Why the pub is the best place to spend New Year’s Eve

In Partnership with Greene King

Imagine you're at your aunts. The speakers playing up, the beers not cold, they've just ran out of mixer, and it's not even half ten. You know where this doesn't happen? Down the pub.

I'm talking live music, flowing lagers. You want a cocktail? Have a cocktail. Gin and tonic? No problemo.

The drinks flowing, the music's turned all the way up to 11, and your cousins on the blower saying he'll be down for a quick one in twenty.

"And the boys of the NYPD choir are singing Galway Bay", you've got one arm wrapped around your dad, the other round your best mate, and you're all together singing the house down as time edges ever closer towards midnight.

You don't need to worry about bringing your own drinks, food, and there's no need to make a playlist. It's all sorted, it's out of your hands, it's a guaranteed good time. And now it's 11:59. All eyes are on the clock. The band's finished playing. Jools Holland has stood up from the piano stool.

Twenty seconds to go. Pint in your hand. You're looking at your mum, your brother. "Another year eh?" And now it's TEN, NINE, EIGHT. You take another sip. Another year. In the pub. The best place for it. SEVEN, SIX, FIVE. Anther glug. Eyes light up. FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE.

The bell rings from behind the bar. Cheers go up in rapturous applause. You'd never get this in the house. You're all together. Friends and family and friends you don't yet know. You're all conjoined by these four walls. Brought together by jubilation in the four walls of your favourite pub.

You're hugging, kissing cheeks, shaking hands. "Happy new year!" "Happy new year mate!" An auld fella's going out the front and coming back in to bring in the new year. And what a feeling has cascaded itself all over you. The bar's open again. You get the round in and the New Year comes with it.

And you know what, what's to stop you from going to a party afterwards? Get down the pub for 7pm. By 1am it'll be time to head off into the New Year outside. You've had a good few pints, a right laugh, made memories and sang your heart out. And if you've still got a thirst and aren't too wobbly, it's still early enough to call down to Uncle John's and crack open a warm can.

So there we have it. The pub really is the best place to spend New Years Eve and that's that. End of.