The John Lewis Christmas advert is has become an integral part in the lead-up to the festive season, and the retailer has promised this year’s campaign will be “like no other”.
While plans for the festive period remain uncertain at this stage due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, the release of the John Lewis Christmas advert is sure to bring a smile to people’s facing and have us shedding a tea or two of joy.
And ahead of this year’s launch – the date of which is as yet unconfirmed – the department store chain has shared some details of the advert, which is set to be “like no other” and will coincide with a festive campaign aimed at raising £5 million for struggling families.
John Lewis will kick-start an appeal in November to raise the funds for two worthy charities.
The money raised from the campaign will go toward FareShare – a charity which aims to help solve food poverty, and Home-Start – which works with parents who need support.
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Speaking on the 2020 Christmas campaign, Pippa Wicks – Executive Director of John Lewis & Partners – said: “In a year like no other, the world has changed – so we will be delivering a Christmas campaign like no other,”
“During 2020, we’ve seen some inspiring and heartwarming acts of kindness throughout our country and our communities [and] now we want to build on this spirit to create a legacy that extends well beyond Christmas,
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“Together we can all make a big difference to the families who need our help most.”
We are delighted to announce that @jlandpartners and @waitrose have partnered with FareShare and @homestartuk aiming to raise £5m and matching donations up to the value of £2m, to help us support 100,000 vulnerable families across the UK. pic.twitter.com/ZeoVAnuqjr
John Lewis said the £5 million total will help to support an estimated 100,000 families in need, and customers will be encouraged to donate to the campaign, with the retailer promising to match all donations up to a maximum of £2 million.
Not only that, but purchases using the My JL and My Waitrose loyalty cards will also generate donations for the two charities over the festive period.
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Lindsay Boswell – Chief Executive at FareShare UK – said: “In what has been an incredibly tough year for so many, more people than ever are turning to local charities and community groups for support because they simply can’t afford the food they need to feed their families and themselves.”
“We are so delighted to partner with Waitrose and John Lewis to provide support for the thousands of people in need across the UK in the run-up to Christmas and over the winter months,”
The advert and campaign comes in the midst of the ongoing #endchildfoodpoverty campaign fronted by Wythenshawe-born Manchester United star Marcus Rashford – who works in partnership with FareShare UK – which has already enabled thousands of children to claim free school meal vouchers throughout school holidays in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Waitrose – part of John Lewis & Partners – is a member of Rashford’s ‘Food Poverty Taskforce’.
Taking to Twitter this morning to acknowledge the campaign this morning, Rashford said that the advert concept was “brilliant”.
The John Lewis 2020 Christmas advert is expected to air this month.
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This new app shows you all the best happy hours in Manchester
Thomas Melia
IT’S TIIIIIME, no it’s not Christmas, but for some people it might be, as a new app has launched that lists all the best happy hours in Manchester.
The purpose of this happy hour spotting app has definitely been a topic of discussion between friends while over a few drinks on a night out, and now this idea has been brought to life.
Titled ‘Hoppy’, the all-new app shows you all the best happy hours in Manchester, even going as far as planning nights out for you and telling you what times each venue is hosting their exclusive offers.
Crazy Pedro’s are just one of the bars featured on this Happy Hour app.Trof is another venue that has a happy hour offering and has made its way onto the app.
Whether you’re after £6 margs at Ramona, two for one cocktails at Rewind or £4 draught pints and cider over at Arcane Bar, this app spells everything out for you plain and simple.
They even go as far as using their social media accounts to plan nights out in Manchester to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
In a post on their Instagram, they plan out the ultimate Tuesday night in the Northern Quarter, making the most of the various happy hours in the neighbourhood.
The happy hour app stops off at multiple pubs and bars, including frequently visited watering holes like Wolf at the Door, Trof, Bay Horse Tavern and Smithfield Social, before ending the night at Crazy Pedro’s.
Sounds like all the ingredients for the perfect crawl, if you ask us.
Revolución de Cuba, has a huge marg menu, is another drinks spot on Hoppy.Mother Mary’s serves some seriously good Guinness alongside some savvy savings too.
Go on, tell us looking at those hasn’t made you thirsty…
Next time you go out for drinks, why not download this happy hour spotting app along for the ride with you, and you won’t only thank yourself but your bank account will too.
‘Hoppy’ is available on the App Store now for everyone to make the most of their next night out and make finding the best happy hours in Manchester even easier HERE.
See you at the pub – provided happy hour is still on, of course.
Manchester pub named among the very best beer gardens in the UK
Danny Jones
A Manchester favourite has just been named among the best beer gardens in the UK for 2025, and we couldn’t agree more, to be honest.
If anything, it should be even higher up.
We’re talking about the crown jewel of Castlefield, The Wharf, sitting pretty on the Bridgewater Canal and serving pints and superb pub grub for over a decade now.
A fair few of us here at The Manc spend a good chunk of our free time in here, so let’s just say we wholeheartedly approve this message.
If you know anything about the history of The Wharf, you’ll know it wasn’t always the gem Mancs have been piling into since 2012; formerly carrying the Jackson’s prefix in its name, the beloved canalside boozer has changed a fair bit since then, incorporating brilliant gastropub, excellent service and more.
These days, it even has a dedicated outdoor bar and cocktail hatch dubbed ‘The Moorings’, which garners massive queues all of its own when the sun comes out.
So it’s not much of a surprise then to hear that the family and dog-friendly watering hole located just outside the bustling city centre landed itself in the top five beer gardens in the UK
This is according to Big 7 Travel, who placed The Wharf fifth best out of a total of 30 different brilliant boozers across Britain – the only local entry to break into even the top 10.
As they put it: “Another example of how beer gardens don’t have to be confined to rural country pubs, The Wharf in Manchester shows that despite its city centre location, a beer garden can still be the selling point of the pub for numerous guests.”
In fact, while the inside of the pub with its cosy alcoves and small rooms is excellent, it’s the outdoor parts which really make this worth visiting. From its bustling outdoor terrace, vibrant outdoor areas which sometimes feature live music performances in the summer, right down to its own boules court, this pub in the Castlefield area of Manchester is a must-visit when you next find yourself in the city centre.”
As it happens, there were only two other local entries included on the list: Spinningfields’ The Oast House, which came in at number 11, and The Wharf’s neighbour on the other side of the canal, Dukes 92. Deansgate-Castlefield representing.
Trust us, we spend a lot of time studying this, although it has been made rather easier by this helpful new app. You can find out more down below, and as you can see, The Wharf is front and centre once again. How fitting, eh?
What’s your favourite beer garden in Greater Manchester?
Emily Sergeant -
3rd November 2020 
