Christmas

Trafford Centre’s popular Santa’s Grotto is back this Christmas

Santa Claus is coming to town.

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 14th October 2024

The main man is making our northern city his new home at one of Greater Manchester’s biggest shopping centres this winter time.

Starting in November and running all the way up until Christmas Eve, Santa is swapping the cold air of the North Pole for the cloudy skies of Manchester, as he starts his annual journey around the world by making a visit to our region.

Not only is Santa travelling with his grotto, he’s also giving visitors the chance to experience the world of the North Pole as he brings the chilly destination to the Trafford Centre.

On top of the already-impressive Grotto, there’s lots of other things to do this festive season too, and guests also can wander through Candy Cane Land, The Enchanted Forest, Merry Maker’s Studio, and Santa’s Study.

The Trafford Centre’s popular Santa’s Grotto is back this Christmas / Credit: Trafford Centre (via Supplied)

There will be allocated time slots for a ‘Whispering Winter’ event, with dimmer lights, quieter music, and reduced amount of visitors to make sure the opportunity to see Santa is open to everyone.

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Each paying child will receive a gift for no extra charge, with tickets priced at £25 for children and accompanying adults pay a reduced price of £7.50.  

Santa may live in the chilly North, but once you enter The Grotto, you will certainly be greeted with a warm welcome from him and his wonderful elves who are helping him out.

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For just over a month, from 16 November to 24 December, Santa’s Grotto will be located outside The Great Hall in the old Frankie & Benny’s unit.

Tickets are already on sale here.

Featured Image – Trafford Centre (via Supplied)

Christmas

Gavin and Stacey Christmas special on course to break UK TV viewing figures record

Danny Jones Danny Jones Gavin and Stacey Christmas special breaks record for UK TV viewing figures

Gavin and Stacey is set to break yet another TV record as this year’s Christmas special and definitive series finale has become one of the UK’s most-watched scripted shows ever.

The iconic British comedy returned after a long hiatus to finally conclude the series with its first new episode in five years.

Delighting die-hard fans and comedy fans in general all over the country, millions tuned in to watch the last-ever Gavin and Stacey chapter – over 19 million, in fact.

With 12.3m watching the finale on Christmas Day alone and even more in the week following, the tally has now reached approximately 19.3m and counting.

Not only did this smash their own previous record of more than 18m set by the last Christmas special back in 2019 but it is well on course to cruise past the 20m mark when the official seven-day viewing figures are released, which is standard practice for assessing final ratings and viewing figures in the UK.

Almost a quarter of the viewers who helped achieve the feat were aged 16-34 as well, making it the largest young audience ever, according to the BBC.

The emotional reunion of the beloved cast looks set to see them surpass Coronation Street‘s record of 19.4m set in 2003 and could even see them beat the legendary British sitcom, Only Fools & Horses, which saw 21.3m viewers gather around the box for their 2001 Christmas day episode.

So, although the BBC states that it is the “most-watched scripted show across all broadcasters and streamers since current records began in 2002”, it still technically has a little way to go in order to match/surpass the biggest-ever tally.

That being said, when factoring in the stats from all live views and digital streams, the final numbers should see them over the line.

Regardless of whatever seven or indeed 28-day figure they end up on, co-creators, writers and stars James Corden and Ruth Jones have been blown away by the success of the one-off comeback.

Writing by way of recognition and as a thank you to the fans, they said: “We are completely overwhelmed by the audience response to our show and to these astonishing viewing figures.

“Gavin & Stacey really does belong to the audience and we are beyond thrilled that so many people enjoyed watching it this Christmas. A huge thank you to Charlotte Moore and the BBC for backing us these past 17 years.”

The ratings and overall reaction to the show have also been overwhelmingly positive, with millions tearing up over the long-awaited storyline – even if some of those watching pointed out one little problem…

Viewers find just ONE flaw with ‘perfect’ Gavin and Stacey finale
It got five stars pretty much across the board.

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Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer, went on to add: “The numbers are truly outstanding, unprecedented even! It’s the show the entire nation has been talking about over the last week so it’s no surprise that it’s not only smashed its own record but has become the UK’s biggest scripted show.

“Ruth and James’ creation is a true homegrown success story, and their finale is a comedy masterpiece. It’s made us laugh and cry together in a way that only Gavin & Stacey can.”

The final viewership for the 2024 special will be published on Monday, 6 January and take into account viewings across all platforms up to Thursday, 2 Jan – they already look destined for another entry in the history books.

What did you make of the finale – did it live up to the hype and, more importantly, where does it rank in terms of the best British Christmas TV specials of all time?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC

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 2025.

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

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