Fun-Filled Activities for the New Year

17/12/2007

The Telegraph has released a list of quirky activities to help bring in the New Year and celebrate New Year’s Eve. From jumping off a bridge to passing the torch, there seems to be something for everyone. Here are the suggestions from The Telegraph:

“New Year's Day Mappleton Bridge Jump

If you're looking for the ultimate hangover cure, forget "hair of the dog" and sign up for the Mappleton Bridge Jump on the edge of the Peak District. Every New Year's Day at noon, teams of three paddle rafts half a mile down the river to the bridge, scramble up the banks and then hurl themselves from the bridge into the freezing water 30ft below. For details call the Ashbourne Tourist Information Office (01335 343666).

New Year torch procession

In what must be one of the quirkiest New Year's Eve events in the country, you can join an hour-long march through the village and countryside of Llanwrtyd Wells, re-enacting the Welsh tradition of Mari Llwyd. From the team that gave us "International Bog Snorkelling" and the "Man versus the Horse Race", this event involves carrying flaming torches and following a white-robed man bearing a horse's skull on a pole through the town and around Abernant Lake, returning in time for the midnight gong. The event begins at 10.30pm. For more details, see www.green-events.co.uk.

Dogmanay

You don't have to live in the Arctic to witness the amazing spectacle of dog sled racing. On New Year's Day, join the crowds and watch the annual Dogmanay race through Edinburgh's Holyrood Park, during which teams of Alaskan, Samoyed and Siberian Huskies race around a fixed course, pulling custom-made wheeled sleds (0131 529 3914; www.edinburghshogmanay.com).”