Happy New Year!

It's 2013 and the sun is shining, hurrah! From my window I can see lots of people out for their New Year's Day walk on Weymouth's seafront.

New Year's Eve in Weymouth is not like any other I've known. For a start, it has the biggest public fancy dress party in the UK with an estimated 20,000 people dressing up and partying around the harbour and seafront. Our neighbours, were dressed up as tigers, complete with stripey faces and whiskers attached!

Being newbies and somewhat cautious, we opted for the special New Year's Eve dinner at the excellent Mallams Restaurant on the harbourside which had a 'speakeasy' theme for the evening, including a quiz (we didn't win).

We had a lovely cocktail on arrival, made with - if I remember correctly - champagne, gin, lemonade and a brandy topper; very nice, then a small selection of canapés. Next were some stuffed mushrooms and then our chosen main course of duck breast (nicely pink) with a subtle Chinese-flavoured sauce, rice and mange tout. To follow, Ian had a trio of desserts (no wonder he's looking so happy!) and I had a delicious selection of cheese and biscuits.

As we dined we could see a variety of people walking past the restaurant variously costumed as Roman soldiers, pirates, a line of 'prisoners' in orange overalls chained together, the tin man, dinosaurs, cowboys, a group of Worzel Gummidge lookalikes, various animals, fairies, ghouls and much more.

Sadly, my camera was playing up and refused to flash, even with the correct setting, so this is the only picture I managed to get of passing revellers.

Just before midnight we went outside onto the harbour and counted down the last five seconds with everyone else. Fortunately for everyone, the incessant rain and rain we'd been having in December had finally stopped earlier in the evening and the New Year started dry and not too cold. Let's hope it stays that way for a while, at least.

At around 12.30am (way past our bedtime!) we made our excuses and left to walk home. Hope Square was filled with people - mostly young - obviously intending to continue celebrating for a good while yet.

So, what will 2013 bring us? 2012 is certainly a hard act to follow, what with the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and Paralympics and moving house. We will be getting on with improvements and updates to our house and hopefully will find some time for a decent holiday this year.

Wishing you every blessing for 2013.