Thoughts on traditional Scottish Hogmanay parties

My Mother was a very easygoing, lovely, warm and gentle lady who on Hogmanay morphed rather dramatically into a wild woman with a Hoover and feather dusters.

Everything had to be in order to see in the New Year, or horror of horrors, we would be destined to continue to be a shambles for the whole of the coming year.

Her expectations were high and possibly over ambitious, as with five daughters largely disinterested in serious cleaning or tidying, it wasn’t easy.

You can perhaps imagine- all the clothes, shoes, make-up and Christmas presents which littered our house. It was far more appealing to to go out to play with our friends than do the chores.

However, we knew the drill and this involved us all in this rather frantic activity.

Our parents, Calum and Anne, were known for throwing killer Hogmanay parties after Dad came back from performing ‘live’ on a television show.

So the house had to be ready for the onslaught…

Read Fiona’s full article on SCOTLAND NOW.