Merry Christmas, one and all! (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Merry Christmas, one and all!

9:10am Wednesday 24th December 2008

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Or for those of you who won't be celebrating Christmas tomorrow - happy Wednesday!

Funnily enough, having been on holiday for the last two weeks, I'm not exactly au fait with the news in Waltham Forest at the moment, so, for good or ill, this week's blog will take on a slightly different mantle.

That's right, blogfans - it's time for a Big Fat Quiz of the Waltham Forest Year!

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin:

1) The year didn't start too well for one Waltham Forest politician, who was the victim of a smear campaign. Name that politician.

2) Things looked brighter for George and Victoria as January wore on - they met, fell in love and moved in together. What's unusual about George and Victoria's love story?

3) "We prayed for our lives on 'hell ride'" was the headline. What was the story?

4) In February, a letter from Winston Churchill to Sir Wilfred Fish went up for auction, valued at £1,400. Who was Sir Wilfred Fish?

5) The first house in Waltham Forest to break the seven-figure price barrier went up for sale in March. How much was it going for?

6) Ivan Ilascu was this year jailed for four months after being caught "double shuffling". What's double shuffling?

7) In May, the news broke that the world famous Walthamstow Stadium had fallen victim to a bid from developers. When was it founded?

8) "He is a professionally trained artist and has won awards for agility." Scriptwriter Libby Liburd, of Blackhorse Road, talks about finding the star of her film, Autograph Hunters. Who was the star?

9) Kind-hearted school caretaker Steve Patmore completed a 500-mile trek for charity during the summer. How much money did he spend along the way?

10) Name the sprinter and Chingford native who became the first British woman since 1984 to run in the Olympic 100m final at this year's Summer Games in Beijing.

11) Daniel Murphy, the pearly king with a heart of gold, passed away in September. Where was his pearly realm?

12) Onwards to autumn and the return of The X Factor. To which grumpy TV comedian did Simon Cowell compare Waltham Forest crooner Daniel Evans?

13) How old was Danielle Carter when she made her international footballing debut in New Zealand?

14) Why did artist Damien Hirst threaten legal action against a Leytonstone teenager?

Answers in next week's post. And this, my friends, brings us to a close for 2008 - well, just about.

In other news, I learned last week that big-budget musical Imagine This is to close down after only six weeks amid a slew of terrible reviews. Well, shut my mouth - I thought it was going to be a hit.

Mind you, I stand by my opinion - I enjoyed it and thought it had some sterling performances.

Finally, as I'm sure you're all keenly aware, today is the last working day before Christmas (although "working" is perhaps a loose term at this stage) so I shall wish you all a peaceful holiday season and good things for 2009.

See you on the other side.