3 h. ago ‘I can’t hear Mariah Carey for the 1,000th time!’ Professional Santas on their most loved – and hated – Christmas hits

A flock of Father Christmases share the seasonal songs that capture the magic, merriment and occasional heartbreak that comes with donning the red suit My father was a Santa and my wife got me into doing it. It’s the best thing I ever did. I do schools, universities, supermarkets, Christmas lights switch-ons As soon as Santa comes along, everybody melts. One little girl brought her guinea pig, who leapt off her hand and dived straight into my Santa beard. The parents were in stitches while we tried to get him out. My favourite Christmas songs are Eartha Kitt’s sultry version of Santa Baby, because it gets all the adults in the mood to get up and have a boogie with Santa, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, because the lyrics are so pure. No Christmas songs drive me mad. It’s Christmas: they’re all great. Paul Fessi Continue reading...

Events

22 h. ago Scots households hit with four week delay on bin collections at Christmas

Councils have announced a number of key dates.

Events

23 h. ago 'I tried Christmas twist on popular Italian meal and was left floored'

Christmas twists on food are always really fun, but they can be a little hit and miss, so when I saw Prezzo were doing Christmas takes on Italian meals, I knew I had to try

Politics

42 h. ago Private school hit by Labour's VAT hike set to close before Christmas unless £180k in emergency funding can be raised

Hunter Hall, a prep school in rural Cumbria, is crowdfunding for the money ahead of its deadline of this coming Wednesday.

Economics

45 h. ago Snow bomb to blast UK before Christmas in 14 counties – all you need to know

Will you have a white Christmas? Starting December 10, the UK is set to be hit by a significant snowfall, with Scotland expecting accumulations of up to 34cm, here's everything you need to know

Events

4 d. ago Inside the race for Christmas Number 1 as Paddington Bear launches bid to beat Kylie Minogue and Wham! to the top spot

THE race to crown the Christmas No1 will get under way in two weeks. And a dark horse, or should that be lovable bear, has entered the fray. Paddington has become a major contender with song One Of Us, which is actually sung by McFly’s Tom Fletcher, who wrote it for the new Paddington The...

Politics

4 d. ago I tried McDonald's new Grinch Christmas menu but 1 item has a big problem

McDonald's new festive Grinch menu includes gherkin-flavoured fries, a sweet and festive pie, and more in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the hit film, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and one item is proving divisive

Politics

4 d. ago London bus strike chaos to hit Christmas shoppers as routes to huge shopping centre face disruption

Heading to Westfield Stratford for Christmas shopping? Beware bus strikes next month

Events

5 d. ago BBC's Call The Midwife Christmas special in chaos as filming hit by typhoon

The cast spent two weeks in the former British colony to film the storyline involving harrowing scenes of death and destruction but also of love and hope

Events

6 d. ago Aldi boss promises to lock prices on hundreds of Christmas items despite brutal Budget blow to hit supermarkets

THE boss of Aldi has promised his customers a Christmas bonus — hours before a Budget that is tipped to give supermarkets the chills. Chief exec Giles Hurley vowed to freeze prices on hundreds of items — including turkey, veg and all the trimmings — even if his chain takes a hit from Chancellor Rachel...

Economics

7 d. ago Scottish primary school boys become an internet sensation as Ring doorbell captures their rendition of Christmas hit

The video of the five boys belting out the Wham number one hit has been seen more than 1.4 million times as the group has become a Christmas sensation.

Events

9 d. ago 'Best ever' Christmas film hailed 'timeless classic' to air on BBC tonight

The hit Christmas film has been hailed as "one of the best movies ever made" by fans

Politics

9 d. ago Bad season of bird flu in UK hits supply of Christmas turkeys

Availability of chickens and ducks also expected to be tight, with 5% of the seasonal flock culled so farUK poultry producers are battling a “bad season” of bird flu, with cases much worse than at this point last year, putting a squeeze on supplies of Christmas birds including turkeys, chickens and ducks.Two industry insiders said they expected supplies of all poultry to be tight ahead of the festive season, especially for organic and free-range birds, which are seen as the most vulnerable to infection. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Morrisons brings back 'hit' range from £4 in time for Christmas

The supermarket has expanded the range with new sets including a cake shop, cleaning set and floor standing kitchen

Economics

1 week ago Christmas turkey shortage fears as UK farms hit by 'super strain' bird flu

A sharp rise in cases of bird flu across UK farms have raised fears of empty shelves in butchers and supermarkets across the country - just weeks before Christmas

Events

1 week ago Exact date Shein fans can snap up festive fashion in Scotland 

SHEIN fans are in for a treat with the online retailer due to hit the high street this Christmas. Shoppers are in for a treat as the popular bargain brand is opening pop-ups in two cities. The fashion and lifestyle retailer Shein is leading the countdown with the launch of its ‘12 Days of Christmas’...

Politics

1 week ago Christmas rail strikes to hit CrossCountry passengers as workers announce walkout

Hundreds of thousands of travellers from Cornwall to Scotland will be hit by stoppages over pay and staffing

Events

1 week ago Call The Midwife Christmas special under threat as wild weather hits filming

Stars of Call The Midwife struggled to cope while filming the show's Christmas special in Hong Kong. They had to wear lots of layers in balmy temperatures

Events

1 week ago Call The Midwife Christmas special hit by chaotic scenes as wild weather arrives

Stars of Call The Midwife struggled to cope while filming the show's Christmas special in Hong Kong. They had to wear lots of layers in balmy temperatures

Events

1 week ago Netflix's Champagne Problems star Minka Kelly's past roles and famous boyfriend

Netflix's new Christmas film Champagne Problems has been a huge hit with viewers, who have been taking to social media to share their love for the romcom.

Politics