Seeing 2020 in with a Bang!

Watching New Year’s Eve fireworks light up the sky from a 12th floor terrace on London’s South Embankment. That’s the way to celebrate a brand new decade and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to experience it!

Attending the London NYE firework display was pretty high on my bucket list, so when the possibility of it becoming a reality appeared, I grabbed it with both hands. Oddly, planning started way back in the summer when the Premier League 2019/20 fixtures were announced.

‘What on earth has football got to do with NYE fireworks?’ I hear you cry.

My family aren’t big football followers and being from Jersey (who have only recently joined the English football league), young football supporters are often ‘allocated’ teams by parents. When I was little, Manchester United were a very successful team and Mum had a bit of a crush on George Best, so I got The Red Devils. As an adult I became more interested in the game and now I really enjoy watching a good match, particularly World Cup games with their party atmosphere.

And here’s the link.
It transpired a big match was being played on my birthday, New Year’s Day - Arsenal playing at home against Manchester United. My daughter’s boyfriend is a lifelong Arsenal fan and having converted Shannon, they surprised me with tickets as a birthday present! So it was a no-brainer. The chance to tick off two things from my bucket list at once - a Premier League football match and the London New Year’s Eve fireworks. Win win.

We were staying at the Park Plaza Riverbank hotel by Lambeth Bridge where we’ve stayed several times before, but this time it was beautifully decorated for the festive season.

As Shannon and her boyfriend were going to a NYE party further down the river, I decided to go all out and book myself a table for the gala buffet on the 12th floor.
I’ll admit the idea of sitting in a restaurant on my own surrounded by couples and groups was a little daunting, but hey, sometimes you’ve got to push your boundaries and just go for it. I slapped on some face paint, put my glad rags on and walked in with confidence. The restaurant staff were wonderful, especially the manageress who knew I’d be on my own. They were warm, welcoming and ready to get everyone in the party mood. Not that it took much effort. Everyone was dressed up and with champagne flowing and a talented live singer, the atmosphere was elegant, relaxed and expectant.

The buffet was a selection of delicious Pan Asian cuisine from Japanese maki rolls, tuna tartare and duck spring rolls to Wagyu beef and grilled scallops. I’m a great believer in trying new things and there was an unusual combination of dates wrapped in pancetta, which was amazing. The desserts were pretty tasty too, especially the coconut ice-cream balls.

People from all over the world were there. Brazil, Mexico, England, Ireland, and Russia to name a few. I was sat next to a lovely young couple from Dublin who kindly included me in their conversation. As the evening went on, another couple from Sheffield joined us and before we realised it was 11:50 pm and time to get ready to watch the fireworks. I was amazed that crowds started to gather for the display from late afternoon, and by the time midnight arrived there were hundreds of thousands of people on the streets and bridges.
I’m a bit of an emotional soul and can cry at the drop of a hat. NYE always brings a tear or two of joy to my eyes and seeing the fireworks for real was pretty damn wonderful, so of course a couple of happy tears flowed!

The photo quality isn’t great but you get the idea

By taking life by the horns and stepping out of my comfort zone, I went from potentially seeing the new decade in on my own to being surrounded by lovely people and had an amazing and unforgettable evening.

Happy New Decade to you all.