Countdown to New Year

Let’s hope for a brighter start to the New Year than the miserable day-long dark and depressing skies making everything around look like a damp squib as we head towards New Year’s Eve.
At least it stopped raining long enough to capture this evening shot in the precinct alongside the Arrosto di Caffe coffee shop in the Asda supermarket precinct in the Hampshire town of Totton, and the Christmas tree lights in the background do provide an inner warmth.
I suspect we will see in the New Year with a bottle of bubbly in the comfort of our own home and look forward to 2016 with confidence and anticipation of good health and cheerfulness, while bidding a sometimes nostalgic farewell to the old year.
We have had parties in past years which always seemed to go down well and be remembered with affection.  Although one year I do recall that after one such party, having to be on duty in the docks to meet an arriving passenger liner at 5.30 in the morning. Hence, apart from a glass at midnight to welcome in the New Year it was a pretty abstemious evening for me as the host.
Another time we saw the turn of midnight on the roof of a theatre in Southampton city centre, and there was the time we spent it at a family penthouse dinner party and watched fireworks from the roof garden  overlooking the city of Milan.

If tomorrow evening is anything like today, the thought of fireworks may be a trifle wistful. But fingers’ crossed let’s see what the evening brings forth. At least we will have the champagne in the fridge ready!