Christmas message 2022

Festive greetings from the South Coast! I hope that 2022 was a good year for you on the whole, despite the consequences of the turmoil going on in Europe.

Back by popular demand, once again this year my highlights are presented in the form of a quiz. Click or tap on what you think is the right answer to each question. Only your first answer for each question will be scored.

I was proud to lose 4kg of surplus weight early this year, by following my brother-in-law's successful strategy of counting calories. I felt so much better for it, especially noticing the benefit when cycling up hills. Unfortunately I have lapsed as the year wore on. How much weight have I regained?

4kg. Incorrect: I did manage to keep some of it off!
2kg. Correct, but I must do better.

In February I wiped out on my snowboard and ended up head first in a snow drift, needing the help of a kindly passing skier to get out. What schoolboy error did I commit shortly afterwards?

I tried the same run again with exactly the same results. Incorrect, but that might have earned me £250 from You've Been Framed!.
I tried to calm my nerves with a beer, but chose an alcohol-free one. Correct.

I've been busy volunteering for St John Ambulance this year, and as well as covering local events I have helped out further afield, including a few days at the Royal Cornwall Show near Bodmin, cycling to Padstow along the Camel Trail. Which famous politician turned up at the show to promote one of the candidates at a nearby by-election?

Boris Johnson. Correct, it was indeed the Blond Buffoon.
Keir Starmer. No - would he have risked getting his shoes dirty?

It was great to see some old friends again this year. On one such visit I went fishing off the rocks in Torquay with a friend from school and his son, but how did a couple of local seals limit the amount of fish we caught?

They scared the fish off. Nope: we hooked plenty despite their presence.
They ate our fish off the hook as we reeled them in. Correct, and they seemed very grateful too.

How many runs did I score in my only game of cricket this season?

None. Correct: I wasn't needed to bat.
2 not out. Nope, that was last season.

I went up to Birmingham in August with a mate to watch some of the Commonwealth Games. We had tickets for various events, but perhaps the best event we saw was the cycling time trial, as the best riders in the Commonwealth were riding past my mate's Mum's house, which was on the route! An Aussie won the men's event, but what misfortune did Welsh hero Geraint Thomas suffer that ruined his chances?

He hit a barrier on a sharp corner. Correct: he may well have won it otherwise.
He had a puncture. Not this time.

I hope you enjoyed the quiz. Now it's back to watching the World Cup for me, which at the time of writing still involves England. Have a Happy Christmas, and best wishes for the New Year.
Nige.