Looking back at 2017

2nd January 2018

It only feels like yesterday that we were writing last years blog; looking back at 2016. It’s amazing how fast time goes when you’re busy. We hope everyone had a great Christmas and a great start to the New Year. I think it would be safe to say that 2017 has been a bit of a rollercoaster.

For our review of 2017, just like we did for 2016 we are going to pick out a ‘stand out’ moment from each month:

January

I think many of us will remember January very well. It was of course the official take over in the White House of Donald Trump. Looking back at the year it’s defiantly been filled with conservatory with Donald Trump in the office. We’re hoping for a bit more of a stable 2018.

February

February was a bit of a quiet month (from what we can remember) as the only notable thing was Storm Doris. This was the first storm of 2017. Amber warning were in place across the UK for wind, snow and rain. Winds were recorded of up to 94mph in some parts of the UK. As expected there was some destruction of outdoor furniture/structures and trees. Unfortunately it did also result in deaths, a sad reminder of the danger of mother nature.

March

I’m sure most of us will remember March for all the wrong reasons. It was the month that the attack at Westminster took place. The attach was a terror attack where the attacker drove a car into pedestrians on the bridge before crashing into the fence of the grounds where he fatally stabbed a police officer. A very sad moment of 2017 and unfortunately not the only one.

April

In April we saw one of Donald Trumps first significant act as president. He launched 59 Tomahawk missiles on Syria. The area targeted was a Syria Government airfield. Donald Trump launched this attack in response to the chemical weapons attack. The attack stirred up a lot of talk and unrest with other leaders of countries. How did you feel about it?

May

May unfortunately was another sad month in 2017. May suffered an unfortunate tragedy with the #Manchester bombing. As I’m sure many of you knew, a bomb was detonated by a terrorist group at the Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert. A total of 22 people died in the tragedy with many more being injured. A lot of the casualties were young people.

June

Another unfortunate tragedy to look back on. This was unfortunately the fire in West London at Grenfell Tower which resulted in far to many fatalities. This was Britain’s deadliest fire since the Second World War. The fire started from a faulty fridge-freezer that spread from the fourth floor. The fire is believed to have been aided by the buildings recently installed exterior cladding. The inquest is still ongoing for this and is likely to go on in to 2018. We hope all the families and anyone effected by the fire are given the answers and help they want.

July

In July we saw the passing of a brave young boy who touched the hearts of nearly everyone across the UK. This was the sad passing of Bradley Lowery. At the age of 18 months, he was sadly diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, he was successful in beating the Cancer initially but went into remission. In July 2016, Bradley relapsed. Specialist and progressive treatment for this kind of Cancer is not available in the UK and Bradley Lowery was sent abroad for specialist treatment but it unfortunately wasn’t enough.

August

August is the month that Big Ben fell silent so essential repairs could be carried out on the Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben however will still bong on special occasions, was it heard for the New Year?

September

A big story in September was the devastating Hurricane Irma. It was an extremely powerful hurricane that effected the Caribbean Islands and mainland Florida. A maximum wind speed of Hurricane Irma was recorded at 185mph and it maintained this speed for many hours causing complete destruction.

October

In the world of TV we saw the return of Blue Planet 2. David Attenborough returned to our screens to present this fascinating show. The years of hardwork that went in to making this show is truly remarkable. It amazed us to what goes on below in the ocean even in the remotest of locations.

November

Some good news was brought to many of us in the UK especially for first time buyers of homes. During the outcome of the Budget 2017 it was announced that #StampDuty would be abolished for first time buyers buying a home of up to £300,000. For properties costing up to £500,000, no stamp duty will be paid on the first £300,000. The change will apply in England and Northern Ireland, and in Wales up until the end of March, but not in Scotland.

December

We’re finally at the end of the year and of course like very December it was spent enjoying Christmas and the run into the New Year. We hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to what 2018 brings you.

Hopefully 2018 will be a more positive year for everyone! If you want to chat to us or send us any images about this article then you can find us on Twitter @thehashtaghq.