I ran a series of workshops (UK Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College), for the Police and Emergency Planners associated with the London New Year Event. We were engaged to model the New Year Celebrations 2006/7.
The following year we ran an Applied Crowd Dynamics Workshop modelling the London New Year Event (October 2007).
These are samples from the Crowd Dynamics Workshop. For a full set of slides, notes, background, teaching aids and additional materials see www.iccmss.com
Bad weather hampers New Year celebrations.
A fireworks spectacular heralded the start of 2007 in London but severe weather put a dampener on official New Year celebrations for thousands elsewhere. Scotland's biggest Hogmanay party in Edinburgh was among the events cancelled due to high winds and lashing rain. Celebrations were also scrapped in Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle and Liverpool. The only event in Scotland was the Aberdeen Hogmanay Street Concert with Wet, Wet, Wet. The London events went ahead as planned, centred on the London Eye on the south bank of the Thames with hundreds of thousands turning out to watch the spectacular. With access to the south bank from Waterloo station closed off by police, thousands were forced to watch the fireworks from behind buildings and through tunnels and doorways. The weather remained dry with light winds. Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: "London has once again kicked off the New Year in style. "My very best wishes for 2007 to all Londoners and everyone who came to the capital for the celebrations. "There was atrocious weather around the country last night and we wish to send our best wishes and goodwill to those who saw their New Year's Eve disrupted." A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We estimate that in the region of 350,000 people came into central London to see in the New Year." At 11.59pm a digital clock was projected on to the Shell Building, signalling the 60-second countdown to midnight. After Big Ben had rung to mark midnight, a ten-minute pyrotechnic display began that included fireworks off the London Eye and from barges on the Thames.