IT'S the beginning of 2008 and I reckon this could be Britain's year for sporting success.

Forget about our absence from the European Football Championship - this summer will be full of Eastern promise with the Olympic Games in Beijing.

As well as the traditional sports on offer, there are several new events that could be perfectly suited for our athletes.

Overall, nine new Olympic events will be held, which include two from the new cycling discipline of BMX.

There are also hopes that the Chinese government will allow video games to be a demonstration sport at the games.

Surely these are the types of sport that the British population can excel at? Anyone under the age of 35 will have had a misspent childhood playing video games and BMX riding.

The nation has millions of these potential Olympic gold medal winners to choose from now. Other future events could include the 100-metre Spacehopper dash, underwater Rubik's cube solving and Buckaroo with real horses.

  • Britain's children are collectively earning nearly £700 million a year carrying out odd jobs and running errands, a survey showed today.

Around 27 per cent of young people aged between 11 and 18 regularly earn money doing odd jobs, bringing in an average of £45.60 a month each, according to high street bank Abbey.

Babysitting is the most popular way for young people to earn extra money, with around half of under-18s doing some babysitting, earning an average of £16.96 for a four-hour shift. Car washing was the second most popular job, with 15 per cent of children earning extra cash in this way, followed by doing the washing up and tidying the house, both at nine per cent.

Other things children do to boost their income include mowing the lawn, walking the dog, vacuuming the house, doing a paper round and buying and selling things at school.

No doubt many children will soon be retiring to the south of France after middle school.

  • If you've got any party spirit left after the festive period why not celebrate Chinese New Year next month?

According to Chinese astrology, February 7 will mark the Year of the Rat.

Those born in the year of this Chinese Zodiac sign can count themselves as charming, passionate, charis-matic, practical and hardworking. Rat people' as they're commonly known are also endowed with great leadership skills and are thought to be the most organised and systematic of the twelve signs. However, rodents in general should guard themselves against hedonism, as it may lead to self-destruction. Gambling, alcohol and drugs tend to be great temptations to the Rat.

Traditionally, Rats should avoid horses, but they can usually find their best friends and love interests in Monkeys, Dragons, and Oxen. Well I never...