I like Christmas, but I absolutely loathe the New Year "celebrations". I hate all the boring, retrospective TV and newspaper stuff, I can't abide concerts from Vienna and the TV programmes are just awful. We never stay up to see the new year in (not even in 2000), but at least here in rural Normandy we don't get woken up by other people's ghastly fireworks. I shall be so glad when it is the 2nd January. Grumpy emoticon.
My First Foot was DH's friend's 7-year-old grandson, yesterday lunchtime. He ate 5 Rocky chocolate biscuits and sat and watched Bob the Builder......(we had a quiet New Year here!)
Phoenix have heard about people fron Shebbear, should have come to the metroplis aka Barnstaple, the fireworks were ok from my bedroom window. On second thoughts maybe the match was better!
As an ex-musician, the words 'New Year's Eve' still send a shiver down my spine... it was the one night when everybody was working - impossible to say no when the money was 'double bubble' - but oh, what a ghastly night it always was... the only thing worse was a Hunt Ball, where in addition to the squeakers and similar party noise-makers, same moron would be blowing a hunting horn all night... no wonder the muso's term for 'audience' or 'customers' was 'the enemy...'
london its not very well advertised but it was on last year so I have been told, well worth going. The kids loved it all. Parade started 5pm ish at the Monument and finished at 6pm with the fireworks at the Civic.
london I dont know what the fireworks were like at midnight on the Quayside, but if the show they put on at the Civic Center at 6pm was anything to go by it must have been fantastic.
Well for someone who hates NYE and was doing nothing I had a great afternoon and evening
DD phoned to say she was caught in traffic trying to get out of a multi story car park and had left GD coat at home could I take it through to them to save time as they were going into town for the NYE children's parade and fireworks... so we agreed to meet at DH office where he was at work and it was decided that we would all go to the parade... had a fantastic time and the fireworks were amazing. It was late by the time it all finished so we called and collected a Chinese, had our Chinese and then played children's charades and had the best NYE for a long long time.
So I think I should be more flexible and just go with the flow and not put things into boxes and take things for what they are!
I understand the sadness of fellow GNers for whom this time of year is an anniversary of a loss. My sad times are in February and May so I have my moments of remembrance without the contrast of festivals and national celebration which possibly makes it all less painful.
However we keep Christmas as a lovely family get together time with our own traditions and customs developed over years and I really enjoy it.
New year is a time to share with our good friends. We started getting together when our kids were little and bedding them all down together so the adults could have a meal and a a drink to welcome another year in a spirit of hope for a better future.... we are talking early 80s! Over the years we still get together taking in turns to host (15-22 of us some singles some couples) each contributing to a course of the meal. We have songs that we sing, we reminisce, do 'turns' etc We get to main course, roast beef, in time for us to stop for midnight and Auld Lang Syne then we continue with dessert & cheeses. Our cab collected us at 2:30 and we were home by 3:00. When we were all younger we partied on through to breakfast! NYE is a very important bit of 'glue' for the good friendships we have enjoyed and maintained over the years which includes sharing each others good times as well as the sad. Our ages range from 61-73.
I went out for a half hour walk in the sunshine and didn't see anything or anyone except cows. The larks were scribbling in the field, much too early in the year. I rather like helmet....
Well I don't know what they did in our hamlet last night (because we went to bed at 9pm), but today I haven't seen s single soul or heard any vehicle. Not sure if they have been kidnapped and taken to the planet Zarg, got shellfish poisoning (the midnight dish of choice) or just not got up yet??
GOOSE "Yappity Burpday to you! and may the day bring you lots of takeaway curry's! I see you've even brought the sun out. I presume you're counting backwards from 01/01/13? (feels strange typing the 13 bit). I'm going to be 24 this year, in mind anyway - have not reached my sell by date yet" Have fun x