By Patricia Calnan Although psychiatrists advise against them, friends tend to ridicule them, and even if we don't have too much faith in our ability to keep them, most of us make them.

We have, of course, just stepped into a brand New Year and the List of Resolutions which, if past years are anything to go by, may well have already been abandoned by the time this year's list is actually published.

Last week, Living made a random survey on this annual custom.

As might be expected, most resolutions zeroed in on habits -- usually bad ones -- that will be eliminated now that 1995 has made its bow.

Who better to start off with than our own Carol Parker, who this morning celebrates the New Year with her promotion to the position of News Editor of The Royal Gazette ? "Yes, I always make them! Now, my first one is that I'm giving up red meat and the other one is that I'm going to work on my punctuality.'' But are they successful, we all wondered, as visions of the new News Room boss, poised and waiting for her reporters at 9 a.m. danced rather unwillingly in certain heads? As she admitted to usually making "about three'' resolutions but only keeping one, several reporters could be heard murmuring that concentrating on the red meat might be the best idea.

The Royal Gazette's editor Mr. David L. White admitted, "I used to make endless resolutions to stop smoking -- and then smoke on New Year's Day!'' Having since conquered the habit during the past year, he reflects, "I guess I have to resolve to continue not to smoke!'' Theatre director and actor, Mr.

Gavin Wilson, who has scored a huge hit with his one-man portrayal of Mark Twain, immediately turned to the Master for inspiration.

"I was going through my Mark Twain stuff the other day and I found this wonderful quotation: `My New Year's resolution is to do my damndest to live within my income -- even if I have to borrow to do so!''' Education minister, the Hon. Clarence Terceira, was full of good intentions when we telephoned him at home.

"I make them and break them, like everybody else, I guess. I've decided I am going to lose five pounds in weight. My wife and I are going to swim more often. We already walk the beaches, but this year, we've going to walk them even more. We don't have any bad habits to give up!'' (at which point, Mrs.

Terceira could be heard laughing in the background).

Artist Diana Tetlow has come up with a rather startling recipe for success in her campaign to quit smoking. She said: "I'm going to let my hair grow grey.

At the moment, it looks slightly blonde because of all the nicotine in it.

When I give up smoking it will turn grey! I always have the same resolution -- to give it up at some point in the year.'' Mrs. Anita Rankin, who holds fort at The Buttery just across from The Royal Gazette is also determined to make the final stub-out this year.

"This is the first time I've ever made any New Year's resolutions. I'm going to give up cigarettes for a more healthier life. And I want to get off all red meat. Yes,'' she added with that famous laugh, "of course you can succeed if you put your mind to it! Oh, and I also want to keep my customers happy!'' Her boss, Mr. A.W. Llewellyn Harvey, whose restaurant, Once Upon a Table, is now seen on cable TV all over America since it was featured on Burt Wolf's travel show, said, "I don't know if I can stick to it, but I would like to lose weight (not easy in my job!), keep Anita happy down there at The Buttery, and keep everyone at the restaurant and those close to me, happy. Once I've achieved that, then I shall be able to relax with an occasional Cohiba!'' It was not too difficult to guess that police officer Simon Payne would not be battling things like booze, bad food and smokes. As Bermuda's sole entrant in last year's Olympic Games at Lillehammer, his dedication to fitness was taken for granted as the Island's only expert on the luge.

"I've never made resolutions -- just long and short-term goals,'' he said rather mysteriously. "But I never bother about things like saying `I'm never eating any more chocolates'.'' Artist Sharon Wilson, who has acquired an exciting commission for a series of children's book illustrations for Little, Brown Publishers in Boston, explained, "I made resolutions every year for lots of years, but for the last few years I haven't bothered. But now I find I've made commitments to do certain things which means I'm going to have to work very consistently, with a very rigid schedule -- so that's a commitment I can't break. This will require a huge effort on my part, so I'm afraid to make any more.'' Bermuda's new Archdeacon, the Ven. Ewen Ratteray confessed, "I don't make them for the simple reason that I find I break them too easily -- so I don't make them any more!'' Mr. Lawson Mapp, on the other hand, still labours on. "I make them, but find it very difficult to keep them. They start off OK, and usually last a couple of months. First of all, I want to try and keep fit and have a more healthy diet. I should be more concerned about the less fortunate, I suppose. I would also like to keep my business and financial matters under control. That's three, so my plate's going to be full with that.'' Bermuda Festival chairman Mr. Peter Lloyd said that it was probably just "idleness'' that prevented him from making any. "I suppose that's very inefficient of me. I'm not opposed to New Year's resolutions. I just never get round to thinking about it.'' The Mid Ocean News arts critic, Andrew Trimingham, who celebrated the end of 1994 by retiring as vice president of Trimingham's, was far more specific.

"I made a New Year's resolution years ago which I have managed to keep to pretty well, which is to never make them. That's a good principle and not terribly difficult to adhere to, so it makes you feel very virtuous!'' Dellwood School principal Mr. Dale Butler was in a similar frame of mind.

He said: "I make a resolution not to make resolutions. Actually, I don't make them because I don't keep them.'' Choreographer Conchita Ming is another one who has given up on the whole business because she too, finds, "I don't keep them. The one resolution I always want to make, but always gets beyond me, is to spend more time with good friends.'' Mr. Sean Dill, of `Not the Um Um' fame, was predictably short and to the point. "The only thing I've resolved is not to eat any more turkey until next December.'' Nine-year old Rebecca Faulkenberry, who was Alice in the recent BMDS Christmas show, sounded very serious about her resolutions for the coming year. "Yes, sometimes I've made them, sometimes not! This year, I would like to try and keep my room tidier. I shall have to work hard at my cello lessons because I'm doing my exams this year and I haven't been doing enough practice since `Alice'. And I'm going to start singing lessons with Mrs. Pettit.'' Mr. Roger Crombie, who has the last bemused word on a bemusing variety of subjects in the RG Magazine each month, was invited to have the last word, also, on this potentially divisive subject.

As usual, his wisdom shone defiantly through.

"I used to make all sorts of resolutions on January 1st and then break them on January 2nd, just to prove a point. I forget what the point was. This year, my resolutions are to get married at least twice, smoke much more heavily than ever before, and eat significantly more fatty foods, as part of my new fitness regime. I'm hoping to be the first man with a cholesterol rating above 1,000.

Why? Because it is there.'' MR. DAVID L. WHITE -- "I used to make endless resolutions to stop smoking -- and then smoke on New Year's Day!'' Having since conquered the habit during the past year, he reflects, "I guess I have to resolve to continue not to smoke!'' DIANA TETLOW -- "I'm going to let my hair grow grey. At the moment, it looks slightly blonde because of all the nicotine in it. When I give up smoking it will turn grey!'' MRS. ANITA RANKIN -- "This is the first time I've ever made any New Year's resolutions. I'm going to give up cigarettes for a more healthier life. And I want to get off all red meat.'' MR. GAVIN WILSON -- "My New Year's resolution is to do my damndest to live within my income -- even if I have to borrow to do so!''