People are calling for there to be an extra bank holiday in England if the Lionesses clinch the win in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 final.
After what has truly been an outstanding string of victories in the lead-up to the grand finale of European football’s flagship tournament over the last couple of weeks, England women’s national team are set to face Germany in a long-awaited showdown on Sunday evening.
The Lionesses will play in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium after booking their ticket to the final by beating competition favourites Sweden in the semi-final on Tuesday.
Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo, and Fran Kirby all found the back of the net for England in the thrilling 4-0 victory, which is just one of several wins that have gone on to inspire the nation and prompted people on social media to call for an extra bank holiday should the Lionesses come out on top this Sunday.
The calls for an extra bank holiday should England’s women’s team bring home the title of European champions come after similar calls were made when the England men’s equally made their way to the EURO 2020 final against Italy last year.
Although, as most football fans will know, that extra day off was never granted as the Three Lions lost out – but many are hoping for a different ending to the story this weekend.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer – who was spotted at Tuesday’s semi-final match at Bramall Lane in Sheffield with his wife, Victoria – is one of the notable names who has reportedly joined fans in calling for a “day of celebration” in the form of an extra bank holiday.
He told The Mirror: “The whole country will be roaring on the Lionesses in the final on Sunday.
“They have already done us proud, but if they win it will be a truly historic achievement – one that should be marked with a proper day of celebration, where clubs can open and promote access for women and girls.”
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Starmer’s endorsement of an extra bank holiday follows Tory former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey’s own calls for a day of worthy celebrations.
England will face Germany in the final of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 on Sunday / Credit: Lionesses (via Twitter)
Tracey Crouch also told The Mirror: “The Lionesses have already made the nation so proud, blazing a trail for women’s football everywhere [so] if we win on Sunday, let’s give everyone a chance to celebrate with a special bank holiday as we said we would for the men.”
Sir Ed Davey added: “If football comes home, then the country must be allowed to celebrate it.”
In response to the growing calls for an extra bank holiday in the event of the Lionesses’ victory, a government spokesperson has said: “The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and while an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday is considerable.”
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
29th July 2022 
