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London to celebrate New Year in style
Evening Standard 29.12.06
Last year's parade which was seen by more than 200 million TV viewers across the world
The parade's route through London
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Half a million people are expected to line the streets of central London to watch the New Year's Day Parade.
About 10,000 performers will take part in the 21st event and grandstands will be erected along the 2.2-mile route for better views of the marching bands, clowns, vintage cars, floats, traction engines, cheerleaders, carnival queens and giant helium balloons.
The event will begin with a message from the Queen read by Roger Bramble, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Greater London. Crowds are expected to be 10 deep in places so the public is urged to be early.
A total of 3,227 police officers will be on duty for the parade - about 600 more than last year - and the extra numbers of people expected at the New Year's Eve fireworks.
An arena has been created along the Victoria Embankment between Westminster and Waterloo bridges to allow more people to watch the display.
Superintendent Ian Chappell said: "Help us look after you by planning your night out carefully and keeping an eye on your friends and belongings."
Police are advising people not to drive in because of road closures.
More than 200 million around the world saw last year's parade on TV, many of them in the US. Since it began in 1987, the parade has raised £600,000 for good causes.
A BIG DAY OUT...
500,000 spectators expected
10,000 participants from 17 London boroughs and 20 countries.
Starts at noon in Parliament Square. Ends outside The Ritz at the junction of Piccadilly and Berkeley Street, 2.45pm
Nearest Tube station for the start: Westminster. Nearest Tube at the end: Green Park
Reduced Tube service until 10.30am, when a Saturday service will operate.
National Rail will run to an amended Sunday timetable.
For more information, visit: www.tfl.gov.uk or www.londonparade.co.uk
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Reader views (2)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
This is the first time I have been to see the fireworks since the Millennium.
It was a brilliant night. I met some friends and we made our way early to the Thames at about 9pm. Everything was great - the weather was quite mild, the fireworks were spectacular and the police did a great job because there was no overcrowding where we were, near to Big Ben.
Then the transport home was amazing. Normally on 364 days of the year I can't get home to NW London because there is no night bus. Today they had buses all the night through and for free.
Plus Caffe Nero in Soho was absolute party atmosphere at 5am!
What a great New Year!
- Rahul Nag, London, UK
Fantastic fireworks, however severe crowd control problems occured on Waterloo bridge from 11pm-midnight where people were being crushed and pushed in a sea of people. The embankment from Waterloo Bridge and the Hungerford Bridge had been closed and so stopped the free flow of people and appearing to create a huge crowd crushing problem.
A sea of thousands was pushed down the Strand to the Aldwych and again onto Waterloo bridge making the situation on that bridge quite severe. Staff on the ground under Waterloo Bridge preventing access to the embankment opposite the London Eye had no idea why it had been closed off and gave conflicting information as to where to go.
Compared to my last visit in 2004 which was smooth and where i saw no crowd control problems, this year the experience was frightening and those on Waterloo Bridge being crushed, quite literally, will remember the night for all the wrong reasons.
I hope next year more thought is put into the crowd control issue and that the police and authorities aren't so rigid in enforcing closures when there was a SEVERE crushing problem on Waterloo Bridge.
- John Whittle, Rochester,, UK
