Chipping Norton and New Year's high jinks!

This here is the Bliss Mill, in Chipping Norton, pictured on the first day of 2006!

Oh, Chippy. What a place.

This Cotswolds idyll, 20 miles from Oxford is where I spent my formative years, all the way from infants school to Sixth Form College.

It's where I grew up, where my earliest memories are formed, and where my oldest (and not in age!) friends are from. Consequently 'Chippy,' (as we always called it), and the surrounding countryside has never left me, even if I've left it!














So, the last time I was in Chippy was way back in May. I'd been pining to return since October (for some reason, Autumn brought back a few memories!) but I managed to hold on all the way until well, New Year's Eve!














As you can see, it was a rather heavy night!














We congregated, we did, Steve Brown, Laura, Stevie D (all the way from Sweden), Joe, Becky, Ryan and Hayley, in the Chequers, the pub where I did my early socialising (and had my first ales). This old pub by Chipping Norton Theatre is my 'local.' Well, not anymore, but it once was, and always will be, somewhere deep inside...














They put on a special New Year's Eve night where you pay £30 and get to spend the night getting free booze and a little food too, surrounded by country types. Best thing about it is if you're from the town, you get to see a few old faces. Which I did!














Not that the night wasn't without controversy. Steve Brown, my oldest friend no less, added yet more Best Man's Speech fodder to my backlog of tales by throwing a karaoke inspired strop (pictured!)!

We planned to sing Don McLean's American Pie, but alas, our request fell too close to midnight to be positively recieved. Steve attempted to blackmail the DJ by standing close to the karaoke machine... but his attempts failed, he sat down... and promptly sulked! Before we went off to drink another Jack Daniel's and Coke. He perked up after that...















The other place I'd recommend if you're ever in Chippy is Whistler's restaurant, which is on Middle Row. Here I once washed up mountains of dishes to fund a summer expedition to China... which wasn't all that much fun to be honest.

But the people there are good, so they are, and are second only to the amazing quality of the food... which certainly made the washing-up nights go faster!

High jinks continued apace, Joseph Newman (above) getting 2006 off to a suitably comedic start by wrapping a festive hat around his gob. Nice stuff Joe! (he'll hate me for publishing this... but I will!)

So that was New Year. Wasn't bad at all!