People are being urged to avoid drinking alcohol this week, as scorching and potentially record-breaking temperatures hit the UK.
Although many Brits only need to catch just a glimpse of sun to prompt grabbing themselves a nice cold tipple from the fridge, or heading on down to their nearest beer garden to make the most of the warm weather before it inevitably disappears in a couple of days, experts are actually warning against that this week.
And there’s a very good reason for it.
In case it’s somehow passed you by, the Met Office has officially issued a Red weather warning for extreme heat in the east of England, the Midlands, and parts of the North West for today and tomorrow in what is the first time in UK history – with temperatures forecast to reach record highs of 40°C in some areas.
An amber warning for heat is also in place across the rest of England, Wales, and some parts of southern Scotland.
People are being urged to avoid drinking alcohol during the UK heatwave / Credit: Fred Moon | Will Stewart (via Unsplash)
When the warm weather hits, most of us will naturally reach for a drink to cool down and are generally aware of doctors’ advice us to keep as hydrated as possible, but what we choose to drink is more important than you may initially think.
ADVERTISEMENT
Alcohol is classed as being a diuretic, which basically means it makes us wee more, and of course, when you wee more, you become more dehydrated – hence why experts over at alcohol advice platform Drinkaware are warning against people drinking to excess over the next couple of days.
“Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it encourages the kidneys to lose extra fluid,” Drinkaware’s website reads.
“That is why you tend to go the toilet to urinate much more when you drink alcohol.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Alcohol also makes you sweat more [and] the combination of sweating more in the heat, and going to the toilet more, means you lose more fluid than you take in and can become dehydrated unless you replace that lost fluid by drinking water.”
The Met Office is calling the forecasted temperates over these next two days as “absolutely unprecedented”, and is urging people to treat the warning it is issuing “as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow”.
The national weather service is urging people to “follow the advice”.
“Stay out of the sun, keep your home cool, think about adjusting your plans for the warning period,” the Met Office says.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also published a number of resources outlining the risks of the expected heat and actions you can take to protect yourself and others over the next couple of days – which includes a ‘Beat the Heat: Keep cool at home checklist‘, and is available on the Heatwave plan for England page.
Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper… for some reason
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched its latest Christmas creation, and this one’s arguably wackier than anything else it’s brought out before.
There’s absolutely no denying that pigs in blankets are a staple of festive feasting, with millions of the little delicacies consumed throughout the UK each Christmas, but have you ever wished you could turn the taste of those pigs in blankets into a lickable wrapping paper to wrap all this year’s gifts in? Yeah probably not… Aldi‘s made it though.
It’s anticipated that more than 561 million pigs in blankets are going to be eaten over the festive period, new research has found, which is an average of 10 per person.
But if you just can’t bare to leave the taste of pigs in blankets behind, Aldi’s new wrapping paper is set to give shoppers a fun and tasty twist when it comes to gift-giving.
The limited-edition wrapping paper is inspired by Aldi’s very-own range of pigs in blankets, and is described as capturing the smoky, savoury flavour and smell of the festive treat, with stickers that peel back to reveal a truly unique ‘lickable’ experience.
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper / Credit: Simon Jacobs/PA Wire (via Aldi UK)
Not only does the novelty wrapping paper taste and smells like pigs in blankets, it also looks the part on presents too with its pastel pink design, festive holly, and snowflake patterns.
“Pigs in Blankets are a highlight of the festive season… so we wanted to create something special to celebrate the Christmas classic,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, as the new creation launches.
“This unique, lickable wrapping paper is the perfect way to spread extra joy on Christmas Day.”
Want to get your hands on it then? Unfortunately, it won’t be as simple as popping to your nearest Aldi store and picking up a roll, as with a creation as unique as this, there’s only going to be limited stock and a special shopper competition to win it.
To be in with a chance of winning, you simply need to email [email protected] with your full name before the deadline at 11:59pm on 1 December.
Emily Sergeant -
18th July 2022 
