PARTY POOPER?

Written by Graham Tope and published in Paddington Times on Mon 13th Dec 2004

The shops are starting to bustle, children have started opening their advent calendars, the arguments about whose house will host the annual family get together are in full swing and churches become a little fuller. It is amazing how fast Christmas and New Year come round isn't it?

Apart from the family entertainment that is had at Christmas, it is the fun with friends especially on New Year's Eve somewhere in the UK or abroad, that makes the season worthwhile. Cities like New York, Sydney and Edinburgh hold huge parties for those watching the TV and those in the city itself to enjoy and celebrate the dawning of a new year. In fact, pretty much every major city in the Western world holds a party for their residents - except one.

For the last five years we have had the same old story of Londoners money spent on celebrations that we cannot take part in. To fail to organise one New Year celebration for us is excusable, but to be unable to arrange an event for Londoners by the fifth attempt makes Ken Livingstone look a bit of a party pooper. In fact, it almost seems that the Mayor and his team get surprised by the fact that New Year comes round, well, once a year.

For example, last year Mr Livingstone closed Trafalgar Square promising that, once the redevelopment had been done, he would be 'working on something really quite spectacular on this New Year's Eve' to renew the tradition of revellers seeing in midnight under the gaze of Nelson and his column. Like last year, this year's 'really quite spectacular' event in Trafalgar Square will be a big screen. I don't know about you, but a large TV showing me what I am missing elsewhere in the world doesn't really set the pulse racing or fit my definition of 'spectacular'.

So what does London get instead? We are treated to fireworks that are kept secret until the last minute so that only TV audiences can watch the event and not people going out around London. The display has had no advertising, no publicity and no promotion despite the fact that many people will have already made their New Year plans.

What upsets me most about all this is that, as we are bidding to host the Olympics in 2012, the Mayor decides to pass up the opportunity to prove that London can successfully host a celebration, for both the local community and the watching world on TV can enjoy. This, after all, pretty much sums up what organising the Olympics in 2012 would be all about.

Surely it is time that Mr Livingstone looked at putting on a ticketed event for London in Trafalgar Square so that revellers from across the capital, the UK and from abroad have the chance to enjoy the party safely and in traditional style.

And with that in mind, I would like to wish you all seasons' greetings and a safe and prosperous New Year.