Kicking 2014 off with a bang…

Christmas and New Year saw for me what it probably saw for most people. If I wasn’t driving I was eating, and if I wasn’t doing either of those I was sleeping (or making deals with my friend’s toilet after one rather eventful evening of beer pong, but let’s not go there).

For New Year's Eve, due to having an American in our midst, we did the tourist thing and went to the “Eye of London” (as my friend from California kept calling it) for the fireworks. If you saw it on the BBC, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Guy Fawkes had finally had a lucky streak. I've seen my fair share of fireworks (being in the Olympic Stadium for both the opening and closing ceremonies during London 2012) and I was blown away.

If you’re thinking of doing it in future years, here are my top tips:

1.  Get there early. I heard of people who travelled for hours to get to London, only to miss the whole show due to volume in the area they were aiming for. We watched from the South Bank (just behind the Wheel) and it was the best view we could’ve hoped for really. We got there at 10pm, but you’ll want to get there much earlier if you’re aiming for north of the river. Also, be conscious of bridge closures (which they will do) if you're hoping to get over to the other side of the Thames.

2.  Wear something warm. It gets very busy, and you’ll be stood around for a while if you get there early. Take a brolly (umbrella) too – A great way to make friends (as long as you remember to put it down once the action starts).

 

3.  Take drinks with you. We took a rucksack full of “winter warmers”.

4.  Pace yourself. There are no (I repeat, no) public toilets at all so you’ll want to prepare your bladder. 

5.  Prepare for a late night. It took us around an hour to get back to my friend’s house, just due to footfall (below is the queue for the Underground).

6. Have an amazing time. It really is something I think that everybody should do at least once in their lifetime, and it's a great way to kick off the New Year.