At Your Service

Every year, preparations for the 31st of DecemberThe bedroom has a sumptuous, king-size bed adorned
have followed the same pattern for Andy and Julie.with beautifully crisp, fresh linen and an opulent quilt,
They invite all their friends round and Julie spends thetogether with a hand-carved vanity unit and dressing
best part of a week cleaning the house from top totable. The bathroom has a separate walk-in shower
bottom, trying to make everything look respectableand huge, fluffy white towels hang invitingly on the rails.
following the rigors of Christmas. By the time NewThe kitchen, newly fitted in pine, has everything they
Year's Eve arrives, even the vacuum cleaner doesn'tcould possibly need; fridge/freezer, oven, hob,
want to cooperate, refusing point blank to pick up themicrowave, dishwasher, toaster, coffee maker... and
Christmas tree's fallen pine needles from the carpet.the lounge is the ultimate in comfort, with a fabulous
Andy goes to the off-licence to buy enough alcohol toview from the window of the tree-lined street below.
sink a battleship, whilst Julie (by her own admission, noThere's a huge, soft sofa to sink into, and even a great
Delia Smith) heads for the kitchen and attempts toselection of books, videos and CDs to choose from, in
tackle the buffet. Many hours and scores ofthe highly unlikely event that they need to create their
vol-au-vents later, Julie's exhausted, covered in flourown entertainment.
and a bit fed up, and there isn't enough room in theIt's the last day of the year, but Andy and Julie have
fridge for all those chicken drumsticks. Andy can'tplenty of time to take in some of the sights of London
remember where he stored the guests' inflatablebefore the festivities begin. They begin with a leisurely
mattresses from last year and seems to be sufferingstroll around Kew village, with its wonderful shops, and
the mild depression that many of us experience at thefinish with a first class dinner in one of its many
end of the year.marvellous restaurants. Then it's back to the apartment
On the eve itself, it's very much an 'open house', ato freshen up with an invigorating shower and get
case of 'all welcome'; the party comes and goes, butchanged into party gear. New Year in London wouldn't
then there's the aftermath on New Year's Day... paperbe right without a visit to the London Eye, and a short
plates, half eaten sausage rolls, party poppers andtaxi ride takes them there. There must be thousands
streamers all over the floor... bodies litteredof people, young and old, all soaking in the wonderful
everywhere in various stages of slumber, including oneatmosphere. It's electric. And as the big countdown
individual, curled up in the bath, wearing little more thanstarts and Big Ben strikes midnight, a mighty whoop
a party hat and an apologetic grin. Eventually, theirgoes up as the crowd is entertained by the most
groggy guests having gone, Andy and Julie have abreathtaking firework display from the floodlit London
hearty breakfast of paracetamol and water, and setEye and the river, accompanied by the sound of
about the business of clearing up the devastation. (Didcountless champagne corks popping. Cries of 'Happy
they really get through that many bottles?)New Year' abound, as complete strangers laugh and
It's going to be very different this year. Andy and Julieembrace each other. It's a truly spectacular start to a
decide they're going to have some time to themselvesbrand new year.
- all the fun of New Year, without the fuss. A luxuryHappy and giggling like teenagers, Andy and Julie
serviced apartment in West London fits the bill exactly.return to the luxury of their serviced apartment which
They're pleasantly surprised at the cost, and bookingis every bit as spick and span as when they arrived. In
on the Internet couldn't be easier.their absence, as if by magic, the dishwasher has been
The apartment is situated at Kew, in the Borough ofemptied and the contents tidily put away, and fresh
Richmond, just minutes away from the famoustowels have been placed in the bathroom. The clothes
botanical gardens. From the moment they arrive, theythey wore earlier have even been folded and placed in
know they've made the right choice. The apartment isa neat pile on the bedroom stool. Later in the morning,
absolutely spotless. It's light, airy and spacious,with not a vol-au-vent or party popper in sight, Andy
immaculately decorated and tastefully equipped withand Julie laugh as they snuggle up in bed, thinking back
every facility they could wish for. Neutral creamto last New Year's Day. It's strange, they never did
furnishings and natural warm woods give adiscover who the guy in the bath was.
contemporary, but homely, 'cottage' feel throughout.