They were billed as "deafening fire crackers", and I guess we should have been prepared for something quite extraordinary as we saw Metropolitan police officers inserting protective ear plugs into the ears as they were lit. The noise which followed could be heard for miles around, and those of us in Leicester Square were "witness" to what must have been the loudest firecrackers Britain has ever heard. Nian must surely have been truly terrified. This was just the start of London's Chinese New Year celebrations which continue to get bigger, and it has to be said, better each year. What I really like about Chinese New Year is the street market. Chinatown really does become something of a Chinese bazaar, with stalls selling everything from personalised Chinese calligraphy to Chinese porcelain. This year the variety just seemed to be bigger, or maybe there were simply more stalls. The paper dragons, an annual favourite, were out in force, but a new contender for most seen childrens's souvenir has to be the hand drums. The fast food stalls were doing a roaring trade, and there's just something about hot, freshly cooked food eaten on a cold day - it might not be haute cuisne, but it tastes great, and the aromas were enough to lure even the most cautious. Of course, the restaurants were full to capacity, and many a diner treated to a ring side view of the lion dance - the beating of drums and gongs to that mesmerizing beat proclaimed its arrival. Meanwhile, over in Leicester Square stage performances included some usual suspects: lion dances, martial arts, traditional musical instruments , but also included slight twists. Freddy the French Chanteur sings Mandarin turned out to be a great hit, and the Beijing acrobatic troupe were a treat for young and old alike. With Chinese New Year becoming almost a mainstream event, its nice to see that it retains a unique atmosphere that must surely be one of the most spectacular displays of multicultural Britain. Steve Lau