Whether you can believe it or not, we’ll be getting ready to say welcome in December by this time next week.
And that also means in won’t be long before 2024 arrives either.
2023 has been quite the year, and with the working world getting ready to wind down for the festive season, many are no doubt already looking ahead to the new year, and planning all the holidays and time off work they want to book.
Fancy making the most of it though? For those looking to play their cards right and hack the system a little bit, travel insurance price comparison platform PayingTooMuch has worked out a way to secure yourself a whopping 55 days off work using just 25 days of your annual leave allowance – and it’s pretty impressive.
With most full-time employees who work a five-day week having a minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) of paid annual leave each year, travel experts at the company have figured out how these people can effectively double their time off in 2024.
Here’s how it works.
There’s a way to get 55 days off in 2024 using only 25 days of annual leave / Credit: Behnam Norouzi | Marissa Grootes (via Unsplash)
January
Saturday 30 December 2023 to Sunday 7 January 2024 – To extend your new year celebrations, you’ll want to book four days off at the start of the year for a total of nine days off.
Easter
Saturday 23 March to Sunday 7 April – With Good Friday falling on 29 March next year, you can enjoy a long Easter break of 16 days by only booking eight days off.
May
Saturday 4 May to Monday 12 May or Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June – Thanks to the two bank holidays in May, there’s two ways for you to enjoy nine days off in a row by only using four days of annual leave.
August
Saturday 24 August to Sunday 1 September – Here you can book just four days off in August to gain nine days off for a summer holiday.
December
Saturday 21 December 2024 to Tuesday 1 January 2025 – To end the year on a high and give yourself the chance to properly enjoy the festive period with family and friends, you can book five days of annual leave to gain 12 days off in total.
There’s also loads of health-boosting benefits about taking time off from work / Credit: Towfiqu Barbhuiya (via Unsplash)
PayingTooMuch also spoke to Wellbeing Coach Lorna Wilkins to explore the health-boosting benefits of going on holiday and taking time off from work.
“One of the key health benefits of going on holiday is that it reduces stress,” Lorna explains.
“Having a break from your daily routine can make you feel more relaxed and therefore improve your mental wellbeing.
“A change of environment and getting away from the pressures of day-to-day life not only helps you to clear your mind but can also help to improve your sleep quality as you’ll be feeling more relaxed.”
Viral Manchester beauty brand P. Louise to open first ever flagship store in Trafford Palazzo
Thomas Melia
Beauty brand and viral cosmetics giant P. Louise has announced her first ever flagship store, and it’s opening at Trafford Palazzo.
Droylsden-born beauty guru, turned makeup mogul, P. Louise, is opening her first ever flagship store in Manchester in one of the region’s biggest shopping centres.
Titled P. Louise City, the pastel pink viral cosmetics company is launching its very-first physical site in Trafford Palazzo.
The beauty brand has become a social media sensation, as well as a Greater Manchester hotspot thanks to its P. Louise Empire headquarters located in Stockport.
This pink-furnished warehouse site offers customers an immersive experience with makeover sessions, shopping DIY activities, a cafe, and lots of photo opportunities.
The upcoming P. Louise City is set to build off this success with a 19,000 sq ft store that houses a variety of distinctive zones with iconic names.
You’ll be able to quench your thirst at the ‘Bad B*tch Juice Bar’, find all the latest pink-hued goodies at ‘Juicy News’, and pick up all your essentials at the ‘P. Louise Supermarket’.
P. Louise may not be a medical company, but her ‘P. Louise Pharmacy’ will cure all your retail therapy needs, and although many of her fans already knew her products were liquid gold, the ‘P. Louise Vault’ definitely confirms this.
As well as lots of shopping areas throughout this massive Trafford Palazzo site, there will be lots of hands-on activities – including makeup education zones, and even a dancefloor to bust a move or two.
P. Louise is set to open its first ever flagship store titled P. Louise City in Trafford Palazzo / Credit: Supplied
In an Instagram post on her personal social media account she calls this physical store ‘a dream come true’, adding: “[It’s] truly a pinch me moment – here’s to my next chapter”.
Featured Images – Press Shots / @plouise1 via Instagram
Trending
The man saving Manchester’s city pigeons from ‘stringfoot’
Daisy Jackson
A man has been patrolling the streets of Manchester to save our city’s pigeons from a condition known as ‘stringfoot’.
We all walk past hundreds of the birds every day in the city centre and they often get a bad rap – but one now-viral TikTok account is hoping to change all that.
In a series of heartwarming videos, one man has been heading out in his free time to treat pigeons afflicted with the dreaded ‘stringfoot’.
It’s a common sight now to see pigeons missing toes or walking around Manchester on deformed feet, which is often caused when the poor birds become tangled up in foreign matter.
Sometimes this is bits of string, plastic, thread, hair or a number of other things usually dropped by humans.
But with quick intervention from Tom, he can save these pigeons from a life of limping around town.
He’s been heading out armed with bags of seed to lure groups of pigeons close to him, before carefully catching the afflicted animal and carefully cutting away the material around its foot.
He uses things like stitch pickers to remove the thread, before cleaning up the pigeon’s foot with saline spray and antiseptic and gently releasing them again.
Tom said he started helping pigeons ‘sort of by accident’ when a bird with stringfoot came up to his flat.
In one month alone, he was able to catch and treat 15 pigeons, saving them from infection and injury.
And the account is getting lots of love and driving awareness for stringfoot and changing people’s perception of pigeons.
One person wrote on one of Tom’s videos: “We did pigeons so wrong as a society. Thanks for helping!”
Another said: “Pigeons Are NOT TRASH, they are a birds, who need help like cats, dogs and every living animals.”
And someone else commented: “These sort of videos make me cry because we’re so mean to pigeons, this might be the first time someone’s done something kind to them.”
You can find out more on how to help pigeons in your area HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
24th November 2023 
