Avaragado’s 2011 predictions

In a shocking display of preparedness my 2011 predictions are actually ready for the start of 2011. I revealed them to an eager, captive audience of friends at the Second Annual New Year’s Eve B Bar Luncheon Event, known as 2NYEBBLE10 in the never-adopted Avaragadan Calendar.

News

1. Kate gets William’s name slightly wrong in the wedding ceremony.
2. The Great British Public vote No in the AV referendum.
3. Sarah Palin officially declares as a Republican candidate for US President.
4. At least one national UK newpaper closes by the end of the year.
5. Sudan will break apart.

Sport

1. Only one of the home nations qualifies for the Euro 2012 football championships.
2. Andy Murray reaches the men’s singles final of at least one Grand Slam tournament.
3. Pyeongchang in South Korea is awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics.
4. New Zealand win the 2011 Rubgy Union World Cup.
5. Manchester United wins the English football Premiership.

Tech

1. Apple launches a new thinner, lighter, faster iPad model with a camera.
2. Yahoo sells Flickr to Google.
3. Facebook buys Skype.
4. There will not be a ‘Windows Phone 7 for Tablets’.
5. Steve Ballmer will be replaced as Microsoft CEO.

Entertainment

1. Oscar for Best Actor: Colin Firth, for The King’s Speech.
2. Oscar for Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield, for The Social Network.
3. Oscar for Best Film: The Social Network.
4. Oscar for Best Director: Christopher Nolan for Inception.
5. Upstairs Downstairs returns as a regular TV series.

Cambridge

1. Pembroke finish Head of the River in the May Bumps (men’s first division).
2. Cambridge win the University Boat Race.
3. Strawberry Fair takes place.
4. By the year’s end Cambridge’s LGBT pub is not The Bird.
5. The Misguided Bus actually opens.

Celebrity Deathwatch

1. Margaret Thatcher
2. Zsa Zsa Gabor
3. Kirk Douglas
4. Michael Douglas
5. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

As ever, the glamorous Mr Chris Walsh shall be sole arbiter of correctness and at the end of the year it will be his solemn duty to produce a fully non-interactive score card explaining just how poorly I’ve done this time.