There are new years, and then there are New Years. For my money, you don’t get much Newer than moving to another continent the day after the year starts.

On January 1st, I’d arranged to meet up with all my friends at a pub in Islington, for a final goodbye before disappearing. Well, I hadn’t arranged it so much as scattered an email around and wondered whether people would bother showing.

I’m still shocked that what must have been 30 of you did. I was touched. I even had to wipe a tear from my eye when I left. No, really. It wasn’t at all easy to say goodbye. I’m gonna miss you guys…