After what has been over a decade at the shopping mall, the famous singing Christmas tree with a giant face on the front that has entertained – and admittedly, terrified – shoppers at the Trafford Centre during the festive season has now “retired” for good.
The Trafford Centre’s annual Christmas lights switch-on took place this past weekend, but many noticed that the huge tree known for “coming alive” and singing to kids near Waterstones on the ground floor of the centre was absent.
In case you don’t quite know what we’re referring to here, the towering tree – which was always decked out with colourful baubles and fairy lights – featured the face and voice of a man, which would burst into festive song at regular intervals as well as coming out with cheerful Christmas messages from his fir tree lips.
Over the years, it’s fair to say the iconic tree went on to amass quite the fanbase.
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Despite the fact that it was a somewhat scary sight for plenty of children, the tree’s popularity was very much evident when people shared their memories in the comments sections of a post to we shared to The Manc’s Facebook and Instagram last month reminiscing ahead of Christmas.
But now, bosses at the Trafford Centre have confirmed that the tree’s absence from this year’s festive displays are because it’s officially “retired”.
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“After many years of service, our singing Christmas tree is taking well deserved retirement” / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Explaining the tree’s absence to the MEN this year, Zoe Inman – Director at the Trafford Centre – said: “After many years of service, our singing Christmas tree is taking well deserved retirement.
“We hope visitors enjoy the rest of our spectacular Christmas lights across the malls, including an enormous sparkling chandelier in the Main Dome.”
Although there was more lowkey Christmas lights switch-on this year due to COVID safety precautions, the Trafford Centre has revealed that a full programme of ‘Tinseltown’ festive events are to be announced later this week to take over the outdoor site that has just finished hosting the Halloween SPOOKFEST.
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Extended opening hours at the centre have also just been confirmed – with shops opening an hour earlier at 9am from Monday 11 December, as well as four days of late-night shopping the week before Christmas from Monday 20 – Thursday 23 December (inclusive).
“This year at the Trafford Centre, we’re going even bigger, better and louder than ever before with our Christmas cheer,” Zoe continued.
“We’ve decided to kickstart the festivities by turning on our spectacular Christmas lights early!
“We have a whole host of unmissable festive events to announce, as well as late night shopping and festive music on the malls.”
Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper… for some reason
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched its latest Christmas creation, and this one’s arguably wackier than anything else it’s brought out before.
There’s absolutely no denying that pigs in blankets are a staple of festive feasting, with millions of the little delicacies consumed throughout the UK each Christmas, but have you ever wished you could turn the taste of those pigs in blankets into a lickable wrapping paper to wrap all this year’s gifts in? Yeah probably not… Aldi‘s made it though.
It’s anticipated that more than 561 million pigs in blankets are going to be eaten over the festive period, new research has found, which is an average of 10 per person.
But if you just can’t bare to leave the taste of pigs in blankets behind, Aldi’s new wrapping paper is set to give shoppers a fun and tasty twist when it comes to gift-giving.
The limited-edition wrapping paper is inspired by Aldi’s very-own range of pigs in blankets, and is described as capturing the smoky, savoury flavour and smell of the festive treat, with stickers that peel back to reveal a truly unique ‘lickable’ experience.
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper / Credit: Simon Jacobs/PA Wire (via Aldi UK)
Not only does the novelty wrapping paper taste and smells like pigs in blankets, it also looks the part on presents too with its pastel pink design, festive holly, and snowflake patterns.
“Pigs in Blankets are a highlight of the festive season… so we wanted to create something special to celebrate the Christmas classic,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, as the new creation launches.
“This unique, lickable wrapping paper is the perfect way to spread extra joy on Christmas Day.”
Want to get your hands on it then? Unfortunately, it won’t be as simple as popping to your nearest Aldi store and picking up a roll, as with a creation as unique as this, there’s only going to be limited stock and a special shopper competition to win it.
To be in with a chance of winning, you simply need to email [email protected] with your full name before the deadline at 11:59pm on 1 December.
Emily Sergeant -
4th November 2021 
