2008
Top Selling Singles
- Alexandra Burke – Hallelujah
- X Factor Finalists – Hero
- Duffy – Mercy
- Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl
- Nickelback – Rockstar
- Estelle featuring Kanye West – American Boy
- Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
- Basshunter featuring DJ Mental Theo – Now You’re Gone
- Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake – 4 Minutes
- Flo Rida featuring T-Pain – Low
Christmas No.1: Alexandra Burke – Hallelujah
Top Selling Albums
- Duffy – Rockferry
- Take That – The Circus
- Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
- Leona Lewis – Spirit
- Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
- Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
- Girls Aloud – Out Of Control
- Killers – Day And Age
- Pink – Funhouse
- Scouting For Girls – Scouting For Girls
At the Box Office
- Mamma Mia!
- Quantum of Solace
- The Dark Knight
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- Sex and the City
- Hancock
- High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- WALL•E
- Kung-Fu Panda
- Iron Man
Cost of Living
| Average house price | £159,900 |
| Average salary | £25,000 – Minimum Wage was £5.73 |
| Average car price | £24,400 |
| Petrol | £1.07 litre |
| Pint of beer | £2.14 |
| Packet of 20 Cigarettes | £5.22 |
| Pint of milk | 42p |
| Fish & Chips | £2.50 |
In the News
- Prime Minister was Gordon Brown
- Barack Obama won the US Presidential election
- 3 Million of us were hit by the Norovirus
- The disappearance of 9 year old Shannon Matthews, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, is all over the news – her mum is later arrested for organising her daughter’s kidnap.
- Northern Rock bank is nationalised by the British government
- Levi Bellfield, is found guilty of murdering two women in London. He receives a life sentence with a recommendation that he should never be released.
- An earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire is felt across most of Britain, with several buildings suffering substantial damage.
- London Heathrow Terminal 5 opens, however there are many problems with the IT system, coupled with insufficient testing and staff training, which causes over 500 flights to be cancelled
- Portsmouth beat Cardiff City 1-0 in the FA Cup
- Summer Olympics are held in China.
- Construction work begins on the Olympic Stadium being built for the 2012 games in London
- Barry George is acquitted of the murder of Jill Dando
- The government announce a bank rescue package worth some £500 billion as a response to the ongoing financial crisis.
- Lewis Hamilton becomes the youngest ever Formula One World Champion in motor racing
- Woolworths announce their 807 UK stores will close by the following January, putting some 27,000 people out of work
On the Telly
- News at Ten returns to 10pm (from 10.30) with Sir Trevor McDonald and Julie Etchingham
- Konnie Huq presents her last episode of Blue Peter after over ten years, having become the longest-running female presenter
- The BBC announces that children’s drama Grange Hill is to be axed after exactly 30 years on air.
- Neighbours moves to Five
- Suzanne Shaw and skating partner Matt Evers win the third series of Dancing on Ice.
- Patsy Palmer returns to EastEnders as Bianca Jackson nine years after leaving the series.
- Britain comes last in the Eurovision. Andy Abraham receives 14 points for the United Kingdom with “Even If”. Terry Wogan says he’ll resign as it;s ‘No longer a music contest’
- Break dancer George Sampson wins the second series of Britain’s Got Talent,
- Comedian Joan Rivers is asked to leave Loose Women after swearing live on air. She was removed during the commercial break, and said that she didn’t realise the show was going out live
- Griff Rhys Jones announced as the new presenter of It’ll Be Alright on the Night
- Blue Peter celebrates its 50th birthday.
- Actor Joe Swash wins the eighth series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
- Alexandra Burke wins the fifth series of The X Factor
Top Selling Christmas Toys
- High School Musical Dance Mat – £17.99 (£23.31)
- Iron Man DVD – £14.99 (£19.43)
- Transformers Movie Deluxe Figures – £39.99 (£51.82)
Gadgets
- iPhone 3G – £354.20 (£459)
