A Great British New Year! | The Party Times

As we look back at it, 2012 has been such an important?year?in the UK; a year full of happy memories?which?deserves a suitable send-off. Gather your friends and family,?dust off the?flags and bunting?and throw a quintessentially British New Year?s Eve party.

Decorate
You may already have red and white decorations up from Christmas; by adding blue you can easily dress your house for a Great British look. Add a few paper chains and Union Jack flags and it will be complete. Float helium balloons in these colours on the ceiling above the table or party area, and hang a Happy New Year banner where everyone can see it. You may have some streamers, flags or bunting leftover from the summer?s festivities, so look these out too. You could ask your guests to come dressed as their favourite Great British hero of 2012. Alternatively, filling?a dressing up box with GB accessories for all your guests to put on as they arrive is a good way to get them into the spirit.

Another quintessentially British icon and the nation?s favourite fictional secret agent turned 50 this year, so you could tailor the party to fit this theme. Ask everyone to come in black tie and set up a casino atmosphere with a few different tables of games, with a bar to mix martinis at. For pared-down secret agent chic, herald the coming year with numbered foil balloons anchored with weights along the table centre. These coordinate well with star foil hanging decorations on the ceiling and a few plain gold and silver balloons in corners. For more drama, keep lights to a minimum, hang up a starry night scene setter?and use Illoom balloons. Cover the table with organza in silver or gold, over a plain base of black or white. To extend the casino theme?to the table-top, use playing cards as name-cards and scatter a few praline dice favours amongst the table confetti and trivia cards. Place a tuxedo box?full of treats at each place. Ensure that?your soundtrack includes some of his most iconic movie tunes.

Food and drink
Kick off the evening with a specially concocted punch ? or if you are a smaller crowd, a cocktail shaken (or stirred) to order. Serve it from a bowl or jug into?bright coloured glasses, with a virgin version, charms?and swirly straws for the younger ones. If you are preparing the feast yourself, ask each guest to bring a canap? each that you can all share with your drinks beforehand. Serve them on colourful platters.

For your New Year?s Eve main course, choose a big easy sharer, which everyone can help themselves to, such as a stew, curry or a lasagne. These you can make well ahead, giving you more time to get yourself ready. A pile of profiteroles with ice-cream, chocolate sauce and fruit will be hugely popular; make a grand entrance with it on a platter, and present it to the table,?studded with indoor sparklers.

Fun and Games
As you?ve got a fair bit of the evening to see out until midnight, it?s a good idea to serve a few courses, which you can always break up with table games such as wonderball, crackers or quizzes (which should also keep younger guests from getting too bored). After the banquet, it?s a good idea to have some fun up your sleeve, whether that be a specially tailored quiz of the year, a karaoke session or some serious dancing. When it?s time for Dad to throw some embarrassing shapes, push back the furniture, dim the lights and turn the music up. Dish out glow-sticks and fancy dress accessories, and have a party cannon, poppers?or more sparklers on hand for when the clock strikes midnight, to blast out the old and see in the new. Here?s hoping that?the coming year?will be even better than this one!

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Source: http://www.partypieces.co.uk/thepartytimes/?p=15385

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