The online source for all things Christmas
Sunday, 14 December 2025
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Yuletide Old Fashioned (Woodford Reserve Edition)
Ingredients
60 ml Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon
1 tsp spiced demerara syrup (see below)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
A small strip of orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
3–4 frozen cranberries (for garnish and for gentle chilling)
Large ice cube or sphere
Spiced Demerara Syrup (make once, use all season)
200 g demerara sugar
200 ml water
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 small piece of orange peel
Gently heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, strain, and refrigerate. Keeps for 2–3 weeks.
Method
Chill a rocks glass.
Add the spiced demerara syrup and bitters to the glass.
Pour in the Woodford Reserve and stir gently.
Add a large ice cube and stir again until properly chilled.
Express the orange peel over the drink, rim the glass, then drop it in.
Garnish with the cinnamon stick and frozen cranberries.
Why it works
Woodford Reserve’s vanilla, caramel and toasted oak notes marry beautifully with warming Christmas spices.
Demerara sugar enhances depth without masking the bourbon.
Cranberries add festive flair without turning the drink sweet or sharp.
Optional Festive Variations
Smoky Christmas Eve: briefly smoke the glass with cinnamon bark or orange peel.
Nutty Noël: add ¼ tsp hazelnut liqueur for a subtle praline note.
Orange Grove: swap orange bitters for chocolate bitters for a Terry’s-inspired twist.
This is a proper Christmas Old Fashioned, grown-up, elegant, and unmistakably festive.
Saturday, 13 December 2025
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Friday, 12 December 2025
Asda debuts NEW Sparkling Red for just £6.52 per bottle
With a growing customer demand for more novel and premium fizz, Asda is mixing things up as little bit this Christmas season with a twist on a classic, introducing the exclusive to Asda Riunite Sparkling Red (£6.52) just in time for Christmas.
With a lower ABV of 9.5%, it’s set to steal the limelight this hosting season, providing a hybrid option for guests who enjoy red wine, but would like something lighter on Christmas Day, particularly to kick start the celebrations.
The added fizz gives it that celebration feel, providing a luxury drink that doesn’t come with a luxury price tag, costing just £6.52 at Asda.
From the famous Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, this light and refreshing sparkler is a modern take on Lambrusco, still made using the Charmat method but packaged for a younger, fizz-loving customer who enjoys a drier, fruiter drink. Perfect for celebrating ‘Friendsmas’, millennials already associate this trending beverage with celebratory occasions and lifestyle elevation.
With its floral raspberry and red cherry flavours, and a touch of savoury herbs and spices, it pairs best with charcuterie and grazing boards of salami, Parma ham and cheese, making it a great option this party season.
Asda’s Riunite Sparkling Red (£6.52) is available now, in stores and online, and is included in Asda’s Buy 6 Save 25% offer on wine, running now until the 18th of December, making it less than £30 (£29.34) for six bottles of delicious fizz.
Bradford nursery providing Christmas cheer for local care home with ‘gifting tree’
Over recent years, the nursery has erected a ‘gifting tree’ with families and friends invited to take a tag and purchase a present for local children in need or required to spend the festive season in hospital.
However, it’s all change for 2025.
Charlotte Hargreaves, Partou Woodlands House Nursery Manager, told That's Christmas 365: “Our gifting tree is up and looking marvellous, as ever.
"We're doing the tags again this year, but with a somewhat different spin as we are asking for donations for residents of our local care home who we often visit with the children.
“Also, unlike previous years, we are opening the venture up to the local community, too.
“Each tag contains a resident’s name and age. We are asking anyone wishing to help to simply take a tag from the tree and buy a gift for the resident of their choice, but there is a £10 spending limit.
“We have put some tags on a mini tree in the front entrance to the nursery, just buzz at the door and let us know that you are taking a tag.
“These should be returned to us in a gift bag with the tag attached by Thursday 18 December.
The children will deliver their gifts during their carol visit during the week leading up to Christmas, where they’ll sing festive songs for everyone to enjoy.”
Charlotte added: “Our first batch of tags has already gone, and we are on to the second batch.
“Thank you to everyone for showing all the love and support so far.”
Situated next to the local park on Cross Road, Partou Woodlands House is a popular choice for families in Idle, Simpson Green and Thackley. It was rated ‘Good’ in all areas of activity by Ofsted following an inspection earlier this year.
Already in the run up to Christmas, Partou Woodlands House team members, children and families have raised a remarkable £1,000 for three very special charities – Brake, Candlelighters and UNICEF – by taking part in a Santa Run around the local park.
Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said: “The ‘gifting tree’ is a novel and fun venture which has been a great success in previous years.
“Given the close relationship between the nursery and Howgate House care home, it is fitting that its residents have been chosen as the beneficiaries this year.
“I hope the local community will get behind the initiative and grab the remaining tags while they can.”
EDITORIAL NOTE:- As as personal aside I can well remember the joy we primary school children felt as we sang Christmas carols at local old folks homes as they were called back in the distant past!
https://partou.co.uk/nurseries/woodlands-house-day-nursery-pre-school
Dickens' A Christmas Carol on Stage
Dicken’s festive, immortal tale of redemption and compassion is brought to life in Dyad’s inimitable solo style (That Knave, Raleigh, Lady Susan, Christmas Gothic, A Room of One’s Own, I, Elizabeth, Female Gothic, Austen’s Women).
Draw near an evening of mistletoe and merriment in the company of Marley, Fezziwig and Cratchit et all to discover the true meaning of Christmas: tenderness for the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future. Ebenezer lives in us all, and this glorious tale reminds us how not to give in to the Scrooge within.
Taking inspiration from Dickens’ original performances of his own work and utilising the brilliant narrator of the novel to bring the story to life, this solo piece is performed Andrew Margerison (That Knave, Raleigh, Frantic Assembly’s Fatherland, Macbeth), and directed by Dyad’s Creative Director, Rebecca Vaughan (That Knave, Raleigh).
Dyad Productions creates, produces and tours classic theatre with an innovative and contemporary emphasis. A regular fixture at the Edinburgh Fringe, their work has been a critical, 5-star, sell-out success since 2009. Other Dyad Productions, Lady Susan, A Room of One’s Own, Austen’s Women, I, Elizabeth, Christmas Gothic and Female Gothic have garnered five-star reviews and continue to tour across the UK and internationally.
In 2018 Dyad Productions was awarded the prestigious Three Weeks Editors’ Award for Cumulative Body of Work. This piece was created in collaboration with The Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead, where they are a resident company.
Costume by Kate Flanaghan (Lady Susan, A Room of One’s Own, Dalloway, I, Elizabeth, Female Gothic, Christmas Gothic, Austen’s Women, Orlando, The Time Machine). Lighting design by Martin Tucker (That Knave, Raleigh, Lady Susan, Orlando, The Time Machine, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Dalloway, Christmas Gothic) Sound design by Danny Bright (That Knave, Raleigh, Lady Susan, Orlando, The Time Machine, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Dalloway, Christmas Gothic.)
https://dyadproductions.com/theatre-productions/a-christmas-carol/
How to Promote Your SME for Free This Christmas (And How That’s Christmas 365 Can Help You Do It)
Christmas is the busiest season of the year for many small and medium-sized enterprises, but it’s also one of the most competitive.
With advertising costs soaring in November and December, many SMEs assume meaningful promotion is out of reach unless they have a sizeable marketing budget.
The good news? You can promote your business for free this Christmas, and do it effectively, if you focus on visibility, storytelling, and community engagement rather than paid ads.
Even better, platforms like That’s Christmas 365 exist specifically to help businesses gain festive exposure without draining precious cashflow.
Here’s how to do it.
1. Lean Into Christmas Stories, Not Sales Pitches
At Christmas, people don’t want to be sold to relentlessly, they want stories.
Free promotion works best when you:
Share why your business exists
Highlight your Christmas traditions or festive preparations
Talk about how you support your local community
Explain how your product or service helps make Christmas easier, warmer, or more joyful
A small bakery sharing its Christmas Eve routine or a craft business explaining how it sources festive materials ethically is far more engaging than a blunt “Buy now” message.
These stories are exactly the kind of content that gets picked up and shared organically.
2. Use Your Existing Channels Properly
Before spending a penny, make sure you are fully using what you already have:
Your website, add a festive landing page or Christmas blog posts
Email newsletters, even a small list can drive meaningful traffic
Social media, festive posts consistently outperform generic ones
Google Business Profile, update photos, opening hours, and Christmas offers
Consistency matters more than volume. A handful of thoughtful, festive updates can outperform dozens of rushed posts.
3. Collaborate Instead of Competing
Christmas is the perfect time to collaborate with:
Other local SMEs
Independent makers
Community groups or charities
Joint giveaways, shared social posts, or bundled offers cost nothing but dramatically expand your reach. When two businesses share each other’s audiences, both benefit, and customers love seeing cooperation over competition at Christmas.
4. Get Featured on Christmas-Focused Platforms
One of the most effective ways to gain free festive exposure is to appear where people are already looking for Christmas inspiration.
How That’s Christmas 365 Helps SMEs
That’s Christmas 365 is a year-round Christmas platform read by people actively planning, shopping, decorating, gifting, and celebrating. Being featured puts your business directly in front of a festive-minded audience without the cost of paid advertising.
The site regularly highlights:
Small and independent businesses
Seasonal products and services
Christmas traditions, food, drink, gifts, and experiences
UK-focused festive stories and brands
A mention, feature, or inclusion in a Christmas-themed article can:
Drive targeted traffic to your website
Improve brand recognition
Generate social media shares
Create long-tail visibility that lasts well beyond December
Because readers trust editorial content more than adverts, a genuine feature often outperforms paid ads in both engagement and conversion.
5. Think Search, Not Just December
Free promotion isn’t just about immediate sales.
Well-written Christmas content:
Ranks in Google year after year
Gets rediscovered each festive season
Builds authority and trust for your brand
That’s why platforms like That’s Christmas 365 are particularly valuable — Christmas doesn’t vanish on Boxing Day. Articles remain live, searchable, and shareable, giving your SME extended exposure long after the decorations come down.
6. Make It Easy for People to Support You
If someone wants to support your business this Christmas, don’t make them work for it.
Ensure:
Your contact details are clear
Your opening hours are updated
Your Christmas offerings are easy to understand
Your story is easy to share
Free promotion only works if people can act on it effortlessly.
A Festive Opportunity Worth Taking
Promoting your SME for free this Christmas isn’t about cutting corners, it’s about working smarter, telling better stories, and placing your business where festive audiences already are.
By combining your own channels with collaborative efforts and exposure through Christmas-focused platforms like That’s Christmas 365, you can raise your profile, build goodwill, and reach new customers without spending a fortune.
At Christmas, goodwill is marketing, and it’s one of the most powerful tools an SME can use.
You can email us at afj_uk@yahoo.com to get your name in (Christmas) lights!
Yuletide Old Fashioned (Woodford Reserve Edition)
Ingredients
60 ml Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon
1 tsp spiced demerara syrup (see below)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
A small strip of orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
3–4 frozen cranberries (for garnish and gentle chilling)
Large ice cube or sphere
Spiced Demerara Syrup (make once, use all season)
200 g demerara sugar
200 ml water
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 small piece of orange peel
Gently heat until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, strain, and refrigerate. Keeps for 2–3 weeks.
Method
Chill a rocks glass.
Add the spiced demerara syrup and bitters to the glass.
Pour in the Woodford Reserve and stir gently.
Add a large ice cube and stir again until properly chilled.
Express the orange peel over the drink, rim the glass, then drop it in.
Garnish with the cinnamon stick and frozen cranberries.
Why it works
Woodford Reserve’s vanilla, caramel and toasted oak notes marry beautifully with warming Christmas spices.
Demerara sugar enhances depth without masking the bourbon.
Cranberries add festive flair without turning the drink sweet or sharp.
Optional Festive Variations
Smoky Christmas Eve: briefly smoke the glass with cinnamon bark or orange peel.
Nutty Noël: add ¼ tsp hazelnut liqueur for a subtle praline note.
Orange Grove: swap orange bitters for chocolate bitters for a Terry’s-inspired twist.
This is a proper Christmas Old Fashioned. It's grown-up, elegant, and unmistakably festive.
Tallest Christmas Tree is in Northumberland
 |
| © National Trust / Bec Hughes |
The 44.7m (146.6f) giant redwood (Sequoia wellingtonia) is dressed in excess of 1,300 dazzling lights to transform it into a towering festive showstopper standing at more than twice the height of the iconic Angel of the North statue.
It's one of millions of trees planted in the 1860s by the estate’s founders, the Armstrong family, some of which are now the tallest of their kind in the entire country.
Steve Howard, Visitor Operations Manager, told That's Christmas “It’s been quite a year of planning. Last year we presented the UK’s Tallest Living Christmas Tree, and we kept wondering if we could go one giant leap further and secure a Guinness World Records title… and we have made it!”
Steve went on to say: “It’s been a bit tough to keep this big secret under wraps and quiet over the last few weeks, but we wanted to share our huge news while many people are putting up their own Christmas trees.”
Visitors will notice that in addition to the lights, the tree is also dressed in two large purple bows to meet the essential criteria to have two traditional decorations on the Christmas tree.
The tree was officially measured with witnesses present and signed off by a Guinness World Records adjudicator when the tree was dressed last month.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Carl Saville added: “The breathtaking giant redwood, perched on the edge of the hillside, is a vision of growth and pure beauty in Cragside’s historic landscape. It was a real privilege to give this tree the recognition it deserves.”
And if you are dressing a Christmas tree at home, spare a thought for the team involved who had the arduous task of unravelling nearly 800m (2624f) of lights to hang on the towering tree.
Festooning a tree that’s over 10 double-decker buses tall takes some industrial-duty thinking: the team used a cherry-picker which can reach to 51m (167f) and it took three people an entire two days to hang the lights.
Every bulb had to meticulously checked and then draped and fastened vertically so as not to put too much pressure on the tree, which has been part of the Armstrongs’ ‘fantasy mountain landscape’ for over 150 years.
But this isn't the first time the grounds have been decorated in celebratory lights. Back in 1884, to commemorate a royal visit, the Armstrong famiuly decorated the estate’s hillsides in thousands of lamps.
The Newcastle Daily Chronicle newspaper's contemporaneous report stated: ‘Ten thousand small glass lamps were hung amongst the rocky hillsides, and an almost equal number of Chinese lanterns were swung across leafy glades.’
The tree’s multi-coloured lights echo the Christmas spectacle inside the house, with a theme that takes inspiration from a real Servants’ Ball held at Cragside in 1894.
It imagines the Armstrong family have gone away for the festive season, and their staff are throwing a mischievous party.
The rooms are in topsy turvy colourful chaos as servants have abandoned their tasks to don their finest attire, ready for an evening of energetic dancing, mingling - and maybe even a touch of festive romance, too?
Steve added: “With the rooms in the house decked out in vibrant decorations, it felt only right to dress the tree in glorious technicolour, too, and we can’t wait to welcome our visitors to experience the World’s Tallest Bedded Christmas Tree throughout the festive season.”
The tree plays a starring role in BBC Two’s Christmas Treasures of the National Trust, which airs on Friday 19 December at 9pm and on iPlayer. The episode takes a behind-the-scenes look at festive preparations around the Cragside estate.
Christmas at Cragside is on until Sunday 4 January 2026.
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