It’s a waiting game for the the start of the New Year. We walked to the Lock and managed to FaceTime Hester who is feeling a tad jet lagged.
I have been collecting food after the past week for my New Years Eve buffet which we had early onion the evening. Then, we heated some mulled wine and took a chilled bottle of champagne and drove up Richmond Hill. I had planned to walk to Richmond Park but to go in the Richmond Gate at the top of the hill would take well over an hour to walk which I thought could be a bit too long. On Mouse’s advice we headed for a nearby road and by luck gained a parking bay right at the top just a 5 minute walk from Richmond Gate. The views over the river and west London are superb on Richmond Hill.
We got to the gate at about 11.20pm and although the gate was locked the pedestrian side gate was open. There was a police car and officers in the park but they welcomed us in. We walked up and down Sawyers Hill looking for the best spot to stop and wait for midnight. Thank goodness the weather was good, fairly mild and dry.
There were hundreds of people but as there is so much space in the park we weren’t on top of each other. Someone started a count down from ten to one and we all joined in. This is the 'team' waiting for midnight.
Then the fireworks started. We had a clear view for the nine miles across London to the London Eye and the Shard where the New Years firework display was. The display was brilliant and through binoculars even better. It went on for over fifteen minutes during which we enjoyed out mulled wine and champagne before walking back to the car at about 12.30am.
