Christmas

This company replants your Christmas tree – then rents it back to you every year

Instead of being left to turn brown and die on the side of the road, Green Tree Glossop will give your Christmas tree new life - collecting and replanting it for use the following year

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 23rd November 2021

A Christmas tree company in Glossop is offering ethically-minded customers replantable trees that can be rented back year after year.

Christmas trees at Green Tree Glossop are grown in special pots planted directly into the ground, meaning they can be replanted at the end of the festive period

The company gives you the option to choose a tree, which it delivers to your door in time for Christmas.

It then collects the trees back in January, replants them in the ground, and looks after them all year – ready for you to rent back year on year.

Image: Green Tree Glossop

This means that people can rent a tree year on year that literally grows with their family, with some even naming their trees for that added personal touch.

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As well as offering a sustainable tree rental service, Green Tree Glossop also provides dedicated tree care advice to ensure the tree stays at its best throughout the season and can be successfully replanted for the following year.

Fake snow and glitter are a no-no, as is pruning – which can lead to infection. Renters are also advised to water their tree daily and keep it away from any heat sources to avoid killing it before it can be returned to the ground.

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It’s a no-brainer for anyone trying to have a more sustainable Christmas this year.

Image: Green Tree Glossop

The company stock a range of different trees, including popular varieties like Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, Nordmann Fir, and Fraser Fir, uploading pictures of all trees to its shop for customers to choose from.

First established in 2019, the family-run business offers a Christmas tree delivery service in Glossop and to its surrounding villages.

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Delivery is limited to a small radius as driving too far adds to the carbon footprint, undermining the environmental benefits of replanting trees in the first place.

In previous years, customers from further afield have been able to collect their trees in person – although it is not clear whether that service will be available this year due to Covid-19.

Pictures of this year’s trees are currently being taken, ready to be uploaded to the shop for ordering. To find out more, visit the company’s website here.

Feature image – Green Tree Glossop via Facebook

Christmas

The Pogues announce Manchester gig on first tour since death of frontman Shane MacGowan

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Pogues announce first tour since the death of Shane MacGowan

The Pogues have announced their first UK tour since the death of former frontman, Shane MacGowan, with Manchester one of just half a dozen cities chosen.

Nearly a full year on from his death at just 65, the Anglo-Irish favourites best known for their eternal Christmas classic, ‘Fairytale of New York’, are gearing up for their first outing since their iconic lead singer’s passing as a celebration of his life and their seminal second album.

It’s been 13 years since their last headline tour shortly before their split and it will be 40 years since the release of Rum Sodomy and the Lash by the time they hit the road along with special guests.

Safe to say it’ll be an emotional series of shows for everyone involved.

Revealing just six shows here in the UK, the long-standing band are set to play their sophomore release in full as well as a selection of their greatest hits.

The tour will feature remaining original members James Fearnley, Jem Finer, and Peter Richard ‘Spider’ Stacy, as well as a series of support that are yet to be confirmed.

Speaking on the upcoming dates, The Pogues said: “After the uproarious bash which was the 40th anniversary of our first record, Red Roses for Me, in 2024, we wanted to do it again, but with Rum Sodomy & the Lash.”

The music veterans are remaining tight-lipped about who they’re bringing along but they have promised their selections have been “thoughtfully chosen”.

With MacGowan, lead guitarist Philip Chevron (2013), bassist Darryl Hunt (2022) and long-time collaborator Kirsty MacColl (2000) now having passed away, the band will be roping in plenty of help on vocals and instrumentation.

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Even though the gigs themselves will be coming at the of next spring, you can rest assured you’ll get to hear your beloved festive ballad.

Kicking off the tour in Leeds, The Pogues will play their first Manchester show in over a decade – and without Shane MacGowan front and centre – at the O2 Apollo on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.

General admission will be available from 9:30am on Friday, 22 November but you can access pre-sale by registering via their website by 5pm this Tuesday (19 November).

Get ready to grab your tickets HERE.

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Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Mordac (via Flickr)

Christmas

Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?

It’s funny how we all turn a blind eye to the temperature outside when it comes to the Christmas Markets.

At a time of year where should probably all be hibernating inside, droves of us instead head out to brave the elements all in the name of the festivities.

Of course, the Manchester Christmas Markets sell all sorts of wares to take the edge off, and we’re not just talking about the stalls selling woollen mittens everywhere.

Our favourite winter warmers tend to take the form of a tray of piping hot garlic potatoes, or a mug of hot chocolate, or another boozy beverage that’s massively underrated.

The drink in question is a Hot Blob, which is listed on the menu at the Piccadilly Gardens markets as ‘legendary’.

A bold claim, but a lot of long-time Manc residents will understand why.

The Hot Blob is a jaw-clenchingly sweet concoction served piping hot at the Manchester Christmas Market, similar to a hot toddy.

It’s made with Australian fortified white wine, lemon, sugar, and boiling water.

Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it? Credit: The Manc Group

The drink was first invented by Yates, that well-known pub chain, which started life as Yates’s Wine Lodge up the road in Oldham.

According to Pubs of Manchester, the Hot Blob has a tendency to ‘speed up drunkenness to a young drinker’.

These days, it’s pretty rare to come across one on a menu, but back in 1990s it was a staple in a few pubs around town.

There even used to be a ‘Blob Shop’ on High Street, run by local legend Ged Ford (now in charge of the equally legendary Millstone pub), which found itself in a state of utter carnage when the IRA bomb went off.

The long-lost institution specialised in ‘cheap wine, cheap beer, and plenty of blobs’.

The old Yates Blob Shop on High Street, Manchester. Credit: deltrems@flickr

Ged sold 6,000 a week.

And while the drink may have fallen out of favour since then, there are still healthy numbers being sold at this time of year, even if they are a damn sight more expensive than they were in the 1990s (£6 a pop, plus a glass deposit).

Anyway. If you’re sick to the back teeth of the endless gluhwein being peddled across the markets, make a beeline for Manchester Winter Ale House at Piccadilly Gardens, where you can find Hot Blobs as well as boozy Vimto and cask ales.

The Manchester Christmas Markets officially end on 22 December.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

More Christmas

Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine

Christmas

Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine

Manchester has been named one of the top winter destinations in Europe. Credit: The Manc Group

Christmas

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