6 h. ago Village Christmas tree cut down hours after lights switch on

The tree in Shotton Colliery, Co Durham, was chopped down between 10pm and 11pm on Wednesday, according to police.

Politics

61 h. ago Man recycles 500 discarded vapes into battery able to run house electrics for hours

Chris Doel wired the 2.5 kWh battery into his home with an inverter and ran all electrical components entirely off-grid for eight hours including the microwave, kettle and lights.

Science

2 d. ago ‘This is the real Santa’s workshop’: a trip to Germany’s toy village

You don’t have to be a child to enjoy Seiffen, the magical ‘home of Christmas’ where they’ve been making traditional wooden toys for hundreds of yearsI feel terrible I’ve left the children at home and Seiffen, nicknamed Spielzeugdorf (The Toy Village), is literally a Christmas wonderland. Every street is alive with sparkling fairy lights and soft candlelight. There are thousands of tiny wooden figurines, train sets and toy animals displayed in shop windows, wooden pyramids taller than doorframes and colourful nutcracker characters. Forget elves in the north pole, this is the real Santa’s workshop. For hundreds of years, here in the village of Seiffen, wood turners and carvers have created classic wooden Christmas toys and sold them around the world.Near the border of the Czech Republic, Seiffen may be well known in the German-speaking world as the “home of Christmas”, but so far it has been largely missed by English-speaking seasonal tourists. Tucked away in the Ore Mountains, about...

Economics

7 d. 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

7 d. ago Bungling contractors cut down the wrong cherry tree in the wrong London borough after mixing up street names

Premier Tree Care & Conservation felled the tree on Priory Road in Kew, Richmond, instead of one on a street with the same name in Ealing.

Politics

7 d. ago A year on, divine Mbappé returns to the Cathedral where everything changed | Sid Lowe

Frenchman’s epiphany after a missed penalty at San Mamés in 2024 has led to a sensational 2025. Real Madrid are purring againKylian Mbappé returned to the Cathedral where he experienced his epiphany in 2024, his resurrection born after hitting rock bottom, and delivered something like salvation. Exactly a year since he missed a penalty there, a bad moment he later said was a good one, the Frenchman was back at San Mamés on Wednesday night.Last time, he missed a second penalty in a week, an awakening accompanying failure; this time, he scored two goals in an hour and set up another, light let in through the dark again. As the Frenchman headed off the pitch early, Madrid 3-0 up against Athletic Bilbao with 15 minutes left, he embraced Xabi Alonso, who is still his manager. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago What to know about Scotland's 'most quirky' Christmas village just outside Glasgow

The festive attraction is open from now until December 24.

Politics

7 d. ago The small Scottish village hosting 'DramFest' Christmas whisky festival

There is fun to be had for the whole family, including a festive market.

Politics

8 d. ago The hidden gem Christmas village near Glasgow named Scotland's 'most quirky'

The winter wonderland is the perfect December day out.

Politics

9 d. ago I tried the ‘lazy’ Christmas tree trend everyone’s buying my fave transported me back to Lapland AND it’s on sale

IT’S CHRISTMAS! But who wants to spend hours decorating that festive fir with metres of tangled lights when most high street stores now sell pre-lit ones at affordable prices? A shortage of pines, caused by our hot summer and a rare, early frost in Denmark, the UK’s biggest supplier, has seen the cost of real...

Economics

1 week ago Phil Foden books out entire festive village for annual family Christmas party

After scoring two goals in Manchester City's 3-2 victory over Leeds on Saturday, the England star and his family hosted their annual festive celebrations at a festive craft village in Cheshire

Society

1 week ago Phil Foden books out entire festive village for 'perfect' Christmas party

Even the Grinch made an appearance as Man City star Phil Foden and his family hosted their annual Christmas party in Cheshire

Politics

1 week ago Christmas light swap could cut costs to '14p' per month, MoneySavingExpert says

Using one 100-bulb string of these lights for six hours a day over a month may cost roughly 14p, estimates suggest

Economics

2 w. ago Hollyoaks winter trailer confirms surprise teen death and Theresa McQueen return

Hollyoaks winter trailer teases explosive storylines, and it's safe to say some village residents will not be having a merry Christmas.

Politics

2 w. ago UK seaside town that's 'straight from a Christmas card' with pretty festive market

Seaton in Devon is a charming coastal town that comes to life at Christmas with light displays, festive workshops and a Polar Express tram ride that's perfect for kids

Politics

2 w. ago Wales' most unusual village has Christmas event for one weekend only

Named one of the UK’s ‘most beautiful’ places this unusual village is hosting a Christmas market – but only for the briefest of periods

Politics

2 w. ago Royal Mail steals Christmas: Uproar in village renowned worldwide for its yarn bombing as new solar

Knitted postbox toppers created by the Titchfield Yarnbombers have been seen across the world, but now they fear their festive tradition will come to an end.

Events

2 w. ago Fury over seaside town's threadbare 'Temu' Christmas tree 'that looks like it's been on the fat jabs'

The 16-foot threadbare Christmas tree in Rhyl, North Wales has been labelled a 'Temu tree' in a jab relating to the cut-price online retailer.

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Exactly where we wanted to be’: Canada hails NSL after inaugural season’s glittering finish | Sophie Downey

Vancouver Rise were crowned Canada’s first champions of the new professional league which has exceeded expectations in terms of tickets sold and viewing figuresIn the words of Christine Sinclair, the all-time international top scorer for men or women: “What a difference a year makes.” On Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto, Vancouver Rise became the first champions of the inaugural Northern Super League season. It was a triumphant conclusion to a history-making campaign that has set the ball rolling for professional women’s football in Canada.In front of 12,429 spectators, Anja Heiner-Møller’s side put on a display of perseverance to claw their way back to win 2-1 against AFC Toronto, the winners of the regular season’s Supporters’ Shield. A half-hour lightning break and deluge of rain did little to stunt the quality on show on the pitch and the enthusiasm off it. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Drivers stuck in car park for four hours after traffic light fault

One woman said she had been stuck in the Cabot Circus car park for nearly four hours and that there was 'no communication from anyone in the car park who works here'

Transport