Will this year be one to remember?
2022? Eh? Are you serious? But yes . . . it really is! In a single midnight peel of Big Ben, this year – is the next year – you worried about last year!
And I hope it’s a happy, healthy and prosperous one for you all.
But doesn’t time fly. And as your age increases – so, apparently, does time’s average airspeed!
I distinctly remember writing a cheque on the first day of the Millennium and couldn’t get my head around the fact that – for the first time in my life – the year date didn’t start with ‘19’. . .
It was mind boggling.
Now, the mind boggling part was that this happened 22 years ago. Where did those years go?
But I do love all this new year numeracy.
Last year, I was quite impressed that the wee bairn would spend her life with the memorable date of birth of 4/3/21.
But hey, in less than a month’s time, a handful of new arrivals will be able to claim they were born on 2/2/22. How cool is that?
Anyway, it’s usually around this time every January that I give you some predictions for what the year ahead has in store.
Er . . . not that my track record is anything to boast about.
Back in January 2019, I predicted all kinds of glory for high-flying Ayr United.
The ink was barely dry on the newsprint when Super Ayr travelled to Auchinleck . . . and the rest, as they say, is history!
This year, I’m going to be a bit more circumspect.
So, allow me to confidently forecast that Ayr United will not be promoted . . . will not be relegated... and will win the square root of heehaw in national silverware!
Which is . . er . . pretty much a typical Somerset season!
On the local political front – fortune telling is even tougher!
But with local council elections due in May – it’s a safe bet that the next five months will decide how South Ayrshire is managed – or perhaps mismanaged – for the next five years!
As 2017 proved, predicting what will happen before the results are in is one thing . . . predicting what happens AFTER the votes have been counted is quite another!
Back then, the Tories won the majority of votes and the majority of seats . . . and it still wasn’t enough!
Nicollo Machiavelli himself would have blushed at what went on behind the political scenery.
But with Labour shafting their former Tory partners – and the so called ‘independents’ tucked in Douglas Campbell’s hip pocket – the Scottish National Party assumed control.
Until the 2022 candidates make themselves public – May is still too tough to predict.
New MSP Siobhian Brown is a non-runner – and I’m told at least four more current councillors are ready to surrender their freebie phones and laptops.
With Tory warhorse Hugh Hunter already wearing independent colours – after being stitched-up like an old saddle by his own party – it all makes for interesting times.
More informed tick-tack should be available when the relevant parties start telling us their plans.
The Nats will surely be more cautious this time – after their 2017 ‘manifesto’ turned out to be a plethora of pledges not worth the price of the ink cartridge that produced them.
Still, you could argue that’s better than the Tories whose manifesto never got as far as an ink cartridge!
And Labour? Well, does is really matter?
They’ll eventually side with whatever party offers leader Brian McGinley the shiniest badge.
In any other scenario, the Nats going into bat – with the proposed Arran Mall Albatross around their necks – would be a huge challenge.
But if the Nats do anything better than any party in town – it’s huge challenges. Their electoral machine will rev like Daniel Craig’s Aston Martin.
The Tories, however, do have a silver bullet – but will they have the right gun in place to fire it?
If they can take the Saltire waving out the debate – and ask South Ayrshire if it wants to re-elect our worst local council in living memory – they have a real fighting chance.
Either way folks – May is going to the wire!
What other headlines will 2022 bring?
Well, I reckon the words “new” and “houses” will be right up there!
The south side of Ayr faces radical change if several proposed new developments get the planning nod.
Existing residents affected by these giant green-field new builds are going to make their voices heard – very loudly!
Throw in further predictions of rows over parking, Common Good land, the Station Hotel, a new bus station, a major store closure – plus a seismic change over Prestwick Airport’s future and Donald Trump back at Turnberry – and 2022 brings a lot to look forward to!