5 h. ago Christmas market voted UK's best for food and drink had one treat that got me feeling festive

Newcastle's Christmas Market was named one of the UK's best for food and drink, and one treat in particular is an absolute must-have for the festive season

Politics

5 h. ago I visited UK's best Christmas market for food and drink – one thing got me feeling so festive

This northern city's Christmas market is back for another year, with more stalls, attractions and cosy festive feels than ever before – and I took a look around to see what this year had to offer

Politics

6 h. ago Forget festive schmaltz, the best Christmas film this year is a gay biker dom

Die Hard isn’t a Christmas film, claims the British public. But Pillion reminds us that the finest festive films reflect the complexities of the seasonCan Die Hard – the 1988 action movie starring Bruce Willis as an NYPD detective hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife on Christmas Eve – be called a Christmas film? The annual debate had officially reached my street WhatsApp group when a happily married couple decided to launch a poll. With 18 votes against four, the result from my road was a landslide “yes”. One neighbour even shared a picture of their Die Hard tree baubles to prove the point.But an official poll by the British Board of Film Classification has now asserted the contrary – with 44% deciding that Die Hard should not be designated a Christmas movie, against 38% in favour. To some, even with the odd tinsel-strewn tree thrown in, the gun fights, violence and hostage-taking just don’t feel festive. For an admirable 5% of respondents, it remains their favourite Christm...

Politics

36 h. ago It's now cheaper to fly to Europe for a Christmas market than visit one in the UK

More than 40 years after the first Christmas market came to Lincoln in 1982, experts have revealed it's now cheaper to fly overseas than visit some of the UK's most popular winter attractions.

Politics

36 h. ago Get into the Christmas spirit with a shopping and foodie staycation in Marylebone Village, London

As the iconic lyrics from a screaming Noddy Holder boldly suggest, 'It's Christmas!' And it definitely feels like it now after a fun and festive-filled weekend of shopping, eating and making merry in the heart of the Big Smoke.

Economics

47 h. ago 14 best Christmas light trails to visit in the UK over the festive season

Start off the Christmas period with a dose of holiday cheer at these spectacular light displays

Politics

50 h. ago 'Elegant and pretty' Christmas lights 'add festive feeling to homes'

'They're so pretty and elegant'

Politics

52 h. ago 10 best films to stream on Netflix now to get you in the festive spirit

If you’re not quite brimming over with festive cheer yet, there’s nothing like a large helping of feel-good fun from a Christmas movie to inject some seasonal sparkle - here’s 10 of the best Xmas gifts available to stream on Netflix now

Politics

64 h. ago We visited the Christmas experience that sells out every year, it's bigger and better than ever

They really have pulled out all the stops this festive season

Politics

69 h. ago Visit Glasgow's highest Christmas market where one drink can win you £1,000 Secret Santa

Buying one festive tipple this weekend could see you bag a monster prize just in time for Christmas.

Economics

3 d. ago Coronation Street star Lucy Fallon shares a look inside HUGE new home as she decorates it for Christmas

CORONATION Street actress Lucy Fallon has shared a glimpse inside her huge new home jam-packed with festive feeling. The ITV star, who welcomed her second child and became engaged to Preston North End footballer Ryan Ledson, 28, this year, also juggled a recent house move with her young family. Lucy, 30, has now captured their new...

Politics

4 d. ago 'Most magical' Christmas market that 'nobody talks about' is 'so lovely'

A festive fan praised a 'hidden' Christmas market that 'feels like stepping straight into a storybook'

Politics

4 d. ago Popular UK city called out for having the 'worst Christmas market' as visitors are 'packed like sardines' and locals 'avoid it like the plague'

Videos and pictures have emerged showing heaving crowds taking over the historic city, with many locals labelling it a 'hellscape'.

Politics

4 d. ago Saunas, skating and celebratory toilet seats: 25 ways to get into the Christmas spirit

Are you feeling festive? If not, here are some great and unexpected shortcuts, from fish pie to ‘intermittent wrapping’ to watching a seasonal film every day of DecemberIf I haven’t wrapped up warm and wobbled around in circles, it isn’t Christmas. I can measure out my life in London’s ice rinks. Broadgate Circus in the early 00s, because it was cheapest and I was skint. Several seasons of Skate at Somerset House with my ex, because it was our “romantic” Christmas tradition (actually, he hated skating). This year, I’ll be mixing old and new: Hampton Court Palace, where people have been skating since the 1800s, and the inaugural Skate Leicester Square. As long as there’s a mug of something mulled afterwards, I’m happy. Rachel Dixon, travel writerYears ago, a regrettable ex-boyfriend bought me a merman Christmas tree ornament so bizarre that it short-circuited my brain, unleashing something primal within me. Ever since, I have scoured department stores, gift shops and the darkest reac...

Politics

4 d. ago Next's £36 jumper hailed as 'great alternative to traditional Christmas sweaters'

Next's Teal Blue Sparkle Tinsel Bow jumper is winning over shoppers as a stylish alternative to traditional Christmas jumpers, with customers praising its comfortable fit and festive feel without the novelty look

Economics

5 d. ago 'I visited UK's best Christmas Market just 40 miles from Manchester'

After years of attending the likes of Winter Wonderland and other Christmas markets across the UK, this felt like a breath of fresh air to me – stripping it back to basics

Politics

5 d. ago What to do with a sparse tree? Or a wonky angel? Shop window

There’s a lot of pressure to make a splash, but you can create beautiful festive decor on a budget – just ask the people who do it all year roundIt has been Christmas in the retail world for weeks but most of us are only now getting the decorations out at home. How can you reuse and recycle what you already have to create the perfect festive feel? Shop window-dressers – or visual merchandisers, as they are also known – share their tips for capturing the magic of the most wonderful time of the year. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago The Grinch fans deem film 'ruined' after learning how Christmas classic was made

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a festive favourite for many, but some fans now feel like they can't watch the film the same after learning more about its production, deeming it "ruined"

Politics

6 d. ago 'I tried 1 Christmas market item and threw it away immediately'

Christmas markets are renowned for being fun places to eat, drink and be merry, and one of the most popular Christmassy food items is sold there but when Danielle Kate Wroe tried it, she wasn't pleased

Politics

6 d. ago Welsh garden centre spends three months transforming into Wales' best Christmas shop where everything is spectacular

A Garden Village just outside Cardiff goes all out for festive fun and you'll come away feeling Christmassy

Economics