2019 predictions – results

I’m not entirely sure why I bother, but here we are again.

At our semi-annual New Year’s Eve lunch yesterday, it emerged that I was the only one to remember our group predictions from the last gasp of 2018. While Chef and Chris glugged the wine, I dug out the predictions and scored us all.

It’s fascinating, I tell you. Here are the results.

One or other

1. The upcoming Sussex youngling. Which flavour: M, F or other?
   • Actual: M
   • ❌ Chris: F (and ginger)
   • ✅ Melanie: M
   • ✅ Chef: M
   • ❌ David: F
2. Ultima Thule, to be visited by New Horizons mere hours after I post. What will it turn out to be: contact binary, close binary, or other?
   • Actual: contact binary
   • ❌ Chris: other – non-binary
   • ❌ Melanie: close binary
   • ✅ Chef: contact binary
   • ✅ David: contact binary
3. The Crystal Maze, Richard Ayoade edition. Axed or not?
   • Actual: not
   • ❌ Chris: axed
   • ❌ Melanie: axed
   • ❌ Chef: axed
   • ❌ David: axed

Yes or no, plus

1. Will there be a second referendum on Brexit? If there is, who wins?
   • Actual: no
   • ✅ Chris: no (if there is, remain wins)
   • ✅ Melanie: no (dunno)
   • ✅ Chef:  no (remain)
   • ✅ David: no (remain)
2. Will there be a general election? If there is, who wins?
   • Actual: yes (Tories)
   • ❌❌ Chris: no (DUP) (yes, he’d had a few glasses of wine by now)
   • ❌❌ Melanie: no (hung)
   • ✅❌ Chef: yes (hung)
   • ✅❌ David: yes (hung)
3. Will Brexit happen on March 29th? (I should’ve asked about the type of deal really)
   • Actual: no
   • ❌ Chris: yes
   • ❌ Melanie: yes
   • ❌ Chef: yes (with some deal, but not May’s current offering)
   • ❌ David: yes

Higher or lower

1. Which film has the better opening weekend: Avengers Endgame or Star Wars Episode IX?
   • Actual: AE ($1.2bn) over IX ($725m)
   • ❌ Chris: IX (but he actually thinks AE) (yes, still drinking)
   • ❌ Melanie: IX
   • ❌ Chef: IX
   • ✅ David: AE
2. Which football gang finishes higher in the 2018-19 Premier League: Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur?
   • Actual: Tottenham (3rd) over Arsenal (6th)
   • ❌ Chris: Arsenal (via Accrington Stanley) (cheers)
   • ✅ Melanie: Tottenham
   • ❌ Chef: Arsenal
   • ✅ David: Tottenham
3. Which corporation has the greater market capitalisation: Apple or Microsoft?
   • Actual: Apple ($1.295tn) over Microsoft ($1.202tn)
   • ✅ Chris: Apple
   • ❌ Melanie: Microsoft
   • ❌ Chef: Microsoft
   • ❌ David: Microsoft

Comings and goings

(as at December 31, 2019)

1. Who will be the UK PM?
   • Actual: Boris Johnson
   • ❌ Chris: Theresa May
   • ❌ Melanie: Sajid Javid
   • ✅ Chef: Boris Johnson
   • ❌ David: Sajid Javid
2. Who will be the Manchester United football manager?
   • Actual: Ole Gunnar Solskjær
   • ❌ Chris: Sir Alex Ferguson (hic)
   • ❌ Melanie: Jose Mourinho
   • ✅ Chef: Ole Gunnar Solskjær
   • ✅ David: Ole Gunnar Solskjær
3. How many moonwalkers will still be alive? (Currently, 4 of 12)
   • Actual: 4
   • ❌ Chris: 3
   • ❌ Melanie: 3
   • ✅ Chef: 4
   • ❌ David: 3

Dates

1. When will Trump resign? Or won’t he resign in 2019?
   • Actual: he didn’t
   • ✅ Chris: he won’t resign
   • ✅ Melanie: he won’t resign
   • ✅ Chef: he won’t resign
   • ❌ David: June 1st
2. When will May resign? Or won’t she resign in 2019?
   • Actual: July 24th
   • ❌ Chris: she won’t resign
   • ✅ (closest) Melanie: June
   • ❌ Chef: October 1st
   • ❌ David: April 15th
3. When will Prince Philip die? Or will he make it to 2020?
   • Actual: still going
   • ❌ Chris: January 10th
   • ✅ Melanie: he won’t die in 2019
   • ❌ Chef: June 1st
   • ✅ David: he won’t die in 2019

See, I told you it was fascinating. And the final scores:

• 🥄 Chris: 3
• 🥉 Melanie: 6
• 🥇 Chef: 8
• 🥈David: 7