Let’s face it, all you want on New Year’s Day is something to vanquish that hangover and perk you up for the first day of 2009. Gavin Haines and Allyson Howden separate the best hangover cures from the old wives’ tales.

Rock Shandy

Originating from Zimbabwe, this cure mixes together 1 part lemonade, 1 part soda water and a dash of Angostura Bitters together in a glass.

This is great for getting those essential sugars and salts back into your body and it does help rehydrate you. However, if it’s a particularly bad hangover it will take more than a rock shandy to straighten you out. 3/5

Fry Up

The fats and calories will work for you in the short term, giving you a boost of energy and soaking up all the booze. However, it won’t help your dehydration problems or your waistline and the energy boost can be short lived. That said it tastes damn good. 3.5/5

Bar of chocolate and a glass of Coke

This is up there with old wives’ tale classics like “eating crusts will make your hair curly”. The Coke succeeds only in making you even more dehydrated and the boost you get from the chocolate has worn off by the time you’ve discarded the empty wrapper.1/5

Fruit

It might help neutralise your stomach and replace those essential vitamins and minerals you lost dancing like your Dad to Abba’s Happy New Year, but it’ll take more than your five-a-day in one sitting to perk you up. Mixing this with a fry up will help fight the hangover on two fronts.2.5/5

Hair of the dog

It might sound like a bad idea, but there is some scientific research that suggests this will help cure a hangover. However, be sure not to get carried away as if you drink too much you’ll simply be postponing the hangover until the following day – and it will be twice as bad. Try a bloody Mary, Irish coffee or pint of bitter for the best results.4/5

A swim in the sea

Provided you’ve sobered up, this is a sure-fire way of curing that hangover. The water in Bournemouth and surrounding areas will be so cold that you’ll forget you even had one. Fresh air, exercise and an aquatic start to the New Year – we have a winner. 4.5/5