A famous ‘winter wonderland’ house in Tameside has managed to raise thousands of pounds for charity after only being set up for just a week.
It’s the house seen all across Greater Manchester.
And not just because it’s been festooned from top to bottom with some of the most spectacular Christmas lights and decorations you’ll ever see, but because it’s also gone viral online, racking up thousands of views, interactions and comments from admirers all over the region.
The house on Baroness Road in Audenshaw has certainly been drawing the crowds in over the past week, and it’s all been for a very worthy cause too.
Jamie Stirling has been putting lights outside his, now famous, home to celebrate the festive season for the last three years, but thought that this Christmas, after what has been a year like no other, the decorating should be taken to the next level.
And that’s exactly what he did.
Included in the collection of decorations this year are more than 20,000 twinkling lights, traditional bells and ribbons, a gigantic inflatable Santa, and even a twelve-foot Christmas tree complete with candy canes for visiting children to take home with them.
Ice skating penguins also take up the driveway, and a family of reindeer are found in the front garden.
What’s more is that, as well as the traditional decorations, a letterbox on the side of the house also means children can post their letters to Santa – and every single one gets a personal reply too.
Speaking on this year’s festivities, Jamie said: “It’s been getting more popular every year but with lockdown I wanted something for the families and kids to enjoy. If we’re all going to be locked down, then we may as well just have a walk around and enjoy some Christmas decorations.”
“I’ve had people come down from Liverpool, Ramsbottom, Swinton, and Bury,” he said. “People have been driving a good distance to come and see it.”
The decadent display is thought to have cost near to £4,000 to put together, but according to Jamie, it’s money well spent, and it’s money he’s making it back in the name of charity too, as he’s already raised £2,000 that will go towards the region’s struggling families.
“We’ve really put some thought into it this year as we’re raising money for charity,” Jamie said.
“It’s had hundreds of shares and thousands of likes on Facebook and I’ve been contacted by local media [so] the general response has been really good [and] people have told us it’s great what we’re doing and it’s nice to see,
“It makes it feel like a normal Christmas despite no one doing anything with the lockdown.”
He continued: Last year, people were trying to donate and I hadn’t even thought about trying to raise money, so this year we’ve decided to do a fundraiser for Wood Street’s Christmas appeal, for toys for struggling families [as] we thought it would be nice to do donations for them with lockdown bringing all the problems everyone’s going through.”
Gemma Quinton / Sunflower Daze Photography
All donations before 9th December will be contributed directly to Wood Street Mission, and the remaining funds raised after that cut-off date will go towards the similar initiative – Hits Radio’s Cash for Kids Mission Christmas appeal.
“We’ve been really surprised with the donations – we didn’t set a specific target but thought that £500 would be brilliant and then within a week we’d hit £2,000,
“It’s been a really big success – really good.”
And this success of the decorations and donations has already got Jamie thinking forward to what he can do to make sure 2021 is even better still.
“It’s definitely been worth it,” he explained, “everyone’s been calling it ‘the Christmas house’ and asking if it’s going to be a yearly thing and I’ve thought with this year’s success, I’ll definitely bring it back and already have plans for next year,”
“The amount of people turning up just to see it shows how it’s worked really well for everyone,
“I’m really pleased.”
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Bryan Mbuemo transfer saga looks to finally be over as Manchester United agree deal with Brentford
Danny Jones
In one of the biggest transfer sagas of the 2025 summer transfer window, it looks like Manchester United have got their man, as an agreement with Brentford FC is in place and a move for Bryan Mbuemo looks to be a done deal.
Following weeks and weeks of speculation, minor nudges back and forth in the market, it has now been reported that French-born Mbuemo is heading to Man United, having made it apparent that Old Trafford was his desired destination for some time.
Having initially entered a bid of around £45 million before bonuses last month, the west London club stuck to their guns and appear to have got their overall asking price for the player.
According to Ornstein, a trusted transfer source and ever-reliable journalist, United are expected to pay Brentford an estimated £65m for Mbeumo’s signature.
However, with add-ons of approximately £6m, the attacking midfielder’s total price comes out at more than £70m, making his a fee a sales record for a now established Premier League side who have become known as a ‘feeder/selling club’ with excellent recruitment.
It is also said that MUFC and INEOS have arranged for a payment structure that will see the transfer funded over the course of four-year instalments, with a contract valid until 2030 and the option to extend by a further 12 months.
Well-known for using the so-called ‘Moneyball‘ model to their success in recent years, Mbuemo was signed by the Bees back in 2019, when they were still in the Championship, and he cost just £5.8m from ES Troyes AC – also a club record signing at the time.
Fast forward just a few seasons, not to mention 121 goal contributions in all competitions (28 of those coming last season alone), and he’s been deemed worth about 12 times that amount.
Here are just a few reasons why they’ve been after him.
"He's a player who likes to attack space!" 🔥
With Bryan Mbuemo Manchester United-bound, what can we expect from the winger? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ebmG8scUBy
Still just 25 years old, it’s fair to say he fits the balance of age and experience that the club are looking to recruit, as well as boasting a profile that suits the system Ruben Amorim is looking to deploy with his ever-shifting squad.
At least on paper, anyway.
Meanwhile, outgoing deals are still expected to be completed before the end of the summer window, with key first-team players like homegrown Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and loanee Antony all still expected to depart.
A petition has been created to make Prestwich’s Oasis-inspired ‘Aldeh’ sign permanent
Danny Jones
We love how Greater Manchester, the UK and, indeed, the whole world have been gripped by Oasis fever – even brands like Aldi, who recently renamed one of their local shops ‘Aldeh’ in honour of Oasis and Manc accents everywhere; in fact, there’s even a petition to make it permanent.
And it’s already starting to gather some steam…
That’s right, the Aldi in Prestwich – or ‘Aldeh’ as we shall hopefully refer to it from now until forever – has seen not just local shoppers in and around Bury, but Oasis fans and even just curious Mancunians visit the location to see it for themselves.
In case this silly but oddly satisfying bit of news somehow passed you by, here it is in all its (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory:
A slightly caricatured and over-the-top impersonation of the most Gallagher-esque voice ever? Maybe. Fun to record? Definitely Maybe.
The sign itself has stood outside the branch located near Heaton Park for just over a fortnight now in honour of the Live ’25 reunion gigs and has drawn plenty of attention.
As described by the creator of the petition, Ella Curtis – a Manchester native herself – “photos of the sign went viral, because it tapped into something meaningful: pride in where we’re from, and in what this city has given the world. In short, Prestwich got its own Blue Plaque.”
Simply entitled, ‘Make “Aldeh” Permanent: A Tribute to Manchester’s Musical Legacy’, you can find a lengthy and surprisingly inspiring explanation detailing why the petition matters down below.
“1. A Tribute to Manchester’s Cultural Legacy
Manchester’s contribution to music – and to British culture more broadly – is unmatched. Oasis gave the world BritPop and helped define a generation. The ‘Aldeh’ sign reflects that heritage in a way that feels authentic, local, and proud.
2. A Source of Local Pride
As a proud Mancunian, I’ve seen the reaction firsthand. The sign has brought a real sense of community, joy, and identity to the area. People stop to take pictures, to smile, to talk. In a time when towns often struggle to feel distinctive, this simple change has sparked something genuinely positive.
3. A Cultural Landmark in the Making
In just a short time, the sign has become a local attraction and even a landmark – a destination for fans. It is a symbol and reminder of how we, as Mancunians all came together to celebrate one of the biggest reunion concerts from one of the world’s biggest bands happening right on our doorstep!
The ‘Aldeh‘ sign might have started as a temporary campaign, but it’s come to mean something more – to this city, to its people, and to anyone who recognises the power of music and place.”
Of course we’ve signed it. (Credit: Screenshot via Change.org)
Already listed on Google as a ‘cultural landmark’, even boasting 5-star reviews, Aldi themselves have responded by saying: “Boss said we also need 10,000 likes and a comment from one of the Gallaghers.”
It’s your time to shine, folks – we’ll worry about the two later.
The ‘Aldeh’ petition page ends with a simple but moving message: “Sign if you agree – let’s make ‘Aldeh’ a lasting part of Manchester’s story.”
Listen, it’s very rare that you see a city, a country and arguably the entire world taken over by a collective obsession and unified love of music and art; with that in mind, you best believe we’re right behind this.
And if you fancy tacking the ‘Aldeh’ sign onto a tour of important Oasis heritage sights in 0161, then look no further.
Emily Sergeant -
4th December 2020 
