That Was The Year That Was.

Posted By: Peter Rush
Date Posted: 23/12/2008

This year has seen many ups and downs but I fear that 2008 has set its place in history as the year of the economic meltdown. Debt, job losses, pay cuts, fuel price hikes etc... seem to have dominated the headlines for much of the year.

However, 2008 did have its happier and more memorable moments at local, national and international levels. Here are my highlights of the year that was 2008:

Locally we saw Rochdale A.F.C. make its first trip to Wembley. They gave Rochdale a magnificent day out and even though the result wasn’t the one we had all hoped for, I am sure they can go one better next year. Later on in the year, Rochdale A.F.C. also received the Freedom of our Borough and in my view it was thoroughly deserved. They have flown the flag for sport in Rochdale for many years and this was a fitting way to show our appreciation for the hard work and time they put back into the local community.

This year also marked the 80th Birthday of Sir Cyril Smith - the man that has done more for Rochdale than other in recent times. The party at Rochdale Town Hall was certainly one to remember and I was amazed at just how many people wanted to take the time to pay tribute to Sir Cyril.

Nationally my highlight of the year was the great success of our Great Britain Olympic Team in Beijing. The effort and dedication that the team displayed was unbelievable and it goes to show what we can achieve when we invest properly in our sporting stars. I must make a special mention for our local hero Keri-Anne Payne. She put in a magnificent performance in the pool to claim a silver medal and I know that my fellow residents in Heywood couldn’t be prouder of what she achieved.

Internationally the major news story of the year for me was the election of Barack Obama. In 2009 Obama will become the 44th President of the United States of America but more importantly, in terms of the history books, Obama will become America’s first black President. He has a lot of tough challenges ahead but I have every confidence that he will be able to deal with these with the same passion, confidence and precision that was shown during his journey to victory this year.

So, 2008 did have its more positive highlights. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and good health for 2009!