A woman from Manchester has baked a massive 6ft cake depicting a nurse hugging Santa to thank NHS staff for their work on the frontlines during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
And the creation has since been seen by tens of thousands of people online over the past weekend.
Rosie Dummer, 53, spent two weeks painstakingly preparing the incredible cake – which served up 1,200 portions and weighed in at more than 30 stone – after she was asked to create it for Channel 5’s Amazing Cakes and Bakes, which will air later this month.
The mum-of-four said she completed the cake in “record time” after spending up to 16 hours a day moulding, crafting and sculpting it.
The 6ft tall creation is titled ‘A Hug for Christmas’.
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The chocolate cake – which features a life-size Santa sharing a wholesome embrace with a nurse dressed in full PPE – is soaked in orange syrup, with each of its 17 layers boasting a chocolate orange frosting.
The dessert has about 360,000 calories in total.
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The impressive creation was then presented to NHS workers at the Royal Bolton Hospital on 4th December, and went on to feed 1,200 members of staff.
Giving an insight into the process of creating the impressive cake, Rosie Drummer said: “This year has been such a strange and difficult year for everyone, but the NHS staff have been absolute heroes through it all.
“We all used to clap on Thursdays and in the last few months we’ve all been trying to get back to some sort of normality, but they’ve still been saving lives on the front line.
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“They haven’t stopped and I feel like it’s important to remind ourselves of all they’ve done and to thank them.
“I’m thrilled it made people feel emotional – we titled it ‘A Hug for Christmas’ and I think this applies to everyone. I think we all need a big hug.
“It was my mum’s birthday on Saturday, and I just started thinking about how lovely it would be to hug her. I think we all feel a little bit helpless sometimes, because we can’t directly help these nurses or hospital staff, but I want to help in the only way I know how – with some time and a bit of icing.
“I just want to say thank you.”
Rosie Drummer / Royal Bolton Hospital
Rosie – who only started baking after she left the army, where she was the first female helicopter pilot in the British military – said this cake was the trickiest she’s attempted so far.
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It even left her working until 4am on some nights.
Andy Ennis – Chief Operating Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust – added: “We were delighted with Rosie’s kind gesture. It has put such a smile on people’s faces after what has been a tough year for our staff.
“The cake was absolutely incredible, and also very tasty,
“Thank you, Rosie.”
Staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital and from across the organisation had a very special treat on Friday, when extreme cake maker Rosie Dummer delivered them a 6 foot cake for Christmas.
You can catch the cake featured on a Christmas episode of Amazing Cakes and Bakes on Channel 5 on Saturday 12th December.
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First look images released of new BBC drama series from Happy Valley creator filmed in Yorkshire
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC series telling the story of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band is set to air later this year.
Riot Women, the brand-new drama from the multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright – best known for being the creator of Happy Valley – is a six-part series set and filmed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
First look pictures of the new show have now been released.
Starring Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Amelia Bullmore as band members, alongside a talented supporting cast consisting of Taj Atwal, Chandeep Uppal, and Macy-Jacob Seelochan as the band’s riotous backing singers, the newly-released pictures show the women in action.
First look images have been released of a new BBC drama series filmed in Yorkshire / Credit: BBC
According to a synopsis on the BBC website, Riot Women dives headfirst into the world of five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest.
But, in writing their first original song, they soon discover that they have a lot more to say than planned – and this is their way to say it.
As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, husbands who’ve buggered off, and disastrous dates, and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything.
📸 Here's your first look at Riot Women – the new drama from Sally Wainwright coming to @BBCiPlayer and @BBCOne in 2025
New pictures feature Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, Amelia Bullmore, and more
Creators and producers say the show is a testament to the power of friendship, music, and the resilience of women who “refuse to be silenced by age or expectation”.
Speaking ahead of the show airing later this year, Riot Women creator, Sally Wainwright, commented: “I’m having a whole new buzz of excitement about the show as we bring it together in the edit, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Riot Women will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK later this year.
Featured Image – BBC
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A Manchester barbershop is offering a ‘pay what you can’ service this month
Danny Jones
Amidst the tidal wave of January deals on food and drink in Manchester, a local barbers is championing their own ‘pay what you can’ offer to help people along this month.
Jefe’s Barbershop, located in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, is one of the best barbers in the city centre, offering a wide variety of cuts and facial hair grooming services – they even offer a subscription service that helps people save money on regular trims.
That being said, they are well aware of those January blues and the mounting obstacles and anxieties that come with weeks of penny-pinching to make it to month’s end, as well as the general toll it can take on people’s mental health.
So this January, Jefe and his team are doing something different – as he puts it, “something special”: the barbershop is allowing customers to simply pay what they feel comfortable handing over and, in the case of those struggling, whatever they can afford.
It’s a simple gesture with a big purpose which helps ensure no one has to miss out on a feel-good moment or the confidence that comes from a fresh trim.
“All we do is laugh and joke about life—that’s why people come here,” Jefe explains. “I don’t want anyone to lose the chance to be present, to feel good, and to laugh with us.
“Men often need more help than they’re willing to let on and we want to be a helping hand they can rely on.” Now that’s a cause all of us can and should get behind.
Community support has remained at the core of Jefe’s Barbershop since the beginning when he swapped a basketball career for providing a much-needed service to Mancunian men.
From partnering with Manc sandwich shops and offering free haircuts for the homeless, to hosting street parties with local events companies and providing £5 trims to promote men’s mental health in 2023 when the cost of living crisis really kicked in – Jefe’s is always trying to make a difference in the area.
You’ve got to love businesses that go the extra mile.
If you want to make the most of this wholesome deal or just feel like you’re in need of a trim, you can book HERE or call them directly on 0161 818 7659.
The ‘pay what you can’ offer runs Monday to Thursday, 9am-7pm, subject to availability. You’ll find Jefe’s Barbershop on Stevenson Square
Because as the man himself puts it, “Everyone deserves to feel their best”.
Emily Sergeant -
7th December 2020 
