Trees adorned with cobwebs, red apples and shell ornaments are just some of the ways Christmas trees are decorated around the world.
GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have looked into the many festive tree traditions adopted by different countries. Continue reading Christmas tree traditions around the world
National Express is stepping in to save Christmas for thousands of Brits who are preparing to spend the festive period with their loved ones.
The UK’s largest coach operator is the only national public transport network operating on Christmas Day. They have already increased capacity with an additional 30,000 seats added to services to meet demand over the festive period (20th December – 2nd January) while the rail network continues to let people down.
Advance coach ticket sales indicate that Friday 20th December aka “Frantic Friday”, Monday 23rd December and Friday 27th December are set to be the busiest days to travel over the festive period, with more than 90,000 people choosing coach to get to where they need to be.
With trains not running on Christmas Day, limited services on Boxing Day, South Western Railways strikes ongoing for the remainder of the month, and a whopping 386 engineering projects planned for the festive period; National Express has come to the rescue for UK travellers.
Chris Hardy, Managing Director of National Express UK Coach, said: “National Express is the reliable choice for travellers, not just at Christmas but all year round.
“With so much rail disruption over Christmas and New Year, we’re stepping up once again to get people where they need to be by adding extra services as and where required.”
National Express customers benefit from a guaranteed seat (no standing), air conditioning, access to films, TV and magazines through a complimentary onboard entertainment app, as well as power sockets and free WiFi.
For more information visit www.nationalexpress.com.
Childline is preparing to help hundreds of young people in Scotland across the festive period – day and night – including many struggling to cope with mental health problems.
In 2018/19 the NSPCC service delivered 7,157 counselling sessions across the 12-day period over Christmas and New Year, with nearly 400 sessions being held with children and teenagers in Scotland.
Childline in Glasgow is one of three service bases across the UK that answers calls and contacts throughout the night, and will be during this Christmas period.
Almost 900 of the sessions held with children across the UK over the festive period last year were between midnight and 7am.
And more than half of those seeking support through the night were struggling with mental health issues, self-harm and in the worst cases, suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Helping to shine a light on all the children and young people contacting Childline this Christmas during the darkest hours – and the volunteers who will be supporting them – is Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer.
The actor and ambassador for Childline who recently visited the service at night, said: “The calls that came in, to be quite honest, sideswiped me. Within the first 25 minutes there were two suicide calls with counsellors helping the young people through the reoccurring thoughts that were haunting them.”
More than a hundred children and young people across the UK received counselling for suicidal thoughts and feelings between midnight and 7am during the 12-day period last Christmas and New Year.
Childline is the only service available to children and young people, whatever their worry, 24/7 throughout the Christmas holidays.
One 13-year-old girl who contacted Childline during the night said: “I feel really down tonight. I have a counsellor who I see regularly and who I would usually go to for support but I will not be able to get hold of them because it is the Christmas holidays.
“I was told I could speak to someone at Childline. I have anxiety and find it difficult to cope and have tried to kill myself before. I don’t want to live but don’t want to upset my family.”
Due to demand and a shortage of resources, Childline is only able to help two in every three children that contact them in December and during the rest of the year.
In response, the NSPCC Christmas Appeal ‘Light for Every Childhood’ is calling for donations and more volunteers so Childline can be there around the clock for every child and young person.
Dame Esther Rantzen, Childline founder and President, said: “Christmas is the time of year we think about children, and most of them are happy, excited and loved.
“But many of the young people that contact Childline are unhappy, abused and neglected. One of them told me: ‘Christmas is like looking through a window, seeing happy families warm and loved while you are standing outside in the dark and cold.’
“For some young people, Christmas can be the hardest time of year, when their problems feel magnified, making them even more isolated than ever. At Childline we must be there for every young person that needs us. But to achieve this we urgently need the public’s help, which is why it is vital they support the NSPCC Christmas Appeal ‘Light for Every Childhood’.”
Just £4 pays for Childline to answer a call with a child in need of support, to donate visit the NSPCC website.
View the full film of Natalie Dormer joining one of Childline’s night shifts.
Enjoy our Christmas movie double header on Saturday December 21st – we have two classics on show and screenings are completely free! Enjoy all the festive fun on our brand new cinema screen – it’s amazing!
11am: Snowman
2:30pm: It’s a Wonderful Life (with subtitles)
The festive season is a time for family, so when you’re getting ready for party season this year don’t forget to make it a ‘yappy Christmas’ for your dog too!
Pets are very much part of the family, but at a busy time of year they can be faced with many new situations and people. Here, Company of Animals, leading dog training and behaviour experts, share some tips on how to treat your dog this December to some TLC to get them looking – and feeling – their best.
Paws to admire
‘Tis the season to be joyful, but it’s also the season of cold, wet and icy weather. During the colder months dogs can get dirty and sore paws.
To combat this issue here are a few easy solutions:
Wonderful winter coat
While your dog is reliant on having a coat to keep warm in the winter months, being out in the cold and exposed to the elements everyday can leave their skin feeling sensitive and their fur in need of a bit of care.
To keep your dog feeling comfortable and looking great this festive season be sure to groom them regularly. By brushing your dog, you will give them some much loved attention, and also get rid of any irritating hair or bits that may have got caught in their coat.
Dog owners can also shampoo their dog to keep their skin clean and their fur smelling great. Use Pet Head Life’s an Itch shampoo, which is packed with natural ingredients to soothe sensitive skin.
Looking good
Your dog is always out and about, but over the December months they may be exposed to new people and new places. To make sure they look – and smell – their best, even when you don’t have much time, we have a quick fix for you.
Try giving your dog a quick spritz of Pet Head Dry Clean Shampoo, followed by a quick brush to catch any fly away fur. The spray on non-rinsing shampoo cleanses the coat without water and is perfect when your pet needs a quick fix.
If you would like more information on Pet Head, visit: www.companyofanimals.co.uk
(A chance to plant a tree and offset the CO2 from your cut-down Christmas tree).
Children and young people were treated to a surprise visit from some famous footballing faces when players from Hibernian FC made an unexpected appearance at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Head Coach Jack Ross and his squad spread some festive joy by making their way around the wards to meet with young patients and their families and hand out Christmas gifts.
The visit is organised by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports and complements the RHSC and works hard to make Christmas magical for those visiting the hospital.
Jack Ross said: “I’ve only recently joined the club but I was made aware very quickly what a special date this is in the calendar for everyone involved and we were only too happy to come along.
“While Christmas is obviously a special time of the year it can also be a difficult period for so many so we’ll do anything we can do put a few smiles on faces.
“The players enjoyed meeting the kids and I’d like to thank Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity for helping to make Christmas magical and the staff at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children for the work that they do on a daily basis.
“They’re an inspiration to us all.”
ECHC runs a living advent calendar throughout December, which sees a different door in the hospital opened each day to reveal something special. Some of the other entertainment in store over the Christmas period includes visits from a live pipe band, the Scottish Rugby squad and a performance from the Scottish ballet.
Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at ECHC, said: “The football team visits to the hospital are always a huge hit with the children and young people. Some of the kids are massive football fans and avid supporters of Hibs so it really makes their day to meet their favourite players.
“Christmas is a very special time of year and we work hard to ensure no child or young person misses out on the joy and magic of the festive season. It’s the generosity of our supporters, like the Hibs players, that enables us to do this.”
One of Edinburgh’s leading care and support providers, Social Care Alba are working hard to address the public health crisis of loneliness this festive season by ensuring that all of their service users receive as much support as possible as well as a visit from their carer on Christmas Day. Continue reading Lonely this Christmas
Mary’s Meals has revealed that Scotland’s favourite Christmas side dish is not the Brussels sprout!
The shocking news comes after people in Scotland were asked what side they prefer with their Christmas dinner. Roast potatoes claimed victory with almost a third of the vote, pigs in blankets came second (23 per cent) and the seasonal sprout scraped in at third place (20 per cent). Continue reading Shock as charity reveals the Brussels sprout is not Scotland’s favourite Christmas side dish!
Waverley Mall is treating its customers to a fabulous array of festive treats, FREE entertainment, competitions and more this Christmas.
They have kicked off the season’s celebrations with the installation of their giant illuminated star on the centre’s roof from 12th November. The star, which proved an incredibly popular attraction with visitors throughout its debut last festive season, provides the perfect photo opportunity for couples, families and friends visiting the city centre.
To add to the festive cheer, Waverley Mall will be giving shoppers the chance to win a £200 gift card to spend in a store of their choice at Waverley Mall, when they break into festive song under the star.
To enter, participants simply need to sing their rendition of their favourite Christmas song under the giant star and film it, before uploading the video to Facebook or Instagram along with #starunderthewaverleystar.
The competition runs until 15th December 2019 with a winner being chosen in time to enjoy their prize for Christmas.
This will be followed by the first of two festive editions of their popular monthly live music event, ‘The Waverley Sessions’ in partnership with The Youth Radio Network, which will see dozens of young and aspiring musicians taking to the stage across the weekend of 30th November and 1st December.
The second event will take place across the weekend of 21st and 22nd December, with customers promised a variety of festive merriment across both weekends.
In a move to spread festive cheer and good will even further, Waverley Mall has offered a variety of local schools, choirs, charities and community groups the opportunity to use space within the centre for carol singing and festive performances to raise funds for a cause of their choice.
Organisations that have jumped at the opportunity include Edinburgh based mental health charity – Health in Mind who will be carol singing in the centre between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Thursday 5th and Wednesday 11th December and award-winning women’s barbershop and a cappella chorus ‘Forth Valley Chorus’ who will perform at 30 minute intervals from 1pm – 3.30pm on the afternoon of Sunday 8th December to raise funds for cancer care charity ‘Maggies Centre’.
On Friday 13th December, the centre will welcome a group from Broughton High School to raise funds for their musical and on Saturday 14th, Armdale Academy will be raising funds for their school show.
On Sunday 15th December, Dunedin Wind Band will be playing to raise funds for Crisis – the national charity for homeless people. More groups are yet to be added to this fabulous line up.
Visitors to the city centre are encouraged to come down to Waverley Mall and show their support for these fantastic groups as they soak up the festive atmosphere.
As an extra special treat this year, Waverley Mall will be dishing out a variety of free treats throughout the festive season – customers should keep an eye on the centre’s social media channels to find out about the latest freebies and where and when to find them.
Jacquelyn Stewart, General Manager, Waverley Mall says: “We wanted to make Christmas a little bit special this year, full of the anticipation, fun and surprises of the festive season, while raising awareness of those less fortunate and doing a little bit to help.
“As well as offering a little ‘thank you’ to our customers by way of a few free treats.”
