What are you doing for the bells?

[rts]

I'll be at a friends party.

I have also decided on my New Years resolution.

1024 x 768.

[iSon]

I was meant to go for some lunch with the fella today who is working up until midnight but is then driving down to London to join his friends' party. But there was too much to do and now we've run out of time. Oh well.

Anyway, I'll be down the local with the neighbours doing the hands thing to Auld Lang Syne at midnight, not before enjoying a couple of hours of alcohol and then a few 2009 pints and usually end up with the bar staff and landlord who will invite everyone into the kitchen to make chips. Have you ever tried working a deep fat fryer after 9 pints?

[lukey]

I hate the English programming. It shouldn't be a "Hootenanny", its "hogmanay" for god's sake.

Or, as one of my English flatmates approximated last year: "Hodgenomerney".

[Ben]

I hate the English programming. It shouldn't be a "Hootenanny", its "hogmanay" for god's sake.

A hootenanny and a hogmanay are two different things aren't they? I'm sure that came up for discussion once over on the old Lounge.

[Alexia]

I hate the English programming. It shouldn't be a "Hootenanny", its "hogmanay" for god's sake.

A hootenanny and a hogmanay are two different things aren't they? I'm sure that came up for discussion once over on the old Lounge.

Correct. Hogmanay is an ancient Norse custom for the new year, which our Celtic Irish immigrant friends north of the border adopted as their own. A Hootenanny is merely a type of party; so "Jool's New Year Hootenanny" simply means a New Year party.

Oz from Buffy pointed out the different types of party:
Gathering: Brie, crackers and mellow song stylings.
Shindig: Dip, less mellow song stylings.
Hootenanny: Chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny.

[marksi]

(I always offer to work New Year's Eve because I hate it. It depresses me.)

ah but do you get double pay?

No, extra payments are made for Christmas Day and Boxing Day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for Christmas Day and New Year's Eve in Scotland.

[Col]

Like others, I am not a fan of going out to celebrate the New Year.

I'm travelling back to York tomorrow so I'll probably stay up to hear marksi's first link of 2009 (as well as him on the other side, too) and then head off to bed.

[rts]

I'm meant to be seeing the other half tomorrow, so have an incentive not to get too piddled. He says...

[Dr Lobster*]

we are going around somebodies house... should be 8 of us there, will be having a few drinks and playing poker around a big open fire whilst listening, i hope, to some jazz.

[Gavin Scott]

Happy 2009 everyone.

[Sput]

COOOOOOO09EEEEEE gav