New Year’s Eve. Has there ever been a more overhyped, trumped-up, pretend holiday on the planet? Except for Valentine’s Day and the Queen’s Birthday and Halloween (outside the States, at least) and a whole heap more.

Caught up with some of my oldest friends and crashed up at their place – just off the beach just north of the Qld/NSW border. It was pretty much a perfect way to spend New Year. A summer evening with a cool sea breeze. A fireworks display (can take or leave that). Some cracking wines. A brilliant barbecue. A cigar (okay, not everything was perfect). Many hours telling old stories, all of which get better every year. And then sound asleep by about 11pm.

The cigar was the only let-down. And is there a more disappointing cigar than one you know is normally a star, but utterly fails you. The culprit…