New Year in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh hosts the largest New Year party in the world. Over a million people flock to Edinburgh during the four day event and having been one of the million in my younger years I have to tell you that if you've never been a visitor to this fair city you should make the effort to be one before you die. After you've died is a waste of time. You won't enjoy it half as much.

In the centre of town the streets are closed off, stages are erected, fireworks are placed and ready to go and the whole of town becomes party central. Outside the centre of town it's a different matter... Gangs of pissed up youths wander the streets like feral dogs, strange bearded weirdys who speak in guttural grunts stagger and sway along the footpaths and kids on minimotos terrorise anyone stupid enough to venture out the house.

Strangely enough though this makes for a fine and high setting for house parties. It's pretty much a guarantee that you'll meet colourful people who will give you their opinion on any subject. Never mind the fact that they have the intelligence of a retarded monkey and will be unable to string together a sentence without swearing every second word and calling you a cunt. In a nice way.

I may sound a bit harsh on the people around me but it's only due to the fact that when you love something you see it warts and all. And that's as true an axiom as has ever been stated.

These days my new year is no longer a drunken daunder down drink droukit dales. Oh no, nowadays my new year is a drink with friends and family. And that to me is a far better thing than the four day hangover of the old days.

Maybe I'm getting old. But I doubt it...