Most evenings I see strange flashes of light in the sky, particularly on cloudy days. Usually if I'm staring at the sky around 9pm-11pm in an easterly direction.

It looks like it is probably a powerful flashlight / laser show from some distance away (possibly the Millennium Dome). Does anybody know the source? Or is it possible that aliens have been hovering over Forest Hill after watching Location Location Location?

In a similar vein, is it really possible that I heard the new years fireworks on the Thames from my house? Once they finished on the TV there was about 15 seconds of loud rumble outside, which died away very quickly. Other displays didn't seem to generate the same level of noise. But it seems like a long way for the noise to travel, including over the Horniman hill.