In time-honoured tradition, Littleport caroused and prayed its way into 2024.

Littleport’s hostelries were buzzing as its people saw in this New Year.

The Crown had Juzzy, Littleport Ex-Servicemen’s Club, True Colours, and The Swan, music, DJs and fireworks.

A more recent custom is its Littleport parkrun and on December 30, as on the last Saturday of the year since 2018, runners and volunteer marshals assembled outside the Littleport Leisure Centre entrance for the start.

And whether walking, jeffing, jogging or running, on this occasion a good time was recorded as being had by all. 

The time, as marked by the clock on Littleport’s St George’s church tower, that had stopped in early December, was happily correct at midnight on New Year’s Eve... but not if you counted the chimes.

The Cambridge Chime sequence was out of kilter by 15 minutes… and the strikes erred by a few hours! (at 12.15am New Year’s Day it bonged 7o’clock.)

Graham Murfitt reminded me that they were actually turned off by a previous vicar at the latter end of the 20th century who didn’t like them.

Graham has a special interest as one of Graham’s ancestors, John, from his family of clockmakers (Murfitt’s of Cottenham) repaired the original clock in 1827.

It was eventually replaced by the War Memorial Clock in 1919 and that old clock is in the safe keeping of the Littleport Society.

Their archives at the Barn in Main Street free car park are open Tuesday January 9 from 1-4pm and the next monthly free event is February 6, 7.30-9.30pm at the village hall.

And all the churches had their share of the last Sunday of 2023 worshippers too - and St George’s has an evening Epiphany service on Sunday January 7 at 6pm.

Roll into 2024 with Ely Roller Skating Club. A new session at Littleport Leisure Centre (01353 373800) starts Saturday morning (January 6). Added to its Fun Skate from 9.15-10.25am is a grades class until 10.55am.