William Hill, which instituted betting on a white Christmas, has made northerly duo Edinburgh and Newcastle favourites for festive flurries.
Britain’s highest airport, Leeds Bradford, is 6-1 to experience snowfall on the big day.
Last snowfall on Christmas Day was in 2017, and the last widespread white Christmas was in 2010.
Bookmaker Wiliam Hill has opened its book on the UK being treated to a white Christmas, with prices being assigned to 10 major UK airports.
For many of us, snow is synonymous with Christmas – Bing Crosby even dreamt of it – but in the UK, snow or sleet falls an average of 3.5 days in December, with the MET Office able to accurately forecast whether snow is likely on any given Christmas Day up to five days beforehand.
Edinburgh and Newcastle Airports are current favourites, both 4-1 to experience wintry conditions on December 25. And despite its disruptive nature, Christmas is the one time of the year when the bothersome weather appears to get a free pass.
Leeds Bradford Airport is more than 700ft above sea level and holds the record for being the highest airport in the UK. It is therefore surprising to see it appear alongside the likes of Birmingham, London City Airport and Dublin on 6-1.
Manchester is 13/2 while Bristol, Liverpool and Cardiff Airports are 8-1.
The popular pastime of betting on a white Christmas was in fact instituted by William Hill, and traditionally required a single snowflake to fall on the MET Office operations centre in London.
Nowadays, and with that building long since sold – the national weather service now based in Devon, all that is needed to declare a white Christmas is the observation of a single snowflake falling in the 24 hours of December 25, at one of 10 major UK airports.
The UK has not seen snow on the ground on Christmas Day since 2015 when it was observed at a tenth of weather stations. Those 2015 flurries came five years after widespread snow and the coldest December for a century in 2010.
The last widespread white Christmas (2010) saw snow on the ground at 83% of weather stations (the highest amount ever recorded), while snow or sleet fell at 19% of stations.
Technically though, 2017 was the last true white Christmas in the UK – with 11 percent of weather stations recording snow falling, but none recorded any on the ground.
If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, please visit:
Edinburgh Castle has launched a search to find a deserving person to become part of this year’s Castle of Light show.
Celebrating Scotland’s ‘hidden treasures’, Castle of Light will put a spotlight on the lesser-known stories from Scotland’s past using stunning visuals, state-of-the-art projections and captivating storytelling. Ensuring it doesn’t miss out on the unique stories on its own doorstep, Edinburgh Castle has also launched a search to find Scotland’s ‘wee treasure’.
Highlighting those who go above and beyond, Edinburgh Castle is asking the public to nominate the people around them that they consider to be a ‘wee treasure’ – giving one lucky person the opportunity to switch on the 2021 event.
Stephen Duncan, Director of Commercial and Tourism at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which operates Edinburgh Castle, said: “Scotland is known for the friendly and welcoming nature of its residents, and so people stories are a key part of our history. That’s why we want to shine a spotlight on the deserving people in our communities – someone you consider admirable, young or old. We want to find Scotland’s own ‘wee treasure’, anyone with a story to be told.
“After a tough 18 months, the people around us have never been more important and so we’re excited to be able to give recognition to some of Scotland’s special people. Extending the celebration, we’ll be offering one ‘wee treasure’ the opportunity to switch on the 2021 event – a truly unique experience. So whether it’s a pillar of the community or just a great pal, we want to hear your stories.”
Visitors can expect wonder, enchantment and a spectacle of colour as Castle of Light returns to the capital this winter. Castle of Light: Hidden Treasures is set to come to life, transforming the historic attraction into an interactive wonderland, for eight weeks throughout the festive season, from Friday 19 November 2021 to Sunday 9 January 2022 (on select dates, Thursday – Sunday).
Nominate yourself or someone else as a ‘wee treasure’ online at CastleofLight.scot/competition and follow the ‘wee treasure’ search on Edinburgh Castle’s social channels @EdinburghCastle.
The nominated individual from all valid entries will gain free access for them and a plus one to the Castle of Light: Hidden Treasures preview event on Thursday 18 November.
One ‘wee treasure’ who has shone brightly within their community will be picked to switch on the show at the preview event on Thursday 18 November.
Nominations close on Thursday 11 November.
For more information and to get your tickets, visit CastleofLight.scot.
As Cop26 kicks off EVOC are celebrating the citizens & communities across #Edinburgh (Scotland, the UK, & the World) who are already taking climate action!
We want you to share your #MyClimateAction story – a picture, short video, or something more!
Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy MBE helped Conifox Adventure Park welcome back fun-seekers this weekend, by officially opening the new £2million Indoor Activity Centre.
An ambassador for SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) – a mental health charity to which Conifox is pledging a sizeable donation – Sir Chris MBE was introduced by Managing Director, James Gammell, before cutting the ribbon and exploring the new space with his family.
Guests in attendance – including local and community councilors and the tradesmen who helped build the activity centre – were treated to an audience with Sir Chris Hoy MBE, before watching the official opening of the new centre, as well as enjoying canapes, drinks and photo opportunities with the Olympian.
Chris then went on to offer signings and meet and greets with the general Adventure Park visitors, following the event.
In his introductory speech, Managing Director James Gammell talked of the new all-weather Indoor Activity Centre which has brought 15 new jobs to the park.
Designed and built to combat the Scottish weather and enhance business opportunities, facilities include a large soft play, a toddler town, a parenting room, three party rooms, a 400-seater café and a 200-seat function suite. The versatile new space can host a variety of events including weddings, birthday parties, events and conferences as well as specialised events, private ceremonies, birthdays, fairs, fitness classes and more.
James Gammell, Managing Director of Conifox commented, “It was a great honour to have a sporting hero and an Olympic legend like Sir Chris Hoy MBE open our new Indoor Activity Centre today and it was great to share it with his family too.”
Conifox Adventure Park already boasts a huge outdoor space with attractions for adults and children of all ages including a 9-hole foot-golf course, pedal go-karts, off-road pedal tractors, supersized sand pit, kid’s pedal tractor farm, springers, giant jump pillow, trampolines, swings, balance beams, rope bridge, and much more!
It now anticipates the new facilities, which represent a £2m investment and cover 35,700 sq ft, will mark out the Adventure Park as a go-to destination for families, wedding parties, school groups, conference and corporate event organisers and others looking for a unique indoor venue.
Conifox Adventure Park follows all Covid regulations and has successfully passed the Visit Britain Covid 19 We’re Good To Go Industry Standard. Covid-19 regulations in place at the time of visiting will apply.
To find out more visit the Conifox Adventure Park Facebook page @conifoxadventurepark and their website.
A support fund for initiatives that improve the lives of former service personnel and their families is now open.
A priority for this year’s Scottish Veterans Fund – which has doubled to £500,000 – is projects that support veterans who have left the Services early.
Bids that promote collaboration between the veterans charity sector and other bodies are also being prioritised.
Since the fund’s inception in 2008 more than 180 projects have been supported receiving more than £1.7 million. The increase to £500,000 means individual projects can now bid for up to £50,000 a year.
Veterans Secretary Keith Brown said: “Our veterans community is a tremendous asset to society and deserves the best possible care and support.
“Former Armed Forces personnel have a tremendous array of transferable knowledge, skills and experience to offer and they add value to any organisation.
“I am pleased that we have now doubled funding to £500,000, with individual projects now able to bid up to a limit of £50,000 per year.
“We are looking to support projects which provide unique and innovative approaches to aiding our veterans and in particular are seeking bids from charities and other support organisations that are working together.
“We are also looking to support projects that are rising to the challenge of providing support for early service leavers.”
One of the projects to benefit from the fund last year was SaluteMyJob which received £15,000 to run cyber security courses for veterans.
SaluteMyJob Managing Director Andrew Jackson said: “Gaining support from the Scottish Veterans Fund has enabled SaluteMyJob and training partners to better connect the military community with employers.
“That means we can provide access to training and the potential for future employment in new industries such as cyber security.”
Bross Bagels has partnered with a collective of the nation’s favourite vegan brands and is set to transform its shops for a day, showcasing an entirely vegan menu to highlight World Vegan Day today (Monday 1st November).
Though Bross is already popular with vegan diners thanks to an appetising collection of plant powered bagels and street food sides, on Monday 1st November, all of the Bross favourites will be reimagined in vegan-friendly versions.
Working closely with Scottish vegan meat producer Sgaia, THIS™ – who make hyper realistic alternatives to meat, and Minor Figures – who make plant-based products for coffee lovers – the menu is set to be bursting with flavour and fresh new, innovative recipes.
The Bross team have crafted an extended menu, which includes vegan-friendly versions of all of the Bross classics, as well as a range of new and unique vegan fillings.
From vegan pizza bagels using Sgaia’s vegan ‘pepperoni style slices’ to the ever popular ‘Nuggs Faux Sho’ (£7.50) – a vegan bagel bursting with THIS™ Buffalo Nuggs, pickled fennel slaw, shrettuce, pickles and Mama Bross’ vegan ranch dressing, the signature, ‘Dirty Rachel’s Vegan Sister’ (£7.75) – Sgaia’s Facon, ‘cheese’, sauerkraut, crispy onions and jalapenos served on a vegan bagel, as well as a Vegan take on the classic ‘Mama Bross’ bagel.
On the day, the bakery team will be rolling, boiling, and baking only vegan bagels, which are hand-made with passion and craft, in the Bross Bakery in Portobello to a traditional recipe, meaning there’s no need to miss out on the Montreal magic.
The bakery team at Bross have perfected the vegan bagels which are made using the same hand-crafted process that all of the bakery’s Montreal style bagels are made, but without using honey or eggs.
As well as a collection of bagels, hot-dogs, fries and sides, Bross Bagels will be working with Minor Figures to make sure coffee-loving locals can get their caffeine fix. Minor Figures – who create 100% plant-based products for coffee lovers, baristas and a better planet – will be serving up oat coffees, alongside their innovative canned speciality brews, including their Latte, Chai Latte and Matcha Latte.
For those visitors dining later in the day, beer will also still be on the menu, with the Bross Bar in Portobello serving up Pilot Beer’s newly vegan friendly range of beers.
Bross Bagels Founder, Larah Bross explains; “Our menus are hugely popular for vegan diets, and indeed our vegan options have always been enjoyed by a hole lot of non-vegans too.
“We’ve always worked hard to offer plenty of plant-based choices from our filthy fries to our popular bagels like ‘Dirty Rachel’s Vegan Sister’ – I’m a firm believer that no one should miss out on our flavour-bursting bagels.
“Part of what drives my passion for continuing to evolve our menus at Bross, is encouraging people to try something new – and fall in love with it. Hopefully transforming our menus for the day will encourage our bagels fans to try something a little different, while making a difference.”
For one day only, visitors to Bross Bagels shops across Edinburgh will also see the brand’s iconic pink neon signage swapped out for some plant inspired visuals.
For more information on Bross’ shops across the city, visit www.brossbagels.com
TV and radio adverts begin airing today (Monday) encouraging everyone who is eligible for either or both of the flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations to take up the offer when invited.
The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme has been underway since September with people in the highest risk groups vaccinated first, and those aged 60 to 69 and over-16s with underlying health conditions currently receiving their appointments through the post.
For those in the underlying health conditions group, the type of health condition will guide whether they will be offered a flu jab, the COVID-19 booster, or both vaccines.
Later this month, an online portal will launch to allow people aged 50 to 59, unpaid carers who are 16 and over, and those aged 16 and over who are household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals to book their Autumn/Winter vaccination appointments online.
The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme is working to reduce the risks of COVID-19 and flu. Wherever possible, those eligible for both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 boosters will receive both on the same day. This is safe and effective to do.
Details about who is eligible for these vaccinations are available on NHS Inform.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are keen to stress that everyone who is eligible for either of these vaccinations will be offered them. These TV and radio adverts urge people to check which jabs they qualify for on NHS Inform and to take up the offer when they get it.
“Appointments for both vaccines are being scheduled based on clinical need and age. Many of those who routinely have the flu vaccine are also eligible for a COVID-19 booster, and so will be protected from both illnesses.
“The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme is continuing at pace and running well. COVID-19 booster vaccination can usually only take place six months (24 weeks) after the second dose, although there is now further flexibility to offer vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months, which will increase the number of people able to have both vaccinations at the same time.
“We started the programme as soon as possible following advice from the JCVI in September. It is important to note that many people in the original early priority cohorts of the initial vaccination programme already had a six month gap prior to this advice being given.
“The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme includes a record number of free flu vaccines to help protect the people of Scotland, reaching more than 3 million people.
“Flu can be extremely serious and is very infectious. With COVID-19 still circulating in the community we can best protect those most at risk as well as ease pressure on our National Health Service and social care services by encouraging everyone eligible to get vaccinated.”
To find out more about vaccine eligibility and when you will be invited visit:
New ‘Wear Warm’ awareness campaign calls for 1.2 million households in Scotland to ‘turn down’ the heating amid energy crisis
Half of Scotland’s homes are heated to the same temperature as Barbados (50%)
Overheating our homes costs households in Scotland £206m each year
Scotland’s ‘T-shirt tweakers’ are generating the same amount of pollution as driving 4.7 bilion miles in a car
660 charity shops nationwide sign up to ‘Wear Warm’ campaign, to promote being cosy over costly this winter
A new consumer behaviour change campaign is calling on 13 million UK households – 1.2 million of which are in Scotland – not to heat their homes any higher than 21 degrees and consider other ways to get cosy instead.
The ‘Wear Warm’ campaign was launched today after research undertaken by Utilita Energy – the only energy company created to help households use less energy – revealed that almost half of the nation’s homes are heated to 24 degrees centigrade for half the year – the same temperature as Barbados. Utilita is the energy supplier to 10K households in Scotland.
Based on 48% of the UK’s homes being heated to 3 degrees higher than the recommended healthy heat (18-21 degrees), an additional 13 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.
The figure is slightly higher in Scotland – at 50% of homes. For the entire UK, that’s the same pollution generated by around seven million cars each year – 20% of the UK’s cars. In Scotland overheating homes creates the same amount of pollution generated by 2% of the UK’s cars each year.
To promote the importance of getting cosy over getting costly this winter, the ‘Wear Warm’ campaign will be featured nationwide at 660 charity shops. Anyone keen to cut their heating bills can get hold of some gorgeous preloved winter garments – and keep them out of landfill.
The pro-planet ‘double-whammy’ campaign was officially launched by two of the nation’s sustainable heroes – former England goalkeeper and environmentalist David James MBE and British fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway MBE.
David James MBE, former England goalkeeper and environmentalist, comments on the Wear Warm campaign: “One of my personal bugbears is seeing people sitting at home in the winter, wearing a T-shirt, with the heating cranked up.
“There’s absolutely no sense in it, and now we have the evidence to reveal the impact that this type of behaviour is having on the planet and the pocket.
“For example, to offset the pollution generated by overheated homes here in the UK, we’d need to plant 51 million trees each year – that’s enough to cover 392,000 football pitches.”
Wayne Hemingway MBE, British fashion designer, comments on the Wear Warm campaign: “It’s bloomin’ obvious really, it totally makes sense to put another layer on and it makes sense on many levels; for the environment, for your health (cooler environments help prevent the spread of a number illnesses) and your pocket. Why wouldn’t you?”
Maria Chenoweth, CEO of TRAID, has signed up its 12 charity shops to participate in the Wear Warm campaign – she comments: “The UK is so fortunate to have a thriving network of 11,200 charity shops, on nearly every high street. Let’s use them to stay warm!
“If you need to replenish your winter wardrobe, buy second-hand. It’s one of the best things you can do for the environment, especially when you consider that 10,000 items are thrown into landfill every five minutes in the UK alone, while the global fashion industry pumps out 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually contributing significantly to the climate crisis.
“TRAID’s charity shop rails are packed with affordable, high quality winter wear selected expertly by our sorting team. So, when your home starts to feel the chill, reach for your wardrobe – and your local charity shop – instead of turning up the heat.”
The cost of overheating our homes
The average annual saving for homes reducing their thermostat by three degrees is £174. That’s a £206 million annual saving for those who are currently overheating in Scotland.
In addition, around half (51%) of households say they use additional sources of heat, including:
Electric fan heater (25%) – Cost £3 per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 6 miles
Oil-filled radiators (21%) – Cost £3.40 per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 17 miles
Gas cooker (19%) – Cost 64p per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 12 miles
Electric blanket (17%) – Cost £8p per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 0.4 miles
A third of households who use an additional heat source say they don’t know if it is cheaper than using the central heating system, or not (32%). Another third say they know the additional heat source is more expensive than the central heating, but use it regardless (33%).
Archie Lasseter, global warming expert and sustainability lead at Utilita Energy, said: “If every household made a pledge to stay within 18-21 degrees, the UK would hit its net zero obligation almost two years ahead of its deadline.
“Based on 48% of the UK’s homes being heated to 3 degrees higher than the recommended healthy heat (18-21 degrees), as a nation we are generating an additional 13 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. That’s the same pollution generated by around seven million cars each year.”
Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland, said: “Ahead of what could be a challenging winter, I am pleased to support Utilita’s Wear Warm campaign which highlights the thermal benefits of natural fibres and products.
“Keeping warm is essential for our health and wellbeing.”
Bill Bullen, Founder and CEO of Utilita Energy – the UK’s only energy supplier created to help households use less energy – said: “Energy bosses and MPs have previously been berated for daring to suggest that consumers put a jumper on to stay warm, and on the subject of fuel poverty – it’s not the right message.
“But there’s no excuse for today’s Government to avoid a simple ‘don’t go above 21 degrees message’, as we have.
“We’re confident that our simple and effective message will have a positive impact on the pockets of bill payers this winter and will help out Mother Earth – let’s make the year 2021 the last year that we heated our homes to higher than 21 degrees.”
For more information about the campaign, or for stores to sign up, please visit:
