We were at home for New Year’s Eve, with little thought of staying up to see the New Year in. Then a dear neighbour rang, so we invited her round. She was a long time a-coming, so I set off in the dark to escort her round the corner only to find her all ready to come except for the piece of coal which she insisted on bringing with her. Not only that, but a slice of bread and some salt were necessary for the observance of the first-footing ceremony, as she explained. Usually, by tradition, the first person across the threshold in the New Year must bring these gifts as a present and symbol of hospitality and good fortune for the ensuing year.
We had a leisurely G&T, but the night was still young with 20 minutes to midnight when she made it time for her to go. The street was quiet, but people were slowly gathering for the midnight service at St Mary’s when we arrived at her house. I had brought with me the lump of coal, so that when midnight chimed I could return home as my own first-footer as my Yorkshire father-in-law had done so many times, out of the back door and round to the front, carrying the coal.
I waited for the great clock of St Mary’s, one of the oldest working church turret clocks in the country, to chime in the New Year, but I waited in vain and the minute passed silently. We must get that sorted soon, I thought as I turned in and so to bed, wishing Happy New Year to the world.
photo: Kenneth Bird
You wouldn’t have heard St Mary’s chime at midnight because the clock strikes the quarters, but not the hours – hence the name ‘quarterboys’ for the automatons. It’s been like that for over 450 years, so I doubt it’ll ‘get sorted’ soon! 🙂