Last Night In Trafalgar Square

New Year’s Eve was an improvement on last year, sort of. People were allowed in Trafalgar Square again and there was water in the fountains, but they and the centre were totally sealed off by the police and security. That was as good as it got. There was no big screen with music and live broadcasting, even worse the toilets were closed and I don’t think there were toilets anywhere except in restaurants and the like. Does it make sense when countless thousands of people are expected to flood the area – including families with at times very young kids – to close all the public toilets? This led to men urinating discreetly in corners after the event. And women?

There was the usual firework display over by the Thames which was visible over the tall buildings, but there were two additional mini-displays as well: one by Pret A Manger and another, shortly after or during the end of the main display in the north-east corner of the Square itself. I left shortly after these to carry out my annual ritual, the one I have performed since New Year’s Day 1999, then made my way home by a somewhat circuitous route via Clock House and my local kebab shop.