My 21 days of Christmas: ringing in the new year!

This new years eve brought with it a surprise: my friend Sabina booked last minute flights and came down to Bristol to see me. In preparation for the night of dancing we had ahead of us, we had to build - and save - our energy, so we started off her visit with a trip to Tart for breakfast (the fluffiest pancakes with maple syrup), then strolled home where we spent hours catching up and watching Twin Peaks. After an afternoon of ogling Special Agent Dale Cooper, we headed to Cox & Baloney for tea (Catherine of Braganza) and generous heaps of lasagne, before stocking up on Archer's, vodka, elderflower cordial and lemonade. In a splash, we had the most refreshing cocktail and soon we were dressed in our gladrags and on the way to the Cube cinema.

Catherine of Braganza tea @ Cox & Baloney

Dressed in my finest

The Cube hosted a 99p NYE party and as we arrived I could hear "Rapture" by Blondie playing and knew the night was going to be a good one. After meeting Lori and co, we guzzled ginger beer all evening and shook our tail feathers to a brilliant soundtrack of hits. Lori couldn't wait until the "unwanted gift swap" (did that ever happen, anyway? I don't recall it happening!) so she persuaded a girl to hand over her foam "BOO" hand for the princely sum of four party poppers.

Lori, me, and Sabina booing.

 As the all-important hour came close to striking, everyone piled into the cinema itself, squashing into the gilded red seats, to watch the countdown on the screen: film scenes and numbers flashing across our retinas as the excitement bubbled towards its climax. Lori had brought enough party poppers for our little group and we perched at the edge of the room, ready to unleash streamers over the heads of the other gleeful Cube-goers.

Party poppers!

Countdown ft. Lori

 Suddenly, the place erupted: it was 2013! The year you learn to unicycle, put a deposit down for a mortgage, finally learn how to use that fancy coffee machine your girlfriend got you in 2010, get a fringe cut in, take up yoga, learn to knit, find true love, eat a lot of cheese on toast. Or just be yourself.

We streamed back towards the bar, learned they'd run out of ginger beer (Sabina and I shared the last bottle, sorry everyone) and resumed dancing like it was 2012. Around 3.30 our feet protested and we made our way home, singing the praises of garlic sauce (something Southerners just don't get).

The next day, we walked for over two hours to get to Lori's house and the feast she had waiting for us. And you know what? The start of this year may be worlds away from the life I had at the start of last, but I wouldn't change a thing.