Lots of bloggers (& journalist hacks) choose this time to look back on the year. Instead, I’m going to look back on new years eve parties.

As a child, hogmanay seemed very exotic. We saw adults in a carefree tipsy state and if we were very lucky, we were given the opportunity to be the first footer with a piece of coal (and a big yawn, trying to stay awake).

Teenage parties were a hoot or a hurl, depending on how well we paced ourselves. I spent two New Years in the City Hall, one partially in the company of a Circus troupe. (They partied in the ring onstage, we had an alternative do in the projection box)

College years were a bit of a letdown, as our friends tended to go back home, as did myself. Having said that, I remember a particularly fun year just in the company of my fried Wally and his French girlfriend Wendy who chauffered us in her aging 2CV, even making bacon sandwiches in the early hours.

My party before going to Saudi was an odd one- I was the only guest at the Bear Hotel in Maidenhead and got to dance with the Manageress.

I look back on my twenties with affection, particularly in Maidenhead when we used to party with a vengeance, particularly the Wok & Bra Plussers.

Thirties parties were nondescript and sometimes contrived, although there were one or two noticable exceptions.

Forties parties were practically non-existent, particularly when or regular parental bedtime was 9pm!

David expressed a wish to stay up two years ago, but 2005 was such a drag that we went to the pictures last year just to fill the evening. We weren’t the only one…

We don’t really have any plans for this year either. At heart it is a contrived excuse to celebrate unless you are in the company of good friends and then you don’t need an excuse. We know people who do have parties but they live far away and we’d rather they come to my bash in April!