Christmas

The Coca-Cola Christmas truck is coming to Manchester – and it’s very soon

Get your skates on.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th November 2022

The arrival of the Coca-Cola Christmas advert is always the klaxon to suggest that the festive season has properly arrived – and the iconic truck is going on tour.

It was announced last week that the big festive truck would be visiting cities around the UK this winter.

But the exact locations and dates are finally being revealed.

The fizzy drink giant has been drip-feeding its upcoming tour dates and has at last announced when it will roll into Manchester.

The Coca-Cola Christmas truck is set to park up in our home city on Friday 2 December – so it’s not a lot of advance warning.

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It will be at Asda Sportcity, just north of the city centre.

The truck is on a mission to visit as many cities around the UK as possible as part of ‘The Magic of Giving’ Christmas campaign.

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There’ll be a ‘magical winter market’ setting with activities, festive food huts, an ‘elfie selfie’ photo opportunity and a chance to purchase personalised Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar and Coca‑Cola Original Taste.

Every visit made to the Coca‑Cola Christmas Truck will also help to support people experiencing food poverty, with the brand working with FareShare.

It will be donating the equivalent of up to 100,000 meals to those in need throughout the festive season.

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Coca-Cola is also collaborating with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and NaviLens to make its Christmas packaging accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

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Laura Moon, senior brand manager at The Coca‑Cola Company, Great Britain, said: “Coca‑Cola has always been synonymous with Christmas, particularly the iconic Truck Tour and Holidays Are Coming advert. This year, the magic of Christmas is needed more than ever, and we are excited to bring back our famous truck tour to fans nationwide.

“We’re also extremely pleased to continue our relationship with FareShare and for every person that visits the Truck Tour, we’ll donate the equivalent of a meal on their behalf, supporting those most in need this festive season.”

The dates confirmed so far are:

  • November 25 – Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent
  • November 26 and 27 – Sainsbury’s, Beckton
  • November 29 – Farmhouse Inns, Glasgow
  • December 1 – Wembley Park, London
  • December 2 – Asda Sportcity, Manchester
  • December 8 to 10 – Dublin
  • December 16 and 17 – Belfast

Featured image: Coca-Cola

Christmas

The lyrics to Auld Lang Syne for New Year’s Eve, and what the song means

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The lyrics to New Year's Eve song Auld Lang Syne

The clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the confetti is thrown, the kisses are exchanged, and then up starts Auld Lang Syne and you realise, once again, that you don’t know the lyrics to the iconic song.

This classic song is traditionally sung as we welcome in a new year, but you may (like us) find yourself singing the words as ‘dah daaah dah dah daaah dah dah, dah dah daaah dah Auld Lang Syne.”

Well it’s time to stop that behaviour and learn yourselves the Auld Lang Syne lyrics, quick time, before we hit 2024.

The text of the song is actually from a Robert Burns poem, penned way back in 1788 and based on an old Scottish folk song.

It was set to a tune a decade later, and since then has been recorded by dozens of different artists.

Auld Lang Syne can loosely translate as ‘old long since’, or ‘days gone by’ or ‘old times’.

So its meaning roughly is ‘for the sale of old times’.

There are longer versions of the song, but the lyrics to the most commonly-played version of Auld Lang Syne are below.

So hold hands with your loved ones, crack open the champers, and ring in a very happy new year.

What are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne?

Fireworks on New Year's Eve, when the song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung
Fireworks on New Year’s Eve, when the song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

And surely you will buy your cup
And surely I’ll buy mine!
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till night
The seas between us Lord and swell
Since the days of auld lang syne

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

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Featured image: Unsplash

Christmas

Manchester city centre road closures confirmed for New Year’s Eve fireworks display

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A number of road closures have been confirmed as Manchester city centre prepares for its first New Year’s Eve fireworks display in three years.

The hustle and bustle of Christmas has died down, Boxing Day has been and gone, nobody has a clue what day it is currently, and we’re all just waiting for New Year’s Eve to arrive, and for 2024 to bring new beginnings and a fresh start.

And case you missed it, Manchester City Council confirmed last week that Manchester will be celebrating the big occasion with a bang.

In what is the first time since 2019, and post the COVID-19 pandemic and several accompanying lockdowns, Manchester city centre is gearing up to host a “spectacular” fireworks display that will “say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new”.

Families from all across Greater Manchester are invited down to Castlefield Bowl in the heart of the city centre this Sunday 31 December for the “fun-filled event” that’s free to attend.

Manchester city centre road closures have been confirmed for the New Year’s Eve fireworks display / Credit: Unsplash

Hosted in partnership wit Hits Radio, and kicking off from 10pm and running until the clock strikes midnight and beyond, you can expect a live DJ set from Hits Radio DJ Jordan Lee, a traditional time-to-hug-all-your-friends countdown to midnight, followed by a huge firework display to celebrate the start of the new year.

Capacity for the event is 10,000, and is being operated on a first-come first-served basis, the Council has confirmed.

The event is also alcohol-free, standing only with no seating – except for disability access points and dedicated viewing areas – and anyone attending is asked to limit the bags they bring with them to no bigger than A4 in size, as bag searches will be in operation.

The Council says that, in order to ensure “a safe and celebratory event for all”, security staff will be keeping a close eye on revellers to minimise any disruption and allow everyone to see in the new year together, while being mindful that this part of the city centre has a large residential population by making sure the event arena is promptly cleared after the fireworks display is finished.

To best accommodate the event and everyone attending, the following road closures and parking suspensions have been confirmed ahead of time.

Road Closures

  • Duke Place (Duke Street – Arena): 8:30pm – 1am
  • Rice Street (Duke Street – Arena): 8:30pm – 12:45am (resident vehicles managed in and out of closure)
  • Liverpool Road (Potato Wharf – Lower Byrom Street): 8:30pm – 1am
  • Duke Street (Stone Street – Castle Street): 11pm – 12:45am
  • Beaufort Street (Collier Street – Duke Street): 11pm – 12:45am
  • Castle Street (Car Park – Canal Bridge): 11pm – 12:30am (restrictions out of car park between 11:30pm – 12:15am)

Parking Bays Suspended and ‘No Waiting’ Orders

  • Liverpool Road – 31 December, x4 bays (bays opposite Potato Wharf/Castlefield Hotel)
  • Duke Place – 31 December, x7 bays
  • Duke Street – 31 December, x4 bays
  • Beaufort Street – 31 December, x4 bays
It’s the first fireworks display in the city centre since 2019 / Credit: Alex Jones (via Unsplash)

“We think the time is now right to show how proud we are of our fantastic city, and to celebrate it as we close the door on 2023 and look ahead to 2024 and beyond,” explained Councillor Pat Karney, who is Manchester City Council’s Christmas and New Year spokesperson, as he confirmed the return of the annual new year tradition.

“Mancunians really are the best people in the world, and we can’t think of a better way of welcoming in a new year filled with new possibilities for all of us than spending it with those we love.”

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Customer access to all businesses within the closures will be maintained on the night of New Year’s Eve (31 December), Manchester City Council has confirmed.

More information about the event, and road closures planned can be found on the Council website.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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