New Year’s Eve is one of those events, that everyone gets psyched up about, and often spends way too much money on! As you wave goodbye to another year, and come into the next, many people have hopes, dreams and aspirations.

Many will join a gym, or promise to keep in contact with friends and family more often, swear less, or even drink less (Dry January anyone?) Before all of the resolutions are said (and later broken in about a week), many people go out to celebrate.

Where to celebrate New Years?

Every since I was little, I can remember being with my family on New Year’s Eve; we were often woken up by my parents, not long before midnight, and were given a big feast of food, and watched the fireworks being set off, over Big Ben in London; as broadcast on BBC.  I always remember wanting to go to London, to watch them in person.

In 2011, I did just that, before leaving the UK to move to New Zealand. After a New Year’s Party, around 11.30, we crammed in to a small space in Temple. It was busy, and chaotic, and after about 3 minutes, the sky smoked over. Although it was lovely, there were too many people.

Since then, I have celebrated New Year in Nelson, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia. This year, it was back to London.

New Year’s Eve in London 2014

I had no plans for my New Year. I was at work, right up until 5pm. On my central line train back to East London, I came across a number of early revellers dressed up, and drinking already.

For me; I had dinner, cooked by my sister, and then we left into the cold night to Greenwich. I put on makeup, but wore my UGG Boots, and warm layers. We headed to the o2 (formally known as the Millennium Dome), and had drinks and dessert at a Mexican restaurant, where we talked about life, and what we wanted to do over this next year.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks – London

Fireworks are the epitome of New Year’s Eve; it doesn’t seem like a proper New Years, with colourful explosions in the air. However, this year the Mayor of London, decided that in his wisdom, the NYE celebrations, would be better off being a ticketed event; some say that this is because they could not get sponsorship, but they say it was crowd control, so 100,000 tickets were sold, for £10 a ticket (they were raking it in with that one). We didn’t buy one. Instead we went took a risk on finding a spot on the otherside of the river, and got a really good one.

Rotherhithe, in the London Borough of Southwark is located on the otherside of the Thames, and visable is Tower Bridge and the Shard. It was a fantastic spot to see the fireworks, with only about 10 people standing were we were.

Where to view the fireworks in Rotherhithe – for FREE

Take the overground (orange) line to Rotherhithe, and on exiting the station turn left, and immediately turn left again into Railway Avenue, where there is also a sign for ‘Thames Path’. Get to the end of the road and turn left again. Pass the Mayflower pub, and keep walking until you see your first little inlet on the right. You can keep walking, the second turning to the right will take you to a larger area, where there is no wall to slightly obstruct your view.

It doesn’t look like much, but you get a good view, and barely anyone was there. Take a blanket and a few drinks, a good camera and you’re sorted!

 

We arrived at this spot around 11.45, and it wasn’t busy at all. A perfect spot to see the fireworks; and easy to get back on trains later, as you won’t be among 100,000 people trying to use a particular train.

 

 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

I hope 2015 is a good year, filled with many adventures.

Travel well, and travel safe!