Loads of fun is how I’d describe our New Years for 2006 – 2007. Karl and Sarah joined us as we travelled to the Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales on Dec 31st 2006. The guys headed out into the rain for golf while Sarah and I accumulated a few spare calories for the evening by going for a run in the gym. The spa facilities are lovely at the Celtic Manor so after our exercise we enjoyed a well deserved wallow in the various spa pools, plunge pools (hopefully eliminating sore muscles), steam room and sauna.
After getting dolled up we arrived at the ballroom to step back in time to the 1920’s. The theme was a Chicago Jazz Club and we were greeted with a Martini and by a live Jazz band. At 8pm we moved through the doors of the jazz club into a glitzy 1920’s inspired party scene complete with tiffany lamps, glamorous flapper girls, a fabulous live band and a sumptuous 7 course gourmet menu. Food was great given there were so many people there.
Throughout the meal there were breaks for more dancing girls and around 11pm they did a final show for around half an hour based on the musical Chicago. It was really well done. From 11:30pm it was time for dancing ourselves and we graced the dance floor several times. The band were so good you couldn’t stay seated. We popped the champagne for New Years and joined in a slightly belated countdown to ring in the new year.
More dancing before at 2am we found a quieter spot in the hotel to enjoy a final bottle of wine that had been left on the table, and finally went to bed at 3am.
After a slow start today Sarah and I went to the spa to replenish our body minerals by covering ourselves in mud, relaxing under a starlit sky and being washed by a tropical rain storm. Then we travelled home in a real storm and unfortunately it’s back to work tomorrow.
Venue: www.celtic-manor.com