It’s officially that time of year, the annual John Lewis Christmas advert has been released to the world this morning.
November is here, the festive season is right around the corner, and now, after much speculation, department store retailer John Lewis has finally unveiled its 2021 Christmas advert – and of course, it’s another tearjerker.
It’s fair to say that the release of the John Lewis Christmas advert is an event the whole country waits for every year.
Over the years, we have seen a snowman on a mission to find a gift for his snow girlfriend, a friendship between a bear and a hare, and the heartwarming story of a the young girl who spots a lonely old man on the moon.
We’ve also had characters such as Monty the Penguin, Moz The Monster, and Excitable Edgar in recent years.
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But this year, it’s all about a young alien.
What happens when an #UnexpectedGuest lands in your forest? 🌠 You show them how Christmas is done, of course 🎄
Explaining the premise of this year’s advert, John Lewis said: “This year’s Christmas advert is the magical tale of 14-year-old Nathan, who discovers an unexpected guest and space traveller, Skye, has landed in the woods beside his home.
“As he introduces her to the season’s traditions, from decorating the tree to eating mince pies, their friendship develops and we see the magic of Christmas through the eyes of someone experiencing it for the very first time.”
The soundtrack – which is also often a big talking point of the annual adverts, with previous tracks storming up the charts – is a cover of Together In Electric Dreams, originally released by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder in 1984.
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The track is performed by 20-year-old London singer and songwriter Lola Young.
Shoppers will be able to buy a version of the Christmas jumper that Nathan gives Skye, which costs between £14 and £29 – depending on size – with 10% of the profits going to the charities FareShare and Home-Start UK.
“There is nothing more magical than discovering the joy of Christmas for the first time and enjoying your favourite festive moments with loved ones,” said Claire Pointon, Customer Director at John Lewis.
“After the last 18 months, we wanted our advert to really celebrate this as we look forward to a brighter future.
“We know our customers are excited for this festive season more than ever, as they reconnect with family and friends [and] through the story of Skye and Nathan we celebrate friendship and are reminded of the joy of experiencing Christmas for the first time.”
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 -
4th November 2021 
