Star of The Full Monty, Batman Begins, and Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol Tom Wilkinson dies at 75

The family of actor Tom Wilkinson, who was nominated for two Oscars, has confirmed his death at the age of 75.

The British actor passed away “suddenly” on Saturday. He was best remembered for his role as Gerald Arthur Cooper in the 1997 comedy The Full Monty.

He is survived by his actress wife, Diana Hardcastle, 74, and their two daughters, Alice and Mollie.

In The Full Monty, Wilkinson won a Bafta for best supporting actor. The film chronicles a group of out-of-work Sheffield steelworkers who decide to start a male-only striptease act to make ends meet.

During his illustrious fifty-year career, Wilkinson also acted in the romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love (1998), the action thriller Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011), and Christopher Nolan’s 2005 blockbuster Batman Begins.

His tragic death was confirmed in a statement shared by his agent on behalf of his family.

The statement read: ‘It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announces that he died suddenly at home on December 30. His wife and family were with him. The family asks for privacy at this time.’

After getting married in 1988, Wilkinson and his spouse starred as husband and wife in the 2011 film The Kennedys and the 2014 motion picture Good People. The most recent role they played together was in the period drama series Belgravia, which premiered in 2020.

Wilkinson received nominations for six Baftas overall and two Oscars for his roles as a grieving father in the drama In The Bedroom (2001) and Michael Clayton (2007, starring George Clooney), a legal thriller.

In addition to his more than 130 film and television appearances, the actor was honoured with a 2009 Golden Globe and a 2008 Emmy for his portrayal of American statesman Benjamin Franklin in the HBO series John Adams, in which he co-starred with Paul Giamatti.

He later appeared in the 2011 movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with Bill Nighy, Dame Judi Dench, and his wife, Dame Penelope Walton, among a star-studded cast.

And he most recently made a comeback with Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy, his co-stars from The Full Monty, in the eponymous Disney+ series.

In the original film, Wilkinson played a former steel mill foreman who was recruited to help the unemployed Sheffield men dance ahead of them performing to a Tom Jones version of You Can Leave Your Hat On.

He was a talented performer, and The Full Monty is still one of my all-time favourite films. He was brilliant.

Though I adored him in every role, The Full Monty will always have a particular place in my heart. He was a great actor who was a credit to his field.

RIP to a legendary British actor.

The Police Confiscated My Campervan While I Was Still Inside

A father has said that he had his campervan seized while he was still sleeping inside, and now he’s homeless.

James Brogan, 37, from Leek in Staffordshire, was fast asleep while stationed in a car park when DVLA officers clamped his vehicle.

The father-of-one said he was in his undergarments as bailiffs seized the VW camper, which had no insurance, tax, or MOT.

Mr. Brogan refused to leave his vehicle and fought with the DVLA enforcement team before he was subsequently arrested by officers.

The stand-up comic, who was eventually freed without facing any charges, says that having his vehicle seized was one of the “worst” experiences of his life.

“Some random person has gone through all of my belongings; my mother’s ashes are still in the van, and it’s going up for auction,” he told a newspaper outlet.

Mr. Brogan, a Universal Credit recipient, was initially asked to pay £270 to retrieve his vehicle; however, the sum owing has since escalated to £500, and it continues to rise daily.

However, the documents that are required to unlock the van, including his driver’s licence, remain inside, and the van will be auctioned off in less than a month.

Now, the father is sofa-surfing while fighting to have his van released before time runs out.

Mr. Brogan supposedly tried contacting the DVLA directly, but he “can’t tax it over the phone” and all of his possessions, including his ID, are “in the van,” so he hasn’t been able to continue with the process of proving his identity.

He said, ‘I feel the lowest of the low. Nothing like this has happened before.

‘It was 11 a.m. the morning it happened. I do comedy gigs in the evening so I was still asleep when the DVLA clamped my van.’

“My little boy is absolutely devastated,” said Mr. Brogan, whose son has autism and is seven years old. Because the van is bright green, he adores it. We use it for holiday camping and fishing trips.

‘I haven’t been able to see my son for Christmas this year. Usually, I park my van outside my ex-wife’s house every Christmas so I can be near him on the big day.’

Mr. Brogan clarified that he used some of the inheritance money he had received after his mother’s death to buy the van after his divorce from his son’s mother was finalised.

Before experiencing a severe depressive episode, he was employed as an electrician. He stated, “I don’t live in a van for my own comfort or benefit—I would love to live in a house, but I can’t afford one.”

‘I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices to live in a van. I get my food from the food bank and I survive on £300 a month as I establish myself as a comedian.’

A vehicle should be insured, made safe, and fit for the road, yet sometimes desperate people will do desperate things.

Is this man deserving of our sympathy? There will, of course, be a range of viewpoints on this. Even though the law applies to everyone, some people won’t feel sympathy for him, while others will. This is because sometimes people can’t afford to do everything that they should, particularly in light of the rising cost of living and the fact that our government gives to illegal immigrants before they would ever consider giving to their own.

The Actor Ant McPartlin Is To Become A Father!

Lisa Armstrong shared some cryptic posts amid reports that her ex, Ant McPartlin, is set to become a dad.

Yesterday, on Wednesday, December 27, the makeup artist from Strictly Come Dancing posted multiple cryptic stories on Instagram.

In one of her posts, Lisa shared a quote that read, “Karma. This will be the year where people will be receiving back what they have been putting out.”

She also shared a screenshot of a tweet that urged people to relax in the coming year.

Her cryptic post comes amid reports that her ex Ant was expecting his first child at the age of 48. Ant, who is married to his former PA, Anne-Marie Corbett, was spotted at Heathrow along with his wife as they embarked on a festive trip to Dubai.

It appears that Anne-Marie is several months pregnant in photos obtained by a newspaper outlet, which has led to rumours that Ant is about to become a father for the first time.

Lisa and Ant were married for 11 years. In a statement shared with the media in 2018, Ant’s spokesperson said: “In response to the recent speculation in the media, Ant is very sad to announce that, after 11 years, he is ending his marriage to Lisa McPartlin. Ant asks for privacy at this difficult time, for both himself, Lisa, and their immediate families.”

Lisa and James Green, her boyfriend, called it quits early this year. It is said that they have a court hearing scheduled because he allegedly owes her money.

“She’s extremely hurt by the situation and has said there are days when she thinks she’ll never be able to trust a man ever again. She’s embarrassed that she shared so much of their relationship publicly, and now people will think she was taken for a ride,” a source told HeatWorld last month.

“She has been putting on a brave face and is strong, but she is clearly gutted.”

Lisa’s message should hopefully be her willing karma to bring some well-earned, wonderful things into her life in 2024.

I do hope this is true. It seems like he would make a good father. Congratulations to them both.

Lisa Armstrong always seems cheerful in her writings, so maybe it’s just the gutter press that loves to fabricate stories and deceive.

The best thing that people can do is not fall for it and leave comments. If they do that, the press will become bored and stop lying because they are getting clicks and money from comments and links.

To be honest, it’s ridiculous that people think they know this woman and what she’s posting about, or, for that matter, what even went on between them, and it’s shocking how some people post vile comments on things they know nothing about.

I must add that this is only rumoured; we don’t know if he is having a baby, although if he is having a baby, he would be worth millions. Oh, wait a moment, he is worth millions. Of course, he’s not having a baby; his wife is! Perhaps.

This is all about the media; people trust them, only to discover later that they are total liars who have twisted facts to create issues.

January 2024: Boots Store Closures

After Boots closed multiple locations in 2023, there will be more closures in the New Year.

A year ago, Boots closed locations on King William Street in London and Salford Shopping Centre in Greater Manchester.

The beloved health and beauty chain is shying away from the British high streets in a move to consolidate the business.

All told, 300 Boots stores around the nation are scheduled to close.

But it’s not the only store that is disappearing from British high streets.

Many stores, including Next, Wilko, Iceland, Clintons, and M&S, have closed.

It seems the landscape of British high streets is changing at a rapid pace.

Boots sites to close in 2024:

  • Cliftonville, Kent (Jan 20)
  • Pemberton, Wigan (Jan 26)
  • Hough Lane, Layland, Lancashire (Jan)
  • Rhos on Sea (Mar)
  • Colwyn Bay (Apr)
  • Caerleon Road, Newport (no specified date)
  • Chepstow Road, Newport (no specified date)
  • Carlyon Road, St Austell, Cornwall (no specified date)
  • St Blazey, Cornwall (no specified date)
  • Front Street, Prudhoe (no specified date)
  • Lurgan (no specified date)
  • Chard Road, Plymouth (no specified date)
  • Mannamead Road, Plymouth (no specified date)
  • Claremont Street, Plymouth (no specified date)
  • Portland Walk, Barrow (no specified date)
  • Gestridge Road, Teignbridge (no specified date)

In 2023, these stores closed:

  • Salford Shopping Centre, Greater Manchester (Feb 2023)
  • Church Street, Malvern (Mar 2023)
  • The Port Arcades Shopping Centre, Ellesmere (Mar 2023)
  • King William Street, London Jun 2023)
  • Heathside Road, Woking (Jul 2023)
  • UEA campus (Jul 2023)
  • Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff (Aug 2023)
  • Holywell, Flintshire (Aug 2023)
  • Windhill Road, Wakefield (Oct 2023)
  • Upper Warrengate, Wakefield (Oct 2023)
  • Glastonbury (Oct 2023)
  • Uppingham Road, Leicester (Oct 2023)
  • Guildford Road, Woking (Oct 2023)
  • Kings Square, York (Oct 2023)
  • Warminster (Oct 2023)
  • Gorleston, Great Yarmouth (Nov 2023)
  • High Row, Darlington (Nov 2023)
  • Mudge Way, Plymouth (Nov 2023)
  • Mount Pleasant, Exeter (Nov 2023)
  • Kirkby Ashfield (Nov 2023)

Boots online, however, is thriving, especially due to the Big Boots Sale, which promises up to 50 per cent off on products.

There’s a 20 per cent “online only” discount on a few scents, such as Hugo Boss and Gucci.

Additional online-only discounts are available, such as 20 per cent off No7 and other beauty brands.

There are discounts available on vitamins, skincare products, makeup, and electrical beauty equipment.

Standard free delivery is available for orders over £25, or for orders over £15, customers can choose to “click and collect” in-store.

Additionally, Boots and Deliveroo have partnered to enable online shoppers to have their purchases delivered right to their door.

But the workers will be held accountable when everything disappears from our high streets and there is widespread unemployment.

It started with the banks, then post offices, and in a few years, youngsters will be asking, “What were shops, Mum?”.

British Sign Language Will Be Offered As a GCSE Subject For Children

British Sign Language will soon be available as a GCSE for students. With the help of a new degree, students will learn how to sign successfully in BSL and gain knowledge of the background of sign language in the UK.

A 12-week consultation on course content has involved parents, educators, and the deaf and hearing communities. The Department of Education released the finalised curriculum for the new qualification.

Exam board syllabuses for the new qualification are intended to be authorised by the government by September 2025. In response to deaf youngster Daniel Jillings’s advocacy for the new qualification and his family’s legal fight to get one instituted as soon as possible, the government said in 2018 that it would investigate implementing a GCSE in BSL. The 2021 Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis’s campaign has also increased public knowledge of sign language.

“Studying British Sign Language can open so many doors for young people, giving pupils an understanding of how thousands of people communicate and ultimately even expanding job prospects,” stated Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary. In addition to removing obstacles and equipping young people with useful new skills, this new certification will honour the rich heritage and cultural significance of British Sign Language.”

“We’re grateful to those who engaged with our consultation, which was a crucial step forward for this new and important qualification,” stated Michael Hanton, deputy head regulator at Ofqual. We will now start the comprehensive regulatory work necessary to guarantee that students will receive a high-quality and equitable new GCSE in British Sign Language.”

“We’re delighted that the finalised course content has now been published after more than a decade of campaigning for a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL),” stated Susan Daniels, chief executive of the National Deaf Children’s Society. In order to remove obstacles and promote the rich history and culture of British Sign Language, a GCSE in the language is essential. To get here, an amazing amount of effort has been done, not the least of which is the work of young deaf activist Daniel Jillings, who battled valiantly for the opportunity to study for a GCSE in BSL.”

This is long overdue and ought to become mandatory.

This is a really smart move. Additionally, it will promote inclusivity and facilitate everyone’s lives.

In addition to being deaf, Eugene Hairston was a dominant middleweight fighter in the 1950s. The reason for the ring lights flashing at the start and finish of each round was Hairston. This was attributed to Hairston’s incapacity to hear the bell; consequently, the New York Boxing Commission placed lights, which gained popularity as people with hearing found they too profited from the inability to hear the bell over the cacophonous sounds of the audience.

Flashing lights are now a common sight in the boxing world, thanks to Hairston’s professional fighting career.

In theory, this is a great idea, but it will be difficult for them to recruit enough teachers.

Deportation Threat For British-Born Man

Under a post-Brexit approach for EU nationals convicted of crimes, a 28-year-old man who was born in Britain and has never left the nation has talked of his despair at being told he will be deported to Portugal, where his parents arrived more than 30 years ago.

Dmitry Lima was born in Lambeth, a neighbourhood in south London. He does not speak Portuguese and has never gone outside the UK, yet the Home Office issued a deportation order for him after he served time in jail for possession of a Taser and drug offences.

Lima is appealing the deportation judgment since he is British and did not apply for a UK passport before because he could not pay the fees. Lima has no prior convictions. “I just don’t understand; I’m British, and I’ve never left the country,” he remarked.

Changes implemented following Brexit state that deporting an EU national who has served more than 12 months in prison is considered “conducive to the public good and in the public interest,” much like deporting a person of any other nationality.

Before, only “serious grounds of public policy and public security” would have allowed EU nationals who had been convicted of a crime and lived in the UK for five years to be deported; for those who had been there continuously, the bar was raised to “imperative grounds of public security.”

In August 2020, Lima was found guilty on two charges of possessing a class A narcotic to provide it and of possessing a prohibited weapon. He was given a sentence of four years and six months in prison, which he completed just over two years later.

After being transferred from prison to the Brook House immigration removal centre at Gatwick Airport, he was served with a deportation order in October 2022.

Lima argues in his appeal against deportation that he is a citizen of the United Kingdom because his parents settled there.

Within his appeal package, he enclosed a personal statement, noting, “It would be devastating, both mentally and emotionally, to lose the life I’ve built in the UK.” “I have lived in the UK my entire life, so I consider it to be my home.”

“I completely admit my wrongdoing and have been serving my sentence as a consequence,” he continued. After prison, I intended to start again and atone for my transgressions. Regretfully, after serving my time in jail, I was placed in a detention centre and issued a deportation order. I’m in a condition of uncertainty due to the deportation order, which is upsetting both financially and emotionally.

The government introduced the British nationality (regularisation of past practice) bill in May 2023, seemingly acknowledging Lima and others’ situation. The bill aims to treat individuals as British if their parents arrived in the UK before 2000 through the EU’s right to free movement. However, it has not yet been put into effect.

Naga Khan, Lima’s attorney, claimed the Home Office didn’t seem to have any documentation of his client’s presence in the UK. “Lima is a continuous resident of the UK from birth and is therefore entitled to British citizenship,” he stated, citing the actions of her late father and mother in exercising their rights under EU treaties.

You really couldn’t make this up, could you?

When there are no genuine procedures in place and mass immigration is encouraged, this is what occurs. Not counting individuals who entered the nation illegally, over 3 million immigrants were permitted to enter during the Blair years. Now, the entire system appears to be unusable and in need of a thorough redesign.

Many employees at the Home Office need to be fired or retrained because they are unfit for their jobs. Most likely, many of them are immigrants!

They’re all just spongers hiding behind one meeting after another and pushing pens. They would be far more selective about who they hired if they were handling their own money.

Since most of them are uneducated and stupid, they should all be fired. This is what happens when public servants believe they are superior to elected officials.

A few heads ought to be rolling in the home office divisions as well, in my opinion. It’s not using common sense. Or are all of them automata?

A Man And Woman In Their 40s Are Knived On Christmas Day: Double Stabbing In London’s Tower Hamlets

A man and a woman in their 40s were stabbed in a double knife attack in London’s Tower Hamlets on Christmas Day.

Following reports of an attack, the London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police raced to Brick Lane in Bethnal Green at approximately 6.30 a.m.

When they got there, they discovered that both of them had been stabbed and needed medical attention in a hospital, although none of them had suffered any serious injuries.

According to police, after an altercation on Code Street, near the north end of Brick Lane, at approximately 5.30 am, both are thought to have been stabbed.

Two men, aged 39 and 42, were detained over the incident, according to the Met, and they’ve appeared in court.

According to the force, the two were first detained on suspicion of intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) and narcotics crimes; they were subsequently charged with the former.

Witnesses and anyone else who can assist the police in their investigation are being urged to come forward.

Although it’s not always feasible, Christmas is supposed to be a time to celebrate family, friends, and love. Unfortunately, the number of deadly collisions and stabbing crimes during this holiday season did not decrease.

Three people met untimely deaths between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Two were stabbed to death, and another died after being caught up in a flat fire in Wandsworth.

A total of five people were stabbed, including two, on Christmas Day close to Brick Lane in East London.

Boxing Day saw the fatal stabbing of a 49-year-old man in Hackney, leading to the arrest of four individuals on suspicion of his murder. The incident occurred shortly after three in the morning near Cranwood Street’s Old Street Tube stop.

The man was discovered on the street with stab wounds; even though paramedics and police arrived quickly, he passed away from his wounds. Four people were detained on suspicion of killing someone. Two ladies, ages 35 and 44, and two men, ages 49 and 42, are these people. The four are still being held.

Three motorcycles that were scattered across the roadway were left inside the police-camped area. A tent was erected at the scene, and forensic teams arrived to collect evidence.

The Show With The Highest Viewership On Christmas Day Was King’s Christmas Broadcast

On Christmas Day, the King’s Speech was the most watched programme, with 7.8 million viewers across six networks.

The ten-minute Christmas broadcast attracted 5.9 million viewers on BBC One and 716,000 on ITV.

Even though it was still the most watched show of the day, the number of viewers was significantly lower than the record-breaking 10.6 million who tuned in to hear Charles’s first-ever address as a monarch last year as he shared his thoughts on the passing of the late Queen.

Nine of the 10 most-watched shows were produced by the BBC, and Coronation Street, the flagship soap opera on ITV, did not appear on the list for the first time in decades.

The comedian Lee Mack’s big-money game show, One Percent Club Christmas Special on ITV1, only managed to place ninth in the top ten.

With about 5.3 million viewers tuning in to BBC One to watch Eastenders star Jamie Borthwick, 29, win the festive glitterball with his dance with professional Nancy Xu, 32, Strictly Come Dancing came in second in the ratings.

Nine of the top shows of the day, including Strictly Come Dancing and The King’s Speech, were on the BBC. Other popular programmes included Doctor Who, which debuted its first Christmas Day special since 2017.

The episode, which averaged 4.7 million viewers and ranked third in the ratings, featured Ncuti Gatwa, 31, of Sex Education, making his first complete appearance as the 15th Time Lord.

Other popular BBC One programmes were EastEnders (3.58 million) in seventh position, Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel (4.17 million) in sixth, Call the Midwife (4.39 million) in fifth, and the Ghosts Christmas Special (4.43 million viewers) in fourth.

Toy Story Four, which broadcast on BBC One, ranked eighth among the top ten most-watched shows. The One Percent Club, the only show on ITV to make the list, came in at number nine, while Tabby McTat, a children’s show, also ranked tenth.

EastEnders came in unexpectedly low on the ratings as number seven, considering it saw the unveiling of the killer in a murder plotline that had been running since earlier this year. The show’s late evening time slot at 9.45 p.m. is blamed for its lower viewing figures.

In his annual festive address to the nation, Charles hailed the ways communities come together in times of trouble, both internationally and at home.

It seems like fewer and fewer people watch television each year. Some people, for example, choose to spend Christmas Day with their families playing games, eating a lot of food, and drinking wine—far more delightful activities than watching TV.

Every Christmas in the same old bore. Just sitting down eating and drinking all day, watching nauseating TV. I’d rather take my family to Disneyland on Christmas Day, which is amazing for children, and highly recommended.

The Christmas TV schedule was completely embarrassing. I would much prefer to rent a film from Amazon Prime.

I think it’s progress now that people chat or play games rather than sit in front of the TV.

What am I talking about, people don’t play games these days, they’re too glued to their PCs and mobile phones to be sitting indoors playing board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Pictionary, Drafts or Cards, those days have long gone, and it seems that very few of this generation can amuse themselves unless it involves an iPhone, mobile or PC.

If the King had expressed regret for this nation’s terrible, cowardly, and dysfunctional government, things would have been much more fascinating. With that speech, he might have easily taken home a few more million viewers.

A New Blow To Sadiq Khan’s Ulez Expansion

A new blow to Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion has come from drivers of Dutch lorry companies claiming £6.5 million in fines were imposed illegally.

In the first case of its kind concerning fines to foreign drivers, the truck companies have filed a judicial review against Transport for London in the High Court. If this case is successful, it might pave the way for others of a similar nature.

The Ulez zone, which was expanded in August to include all of London’s boroughs, imposes a daily £12.50 fee on drivers of cars that do not meet certain emissions requirements. The motorists face a £180 charge if they fail to pay. However, the fine for large goods vehicles that produce a lot of pollution—such as lorries—not paying within low emission zones can reach £3000. 

However, the Dutch business has requested authorization to begin a judicial review against TfL, alleging that the latter has been fining Dutch businesses illegally.

Transport in Nood BV asserted that Dutch companies whose cars were detected in charging zones were incorrectly imposed fines of £6,500 in Ulez and Lez.

According to a newspaper outlet, owner Antonio Oliveira stated that the company was taking legal action against unfair fines that caused some businesses to file for bankruptcy.

‘People have been really impacted,’ he told the outlet. Some have had to sell their trucks, and I have witnessed individuals in tears over this. It is utterly unfair, and we must receive a response from an English court to confirm whether this is true.

‘We are launching this claim to get the fines that have already been paid to be repaid and the court costs. We are talking millions of pounds. We are only talking about Holland; it must be even greater across Europe. We are not the only country, of course.’

Following the receipt by its clients of over 10,000 fine notifications from TfL via Euro Parking Collection (EPC) in November of last year, the firm decided to file the lawsuit. 

The company claims that a large number of these fines arrived simultaneously, costing some businesses tens of thousands of euros in a single day.

The legal action stems from the assertion that the fines were improperly expressed in euros.

This is against UK law, which mandates that all fines be paid in pounds.

The businesses’ solicitors argue that because the EPC applied a high exchange rate, Dutch drivers’ fines are £200 greater than theirs.

I’ve never encountered somebody like Sadiq Khan; he seems to be out there on his own, and they seem to have a strong case. For the UK, any bad news regarding Sadiq Khan is good news.

If all wagons and horses stopped entering the Ulez zone, I wonder how long it would be before London would run out of fuel, food and other essential deliveries?

The sooner this clown is gone the better for Londoners.

Sadly, Sadiq Khan will stay where he is as long as people keep voting for him, only this time they’ll know what to expect.

With his despised Ulez policy, Sadiq Khan has made London an extremely dangerous place to live and a nightmare for cars.

This is ridiculous because everything that this man is meant to be overseeing is being meticulously destroyed, and it appears that people are unaware that Ulez is nothing more than a money-making scam.

This is possibly the most pathetic, poorly thought-out scheme to defraud the public of their hard-earned money under the pretence of falsehood, and the government should address the perception that the mayor seems to hold greater authority than the Prime Minister.

 

Boxing Day Bargain Hunters Queue From The Early Hours To Snap Up The Biggest Discounts In A Decade

Thousands of shoppers had been lining up since the wee hours of Boxing Day to take advantage of some of the largest price cuts in the past ten years.

With sales expected to be the highest in five years, chaotic scenes broke out in London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle as customers pushed their way inside retailers.

Large lines formed across the UK as early risers attempted to take advantage of anticipated price reductions offered by merchants looking to get rid of extra inventory after Christmas.

Customers in Liverpool and the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester eagerly waited in line for Lush, a store that was especially popular since bath bombs were on sale for up to 50 per cent off.

Lush’s website was placing customers in a digital queue as online shoppers tried to steal a deal.

As the sun was rising in central London, more enthusiastic customers were seen forming lines outside Selfridges, Harrods, and Primark.

Analysts estimate that shoppers might spend up to £4.7 billion today.

According to data by Barclays Bank, the average spend per customer was estimated to be £253, with males expected to spend £90 more than women.

The bank predicts that Boxing Day spending would be £67 higher than in 2019 and £24 higher per person than in previous years, even though inclement weather and COVID pandemic limitations have hurt sales in previous years.

One of the deals from Robert Dyas is a Swan Camden 2-Slice Toaster, which is now only £21.99 instead of £37.99, saving customers £16.

In other news, Lakeland’s £99.99 Dry: Soon Drying Pod is now only £69.99.

However, not all of that will be spent on the high street itself, as big-name businesses like John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, and Next opted to rely on online sales and closed their doors one extra day after Christmas.

Wickes, Home Bargains, Aldi, and Iceland are among the other firms who have decided to keep their stores closed on Boxing Day. The majority of Waitrose locations will also be closed as well.

This morning, shoppers who were out and about observed that it was “definitely quieter” than in previous years when there had been throngs of people looking for deals.

‘We were here last year and the waits were considerably longer – there was a clear difference,’ stated 47-year-old Tufael Ahmed of Oxford Street in London.

I bet if you questioned everyone in that queue, they would say that the cost of living is causing them hardship and that they can’t afford to put the central heating on. They can’t afford to eat et cetera but they’ll go out and spend a bunch of money on cheap tat that they don’t need.

Glancing at the queues, Christmas doesn’t mean much to most of them.

It’s a shame that these shops don’t agree to close for at least two days so that they can give the poor shop workers a break. It should be a mandatory three-day break from non-essentials, it would do us all good.

Unfortunately, 80 per cent of our economy is based on people buying stuff even if it’s bought using some type of credit, that’s how mad it is.

My thoughts go out to all those staff who have to put up with smug, disrespectful and horrid punters, and let’s face it, retail staff only get Christmas Day off and the rest is just a blur.

As much as it’s nice to go out, get some fresh air and have a small shop on Boxing Day, these people who work in the retail business have families of their own. Understandably, some people want to work on Boxing Day, but there are a lot that don’t like it and want a rest and would prefer to spend it with their families, but we have become a greedy nation.

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