Thousands of hardy partygoers braved chilly temperatures and thronged the streets to see in the New Year.
Crowds started lining the banks of the River Thames in London hours in advance of the city’s annual fireworks display.
They were played a series of video messages, beginning with an address from London mayor Boris Johnson, in which he urged the city to “go forward with enthusiasm” into 2009.
Tens of thousands of revellers braved sub-zero conditions to take part in one of the most famous New Year parties in the world, in Edinburgh.
As temperatures plummeted to 26F (–3C) in Edinburgh, around 100,000 partygoers were preparing to see in midnight at the Scottish capital’s huge outdoor celebration.
The main event of the £250,000 spectacular was the city’s street party, set against the dramatic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street Gardens.
Around 9,000 music lovers packed into the sell-out Concert In The Gardens event where they were treated to music from Scottish singer Paolo Nutini and dance act Groove Armada.
Actress Helen Mirren told the London crowd that despite the fact that she was many miles away on the other side of the world, her heart was “with you insane Londoners.
“And you’ve got to be insane, because I bet it’s bloody freezing.”
Cartoon character Homer Simpson and his wife Marge also gave their own animated greeting, in which the first comment was on the global economic situation.
Mrs Simpson told the crowd that in a tough year, the world had to pull together, but her husband responded: “Except for America, where everybody gets bailouts. We’ve learnt nothing, so woohoo.”
Comedian Ricky Gervais drew laughter from the crowd as he mused on why London was “the greatest city in the world”.
He said: “Maybe it’s the people, maybe it’s the buildings, maybe it’s because we’ve got a great mayor,” before rolling his eyes dramatically and wandering off-screen.
Veteran actor Michael Caine said that he would normally wish for a “prosperous” New Year. But he said: “This year I think what we really need is luck, so good luck everybody.”
Forecasters at MeteoGroup UK said that temperatures in central London were hovering around 33.8F (1C) but could drop just below freezing after midnight.
Revellers shrugged off the cold and the gloom of the global recession and expressed tentative hopes that 2009 can only get better.
Supt Brian Pearce, of the Metropolitan Police, said that revellers appeared to have heeded warnings to arrive early to get a good view of the show.
He said: “The viewing areas started to fill up at about six o’clock this evening. People seemed to have listened to advice to plan ahead and arrive in good time.”
Partygoers waiting for the stroke of midnight were entertained by giant projections and light shows on the walls of the city’s landmark buildings.
Many had come equipped with wine glasses, Thermos flasks and picnics.
Sydney was the first major city to kick off the party, with an estimated 1.5 million people gathering to watch the 12-minute choreographed firework display, nicknamed the Creative Storm.
A record 5,000kg (5.5 tons) of pyrotechnics lit up the skies over the famous Harbour Bridge with around 11,000 shells and 10,000 shooting comets launched in the first minutes of January 1.
An impressive fireworks display also illuminated the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, at midnight.
Many Arab countries opted either for more low-key celebrations or to cancel the festivities altogether in protest at the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk
