Well, that’s another notch on the bedpost of life.

So what exactly is the significance of today?

Nothing really. The only tangible difference is that you have to throw out all your old diaries, journals and calendars and buy new ones. Though I would suggest you keep all your old diaries and journals just in case you want to publish them some day. After all, if Samuel Pepys had chucked out his old diaries no one would ever have heard of him?

Apart from the diaries lark, I defy anyone to tell me the difference between yesterday and today, apart from daylight today being ever so slightly longer than yeasterday?

For some strange reason some people seem to think this is a good day to start something. There is Dry January which is a phenomenon that can safely be consigned to the bin by raising a glass today. I always drink a toast the first day of Dry January. And there are those who sign themselves up to something healthier, like a daily run or [God forbid] giving up the smokes. Good luck to them. They won’t last more than a few days. Presumably they tried the same lark the previous year and look how that turned out?

My predictions for the year ahead? The same as last year only more. There are more days for a start as it’s a leap year. I just predict that there will be more of everything else.

There is a tradition of wishing everyone a Happy New Year. This always strikes me as a bit weird, as if I didn’t wish them happiness any other time. We don’t go around each morning wishing each other a Happy New Day?

But traditions must be upheld, I suppose.

Happy New Year to all my readers.