Born on 1 January 2023

Back in 2023, life felt like we were all caught in a strange, bittersweet hum, nursing lukewarm pints while the world sped up around us. If you were there, you’ll remember it was the year we finally crowned a King, though honestly, most of us were more concerned with the price of a Kerrygold block or whether we could find an Air Fryer that didn't cost a limb. The summer was a washout until September hit us with a sudden, sticky heatwave, just as everyone was resigned to their raincoats.

We all flocked to the cinema in July, dressed in garish pink or somber suits for the "Barbenheimer" craze, and you couldn't walk past a pub garden without hearing Miley Cyrus’s *Flowers* drifting out of a speaker. Do you remember the chaos of the *Happy Valley* finale? We were all glued to the telly, breathless for Sarah Lancashire, before switching over to watch the Lionesses nearly bring it home in the August sun.

Kids were obsessed with Prime hydration drinks—total madness, people queuing at 6 a.m. for a bottle of neon liquid—while the rest of us were just trying to navigate the endless train strikes and that weird, lingering chill of the cost-of-living bite.

It wasn't perfect, but Lord, it was lively.