New Year's Eve

For those who may be alone on New Year's Eve, here are my suggestions for a very jolly celebration:

If you have a copy of Mr. Bean's New Year's Eve episode, watch it. It is priceless and far better amusement than standing outside in a cold city or village square with a crowd of drunken revelers.

If you have a DS and a copy of Animal Crossing Wild World, go to your Town Square to obtain a sparkler or Roman candle from Mayor Tortimer and watch the 'countdown' to the New Year on the digital clock there. At midnight, proceed to exchange New Year wishes with all your neighbours and friends while watching the glorious fireworks display in the heavens. If you have been a creative player, you will be able to recognise all the constellations you created in the sky above you!

Tortimer will give you a New Year Fortune and you should receive a letter from your Mum with a bag of bells as well.

For more New Year's Eve laughs, watch the New Year's Eve episode of Absolutely Fabulous.

I am compiling a Yuletide Comedy programme that includes:

2 episodes of 'Vicar of Dibley' (Christmas Pageant and Christmas Dinners)
1 episode of 'Rising Damp' (Christmas)
2 episodes of 'Are you Being Served?' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Mother and Son' (Christmas, my absolute favourite, apart from Mr. Bean)
2 episodes of 'Mr. Bean' (Christmas and New Year's Eve)
1 episode of 'Father Ted' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Britta's Empire'
3 episodes of 'Only Fools and Horses' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Keeping Up Appearances' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Absolutely Fabulous' (New Year's Eve)

I am trying to find more good comedies for future Yuletide programmes. When I was in my teens, we were allowed to stay up all night on New Year's Eve. In fact, there was a local art cinema that traditionally had a New Year's Marathon of classical films that lasted from New Year's Eve through all of New Year's Day. We often attended that with friends and a token adult who would put in an occasional appearance. It was a small cinema and few strangers ever were in evidence there. This was a different world I suppose from the one in which we now live... or else we were more innocent!

In any case, some of my best New Year's Eve memories have been associated with cinema and/or film.