 3.10 pm); I bet that Edwards will get some nomination like a knighthood or something for the "right place, right time" duty of when the news came through. Even Hollyoaks was interrupted on Channel 4 for the news.

Just like lots of others, I was dumbfounded, similar to the moment when the news of the Queen Mother's was announced on the day between Good Friday and Easter in 2002. Huw Edwards made television history for being there when the news broke about the Queen's death. It's a bit like having a General Election and the Prime Minister has lost their seat as an MP - it's almost like that; a (or an) historic event has happened, almost "once in a lifetime". She had reigned for 25,782 days, and had passed away on the 25,783rd day of her reign.

(Continued...)

[George 1978]

An embodiment of life as I knew it had gone and life felt so weird in the next few days, and even my own routine changed as a result. After starting the obituary thread on the death of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 2021, I vouched to do exactly the same for Queen Elizabeth II when it eventually happened, and so I did. I hardly purchase daily newspapers but I got a Times and a Daily Mail (Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday on the relevant day) every day from the day after the Queen's death until a couple of days after the funeral.

When I wasn't at the local newsagents, I was glued to my television set for the Proclaiming of the new King; his speech on the Friday; his visits to Scotland where the late Queen was lying in state before being flown to London; and Wales. As soon as the Queen's coffin arrived at Westminster Hall, the queues by the public (and David Beckham) formed over nearly five days.

The odd incidents happened such as the "approaching the coffin" incident (in which I was expecting something like to happen at some point to be honest); the "exposure" incident; the "queue-jumping" (cf This Morning presenters), but most people behaved themselves, and some of them were rewarded by a handshake from Charles himself. I quite like Private Eye's cover from the week (or fortnight) after the Queen's Funeral where the Royal gathering was pictured: Charles: "How long have you been waiting?" Member of the Public: "Not as long as you have".

A lot of changed as a result of Elizabeth II's death, but one thing that has not changed is the fact that the Prince of Wales is still first in line to the throne - that has not changed despite what had happened.

On the Sunday evening before the Funeral, there was the minute silence, and then the day of the Funeral arrived on Monday 19th September - tapes at the ready. BBC One on the television and BBC Radio 4 on the radio cassette at the other end of the room. Stayed in all day, and when the local shops were opened after the event, none of them had any deliveries for newspapers due to the Bank Holiday, and so I had to order them on eBay. And after that, there was another "new normal".

Part of the new normal will be the fact that our coins, bank notes and stamps will have a new monarch's head on them - facing the opposite way to his predecessor. Stamps had changed in 2022 with the barcode being added to them, and that the old stamps had to be used up by the end of January 2023.

The remainder of Truss' Premiership: the Mini Budget felt more like Minnie Mouse (or indeed, taking the Mickey); with tax cuts here, and Levelling Up there. The Cost of Living Crisis (things going up with inflation, etc); Greenpeace activists try and disrupt the Conservative conference just one week before Rachel Reeves' powerful speech to the Labour conference as Shadow Chancellor. And then a few weeks later, we bid farewell to another Liz after 45 days.

And strikes - the Royal Mail (please Mr Postman, where are my Christmas cards?); barristers, nurses, ambulance workers, bus drivers, they have all been striking over pay, and it is the "domino" effect - not enough money to go around, and pay rises not keeping up with inflation. It does feel that the world (or at least Great Britain) is now changing as fast as it did in the 1970s. The postal strike has meant that no Christmas cards received in one week of December. Cue listening to Trade Union representatives on The World at One explaining their reasons for striking.

Other things happened include the Monkeypox outbreak; the Heatwave during the summer; quite fittingly, the opening of the Elizabeth Line on the London Underground; Matt Hancock playing truant from the Commons in order to appear in a jungle-based Reality TV series (why don't we have a UK Parliament equivalent of an Education Welfare Officer?) And he will stand down as an MP at the next General Election.

Rounding up: the May Day Bank Holiday saw Ronnie O'Sullivan winning his seventh World Snooker final; equalling the feat with Stephen Hendry. TV cameras were allowed into British Crown Courts for the first time, and that allowed us to see that judges still wore the same headgear as everyone else did back in the 18th century. England won the women's football tournament, beating Germany 2-1 at the end of July and then the men's World Cup in Qatar came later, but England only got as far as the Quarter Finals - 1966, it wasn't. In case you missed it, Argentina won on penalties, and I got Alexa to play that Julie Covington song as a celebration. And Nottingham Forest were promoted, although they might be relegated next year, who knows? Coronation Street was moved from 7.30 pm to 8.00 pm, and episodes halved from six half-hours to three hours.

(Continued again...)

[George 1978]

In addition to losing HM Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 on the same day as Grange Hill headmistress actress Gwyneth Powell (ironically enough, the Queen of Grange Hill); and also on the same day, "ITV's answer to Woman's Hour" presenter and probably the inspiration for Caroline Aherne's "Mrs Merton", (aka the Queen of 1970s afternoon television), Mavis Nicholson passed away aged 91; there has been some loses in the celebrity world:

On the day of King Charles III's wedding day to the late Diana, Princess of Wales back in July 1981, the Specials were at number one in the British charts with Ghost Town; and Terry Hall, its lead singer, died aged 63. Hall is not to be confused with his entertainer namesake made famous with Lenny the Lion which was probably the Terry Hall that I remember a bit more.

The musical world lost both Dame Olivia Newton-John and Irene Cara; the stalwarts of Grease and Fame respectively in which theatre musical would have been poorer for their lack of prominence - no one could really be Sandy Olsson other than Dame Olivia (and not even Olivia Moore could in the West End and performing at the Lord Mayor's Show). Could Newton-John be responsible for playing the sexiest ever character to appear in a musical film? (cf my avatar). I have seen both musical versions of those films in the last five years. Yes, I think so! What a legacy... What a feeling... And even Meat Loaf (two words) left us in January like a Bat Out of Hell and he was just 74..

Two children's authors who take me right back to the Infant school classroom's Book Corner circa the 1983-1984 academic year, had sadly died in 2022: Shirley Hughes was someone who always reminded me of "Story Time", or sitting on a classroom carpet and getting pins and needles for the final half hour of the schoolday. Hughes' charming book Dogger (published by Bodley Head, or "Baldy Head" I thought it was called back then), was about a young boy who mislays his favourite soft toy, and he has to get him back when he appears at a jumble sale, but his older sister gets there first. It was so emotionally eye watering at the time, and still is now.

Another children's author we lost in 2022 was David McKee, who was strongly associated with the 1970s cartoon series Mr Benn, but to children's book readers (as well as Vicky Ireland-era Words and Pictures viewers), he also wrote Not Now, Bernard, about a boy whose parents didn't even know that he wasn't there when a monster eats him up - he had died aged 87. Still in the children's book department; Polish born Meg and Mog illustrator Jan Pieńkowski died aged 85.

It was "natural causes, they wrote" in response to the passing of London-born Dame Angela Lansbury, the protagonist in the successful crime drama series Murder, She Wrote, not to mention Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks, also matching the late Queen Elizabeth II's age of 96. It wasn't much of Cracker or a Cadillac when Robbie Coltrane had left us, aged 72 - remember those Persil Washing Up Liquid adverts from the early 1990s, and that elderly woman who appeared in them? Speaking of the commercial break titans, Michael Redfern, actor and star of the Oxo adverts for many years, died aged 79.

Looking at Granadaland (or the North West of England), just as Jeremy Paxman is to retire from University Challenge, his "starter-for-ten" predecessor Bamber Gascoigne died aged 87. Kay Mellor, creator of series such as Band of Gold (aka an ironic Carry On film for adults, natch); Families (the 1990s Reg Grundy-alike British afternoon serial); and Albion Market (an EastEnders of the north, not), died aged 71 - she had proved that life is just like a prostitute's skirt by virtue of the fact that they can both be far too short. And Derek Granger, one of the original producers of Coronation Street, had reached the impressive age of 101.

Hopping over to the "Emmerdale" side of the Pennines, comedy writer Barry Cryer, (who along with John Junkin who died in 2006, had to co-write for Morecambe and Wise for their Thames shows when Eddie Braben was unable to leave the BBC), had reached the age of 86. Many sitcom actors departed from us such as the Lucan-esque Peter Bowles who was a year younger than Cryer at the age of 85. Bowles appeared in hospital sitcom Only When I Laugh which was written by Eric Chappell who also died in 2022 aged 88.

Jack Smethurst was another sitcom actor; he had appeared in the controversial 1970s series Love They Neighbour, and he passed away at 89. He probably was not as controversial as television critic and satirist Victor Lewis-Smith who died at the age of 65, although his year of birth doesn't tally. Carry On actor Leslie Phillips made it all the way to 98 - possibly the longest lived regular Carry On actor?

Brian Jackson who appeared in Carry on Sergeant died as well aged 91, but by the 1980s he was seen in the commercial breaks as the Man From Delmonte, giving the TSB a run for its money by saying "yes" to the best, in response to the taste of various exotic fruit for the company's fruit drinks. The Delmonte adverts always seemed to be on during the ad breaks of Bullseye on Sunday afternoons circa 1987 for some reason...

We said "bye-de-bye" to Hi-de-Hi actress Ruth Madoc who died aged 79 from complications of having a fall. Madoc played Gladys Pugh in the series, and from one Gladys to another: Lynda Baron, aka Nurse Gladys Emmanuel from Open All Hours and also Mabel from the children's TV series Come Outside died aged 82, and Gladys Emmanuel never did marry Arkwright either. Denise Coffey was 85 when she passed away. Button Moon narrator Robin Parkinson died aged 92 - the space rocket was always sponsored by Heinz.

A woman who died in a London house fire turned out to be Anna Karen, the last surviving regular cast member of On the Buses who died aged 85, and no I won't make any jokes about buses to the cemetery gates on here either. She appeared in all the series of the sitcom and all three feature films - the first one had a guest appearance from Michael Sheard, who was Grange Hill alumnus Roland Browning's form tutor in series eight of Grange Hill which brings us onto other case members from that series who passed away in 2022.

In fact it wasn't just the actress who played his Headteacher Gwyneth Powell who passed on in 2022; his screen mother did as well: Jo Kendall who appeared in the first two of Erkan Mustafa's series, died in 2022 aged 81, while Nicholas Donnelly, who played Browning's CDT teacher Craig "Mac" Mackenzie also died aged 83 - and he wasn't Scottish I assume; there wasn't a trace of a Scottish accent when he made a guest appearance in The Bill in the mid 1990s.

The excellent actor Bernard Cribbins passed away at the age of 93 - so many things he was in, but the Railway Children film from 1970 was always one of the highlights. Minder and Sweeney actor Dennis Waterman died aged 74. And at the time of the year when Channel 4 plans on traditionally showing The Snowman, lest we forget, Raymond Briggs who passed away aged 88 - there will probably be a tribute on there, no doubt. Another Raymond, notably. Raymond Allen who wrote for Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em died aged 82.

I was on the coach travelling back from my birthday in Bristol on September 1st, listening to BBC Radio Bristol on my personal DAB radio when I heard the news of Bill Turnbull's death from cancer aged 66. One of Esther Rantzen's original "Nancies" Bob Wellings, of Nationwide fame, left us aged 87. Also from Nationwide, Michael Barratt also died aged 94 - he was not to be confused with Shakin' Stevens whose real name is the same as the newsreader. Speaking of pop music, Darius Campbell Danesh of Pop Idol fame (the same stable as Will Young and Gareth Gates) died aged 41.

Regional television presenters have had a few of them: while Bob Warman retired as one of ITV's regional newsreaders in the West Midlands; his sports colleague Bob Hall sadly died in his 70s. Harry Gration of Leeds' Look North (as well as a 1990s stint on Southampton's South Today) died aged 71.

In sport, Horse Racing's Lester Riggott bid farewell aged 86 (probably known just a much for tax evasion as well as racing a horse). Darts player Mike Gregory who often appeared throughout the 1980s and early 1990s once a series on Bullseye, trying to score 301 or more in nine darts for charity, followed by some small talk from Jim Bowen afterwards, died aged 65. Also from the world of Darts, Shaun Greatbatch died aged 52.

In a nutshell, I am very saddened that Queen Elizabeth II had died, but almost relieved that Boris Johnson (and admittedly Liz Truss) were shown the gates of Downing Street. So many people have passed on, but it didn't stop the world population from reaching eight billion.

And to look ahead to 2023: I am looking forward to HM King Charles III being crowned on May 6th; it's just a pity that I don't think that we will get a Jubilee out of his reign. Jubilees have felt more familiar during the end of Queen Elizabeth II's reign - in the 21st century, one every ten years, in years ending in 2, but there won't be one in 2032.

For some reason, I didn't think that 2022 would ever arrive, if you know what I mean... Take note of what Noddy Holder said back in 1973: look to the future now, it's only just begun.

[sixtyten]

Brief Summary..

It was ****

[George 1978]

Brief Summary..

It was ****

I suppose it was a bit of a horrible year if you are referring to that... But then, they all seem to be in one way on another - at least at the end of this one, we can examine why it was horrible.

[George 1978]

I would have added Pele and Vivienne Westwood to those who passed away in 2022 as well - that "bridge" between Christmas and New Year for things happening can be so difficult at times...

[batman]

It was rather lame, to be honest. My mum could have died too, as she had a heart attack coinciding with kidney failure, and began dialysis treatment in March. Then in September, she had a stroke in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. They found a bulge in her stomach, but she's too frail to be operated on.

Called up legal firms about trying to take up a civil case to do with ex support workers I had issues with a long freaking time ago. Ended up getting nowhere as always. Ringing up the actual court gets you nowhere too, as they just say they cannot offer legal advice, and advice shops they palm you off to on purpose also don't offer any legal advice either, apparently.

On top of that, some James Berich idiot in Australia has been spamming my address all over anxietyforum.net, and pestering me for years in general with multiple accounts. You see, though. Trolls on the Internet usually try to pass themselves off as being a clever clogs, but once they get caught out or found out somehow, they start the pointless, "I'm not from Australia and I'm not called blah blah blah" type drivel, as they know you aren't as clueless as they make you out to be. But yeah. He also impersonates me on some forums. When I seen him on Umbrella Online, using my well known alias thesaunderschild, I quickly reported him and the account was removed. He then just signed up again with the same name, as well as logging in on other websites to check my posts, and I know he contacts other people about me sometimes. He also used to put a lot of bizarre videos about me on YouTube, says I'm a retard and a talentless film extra, and other lame things, all over a childish grudge stemming from 2004, or something. Yet this man is actually 36 years old.

[George 1978]

I am sorry to hear about your Mum, Batman - it happened to my father back in 1997 (a heart attack) and he didn't survive it, but my mother died just before Christmas in a different year.

[Richard1978]

It's been a mixed bag of a year with some highs & lows.

I was more settled at work & a move to a new office went smoother than I expected & a bonus of being a more nicer place to work. This has been counterbalanced by both the rail & post strikes effecting my work patterns.

For the first time in a decade I had a holiday abroad, originally I was going to Rhodes but late in the day we had to change to Turkey because me wife couldn't get a Greek tourist visa in time!

The Queen's death was oddly mingled up with me going to my Cousin's wedding, I even had a half day on the 8th of September to get ready for it & caught more news coverage than I would have had I been at work.

I was hoping for a Christmas together with my family, but my Mum caught mild covid early in December so we had to change plans to go to my Sister In Law's house. This went OK though we had a lot to get ready in a short time.