Something For The Weekend

who wants to live in the Reel World?

You know it’s Christmas when the cast listings for the latest movie line-up consist of more fictitious characters than real ones. We’ve got dancing penguins in Happy Feet, mice with attitude in Flushed Away, and now, to ensure the smiles stay plastered on those precious little faces, a fire-breathing dragon in Eragon. It seems that the real world isn’t interesting enough anymore. Forget It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. At times, the animated expressions on the faces of our computer generated friends tug harder at the heartstrings than those of any human. Their digitally programmed problems, perhaps to a new sparkly eyed generation, seem far more compelling than the woes of our own troubled race. 

Maybe it’s escapism we crave at Christmas. After all, it’s stressful enough gathering up all those gifts, without having to worry we’ve offended the family of Jews next door with our festive, flickering lights. As tragedy and trauma rains upon our lowly planet, sometimes running away seems the easiest option.  And as board games are replaced with evenings around the television, and quiet reading time is traded for control of a video games console, it’s hardly surprising we’re all being drawn deeper into a world that doesn’t even exist...

The worst turn-on in the world…ever

Well, Sir Daniel Pilkington of The Newsletter Team might have gained no more than a murmur in the office when he switched the Christmas lights on last week, but the truth is, there were actually far more rubbish celebrity turn-ons out there. For the chance to win a voucher to spend on lastminute.com, we asked you to tell us which unimpressive A-Z lister turned on the lights on in your town.... (scroll down for the winner)

“We had our own 'rubbish celeb' if that counts……Big Grimms from the Oil Rigs, but I guess that doesn't count does it - no - OK Happy Christmas anyway!” - Sue Daniels

“A couple of years ago, to turn on the Christmas lights in Stirling, the 'celebs' they booked were Hearsay Lookalikes.  Not even the not-very-famous band themselves, but impersonators! (bad ones at that!)” - Tania Ellis

“Hi - here in Stockport we had a now "boy band" - I can't remember their names!! And Andy Abraham (him that didn't win last years X Factor!! Now how’s that for a top celeb light switching on ceremony?” - Kay Harrison

“We had Wolf from Gladiators switch on our lights in Morden - about five years after Gladiators went off air!” - Vicky Maberley

“… perhaps the most unimpressive “celebrity” to turn on Christmas lights must surely be our friend Mark Picken, who actually paid good money in a charity auction to turn on the lights in Truro, Cornwall!” - Claire

“A council workman in a scruffy anorak and faded blue overalls turned on the Christmas Lights in Spalding. Do I win?” - Ray

“In Oxford we didn't have an official switch on of the lights… instead there was a parade through town with the Mayor of Bonn (our twin city) and the lights went on behind them. I didn't see it but it sounds pretty unimpressive to me!!!” - Sarah

“Here in Northampton we can't even afford Z-list celebrities. We had Sooty and Sweep. What can I say?” Julie Usher

“In Amersham in Buckinghamshire, locals famous folk Ozzy and Sharon Osborne were not available to turn the lights on so they 'offered' their daughter, Kelly to do the honours. Any Osborne would have generated significant interest, however at the last minute, the local council were unwilling to stump up the £250 appearance fee and the duties fell to the town mayor. The 'ceremony' was eventually witnessed by several people.” – Sarah Ball

“Great xmas lights photo in the newsletter this week!  We had no celeb switching our lights on at sheffield hallam university... the only lights I have are on my PCs desktop :(“ - Sarah

“We didn't even get to celebrity level in Chesterfield this year we had some guy dressed in a Scooby Doo  outfit stood with the Mayor of Chesterfield.” - David Bargh

“Colchester hasn't even got any lights 'cos they fell down & the contractors are too busy putting up lights to put up our lights again -how sad is that!! Merry Christmas anyway. Love from your loyal fan” - Sue

“I come from Bexleyheath in Kent and just thought I’d let you know how rubbish our Christmas Lights 'Celebrity' was. We had Clara Mayer who was the runner up for Ladette To Lady, and Charlton goalkeeper Scott Carson.”

“The lights in Crewe were turned on by Jenny from Big Brother. WOW! Local celeb my ar**” - Darryl Clulow

“In Carterton we had Theo Walcott....... his grandfather was Mayor at some point in time..... don't know which was worse, Theo or the lights!” - Angela

At Readings Broad Street Mall (“Reading’s favourite shopping centre”. Yeah, if you pretend that the Oracle doesn’t exist. But then that wouldn’t be Reading’s favourite as it doesn’t have a Mark One, Argos and TK Maxx. Nice) the lights were turned on by Will Mellor. But not just by Will Mellor. We also had local “celebrity” Vic Moszczynski. A former fire fighter, Vic has been banned from putting a million lights on the outside of his house at Christmas. You can even see a video of it (including Will’s fabulous rendition of Mustang Sally. Great). Strangely, Vic doesn’t seem to be in the video footage…" - Kelly Evans

“Hi! Carlisle was supposed to have Ashley the butcher from Coronation Street but he had to film late, so local "celebrity" newsreader Fiona Armstrong did it instead!  Merry Christmas to all and thanks for putting so much effort into the newsletters - they're always guaranteed to raise a chuckle.” - Patty M xxx

“In Cardiff ? we had The Tweenies to switch on the Christmas lights!! How exciting!” - Andrea Longman

“We here in Blackpool had… wait for it…Chico! Cant really get much more C-List than that…obviously Gareth Gates was busy!” - Natalie Booth

“Just had to tell you - not improving Slough's glamorous reputation we had Lee Ryan of 'Blue' fame turning our lights on!  Apparently all the local girls were there hoping for a peek of their 'idol'! God help us! Merry Christmas” -Trina x

“We had our 7ft Christmas tree's lights switched on by Bob the Builder - who turned up late. The crowd was big but it was all over within seconds.” - Alex Hamilton

AND THE WINNER IS...

David Bargh, with Scooby Doo. Not only is a Scooby Doo costume totally rubbish, he's not even a REAL celebrity. BOOOOOO! Congrats David, you'll be getting an email voucher for £10 to spend on lastminute.com very soon!

can't face the kitchen?

Mum does the same every Christmas – she hides those sprouts in all manner of disguises to try and get us to eat them, but my brother and I grew wise over 20 years ago. She can’t even mangle one into the stuffing now without us sniffing it a mile-off, but she tries it, every year.

If you’re dreading certain ‘traditions’, or you just can’t face the kitchen, we might have the Christmas day or New Year’s Eve dinner solution for you. These great restaurants all offer top notch nosh to rival any home-cooking, and you can still book for the day. Best of all, (unless you march into the staff room) you won’t offend anyone at all if you hold the sprouts.

Brasserie Roux Restaurant, London - four course Christmas Day lunch with a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival, coffee and petit fours - £86 per person
Doing OK in the capital and need to show off about it subtly? Well there’s no better spot than the award-winning Brasserie Roux. Their four course Christmas Day lunch is the ideal treat for your family if you can’t be bothered to cook. You’ll get a complimentary glass of Pommery Brut Royal champers on arrival (ooh er), coffee and petit fours, and your classic French food will be served with a smile in elegant surroundings – not quite the local pub. We’re talking three beautiful arched windows with superb views across Pall Mall and Waterloo Place.  If the kids are lucky, Santa will drop in too.  All we need now is some snow… Find out more here

Athenaeum Restaurant, London - five course Christmas Day lunch menu with pre-lunch drinks, coffee and mince pies - £75 per person
As you’re ushered into the Whiskey room for your pre-dinner drinks, you’ll feel like Sherlock Holmes on the verge of solving another mystery. That is – how do “the other half” celebrate Christmas, really?  It’s true, you’ll experience a classical London Christmas in this gorgeous hotel.  The Athenaeum is glamorous, contemporary and modern and you’ll even want the leftovers in a doggy-bag as you tuck into British fare such as Quail consommé with new forest wild mushrooms, Roast Norfolk Turkey with pork chipolatas, bacon rolls, red currant sauce, or Traditional steamed plum pudding with brandy sauce. You’ve got five-courses to get in your bellies though, so take your time, pull some crackers, and pity the poor soul in the kitchen who has to wash up.
Find out more here

Circus Restaurant, London - five course New Year’s Eve menu with free entry to the bar - £60 per person
Nellie the elephant packed her trunk and said hello to the Circus. Well, who wouldn’t, now that this great Soho spot’s been refurbished and given a hot, NYC style fresh new look, complete with new floor, new lighting, and new furniture?  New Year’s Eve is the time to sample the brand new menu too - the best of the best of Parisian bistro fare.  After you’ve guzzled your five scrumptious courses – think Roast scallop with Alsace bacon and oyster and chervil fume, or Fillet of line caught sea bass with roast salsify, Jerusalem artichoke and vanilla veloute, (and copious amounts of champers, we’re sure) you’ll get free access to the plush new bar, where a DJ will welcome in 2007 and keep you dancing till 3am. Thank God for the free tube, thanks Ken. Find out more here

Peppers Restaurant, Birmingham - three course New Year’s Eve menu with live DJ and dancing - £30
If you’re planning a night on the tiles in Birmingham, you might want to make Peppers your first stop - for a damn fine feed at this price, you can’t really go wrong. It’s luxurious, warm and the leather seats are so comfortable you’d better be careful not to fall asleep at the table after your 19th poppadom.  Specially created by executive chef, Shubojit Chakravarty, the menu here is internationally renowned. This man of the moment prides himself on his authentic dishes, rarely served outside his motherland. You’ll sample dishes such as Chicken tikka - diced chicken breast marinated in special tandoori massala and charcoal grilled, Sesame prawn toast served with deep fried seaweed, and Makhni chooze - tandoor grilled chicken, simmered in a smooth tomato sauce infused with tikka spices and kasoori methi. Are you drooling yet? I am.  You’ll definitely need that live DJ to help you dance it all off.             Find out more here

Tiger Tiger Restaurant, Leeds - four course New Year's Eve menu with coffee and petit fours - £35 per person
If Leeds is your city of choice for the celebrations, the mammoth Tiger Tiger offers up the chance to go totally wild.  With its five different “zones”, each with a different vibe and atmosphere, you can experience five clubs in one, so there’s no need for that pub crawl, or to lose your mates en route to the kebab house.  Oh no,… after these four courses, plus coffee and petit fours, there’s no way you’ll be needing the usual shish with garlic sauce. Bounce to pop and eye up the totty in the main bar, or people-watch in the lounge bar to jazz and soul, cigars and a long cocktail. See 2006 out in style with a night you won’t forget. Unless you’re suitably sizzled by the time you get home, of course.  Find out more here

Search all of our last minute New Year's Eve dining options

WAKEY WAKEY!

It happens to the best of us, and we all know Christmas is really just another excuse for drinking too much and making a fool of yourself in the face of the general public. We’ve come up with a plan however, that might just save your bacon, or turkey, or indeed goose, which is apparently the “in” meat this year. Oooh er.

If you anticipate staying out late over Christmas, our neat little wake-up service will come in handy. All you have to do is tell us which train you’re on, and what time it’s supposed to get in, and we’ll ring your phone to wake you up. Of course, it doesn’t work if you lose your phone in another drunk and unfortunate faux pas. We can’t solve all your problems, sadly.

In the name of festive fun, we asked a bunch of people – where’s the worst place you’ve ever fallen asleep? We weren’t expecting so many total wallies, to be honest…

“I once stumbled my way home (via 2 taxis and at least 1 rickshaw), only to get all the way to my front door, sit down and find my keys in my bag and then FALL ALEEP ON MY OWN BLOODY DOORSTEP!  FOR 4 HOURS!  It took my housemate getting in at 6 in the morning to literally drag me through the door and dump me in my room to wake me up.” - Tim 

“On Bank holiday Monday, 2005, my mate Daz fell asleep in a plant pot in Trafalgar square, whilst waiting for a night bus. Random Japanese tourists were taking photos of him because it was so amusing!” – Amy

“Well I got to Swansea at roughly 2am and the next train home was 5am. Would have been really nice if a someone had called me when I was approaching my station but they just left me there asleep. Cab ride home -  £185. The look on my wife's face when I told her - Priceless” – Anon

“One Year in Andorra, after enjoying the final night of Après Ski, I fell asleep on the bar at 1am. Trouble was, the transfer coach to take us home was due to leave an hour later…” - Anon

“I fell asleep in my car in the parking area of Pacha Buenos Aires, after everybody left. I was one too many bottles of champagne drunk but they closed it all up around me. My friends’ call the next morning was very helpful.” – Geo

“Dozed off in various places but on a bench in YEOVIL at 2am was the best!  I wish I had walked the few extra paces to my hotel room.” – Amanda

“I fell asleep on the tube a few times - the train moving puts me to sleep. I was woken by a commuter tapping me on the shoulder saying we're here now when the train was at the end of the line – Thank God it was my stop!... v embarrassing!!” – Emma

“I once fell asleep in a bar in rural China at about 4 in the morning.  God knows what would have happened if my mate wasn’t with me. That’s what you get for making the most of 50p a pint.” - Andy

“A grave yard in hull.” – Colin

“There was the time I was out after work, got on a bus going north on Oxford St, fell asleep. It went all the way round North London, then BACK down Oxford St and I woke up back in bloody Victoria, where I started!  I had to stay on the very same bus to go back home!” - Tim

“I woke up under a rose bush once after partying hard in Hampstead.” – Max

“Woke up on a bus. Looked out of the window and thought "wow there are a lot of buses around". Realised my bus and other buses weren't moving. Realised I was in Shepherd's Bush bus station. Got out of bus and realised the bus station was empty and locked. Ended up climbing over a wall at the very back of the bus station in order to walk the 30 mins home.” – Max 2

“I woke up on a drag racing track once at Santa Pod, about 2 minutes before the first race. Don't ask me why, I can't remember.” – Tim

“Camberwell Bus Garage - took me about 20 mins to get out,” – Nick

“I’m notorious for getting the last train home and falling asleep on the way.
Usually that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but the last stop on my train is Swansea. And yes I’ve been there.” - Matt

Book your wake up call now.

Calls cost 25p (to cover cost of service only)

coming soon - West End 2007

What with Idina Menzel defying gravity and sending Wicked sky high on the must-see musical charts, Spamalot getting everyone quoting Monty Python once again, and Dirty Dancing selling out before the cast had even set foot on stage, there’s been a lot to talk about on the theatre scene in 2006 here in London. Thankfully, the trend for top shows taking the stage looks set to continue in 2007 and over here at lastminute.com, we thought we’d look past Christmas for a second and take a glimpse into the future...

Antony and Cleopatra
Patrick Stewart’s had to make a lot of sacrifices in his career – those stick on ears can’t have been comfortable for so many years. But now, for Bill Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, he is perhaps making the greatest sacrifice of all. He’s growing his hair. Well… putting a wig on, but still. What a transformation.  If you’re unaware of the greatest romance since Peter and Jordan fell in love in the jungle, shame on you. This one split an empire in two. It all starts when, following the death of Caesar, a united front is called for as Pompey threatens Rome. The loyal Antony however is distracted and his thoughts are driven towards the sensual queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. When forced to choose sides,… oh you can probably guess. Go Shakesperean with The RSC from mid Jan. Tickets start at just £10

The History Boys
Alan Bennett’s thought-provoking drama based around the exploits of an unruly bunch of boys carries on at the Wyndhams next year. Set in the 1980s in the north of England, The History Boys follows the sixth-form friends as they pursue their places at Oxford and Cambridge universities. Having just gained a lot of recognition through the movie version and won 30 major awards including Olivier and Tony awards for Best New Play, tickets for this hilarious show are bound to sell out. Book yours now and don’t forget to check out the boys on their blog.

Equus
Not content with battling dragons and riding on CGI broomsticks for a living, our bespectacled friend Daniel Radcliffe is ditching his Harry Potter persona and treading the boards as a “proper thesp” next February in Equus.  It’s the story of Alan Strang, a seemingly normal 17 year old boy with a passion for horses.  One night, however, he savagely blinds six of his four-legged friends with a hoof pick and no one knows why. What drove him to do it? As the nightmares take over, only psychiatrist Martin Dysart seems able to grasp the answer to this strange, psychological puzzle. Richard Griffiths also stars. Book your seats now
 
The Lord of the Rings
May brings with it hopes for summer and fingers crossed – a few rays of sunshine. But there’s more to look forward to this time, because May is when The Lord of the Rings careers into the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Already a hit in Canada, this is the first major stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic trilogy, and an international creative team has combined all three exciting best-sellers into one unmissable theatrical event. Who’d have thought Middle-earth would unravel on stage in such spectacular fashion – with a thrilling score, dazzling design, and an ensemble of over 70 actors, singers and musicians? You won’t give a goblin’s about any other show, till you’ve seen this. Start your journey to Middle-earth now - up to £10 off previews.

Underneath the Lintel
You may remember Richard Schiff from hit American series The West Wing, but in this tale of a lonely librarian on a mission to find the owner of an ancient library book, we see a different set of his acting skills shine through. It can’t be easy, being the only actor in a play, and we reckon you’ll love this beautiful story, written by Glen Berger. Richard Schiff plays a small town librarian, a man whose life is small, contained and almost perfectly banal. Suddenly the arrival of an overdue library book turns his world upside down and unleashes in him a hitherto unknown detective spirit - he simply must find out who returned the book, as they owe the library a very large fine. Underneath the Lintel premiered off-Broadway in 2001, where it played more than 400 performances and won the 2001 Ovation Award for Best Play. Book your tickets now and check out Richard's blog

Find more hot theatre deals for next year here

feed the world. And us too, please...

Some might say hearing about other people’s work parties is only marginally less yawn-inspiring than watching someone else’s child perform in a school nativity play. But we don’t think most work parties include Brenda from the X-Factor (and Chicago, obviously) performing in Wetherspoons, or a waiter who’s idea of silver-service is to hover over your shoulder for fifteen minutes as he scoops each carrot up with a spoon.

Still, it’s not where you are at this time of year, it’s who you’re with that counts. Which is why lastminute.com didn’t particularly mind being seated upstairs at the Box Office Awards lunch the other day, right next to the loo.  In spite of the table for 12 only being set for 10, it didn’t seem to matter that the party went on without us downstairs, especially when Mark did the old ‘helium sing song’ after a star shaped balloon injection played on those vocal chords. 

Feed the World has never sounded so good…

Actually, as the afternoon went on and the volume from our table hit an all-time high, it became evident that if there was any conspiracy involved as to the seating arrangements, we’d probably just been placed where no one could hear us.  Luckily, chucking the obligatory corks off the balcony into the crowds made sure people knew of our presence.  Hey, it wasn’t our fault – if they didn’t feed us so much Wolf Blatt with our chocolate bombs, we wouldn’t have had a problem. Probably.
But saying that, not even the good people at ‘the naughty table’ failed to jiggle raunchily to Brenda’s trio of tunes, even if we could barely see her.

Still, we’re not ones to moan and groan over here. We know the true meaning of Christmas is not to have the best seat at the best table in the best venue in town.  (That’s reserved for the Easter buffet). The first Christmas dinner of the season was a welcome lunch time treat for all of us and a jolly fun time was had by all. Even if the service was so slow it gave a whole new meaning to the words ‘cold turkey’.

Think you can plan a better party? Hit here for our Christmas ideas

Employee of the Month...

When it comes to movie reviews, Andy Whitehead is certainly Employee of the Month here at lastminute.com. Sadly though, for most of the men on his floor at least, he’ll never have a cleavage like Jessica Simpson. We sent him off to give us his thoughts on the latest American comedy, hitting cinemas in January…

We all know the story. Boy is slacker. Boy finds girl. Girl likes success. Boy tries to wise up. Other ‘better’ boy finds same girl. Boy one tries to out-do boy two to get girl. Boy messes up. Boy does better. Boys lock in competition. Boy two gets what he deserves… oh, you don’t know what I mean.  Think Dodgeball and you’re in the right area. The premise this time is based around Super Club, the largest high-volume, bulk-discount retailer in the country. For its diligent workers the most coveted honour is the “Employee of the Month” award and having your photo on the staff lounge’s wall of fame.

For me, the highlight of this film, (outside of Jessica Simpson’s ever impressive cleavage) was the choice of the supporting cast, especially Efran Ramirez’s Jorge. Ramirez is best known for playing Pedro in the cult classic ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and  is as dry, dim-witted and funny in Employee of the Month. Zack’s (Dane Cook)  ‘back-ups’ include Andy Dick (The Andy Dick Show, Zoolander, Road Trip), Harland Williams (Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Freddy Got Fingered) and Brain George (Robin Hood Men In Tights, Ghost World, Touch of Pink). The mix of dry humour and outrageous character defects works really well in creating a strong second line cast, and they only help improve on the already obvious bitter rivalry between Zack and Vince.

Dane and Dax both play their roles exceptionally, and the introduction of the ever perky Jessica (and I DO mean that in more than one way) rounds off a sterling cast. Make no doubts about it, this is another story of the underdog, a tale that’s been told over and over, but there are so many quirky and interesting gags, physical and sometimes painful comedy, that for me, so far, this film gets “Comedy of the Month”

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN

Are you a King Brown Noser or the Ultimate Work Slacker? Head here to find out how your own Employee of the Month video clips could win you a Nintendo Wii games console and a 32" HD-ready flatscreen TV. 

Whatever you do though, we're sure there's no need to go as far as this...

it's bound to be a Wicked auction...

She's blown our thermal socks off this season, but sadly, even in a land of magical spells and mystery, nothing lasts forever.  It's time for Idina Menzel to blast off on her broomstick and hand the lead role of Elphaba over to someone new.

In our exclusive auction, you can bid for a pair of tickets to see Idina Menzel's final performance in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London on Saturday December 30, 2006.  You have to agree, judging by the reaction from fans and Wicked first-timers since it opened in September, Idina's last show is bound to be the theatre event of the year.

These are top-price tickets and have a face value of £55 each.  So dig deep folks. All profits from the sale of these tickets will be donated to Help a London Child to continue their fantastic work for poor children in London.  Well, it's Christmas after all. It's nice to work a little magic of our own sometimes.

Bid for a pair of tickets here
Bid for one golden ticket here

your five-day edible calendar...

Sweating up a storm in the kitchen in the name of culinary delights might put you in the good books of your loving family, but we all need to hang the apron up eventually. Get out of the house and let someone else cook for you at least once this Christmas. With our five-day eating plan you can pick the best of the bunch from our hot, eating-out exclusives over the Christmas week, whichever day you’ve left blank on the calendar.

Xmas Eve - Oscar Restaurant, dinner and a movie
It’s all happening at Oscar’s on Christmas Eve - the swanky restaurant in the Charlotte Street Hotel. Gaze at scenes of contemporary London life as you dine on a three-course concoction of modern European cuisine. Imagine roast foie gras terrine with port wine jus, honey clove glazed ham and mirren braised pumpkin tofu, and can’t you just taste the plum pudding that you didn’t have to make yourself with a few tins from Tescos? Delightful!  Oh and you also get to watch a movie afterwards in the hotel’s state of the art cinema. Recline with a drink in the comfy red Italian leather seats and pat your satisfyingly full tummy. This year they’re showing White Christmas, so even if it doesn’t snow on the day, you can still live the dream. Book now

Xmas Day - three course delights at Bluebird Brasserie
Forget the Christmas robins, it’s all about the Bluebird this season. Especially when this one’s offering a feast for all senses to tear you away from the kitchen. Slap bang in the middle of the Kings Road, Bluebird Brasserie is one of Conran’s classics, and he’s whipping up a three-course Christmas dinner fit for a Prince, (or a Chelsea princess). Picture potted free range goose, Lancashire hot pot, dandelion salad (won’t make you wet the bed this time), and twists on the traditional festive fodder such as iced chestnut parfait with vanilla butterscotch and brandy snaps. You’ll get all this, plus champagne truffles and mince pies for just £50, and let’s not forget the socialising opportunities that come along with it. Well, a good few of those Chelsea chicks and chaps, who don’t want to waste a moment of their social time wearing oven mitts and slippers instead of sparkly dresses and heels, will undoubtedly be propping up the bar afterwards. Book now

Boxing Day – Woodlands Park Hotel Brasserie 
Put a seasonal saunter into Surrey on your schedule, with this Boxing Day dining idea. The Woodlands Park Hotel in Cobham will welcome you in and warm your cockles with a glass of mulled wine, before serving up a fabulous three-course lunch from their special set menu. Tuck into eggs Benedict with ham and hollandaise sauce, veloute of celeriac with wild mushrooms and thyme, or roast saddle of lamb stuffed with apricots and dates. Whatever it is your tastebuds require, chances are there’s something here to satisfy. And you don’t even have to do the washing up afterwards. Book now

New Years Eve - Chez Gerard Southbank (great for the fireworks!)
It’s the big one – the night you either plan to the second, or ignore completely after everyone cancels at the last minute. Well, this year, why not book something that no one will want to wiggle out of?  For just £50 a head, invite your mates for a little taste of something French, with a three course New Year’s Eve celebration dinner at Chez Gerard, Southbank.  You’ll each get a free glass of champers on arrival, before choosing from the scrumptious set menu.  How about Assiette de deux saumons, Bisque de crabe au gingembre, or Medaillons de filet de boeuf poelé, champignon des prés et sauce béarnaise? If all that doesn’t make sense with your GCSE standard French, maybe you should head over for a lesson you won’t forget?  Bring 2007 in with a taste sensation as the fireworks explode outside. Book now

New Years Day – Athenaeum Hotel
If you’ve partied like it was 1999, the dawn of 2007 might have you feeling a little unstable. There’s nothing better to sort you out than a good old-fashioned English breakfast. And we don’t mean greasy bacon butties down the caff, which consequently is never open when you need it to be. We mean a New Year’s Day bunch at the Athenaeum.  Right your hurting head with a hair of the dog Bloody Mary or champagne, then bring on the brunch menu. Think Cumberland sausages, field mushrooms and fried bread, farmhouse cheeses or duck eggs in crispy bacon with black pudding. Feast on mini fruit and champagne jellies or sample the ocean's own treats with a seafood display of prawns, crab, lobster and more. Go with your other half and if it’s true what they say about oysters, you can really bring in 2007 in style when you get home… Book now

Take a look at all our Christmas and New Year dining deals

Dreaming of a Black Christmas?

Talk about a slay ride... If you’re prone to goosebumps in this chilly season, you’d better get out those extra layers, ‘cause this movie ain’t making you any warmer.

Black Christmas smashes onto the big screen on December 15th, and with all these seasonal sprinklings of love and goodwill,  family trauma to tug at your heartstrings and animations of dancing penguins and mice in sewers, it’s about time something really ‘horrible’ came to town.

There’s something evil in the old Lenz house, but who believes in urban legends anyway? Especially when the building’s now home to sassy sorority sisters Kelli (Katie Cassidy, When a Stranger Calls, Click), Melissa (Michelle Trachtenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Heather (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Final Destination 3, Ring 2), Dana (Lacey Chabert, Not Another Teen Movie, Mean Girls), and their housemother (Andrea Martin, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Producers).  They’re all excited about the Christmas break - swapping presents, giggling in pyjamas and generally being all cute and sexy – of course. Who’d watch it if they weren’t? But naturally, when the phone rings and the caller isn’t exactly all “ho ho ho”, it’s not long before the girls realise the legend surrounding their sweet abode might not be so fictional after all. 

As the body count rises and sheer terror takes over, it’s up to the girls to find their unseen guest before he finds them...

Ooooh, are you scared yet? We’ll be taking an extra pair of pants for sure. Check out this clip if you’re not convinced. (GULP)

Black Christmas is released in cinemas nationwide on December 15th