A rundown of 2022 (Part Two)

July brought us the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK. In truth, it was far too hot. I remember driving into work at 8am with both the windows down, reeling from the kind of unbearable heat you usually get at midday at the height of summer. Boris Johnson finally resigned, bringing an end to one of the most embarrassing political periods I’ve seen in my lifetime. (At least that’s what I thought then, which was before we got Liz Truss later in the year.) Football also came home this month when the Lionesses won the 2022 European Championship against Germany—something that, as a nation, we could finally be proud about.

Anthony Joshua lost his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk in August. He probably lost some of his fans, too, as some of his post-fight actions left a sour taste in the mouth. He threw the belts out the ring in a tantrum, which didn’t do much for his already-fading image. The driest period since 1976 also occurred in August, as drought swept the nation. I spent a lot of time in the Peak District during the summer and the water levels there were shocking, compared to their usual measures. Fires broke out across the country, simply because there was so much dry vegetation around. The resulting burnt fields looked sad and at odds with our usual green countryside.

September brought us Liz Truss. It still amazes me that her appointment actually went ahead, when it was plainly obvious she would prove to be an awful prime minister. You didn’t even need to watch her shockingly bad debates during the leadership contest, you could just tell from previous speeches she’d made. I think we were all glad when she resigned. Sadly, our Queen died two days after Truss’s appointment. Whether you’re for or against the monarchy, the loss of this constant in everyone’s lives was still upsetting. People queued for hours to see Queen Elizabeth ll lying in state and to pay their personal respects.

Twitter was finally purchased by Elon Musk in October, which proved controversial. I must admit, I’m not a fan of the new changes he’s implemented. Having a billionaire controlling who can say what on a very popular message board doesn’t feel right. He claims to be an advocate for free speech, yet his removal of some high-profile celebrities from the platform don’t appear to match these values. Kanye West spouted various extremist comments during this month, which saw Adidas cut their ties with him. His anti-Semitic views have no place in today’s society and he should have respected the influence his platform has.

November saw Matt Hancock appear as a contestant on ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!’ Why this was allowed to happen, I will never know. At the very least, he’s somewhat responsible for the terrible handling of care homes during the pandemic—he even managed to have an affair during a global crisis when staying alive was most people’s primary concern. I’m loathe to say this, but his television appearance seemed to boost his public image, though he should never have been on reality TV in the first place. He should have instead concentrated on serving his constituents and doing his job. The World Cup began this month (I’ve said a lot on this subject). Balenciaga was ‘cancelled’ for publishing images of children in bondage outfits. Quite rightly. It was not fashion or art; it was disgusting, and the backlash was nowhere as bad as it should’ve been.

The World Cup ended in December. England lost to France in the quarter-finals, which sent Southgate’s team on their journey back home. Messi helped his side win the competition, as Argentina beat France in the final.

Looking back, 2022 was a year that will be mentioned in history books of the future. I wonder if 2023 will have the same impact…?