HAPPY NEW YEAR!

to everyone, 

for us we had a quiet day on New Years eve, as Diana was at work, but in the evening we decided on a Indian meal, I should say I am only making one post today, I did not set the alarm and slept in! back to yesterday evening,

 

glad rags on and we were out,

onto the number 54 bus to our favourite Indian restaurant, the Kathmandu Masala, then a bit of a problem, normally we are the only dinner or sometimes just one or two tables are taken in the course of our meal, but today, New Years eve, the place was fully booked, thankfully we were early,

and they managed to fit us in, 

so poppadum's and relishes to start,

'Cheers!'s, as it happens we were the only dinners, most had booked for a late evening start,

for our starters,

a mixed kebab,

with salad for Diana,

a prawn puri for myself,

eyes down and tuck in,

our main course arrived,

mushroom and peas pulao rice,

aloo gobi,

a lamb dish whose name I have forgotten for Diana,

and a chicken dish for myself, we also had some nan bread,

'Cheers!', the bill came to £86.00 including service charge, 

back home it was feet up for a film to take us up to nearly midnight, as it happens a great old WWII movie was on, The Dam Busters, having read the book and watched the film many years ago we decide to watch it, but the PC brigade had been out, no longer was the 617 squadron dog called Nigger, it had been changed! and as it happens Nigger was the real mascot of the squadron, we had better start burning the books now,

we had decided to see in the New Year with Jools Holland, so all ready to open the bubbly, 

look nearly there, 

and pop goes the bubbly, Happy New Year! the show we watched was Jools Holland's annual hootenanny, which sees him and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra bring in 2023 with a host of musical guests including George Ezra, who performed his song Green Green Grass - one of the most popular tunes of the year, the singer, who landed his third number one album this year with Gold Rush Kid, also there was Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem, who was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize this year, Dreams singer Gabrielle, with singer-songwriter Cat Burns was also in the show as was Welsh guitarist and singer Andy Fairweather Low, who played alongside Jools' Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, as it happens I really like the songs of Fairweather Low, my favourite being one of his lesser known numbers at the time of release, Gin House,

and here it is playing live with Jools on the piano, what a great performer, every time I hear the song it brings back so many memories of when it was released by Amen Corner in 1967, when I was just 17 years old! also there, Roland Gift of Fine Young Cannibals, who performed some of the band's most popular tunes, along with Jazz duo Rachael & Vilray and singer Ruby Turner complete the guest list, and of course the line up was made complete with the classic Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, who performed at midnight, 

and as the midnight hour stuck Diana made a video of the moment, and here it is above, we stayed up for another couple of hours enjoying the company of Jools and his guests until the show finished, and with that we were off to bed.