SO that was Christmas, then. A time to stop, reflect and in my case catch up with family after one of the busiest years of my life. But now understandably thoughts turn to next year.
This time next year, Luton’s Olympic-sized swimming pool will have opened; the finishing touches will be being constructed on the guided Busway; and work on the new inner ring road will have started.
Here then are my eight predictions for 2012.
1. Luton will host its biggest party ever. The Love Luton festival weekend, from 6th - 8th July will combine the Carnival, Mela and Olympic torch relay. Oh, and two twenty-thousand capacity concerts. Together, we’ll put Luton on the map.
2. The economy will continue to stagnate. Unfortunately, even the government now concede that growth will be lower next year than it was even in 2011. Expect unemployment to rise and borrowing to soar to pay the costs of their policy failure.
3. Government splits over Europe will escalate. Again, the EU will become the fault line in the Tory party. David Cameron’s veto over the Eurozone bailout will only serve to encourage the skeptics in his party. Very dangerous.
4. The Eurozone will be remodeled. More than half our exports go to continental Europe, and we need an export led recovery. It’s not inconceivable that some the mediterranean countries could leave though, which will have a massive effect on the UK.
5. Despite big political shifts, no party will be a clear winner. I would expect the polls to continue to show what they have for the past eighteen months - Tories and Labour neck and neck, with the Lib Dems as the big losers. People still haven’t made up their minds about this government.
6. Sebastien Vettel will become a three-times Formula One world champion. There’ll still be plenty to watch for though, and for those lucky enough to have it, Sky will no doubt take F1 coverage to another level.
7. The Olympics will be a success. How could they not be? It really is the greatest show on Earth, coming to London. And with Luton Airport the closest landing site for those who are visiting, perhaps some of the stardust will rub off on our town.
8. Luton will become a city! And, of course, saving the best for last. There’s every chance the Love Luton campaign will result in City Status for Luton. I certainly hope so, and we’ll be pulling out all the stops to make 2012 a year to remember.