New year and holidays
Post categories: Staff blog
| 00:00 UK time, Friday, 31 December 2010
Hi, I'm Steve. This is my first blog for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Learning English, and I'd like to tell you about new year celebrations here in the UK, as well as some of the things I enjoy doing when I'm on holiday here.
Here in the UK celebrating new year usually involves meeting friends either at pubs or clubs, or going to someone's house for a party. Personally, I tend not to stay out partying all night at new year, as I sometimes have to work on 1st January. However, I try to see friends or family, and stay up at least until midnight!
At 12:00am we "see in" the new year (basically, welcome it), by "drinking a toast" to it. If we're feeling particularly drunk we also sometimes sing "Auld Lang Syne" - a song which is based on a traditional Scottish poem. In city centres, at house parties and in parks fireworks are often set off at midnight to mark the big moment.
This year I plan to spend new year with my family, and will celebrate it with a few pints of ale (British beer) I expect!
During the holidays - in winter or summer - I often enjoy walking in the countryside, hills and mountains of England, Scotland and Wales. Walking is a popular hobby in Britain because the landscape here can be spectacular, for example in the Highlands of Scotland and English Lake District.
I have relatives in Sheffield, northern England, near the Peak District
When I go walking in the UK it can often be cold, windy and rainy, even in summer - the British summertime is notorious for being unpredictable and for rapidly changing weather. This means I have to be well prepared with waterproof clothes and walking boots, as well as a winter hat and gloves (even in summer)!
The Isle of Skye has some great views if you climb up high enough!
Recently I visited the Isle of Skye - a beautiful island on the west coast of Scotland - with my brother Simon, who is generally fitter and a more energetic walker than me! While on Skye we climbed two mountains called 'Munros', which are part of a series of 80 mountains, all of which are in Scotland. Each Munro is over 3,000 feet high (914.4 metres) and takes a day to climb.
Scotland is a popular destination with mountain climbers from all over the world
We had mostly good weather during our holiday, but when we got to the top of one of the Munros, in the south of the island, thick cloud suddenly surrounded us and we couldn't see our way down. In fact, we couldn't even see the landscape and ground where we'd come from! This meant we had to try and remember the way we'd come up, which was very difficult as the top of the mountain didn't have a clear path, and was just made up of similar-looking boulders and rocks. We also had to be careful - particularly with so much cloud around us - not to accidentally wander off a cliff edge! We found our way down within half an hour or so though, and were glad to get back to the hostel where we were staying.
This is the view from Uig Youth Hostel, Isle of Skye
We also explored the beautiful countryside of the island at ground level.
Even in a remote place like Skye you can still have access to modern technology
Comment number 1.
At 31st Dec 2010, bokinhvan_20 wrote:Hi steve
I wish you that The New Year will bring you happiness, health and property.
I have carfully read your blog, i feel you had good experiences on your holiday. i think of as i can join your vacation to enjoy everything you say.That is great! isn't??
In my country, The New Year Celebration is very very important. In this time everyone can recite everything what happened in old yearl .I think that is very interesting.When i was still a boy, i very like The New Year eve, particularly at 12pm. i usually stay up until midnight to watch display fireworks on television.They are very very magical,in the sky there are a lot of light dot.Beside, then The State President read wished letter to all people.i think that is the best wishes in the first day of New Year.While waiting, all members of my family had a small party with wine and some food. In the first moment of New Year, every one wish all the best to other.
I would like writing more and more but i will talk to you in orther time
Bye for now
I wait receiving your replies
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Comment number 2.
At 31st Dec 2010, Orsel wrote:Happy New Year^^
It is so nice to ear from you about how you spend your holidays, specially in new year's day!
I like climbing mountain and get a fresh from beauty of landscape. It seems your climbing the two mountains on the Island of Scotland is so nice.
I am sorry for my poor english, actually, it is my first training to write down a comment.
Please give us a more interesting journey next time!
Goodluck
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Comment number 3.
At 1st Jan 2010, Filippo wrote:Happy New Year Steve! Great to e-meet you! I like walking too. Although it was pretty cold, this morning I took a walk on the banks of the river near my neighbourhood so I could also recover from a night binging. I really liked your first post and hope to hear from you in the future. Again, have an awesome 2011 and cheers!!
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Comment number 4.
At 2nd Jan 2010, Pary wrote:Hi Steve , First of all happy new year 2011!
I wish you and all other ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ LE staff a happy , healthy and fruitful year . Thank you for introducing Isle of Skye for us . The landscape seems breathtaking . I wish to clime up munros ,too although I don't know if I'm fit enough to do it or not ; )
By the way being surrounded by clouds at top of mountain might be completely frightening .Happy you could find your way down finally .
Hope to read form your side in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ le staff Blog and again thank you for your Blog when here in so quiet …
Cheers
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Comment number 5.
At 4th Jan 2011, Christy wrote:Its great to read your sharing!Happy New Year!
The place is really nice for vacation.:)I hope I can enjoy the
holiday like you.
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Comment number 6.
At 4th Jan 2011, Leila wrote:Hi Steve, I liked you blog and more so it brought some memories of my visit to Orkney Island a couple of years ago.
My new year was not an ordinary one this year, I spent a lot of time in the hospital with my aged father. Dad is luckily now making a recovery.
I am from Northern Finland, more precise from Oulu city. The weather here in wintery, around –20 degrees, luckily we have enough snow to reflect the light during our Polar Night.
My best wishes and best of luck for this year
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Comment number 7.
At 4th Jan 2011, Beatriz_uy wrote:Hi Steve, very interesting your blog. I don't know exactly why but I always think that I would like to visit Scotland and Ireland. When I went to the UK many years ago I visited only London and the way to cross to France. I am from Uruguay.
Best wishes for new year.
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Comment number 8.
At 5th Jan 2011, Elisabeth wrote:Hello Steve,
Thank you so much for this post and the photos. About 25 years ago (a quarter of a century - oh my God) I made a brief stop-over on the Isle of Skye while I was on an interrail tour. Being largely dependent on transportation that was included in our interrail ticket, we more or less just took the ferry to the Isle and back again. It was much too short though. Your post has convinced me that I MUST go there again and stay a little longer.
@ Leila: Hello to Northern Finland, best wishes to your dad! Your mentioning the snow reflecting the light has made me aware that it must be really dark in your area at this time of the year. Even though we all know in theory about the polar night, I suppose we can't quite imagine what it's like to live with it year by year.
@ Beatriz: You should definitely try to visit Scotland and Ireland: Wonderful landscapes, friendly people - just the weather is a bit on the unpredictable side (similar to my home country, by the way) - so bring your rain gear and an assortment of jumpers!
Best wishes to all of you,
Elisabeth (Austria)
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Comment number 9.
At 6th Jan 2011, Michael wrote:Hi, Steve! I'm Michael. How are you? Your blog is very nice. Keep it up!
But could you help me out, please? I badly need an expert answer to the following:
/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv146.shtml Here is a quote from here on the use of "so that":
"Note that these structures are normally used with (modal) auxiliary verbs."
My question is:
In what rare(?) case(s) do these structures are used with (modal) auxiliary verbs?
The forum on this site doesn't work or I don't know what the matter is with it. Dear Steve, I'd be ineffably grateful to you.
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Comment number 10.
At 7th Jan 2011, steve wrote:Hi all,
Many thanks for your kind and interesting comments, and all the best for the new year to everyone. I managed to watch some fireworks this new year's eve which was fun, but I didn't stay up very far past midnight. I also did some more walking in Sheffield, northern England. It's a city built on a hill, which is also surrounded by many other hills and is near a beautiful area of countryside called the Peak District. As for Skye, it's one of many islands off the coast of Scotland. Others which I've enjoyed visiting are Arran (west coast) and the Shetland Isles (most northerly place in the British Isles I think!).
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Comment number 11.
At 19th Mar 2011, eliance wrote:Hi Steve,
I am so happy to read your words,i am chinese girl.
In China,we celebrate Spring festival,eat dumplings.light crackers.Children puting on new clothes for lucky start.
Our two countries' weather more or less the same,winter is cold,also snowing,i like sonw,it's beautiful.
Honestly speaking my enligsh wasn't well.Hope you do not mind my comments.
Wish you happy all day.And glad to be your online friends
Eliance
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