This year I decided that my NYE celebrations would be very low-key as my Iceland trip and the run-up to Christmas has been pretty expensive, so I decided to hold back for New Year.
My parents moved to lovely Looe in Cornwall during the summer, and I’d been informed by various people that the New Year celebrations in the village are worth coming back for.
Visitors poured steadily into the village during the day with revellers coming from all over Devon and Cornwall; not only that but plenty of tourists from the rest of the country come to spend a few days by the sea and join in the festivities, which are well-known in the region. Street-side cafes were bustling and lines formed in the chip shops. With the gorgeous weather, it seemed like a busy day in the height of summer.
Looe becomes a costume street-party on New Year’s Eve and it starts early with the children’s festivities. From 4.30 onwards there was a parade of cute pirates, fairies and superheroes trailing into the Rusty Bucket—a coffee shop on the seafront—to get their pictures taken; and then at 6pm they enjoyed fireworks from Banjo Pier. The fireworks were temporarily delayed due to waves crashing across the pier, but eventually they put on a good show despite some lashing rain.
Then the party really begins, and the streets become a whole-town costume-party parade. Anybody not dressed up will be in the minority. I didn’t have a costume, but will definitely join in if I spend NYE in Looe again. The best part about the celebrations is that everybody takes part; from old to young. Pubs are full to overflowing and everybody mingles in the street, disregarding the weather completely. The seafront becomes the domain of under-age drinkers up until midnight and is best avoided as it becomes quite boisterous, but at midnight the whole village empties to the seafront to watch the fireworks. Thankfully, the sea did not delay the midnight fireworks and everybody welcomed in 2014 together on time.
Looe is a beautiful village and is worth a visit at any time of the year, but New Year’s Eve in particular is a lot of fun!
Do you like costume parties? Where did you see in the New Year? I hope that you had a wonderful NYE however you celebrated?
Great post! I visited Looe back in 2006 when I was at University in Plymouth. It’s a great little town…and it sounds even more fun on New Year’s Eve.
Thanks for sharing – sounds like you had fun.
Yes, I did. It was nice just watching all the costumes, but I think I should join in next time!