The Year of the Potato

Before Appleyard breaks his silence again (like a long-legged fly, his mind moves upon silence...) to mark the turning of the year and unveil his eagerly-awaited predictions, I must just say that, here at NigeCorp, 2008 is and always will be the Year of the Potato (though, tragically, NigeCorp's capricious technology prevents me from surveying the wonders of the Potato Gallery). When the boughs of holly come down from the lavishly decked turbine halls, they will be replaced by wreaths and swags of interstrung potatoes, bouquets of potato flowers, tasteful arrangements of spuds in all their forms, from raw tuber to sizzling chips, steaming mash and crunchy crisp. A new anthem, devoted to the mighty potato, will be specially composed for the indefatigable workers' choir and orchestra. This - the Year of the Potato - will truly be a year to remember.