News

John Lewis Christmas Store opens four months early

John Lewis has announced that it has opened its online Christmas store in August - four months before the big bearded man in the red hat comes to town.

The Manc The Manc - 28th August 2020
Yannis Cotsonis / Unsplash

Christmas has actually come early this year. 

John Lewis has announced that it has opened its online Christmas store in August – four months before the big bearded man in the red hat comes to town. 

The motivation for the early opening comes following a surge in Christmas shopping searches online – which have catapulted by 370 per cent on the John Lewis website from the same time last year. 

The most sought after items appear to be in the festive theme – including Christmas trees, baubles, lights and wrapping paper.

It’s been a pretty morbid year all round, so it makes sense that people are looking ahead to happier times.

Peter Turner / Geograph

Jason Billings-Cray, partner and Christmas buyer at John Lewis, said: “Christmas always provides a reason for celebration and a welcome break.”

“Understandably it looks as if people are looking forward to and planning for it earlier than ever this year.”

“Christmas celebrations mostly take place in our homes and we have seen how the lockdown has made people think more about their homes, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that people are already thinking about how they will decorate their homes this Christmas.”

Christmas items are available to browse online right now. 

They will be ready to buy in stores from 25 September onwards.

News

Urgent appeal issued following serious road traffic collision involving motorcyclist on M60

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant M60 near Denton

An urgent appeal has been issued following a serious road traffic collision on the M60.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for information and dash-cam footage, as well as urging witnesses to come forward, after a motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries during a collision on the M60 this past Saturday (12 July).

Shortly after 1:40pm, police were called a report of a collision involving a motorbike on the anti-clockwise side of the motorway, between junctions 25 and 24.

When patrols responded and arrived on the scene, they found a man in his 50s – believed to be the motorcyclist – with life-threatening injuries, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment in an air ambulance, with his family being informed in the process.

An urgent appeal has been issued following a serious road traffic collision involving motorcyclist on the M60 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The M60 was closed in one direction, between Bredbury and Denton, following the crash from around 2:30pm onwards, and all traffic was diverted while investigations were ongoing.

GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is in the process of conducting enquiries, and at this time, it isn’t believed that any other vehicle was involved in this incident.

This is why police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or who has dash-cam footage, to get in on contact.

Police have also thanked the members of the public who stopped by the roadside to give the man initial first aid before emergency services arrived.

Read more:

Anyone with information or footage should contact GMP on 0161 856 4741, quoting incident 1903 of 12/07/2025.

Details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – Mikey (via Flickr)

News

Police issue update on Oasis arrests and fence-jumpers

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Police issue update on Oasis arrests and fence-jumpers

Greater Manchester Police have shared an update on the arrests made at the opening two nights of Oasis Live ’25.

More than 100,000 people have flocked up to Heaton Park on Friday and Saturday evening for the first two of five Oasis reunion shows.

And largely, things have gone without a hitch, with only 15 arrests made so far.

The majority of these are arrests on suspicion of fraud, with five men and a woman in three separate incidents attempting to access the Oasis gig with fake accreditation.

Another man was arrests on suspicion of assaulting a member of security staff.

Two more men were arrested on suspicion of assault – a section 18 inside the Oasis gig at Heaton Park, and another for a section 47 outside.

Police have also said that ‘a number of people’ have attempted to access the gigs without tickets, with a perimeter gate breached on Saturday night, but ‘failed to do so’.

Five drones which breached airspace restrictions were seized on Friday.

A Section 34 Dispersal Order, which gives officers the power to direct individuals to leave a specified area and not return for 48 hours, has been in place for each night of the Oasis concerts so far.

This will be re-assessed before each concert this week, with the Gallagher brothers back at Heaton Park on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

GMP around Manchester ahead of the Oasis reunion shows. Credit: GMP
GMP around Manchester ahead of the Oasis reunion shows. Credit: GMP

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle said: “We have been planning for these events for several months, working with partners and the organisers to make sure everyone can enjoy the concerts safely. To that end, I’m pleased to say that the first two Oasis homecoming events have been a success.

“What has been especially pleasing is how more than 100,000 people have enjoyed these iconic events safely and without trouble.

“We will have a highly visible presence in and around Heaton Park, and across the city, to ensure the next three events continue to pass safely.

“A number of people without tickets attempted to gain entry through a perimeter gate on Saturday night but failed to do so.

Police issue update on Oasis arrests and fence-jumpers
Credit: The Manc Group
Police issue update on Oasis arrests and fence-jumpers
Credit: Tiktok benwalkerofficial
Police say ‘just 15’ arrests made at Oasis so far

“We continue to support the event organisers and the local authority with their plans preventing any unauthorised access to the arena site.

“While arrests have thankfully been minimal, we have had to take some suspects to custody, including one after an alleged assault on a steward on Saturday night. We will not tolerate any abuse of anyone doing their job.

“On Friday night we also dealt with a number of breaches of airspace restrictions involving drones where our officers seized five drones and spoke to two other pilots.

“We continue to have airspace restrictions in place on the nights of the concerts and anyone found breaching the one-and-a-half-mile restriction zone could face prosecution.”

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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