July, delighted

BY SHENGAS MCGLUMPHIE

Following the success of July as one of the hottest months on record, East Tyrone District Council announced this morning that it has voted to cancel August and replace it with July again.

“With immediate effect, it’s now the 11^th of July”, confirmed Dungannon Councillor Liam O’Donoghue. “August simply hasn’t lived up to high expectations set by a wonderful July, and to be honest August’s performance in previous years has been cat. It’s become too complacent. Move over August, there’s a new month in town. July. Again”.

In the tense final vote which was decided by three High Council members, August was given the opportunity to explain why it should be kept in the calendar year, but lost out to July, who impressed the judges with its warmth, consistency, sunny disposition, and staging of Wimbledon. During July, the temperature frequently soared into the mid-20s, winning the vote throughout the county of farmers, families and the homeless. It was also voted ‘Most Popular Month’ by the Tyrone public in a ‘Heat’ Magazine poll.

The news was welcomed by Aughnacloy woman Collette Lowry, a 54 year old zebra handler.

“July’s performance was hot, I have to say. I loved it. It gave a blistering performance right the way through the entire month, and it would definitely get my vote. It came across with real warmth. It’s a winner through and through. August can go and feck”.

For 2013, August will be replaced with July, and then September will follow. August will be given another chance to, in the words of O’Donoghue, ‘redeem itself’, when it will be given a wild-card entry to compete against October in a head-to-head calendar vote-off, this time with a public vote being introduced. If October wins, then August will depart from the 2013 calendar year. The vote will take place in August, or possibly October.

O’Donoghue advised that if the repeated month is a success, the Council hopes to introduce Philomena Begley as one of the judges for 2014, and failing that, David Hasselhoff.