I have worked with a couple of people under 21 who do seem genuinely surprised that we had mobile phones, home computers, games consoles, digital TV and so many more things pre 2000.

They had some beliefe that most of the modern technology either didn't exist until around 2001 or everything we had was huge!

I sometimes wonder if it's psychological because of everything being 'last century' I was once talking and mentioned I left school in 1993, they were almost Mind. Blown. at the thought!

'....unless you're an Iraqui.'

NYE on Sydney Harbour has always been the place to be

I last went out on New Year's Eve on December 31, 1987. I expect the main difference now is that everyone's probably filming the celebrations on their mobiles.

You've just reminded me of "White Heather Club". Unforgiveable.

That would have been a sight if people filmed everything back then. I'd love to see everything grind to a halt while the group had to unpack their Panasonic VHS camcorders and set them up!

But but but did Australia exist before 2000 ?

Like most things, NYE has gone downhill since the millennium.

What, 31st December 1998. Pretty much the same as any other new years eve.

Barring the 31st December 1999 into 1st January 2000, which really was an event, they've all been celebrated in much the same way.

I don't think it really changed that drastically after 2000, compared to before.

I grew up in the 80s and 90s and loved it. I think the late 90s were the sweet spot of humanity (in the West at least).

We all danced round singing "Tonight we're gonna partay like it's 1999"

I last went out on New Year's Eve on 31st December 1994. We went to a pub where we had to pay to get in, and the place was so overcrowded, I was kind of trapped in the area just in front of a roaring log fire, which was burny to my bum.

Never again, wasn't a bit enjoyable.

I bet one of the 9/11 conspiracy nut jobs will be along later with 'proof' that Australia doesn't exist at all!

Ye Olden Days of the 1990's before t'internet, aye them were t'days eh bye gum.

There were definitely few fireworks on New Years Eve until the bong of 2000.

Apparently until 1974 New Years Day was not even a holiday date either but a regular day.

Funny really when you consider all the celebration will be for the fact a number 6 becomes a number 7.

AND NOBODY SHOULD STILL BE SAYING TWO THOUSAND AND SEVENTEEN!!! IT'S TWENTY SEVENTEEN.

Happy days.

A question to pose to the OP

I think it was only inhabited by convicts and Skippy. Tho' my memory is very hazy.

Has New Year stop?

No. New Year start 1999.

I'm going to take a wild guess here and say yes.

Great post. The last bit especially amusing. 1993 was yesterday in many minds! Are you sure you didn't leave school in 1893 and tell them that?

The first New Years Eve I can remember was in 1979 going into 1980 when I was put to bed and the last thing I said to my mum was "See you next decade". I also remember in the latter days of 1979 when writing the date in my school books and itching to be able to write 1980 as soon as possible because it would be so modern. One thing to this day that always happens when I awake to New Years Day is expecting to feel somehow different and things to be slightly changed because it's now a brand new fresh untainted year with a shiny new number.

I do remember us all being outraged at being charged £2 a pint on new years eve 1999. They added 20 p on to pay the bar staff extra.

I doubt you'd get a small coke for that these days in a pub

Actually, if anything, New Year feels less "special" than it was. That in part is because a lot of people who are inclined to go out already do so nearly every Friday and/or Saturday during the year anyway. So it's "just another night out".

I remember New Years eve 1979 (I was 16). My parents went out to celebrate the new decade and I stayed at home and drank gin. I was a bit poorly afterwards and have hated gin ever since!

Yuk I recall that popping up to Scotland for the Stanly Baxter New Year's Eve show. I seem to recall it came to an end when one particular show featured a lot of very drunk Scots

I don't know of it's still allowed but I do recall a lot of people would go swimming in Trafalgar Square's Fountains