It’s been 20 years since the first instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise was released to the world – and now, the cast are set to reunite in celebration.
The original cast of the Harry Potter series, including its three star leads – Daniel Radcliffe, who played the title character, Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley – are set to reunite for a one-off TV special that will air on HBO Max on New Year’s Day.
The trio will join American filmmaker Chris Columbus to discuss the film franchise, and explore their creation in depth.
The special was announced yesterday exactly 20 years on from the US release of the first film, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, on 16 November 2001, and HBO Max said that Potterheads will be invited “on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time”.
A 52-second trailer was also released yesterday, featuring clips from several Harry Potter films and promising that “the legendary cast” would return “to where the magic started”.
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The trailer understandably set social media alight, and has been racking up millions of views.
As well as the franchise’s three lead stars, the TV special will also include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton and Tom Felton – who all played key characters in the series – and “many more” stars too.
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For the first time ever, the legendary cast returns to where the magic started. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: #ReturnToHogwarts, streaming New Year’s Day, only on HBO Max. International release coming soon. pic.twitter.com/53bHAf0WTY
Speaking ahead of the reunion, Executive Producer Casey Patterson said: “There’s magic in the air here with this incredible cast, as they all return home to the original sets of Hogwarts, where they began 20 years ago.
“The excitement is palpable as they prepare to take their fans on a very special and personal journey, through the making of these incredible films.”
Several of the franchise’s stars have also shared their excitement about the announcement of the reunion on social media, including Tom Felton and Matthew Lewis – who played Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom, respectively.
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But the biggest tribute to the film’s 20-year anniversary came from Emma Watson, who shared a lengthy Instagram post to promote the special.
She said Hermione Granger is her “favourite fictional character of all time”.
“I am proud not just of what we as group contributed as actors to the franchise but also as the children that became young adults that walked that path. I look at my fellow cast members now and I am just so proud of who everyone has become as people. I am proud we were kind to each other that we supported one another and that we held up something meaningful,” Watson added.
Return to Hogwarts will be released on 1 January 2022.
Featured Image – Warner Bros.
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Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
Featured Image – Geograph
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th November 2021 
