At Your Service

At Your Service
Every year, preparations for the 31st of December have
followed the same pattern for Andy and Julie. They invite
all their friends round and Julie spends the best part of a
week cleaning the house from top to bottom, trying to make
everything look respectable following the rigours of
Christmas. By the time New Year's Eve arrives, even the
vacuum cleaner doesn't want to cooperate, refusing point
blank to pick up the Christmas tree's fallen pine needles
from the carpet. Andy goes to the off-licence to buy
enough alcohol to sink a battleship, whilst Julie (by her
own admission, no Delia Smith) heads for the kitchen and
attempts to tackle the buffet. Many hours and scores of
vol-au-vents later, Julie's exhausted, covered in flour and
a bit fed up, and there isn't enough room in the fridge for
all those chicken drumsticks. Andy can't remember where he
stored the guests' inflatable mattresses from last year and
seems to be suffering the mild depression that many of us
experience at the end of the year.

On the eve itself, it's very much an 'open house', a case
of 'all welcome'; the party comes and goes, but then
there's the aftermath on New Year's Day... paper plates,
half eaten sausage rolls, party poppers and streamers all
over the floor... bodies littered everywhere in various
stages of slumber, including one individual, curled up in
the bath, wearing little more than a party hat and an
apologetic grin. Eventually, their groggy guests having
gone, Andy and Julie have a hearty breakfast of paracetamol
and water, and set about the business of clearing up the
devastation. (Did they really get through that many
bottles?)

It's going to be very different this year. Andy and Julie
decide they're going to have some time to themselves - all
the fun of New Year, without the fuss. A luxury serviced
apartment in West London fits the bill exactly. They're
pleasantly surprised at the cost, and booking on the
Internet couldn't be easier.

The apartment is situated at Kew, in the Borough of
Richmond, just minutes away from the famous botanical
gardens. From the moment they arrive, they know they've
made the right choice. The apartment is absolutely
spotless. It's light, airy and spacious, immaculately
decorated and tastefully equipped with every facility they
could wish for. Neutral cream furnishings and natural warm
woods give a contemporary, but homely, 'cottage' feel
throughout. The bedroom has a sumptuous, king-size bed
adorned with beautifully crisp, fresh linen and an opulent
quilt, together with a hand-carved vanity unit and dressing
table. The bathroom has a separate walk-in shower and
huge, fluffy white towels hang invitingly on the rails.
The kitchen, newly fitted in pine, has everything they
could possibly need; fridge/freezer, oven, hob, microwave,
dishwasher, toaster, coffee maker... and the lounge is the
ultimate in comfort, with a fabulous view from the window
of the tree-lined street below. There's a huge, soft sofa
to sink into, and even a great selection of books, videos
and CDs to choose from, in the highly unlikely event that
they need to create their own entertainment.

It's the last day of the year, but Andy and Julie have
plenty of time to take in some of the sights of London
before the festivities begin. They begin with a leisurely
stroll around Kew village, with its wonderful shops, and
finish with a first class dinner in one of its many
marvellous restaurants. Then it's back to the apartment to
freshen up with an invigorating shower and get changed into
party gear. New Year in London wouldn't be right without
a visit to the London Eye, and a short taxi ride takes them
there. There must be thousands of people, young and old,
all soaking in the wonderful atmosphere. It's electric.
And as the big countdown starts and Big Ben strikes
midnight, a mighty whoop goes up as the crowd is
entertained by the most breathtaking firework display from
the floodlit London Eye and the river, accompanied by the
sound of countless champagne corks popping. Cries of
'Happy New Year' abound, as complete strangers laugh and
embrace each other. It's a truly spectacular start to a
brand new year.

Happy and giggling like teenagers, Andy and Julie return to
the luxury of their serviced apartment which is every bit
as spick and span as when they arrived. In their absence,
as if by magic, the dishwasher has been emptied and the
contents tidily put away, and fresh towels have been placed
in the bathroom. The clothes they wore earlier have even
been folded and placed in a neat pile on the bedroom stool.
Later in the morning, with not a vol-au-vent or party
popper in sight, Andy and Julie laugh as they snuggle up in
bed, thinking back to last New Year's Day. It's strange,
they never did discover who the guy in the bath was...

----------------------------------------------------
Graham Baylis writes on a number of topics, covering a wide
range of topics, but one of his favourites is travel and
relaxation. The serviced apartments that JMP Luxury offer
provide true luxury and yet at the sametime that homely
feeling that makes you, well, feel at home and on holiday
at the same time. See http://www.jmpluxury.com/travel .