Hope you all had a gorgeous Christmas! Thanks for all your very kind comments on Charlotte’s post last Friday about her plans for 2018. Speaking of 2018, with the big day done and dusted it’s time to start looking forward to the next occasion; New Year’s Eve. The more and more folk I speak to tell me they’re ‘just having a quiet one.’ I’m not sure I know anyone who marks the end of the year with a humdinger of a night out.
Before all the marriages and babies came along a huge group of us used to hire a property for the new year celebrations. There was usually a fancy dress theme and a big knees up to celebrate the end of one year and the start of another. I’ve marked the new year as a Mad Hatter, Cruella De Ville and my personal favourite, Lily Allen in her trainer, ballgown and creole earring phase.
In the years before we used to go to a ticketed event at our usual weekend haunt. I always begrudgingly parted with a tenner to get in to the pub I’d usually saunter in to after work to start the weekend.
Last year James and I saw the in new year at a beautiful wedding and it was amazing to see in 2017 surrounding by so much love (and champagne). If only we had a wedding in the diary every 31st of December as it was great to have something to look forward to after all the Christmas celebrations had died down.
This year it’s a more lowkey affair. We’re going out for dinner with friends and then back to theirs for the midnight clock strike. I’m hoping this will mean we’re not hungover for January 1st and can maybe do something to celebrate the first day of the year instead of spending it slumped in front of the TV. I’ve noticed there’s heaps going on in other towns on New Year’s Day but there doesn’t seem to be anything of note around Northamptonshire. Maybe we’ll go for a long walk and then off to a country pub for a calorific lunch to round off the festive season.
What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? A low-key night in or a spangly sequinned affair? Have a wonderful time however you choose to mark it.
I tend to feel the same, I just can’t justify spending a fortune and the expense of a taxi home. This month I started thinking about booking a cottage by the sea, and last Friday booked a lovely little place in the heart of St Ives with 7 days notice. Can’t wait to spend NYE by the sea with my man, and even better, it turns out St Ives has an amazing sort of street party at the harbour, with live music, food stalls etc and a fireworks display over th sea at midnight. Perfect!
You are so lucky booking somewhere with seven days to spare! St Ives is such a lovely place. You’re going to have a wonderful time x
I feel the same too – the expense is ridiculous and I hate having to get home afterwards. We’ve gone to the fireworks display up at the Thames twice (before they started to ticket it) – the first time was brilliant as we were right by the riverside in front of the London Eye, but travelling home was a nightmare (a fight broke out on the train!), but the next year it was a lot more popular and therefore we were stuck on Parliament Square and ended up having to watch the display on the big screens. Since then, we’ve always just stayed in.
However, the bonus of staying in is that we are on a hill, on the top floor of the building and therefore have an amazing view of London and can see not only the main display but everyone else setting off fireworks too! The downside is that this is the last year we will have this view, but we’ll be making the most of it and toasting to our new house in the new year!
Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year!
What an amazing location Jo. Happy New Year to you too x
In our 12 years together I’m not sure the husband and I ever have done anything at new years – we’ve always been going back to work on the 2nd so it doesn’t seem worth it. The last night years I was out was 2000 when I was a student, wasn’t that spectacular…
We have our own tradition though, a night in, bottle of goods champagne and lovely food. One last hurrah before the end of the holidays 😊
Take time to enjoy the rest of the break everyone! (if you have the time off)
Good food and champagne is a great way to see in the new year Caroline. Hope you’re enjoying some time off too. x
I’ve never really been a New Years person. I don’t think I even stayed up till midnight last year! We will probably have a relaxed day, maybe nip out for lunch then chill on the sofa in the evening as I’m so rock and roll. New Years day is normally a big family get together with Edd’s family with huge buffet lunch and nattering with all the great aunts and uncles! I’m looking forward to one last day before everyone is back to work/school and reality returns xx
Me too Lottie. It’s nice to mark it in some way before it’s back to reality x
We used to like to hire out a cottage with our best friends and see the new year in with cosy log fires after wintry country walks. Fortunately for us, they had their first baby the same year as us so our priorities/requirements have evolved at the same time and we now take it in turns to host a get together at home. We had a trial run a couple of weeks ago of getting our toddlers bathed together and to bed before enjoying an adult evening of good food and wine and it worked like a dream! Fingers crossed for a repeat performance.
My most rubbish New Year’s Eve was when the 31st was my due date. Tired, fed up and with no sign of an imminent arrival (she was a week late) it felt like the whole world was out partying while I was marooned on the sofa. I fell asleep during the hootenanny and woke up at five to midnight in time to wish my husband a terse happy new year before sloping off to bed in a grump to enjoy some New Years acid indegestion. I should have just savoured the peace and quiet while I could!!
Philippa looks like you’ve cracked the new years festivities this year. No acid indigestion for you this time! x
Hubby and I aren’t really feeling New Year this time around. We were talking about going to a restaurant 30 mins walk away and having a pub stop or two on the way home, but we now have a snow storm forecast so we might just get a takeaway and have a cosy night in.
We did have friends round for drinks a few days ago, which was a lot of fun despite all of us being ill (all of us coughing and spluttering, offering lemsip alongside gin and deciding we all should have just turned up in our pjs was hilarious) so I don’t feel like we’re missing out on spending it with others.
Hope you have a lovely New Years x x x