Tonight after work I scuttled up to Bryant Park after spotting that its regular juggling class was still going ahead, despite looming New Year celebrations. But when I got there – there wasn’t a bean bag in sight. Gaah.

Wandering around the park at a loss for what to do, I spied a crowd gathering in the north east corner of the park. Cameras flashed and spectators oohed, so I pegged it over there to see what was going on.

From the park you could see the famous New Year’s ball being hoisted up above the swarms in Times Square. This – and obviously the later dropping of the ball – is a famed New York City tradition, so how fortunate I happened to be there at exactly the right time, eh? It just goes to show there really is something to do wherever you turn here in New York.

In just a few hours’ time, the ball will fall down its flagpole 141 feet (43 m) in 60 seconds, coming to rest at midnight and signaling the start of the new year. I won’t be here to see it – dear god, can you think of the crowds and lack of loos – so it’s great I didn’t fully miss out on the tradition!