When you’re watching a loved one battle with addiction, the sense of despair can be overwhelming.

You might be a parent whose child has a drug problem and who gets arrested, gets a criminal record, and seems intent on destroying their future.

Or you might be a long-suffering partner whose other half is deteriorating through alcohol or cocaine misuse, having seizures, coughing up blood, repeatedly being admitted to hospital.

You might be asking yourself: Why do they keep making such bad choices and unwise decisions? Why can’t they see the harm they’re doing to themselves? And the hurt they’re causing to everyone around them?

These are questions I hear all the time in my role as regional operations manager at UKAT Addiction Centres – a group of rehab clinics across the country. 

Many people in this situation – who are desperate to help their husband, wife, son, daughter or friend – will instinctively understand that one way to set them on the road to recovery is to stage an intervention.

An intervention, for those who have not heard the term, is a planned meeting in which family, friends and sometimes an addiction professional confront someone about the harmful effects of their drug or alcohol use.  

The goal of an intervention is to encourage someone to accept treatment. 

Typically this involves loved ones preparing anecdotes of how the person’s substance abuse has affected them, and a plea for them to seek help.

Research shows that interventions work too. A 2009 US study found that those who are confronted by loved ones are significantly more likely to enter into addiction treatment than those who do not. 

However, interventions can be fraught with difficulties. I often hear from families who say they are worried that their loved one will feel attacked, get angry – or even violent.

So how can you stage an intervention that is both effective and safe?

Perhaps the most important thing to explain is what an intervention isn’t. It absolutely isn’t an opportunity for airing grievances or venting anger.

Obviously, your loved one needs to know how worried you are about the damage their addiction is doing to them and the people who love them.

But chastising them will only breed shame, guilt and embarrassment – which may well push them away, make them feel more hopeless, and actually stop them reaching out.

Instead, an intervention should be about getting together with a loved one to have a calm and controlled conversation, where the aim is to elicit change and get them proper support.

Barry Keoghan revealed on a podcast that after a medical emergency, he entered rehab and is sober at the age of 33

It’s often wrongly assumed there’s no point trying to help an addict until they have hit ‘rock bottom’ – the point at which the consequences of someone’s addiction become so severe or unbearable that the person finally becomes willing to seek help or change.

Rock bottom might refer to unbearable physical, financial, legal, relational, or emotional issues.

Last year, actor Barry Keoghan, 33, spoke of how a near death experience finally led to him entering rehab.

‘I technically did die for a few seconds,’ the Saltburn star told a podcast, of the moment he ended up in a medical emergency because of cocaine use. ‘I’m clean now, I’ve been clean for two and a half years.’

But the truth is that it doesn’t always work this way. Everyone’s idea of rock bottom is different. Sadly, even when you think things can’t possibly get any worse, you often discover that they can.

So even though the idea of an intervention may be daunting, it’s best to act sooner rather than later.

Yes, there’s a danger in sitting down and openly tackling the issues of a loved one’s addiction. By putting it out there, you’re drawing a line in the sand. It’s possible you might drive them away.

But if you weigh up the consequences of doing nothing, you might well decide it’s worth the risk.

Nick Dunkley is regional operations manager at UKAT Addiction Centres – a group of rehab clinics across the country

Advertisement

So who should be involved? There are plenty of professionals, such as counsellors and addiction experts, who can be called in to mediate. 

But addiction is a really sensitive and personal issue. If someone is already depressed or anxious about their situation, they might be extremely uncomfortable if a professional – someone they don’t know – suddenly turns up.

It might be better to gather a small group of relatives, friends and even work colleagues – anyone the person respects and will listen to.

Family members who have suffered directly and are too emotionally involved may not be suitable, as their anger – even if it’s justified – may get in the way: the intervention has to be totally focused on the person you’re hoping to help.

No one expects to be ambushed by a group of their loved ones, so do everything you can do to make it feel as calm as possible. Approaching the person in their own home may not be ideal as they can feel trapped, with nowhere to retreat to. 

Instead, choose a place – maybe a friend or relative’s house – which is quiet, with no interruptions or disruptions. Avoid any triggers for their substance misuse – so obviously not a pub.

Staging an intervention when someone’s intoxicated is never a good idea, which means arranging it for earlier in the day will tend to be better: once they’re up and feeling human – but before the pattern starts all over again.

It’s also important not to present them with an ultimatum: ‘Get help or I’ll leave you… Get help or you’ll never see the kids again… Get help or I’ll tell such-and-such.’

Threats like these just put up a barrier. If you force someone to shoot for the stars and they miss, it may reinforce their sense of worthlessness and make them not want to try again.

A better strategy is to offer something positive: ‘You might feel the situation is hopeless, but we’ve looked at the options, and here are some things we think might be a good idea.’

If you’ve done your research in advance, you can then present them with a list of different treatment centres, council services and local meetings run by groups like AA.

Even though an intervention is all about optimism, you should be careful to have realistic expectations.

If you ask someone if they’re ready to go into rehab and they say no, it’s a normal response for the family to break down in tears and feel all hope is lost. But if everyone is wailing and despairing, the person might just give up on the whole idea.

So be prepared to be patient and compassionate. The reality is that, although today might not be the day, tomorrow might be. Ask the person whether they would agree to revisit the issue – maybe next week or in two weeks time.

And remember, the loved one probably wasn’t expecting this conversation. If it’s just been sprung on them, they might well need some time to think about it.

Even if the intervention doesn’t go as planned or doesn’t look like it’s worked immediately, don’t write it off as a failure. Sometimes it’s enough just to plant the seeds of recovery.

The person may well find themselves thinking about it – even years in the future. However bad their situation is by then, the memory of their family or friends coming together to offer help may just be enough to finally spur them on to seek support.

The best outcome is, of course, if the person acknowledges the problem then either changes their behaviour or takes on professional support, counselling, or rehab.

It is incredibly challenging, but a properly prepared intervention can also be incredibly powerful – as it sends a potentially life-changing message: ‘We don’t want you to suffer. We want you to receive help – because we think you’re worth it.’

Tim Curry faced a potentially deadly medical emergency in 2012

Celebrated English actor Tim Curry has died at the age of 80 and while the cause of death has not yet been confirmed, the star had been struggling with his health for years following a medical emergency in 2012 that he didn’t believe was happening at first after dismissing the early warning signs.

In July 2012, the IT actor was getting a massage and felt a little out of sorts but didn’t believe anything was terribly wrong. However, his massage therapist recognised the early signs and called for medical help despite reluctance from the Hollywood star.

A stroke is when blood stops flowing to parts of the brain, it is a life-threatening medical emergency that needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible. However, the symptoms can differ depending on what part of the brain is affected and why the blood has stopped flowing.

Common early signs include:

• Face weakness where one side may droop or make it hard to smile
• Arm weakness, preventing a person from fully lifting both arms and keeping them in the air
• Speech problems like slurred words or sounding confused

The NHS urges people to remember the acronym FAST, which stands for:

• Face
• Arm
• Speech
• Time to call 999

In Curry’s case, he had an ischemic stroke caused by blood clots and his brain was so inflamed doctors had to remove bone from his skull. He had to undergo emergency brain surgery and the stroke temporarily took away his ability to speak as well as completely changing the trajectory of his career.

In the years following the stroke, Curry stayed out of the spotlight while undergoing rehabilitation. The next time his fans would lay eyes on him was June 2015 when he appeared at the Actors Fund’s Tony Awards Viewing Party where he received an artistic achievement award.

He attended the event in a wheelchair as he was still dealing with the aftermath of the stroke and would have mobility issues as a result of it for the rest of his life.

While Curry had a cult fanbase for his work on stage and screen, the impairments left by the stroke saw the actor turning towards voice work instead so he could still do the job he loved despite his newfound limitations.

Last year, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Dr Frank-N-Furter actor revealed he wouldn’t be singing or dancing again anytime soon because he still couldn’t walk 13 years after the stroke.

Jamestown is a district of secrets. Accra‘s oldest neighbourhood always seems to have something happening just out of sight. A burst of laughter behind a closed door. Music drifting from a narrow alleyway. A figure disappearing down a shaded alley just before you can properly register them.

The history of this district is on display everywhere you turn. Fishing boats sit beneath colonial-era warehouses and boxing gyms occupy fading merchant buildings. It is intense, intoxicating and oddly magnetic all at once.

Collins, my guide, is about to reveal another secret. Promising a beer, he stops outside a large garage door and knocks twice. A metal latch clanks open from below and we’re beckoned inside. It’s unlike any pub I’ve visited before. Mainly because, until recently, the pub was a a working car wash.

Tourist itineraries often divide cities neatly into attractions, restaurants and nightlife. Accra cannot be defined in this way.

Read more: The best luxury hotels in Mauritius

As an increasing number of UK tourists discover Accra, the city has enjoyed a boom in micro-tours that focus less on major landmarks and more on helping visitors experience everyday life, while bringing revenue back into communities that don’t always reap the benefits of increased tourism. Jamestown Walking Tours was among the first to realise the potential in helping visitors experience less-visited neighbourhoods and community traditions.

It’s a warm and breezy April afternoon when I join three others on this walking-cum-pub tour, all of us intrigued by the prospect of exploring a district four centuries old in the company of an expert local guide.

“Most visitors are a bit embarrassed to admit they wouldn’t know where to start a visit here,” says Collins, the co-founder of Jamestown Walking Tours, before we set off. “That, and they’d just get lost”.

Within minutes, we’re threading through a maze of courtyards and alleyways, stepping around tailors stitching sofas, women pounding cassava to make fufu, the ubiquitous starchy dish of West Africa, and coffin makers putting the finishing touches to elaborate wooden caskets. Death is a public matter here.

Obituary posters cover walls and doorways announcing that somebody has “gone on to glory”, or received a “home call”.

Scattered throughout Jamestown is a vast network of chop bars, Ghana’s shorthand for informal pubs. Some operate from front rooms, others from crumbling warehouses or improvised roadside shelters. Outside, men nurse bottles of Club beer while concentrating fiercely on games of chequers. Spectators gather behind them offering a stream of advice and the occasional taunt.

Collins hopes bringing visitors here doesn’t just bring economic benefit but also encourages them to seek out more authentic experiences with local residents. He explains this outside a boxing gym called House of Pain, which I hope represents the limit of the participatory element.

After our evening in Jamestown, we’re ready to see another side of the city the following morning.

“Anyone who wants to understand Ghana – I tell them to ride a tro-tro,” says my next guide, Ibrahim.

These minibuses are the circulatory system of the capital, named after the original threepence fare charged during the colonial era. We squeeze aboard alongside women balancing baskets of coconuts on their laps, and giggling schoolchildren in immaculate uniforms.

Most tro-tros are adorned with names and decor reflecting their owners’ interests, which makes for a colourful rush-hour scene. “The Blood of Jesus” and “Inshallah” jostle for space at a junction, until “Pikachu” and “Minnie Mouse” steal ahead of them.

Directly in front of us, we see the slogan “God Is Good”, somewhat undermined by a prominent middle-finger decal. During rush hour, roadside sellers balancing vegetables, drinks and household goods on their heads often move faster than the traffic itself.

Getting off the tro-tro and crossing the street is an equal adventure. The road resembles a torrent of vehicles, weaving into whatever space they can find. Ibrahim explains the trick is to step into the road and just walk steadily in one direction, trusting the traffic will manoeuvre around you. “It’s the closest you’ll get to being Moses,” he laughs.

As the journey progresses, Ibrahim points out murals that have become increasingly common across the city. One transforms a wall into a collage of fishermen, traders and musicians. Another declares “Justice for Africa” with a series of raised fists. The artwork grounds modern Accra in its history while tackling corruption, inequality and the irritations of urban life.

We disembark at Osu Castle which embodies much of Ghana’s complex history. Built as a trading fort and later used in the transatlantic slave trade, it eventually became the seat of government after independence.

The contrast is stark: above former slave dungeons sit the state rooms that later hosted visiting heads of state, including Queen Elizabeth II on a visit in 1961. She brought her own bed.

Read more: Why it’s worth flying to South Africa for winter sun

The influence of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first post-independence president and leader of the fight to free the country from colonial rule, remains visible throughout Accra, nowhere more so than at the memorial park that bears his name. Beneath a 30-foot bronze statue, Ibrahim recalls his most famous maxim: “Forward ever, backward never.”

“Many visitors come looking for the history of slavery,” he says. “But it’s not the only story – we also want people to understand the history of our independence.”

As Ghana approaches its 70th anniversary of independence in 2027, the first sub-Saharan African country to reach this milestone, it’s a distinction that feels increasingly significant.

Back in Jamestown with Collins, we have one final stop on our tour. He leads us into what appears to be somebody’s front room, where cases of beer fight family photos and the TV for wall space. Our drink is akpeteshie, a potent spirit distilled from palm sap. Collins explains that in Ga tradition newborn children are presented to the rising sun before a day of celebration begins with those gathered taking a shot of this stuff.

I’m about to say this sounds familiar but he already knows my response. “Yes, it’s like The Lion King,” Collins grins. “But Disney missed the akpeteshie – it’s not a celebration without it.”

Before glasses are raised, a small amount is poured onto the stone floor as an offering to ever-watchful ancestors.

“Keshi!” Cheers!

Everyone empties their glass in one movement. The sweetness lasts only a moment before the inevitable burn arrives, which is all too visible on my face.

As laughter ripples around the room, it’s increasingly clear why micro-tours are proving so popular. Visitors increasingly want memorable experiences and, in Accra, such stories aren’t hidden. They’re ever-present across front rooms, tro-tros and the occasional car wash. You simply need somebody willing to share the secret.

Read more: No crowds and comfort throughout – experiencing Africa’s wildest coast

Where to stay

Bays Lodge is located close to the beach and a great budget option, with friendly and attentive staff and breakfast included. Transfers and tours around Accra can be arranged on request. Rooms cost from £25 per night.

Olma Hotel & Suites is extremely popular with couples and offers a pool, lush garden courtyard and thoughtfully decorated rooms. Rooms cost from £65 per night.

The Diamond In City provides large studio apartments, and has a great on-site restaurant serving local dishes, as well as a pool and supermarket. It’s close to the airport with transfers offered. Rooms cost from £95 per night.

How to get there

British Airways flies direct to Accra daily from London Heathrow, with flights starting at £650 one way and lasting around six hours 40 minutes.

How To Do It

UK visitors require a visa to enter Ghana, starting at £60 for a single-entry visa. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is also required.

To get around Jamestown, Jamestown Walking Tours offers different excursions to discover the city, including the Saturday afternoon pub crawl. Tro-Tro tours and Here is Ghana both offer customised city tours of Accra and beyond.

Tro-tros no longer cost threepence but are still by far the cheapest way to get around Accra, with fares between five and 10 cedi (30-60p). Confirm your destination before boarding and pass cash forwards to the driver’s mate. You can read more tro-tro etiquette tips here. For the less adventurous, Uber also operates in Accra, including to and from Jamestown.

Accra – and especially Jamestown – remain largely cash-based. Stock up on cedi early from FX vendors or ATMs. An eSim from Holafly is a sensible way to keep phone roaming costs down.

Children in London whose lungs were damaged by air pollution have seen a significant improvement in lung function since the city’s ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) came into effect, a new study has found. 

The study monitored 3,400 schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the Ulez, which charges motorists of more polluting cars to drive in the capital.  

Researchers found that, pre-Ulez, children in the capital had significantly smaller lungs compared to children living in nearby Luton. However, five years after the Ulez, their lungs were comparable in both size and function with the those of Luton’s children.

The study, led by Queen Mary University of London, noted that the proportion of children with impaired lung function fell from 14% to 9% in London following the introduction of the Ulez, compared with a fall from 9% to 7% in Luton. 

“We already knew that the Ulez reduced air pollution but now we know that children’s lung health has improved at the same time, which is a really important finding,” said lead author Dr Helen Wood, research fellow at the university. 

However, she warned that air pollution in both London and Luton, plus other UK cities, remains above guideline levels. “There is still work to be done,” she said. 

Image: Angel Santana Garcia

Vin Diesel singing a Dolly Parton cover probably wasn’t on many people’s bingo cards after news of the country icon’s death broke this week, but such was her influence.

Since Parton’s death at 80 on Tuesday, which came after a “brief battle” with cancer, public figures from across the globe have paid tribute to the “Jolene” singer.

Few, however, have been as unique as Diesel’s.

On Wednesday, The Pacifier star, 59, shared a clip on Instagram of himself singing a soft and slow rendition of Parton’s 1974 romantic classic, “I Will Always Love You,” which became a global phenomenon in 1992 with Whitney Houston’s cover she recorded for The Bodyguard.

Played over a black and white photo of Parton’s face, fans were left speechless by Diesel’s soulful, emotional performance.

The post was quickly reshared on X, where it received some light mockery mixed with genuine awe.

“That’s what Groot been saying all this time,” one person joked, referring to the actor’s Guardians of the Galaxy character.

“Dolly Parton got Vin Diesel singing and it its a damn serious tribute i don’t think i quite understood her impact,” added another.

“This the most honest and vulnerable thing I’ve heard in my entire life,” wrote a third.

“Please release the full version on streaming,” another person begged.

“Didn’t have ‘Crying to Vin Disel singing’ on my list today but here we are,” wrote a fifth.

Parton’s influence spanned all musical genres. After her death, rapper Eminem shared a heartfelt note he received from Parton in 2022 after he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

“Even though I don’t know a lot about rap music, I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it,” the country star wrote in the note. “Aside from that I hope what I have to say will not seem weird or strange to you but I have always felt some unexplained connection to you like I know you somehow.

“I had hoped to meet you at the show but you know how nuts those things are, personally I hate ‘em and I missed my chance but maybe someday we’ll meet,” she continued. “In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing because you do it so well and no matter how complex your world may be just know you are very special and touch people in ways you don’t even know. With love & respect, Dolly Parton.”

However, not everyone’s homages to the late “9 to 5” singer have been well received.

Ricky Schroder — who played Parton’s father in the TV movies Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (2015) and its 2016 sequel, Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love — is facing intense criticism for politicizing his tribute.

“I didnt agree with her advocating for Transgender & Covid Vaccine support…but Loved her anyway. Thank you for choosing me Dolly to be your Movie Daddy,” Schroder wrote on Instagram.

A number of celebrities were quick to call out the actor for sharing transphobic and anti-vaccine rhetoric in his supposed tribute to Parton.

“Ick,” Katie Couric wrote on Threads.

“Oh shut up,” Boy George responded on Instagram.

Lioness actor Jay Huguley added: “‘I loved her anyway’ what a strange tribute. Good Lord.”

Parton’s family have said she will have a small private funeral with no confirmed plans for a public memorial.

A pop-up tent can be pitched in seconds and, theoretically, taken down in less, making them perfect for music festivals, casual camping or even waiting in the queue at Wimbledon overnight.

Their problem is that they’re not actually as easy to put away as they should be. Angle it right, and the tent folds away as easily as it popped up. Approach without a plan, and you’ll find yourself wrangling with a seemingly live tent that refuses to fold back into its circular bag.

Here’s my step-by-step guide on how to put away a pop-up tent in less than 60 seconds, to help you avoid that problem. Watch the video to see exactly how I do it. 

1. Unzip the doors

This is to let any air escape. Otherwise, you’ll find it balloons out as you try to fold it.

2. Gather the poles

Find the highest arch on both sides, then pull them together into the middle.

A vehicle has smashed into a wall outside a property minutes away from the site of the A66 crash and subsequent deadly house fire near Middlesbrough.

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday morning at a house on Steele Crescent, South Bank.

It is located near the site of a crash on the A66 which killed seven people on Saturday, and a house fire in Grangetown on Wednesday, where a seven-year-old girl and her aunt died.

Officers from Cleveland Police were called to the house – which was empty at the time – after 12.30am on Thursday.

An investigation has been launched and police have not confirmed whether there is any link between the previous two incidents and today’s crash.

Local policing Superintendent Emily Harrison said: ‘The property was empty at the time and we have not currently received any reports of any injuries.

‘Officers are conducting inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident.

‘Our investigation is in its early stages and it has not yet been confirmed whether this incident is linked to wider organised crime.’

The crash occurred the same morning that inquests were opened into the deaths of two police officers who were among those killed when their vehicle was hit by a car driving the wrong way down the A66.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died in the resulting head-on collision with a Volkswagen Passat on Saturday.

Teesside Coroners’ Court heard that ‘all occupants of both vehicles were sadly pronounced dead at the scene’.

In short, consecutive hearings, coroner Paul Appleton said Pc Blades was identified by his wife, and Pc Clough by his partner.

The provisional cause of death was said to be head and neck injuries for Pc Blades, and neck injuries for Pc Clough.

Mr Appleton said: ‘At this stage it is understood that there had been a police pursuit of the Volkswagen Passat.

‘It entered the A66 carriageway against the flow of traffic, at which stage the pursuit was aborted.

‘A short time after… the Volkswagen Passat collided with a police vehicle, which had not been directly involved in the prior pursuit.’

Inquests will open this afternoon into the deaths of the young men who were in the Passat during the collision – Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak.

On Wednesday, seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died following a fire at a house in Grangetown.

Tributes have been left outside the property, including flowers and toys, plus a photo of the pair and the words: ‘RIP Natalie and Valentina you will be missed.’

A teddy bear was left with a note which said: ‘Now she dances with butterflies Valentina.’

Prime minister Andy Burnham has said the government is offering ‘all of the support that the authorities need’ following the house fire.

‘The important thing, it’s a terribly tragic event that’s happened with the loss of a young woman and her seven-year-old niece,’ he said.

He continued: ‘Utterly devastating, and I’m sure there’s a whole community that is grieving, not just what happened at the weekend, and particularly we should stress our deepest respect for the police officers lost in the line of duty and sending our sympathies to their families.

‘And we will obviously make sure that the support is there for them going forward.

‘The only thing I can say this morning is there is an investigation under way. It will be the fullest possible investigation. The authorities will have all of the support that they need.

‘We do need to understand the extent to which they may be connected, but they may not be. So I think it’s too early to jump to conclusions.

‘But what we can say at this point in time is that all of the support will be provided to get to the heart of what has happened here.’

Police have arrested 17 people following the crash as part of investigations into alleged organised crime. Two have been charged and the others have been bailed.

Police have previously said the five young men in the Passat may have had links to ‘serious and organised criminal activity’, with four having previous convictions.

MORE: Oregon man ‘murdered girlfriend and family’ in horrifying quintuple homicide

MORE: One dead after car ‘deliberately’ crashes into crowd of people

MORE: Has London finally turned the tide against phone snatchers?

The show has been on hiatus since presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was almost killed during filming in December 2022.

He presented alongside Paddy McGuinness

The presenters of the new series have not been named by producers.

The former cricketer was taken to hospital with facial and rib injuries following the accident at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, when he was driving a Morgan Super 3.

The car, which did not have a roof, flipped upside down and skidded on the tarmac before coming to a stop.

After the crash, the BBC said Top Gear would be “rested” for the foreseeable future, after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff, an agreement reportedly worth around £9 million.

However, the BBC’s director of entertainment Ed Havard confirmed the news of the return at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday.

(Image: John Walton / PA Wire)

Speaking at a panel event, he was asked whether the show would be returning to the national broadcaster.

He said: “There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back.

“I’m not going to talk about talent today.”

Havard had been asked whether Jimmy Carr would be hosting. He replied: “Jimmy would be a great host but I won’t be discussing that today.

“We will have more information on Top Gear shortly.”

Paddy also suffered a crash during the filming the show.

Talking on the Restless Natives podcast about Top Gear, The Sun reported, McGuinness said: “I was in this race in America.

“I hit a wall at about 70 or 80 miles an hour.

“You could feel your brains rattling.

“Thank the Lord I walked away from it.

“But I remember that night being in my bed at the hotel and literally having a bit of a panic attack.”

Find out when the popular retailer is planning to close this year.

It might still be August, but some retailers on the high street are already beginning to think about the Christmas period. One of them is Home Bargains.

The discount chain has officially confirmed to the Daily Record that it will be closing all 76 stores across Scotland on three specific days. It will come in handy for those who are planning a trip later in the year.

All shops will be remaining closed on Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s Day (January 1). It follows similar moves made by the retailer over the years to ensure staff are giving plenty of time with their loved ones over the holidays.

Like many major brands on the UK high street, the bargain firm often switches up its hours in the build-up to Christmas. While it was always common to remain closed on December 25, the decision to remain so on the two following days has become a more recent tradition.

In the past, many would reopen for the all important Boxing Day and New Year sale events. However, this was changed as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading quite a few to keep their doors closed.

While Home Bargains has not provided an official comment, a spokesperson has told the Daily Record in previous years: “We know how hard all our colleagues have worked throughout the year.

“Being a family-run business, we recognise the importance of spending quality time with our loved ones. Therefore, we feel it is only right to support our valued store teams by giving them extended time off around Christmas and New Year.”

Alongside remaining closed on these three days, the discounter has also been known to close a little bit earlier on Christmas Eve. In the past, it has operated at reduced hours, with many tending to close at around 5pm, although this may potentially differ this December.

The decision hasn’t just affected all Scottish stores, as all 617 stores across the UK will be closed on Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year this year. Shoppers can find their local store by using the store locator tool.

While it might seem very early to be considering Christmas just now, Home Bargains is usually popular during the holiday period since it offers affordable prices across seasonal must-haves, such as decorations, gift wrapping and décor items including candles and wreaths.

To gear up for the inevitably busy time of year, the bargain retail chain has already begun to stock its Christmas range ahead of schedule. In fact, the firm teased its loyal 1.2 million Instagram followers with a ‘sneak peek’ of its upcoming festive range.

On the retailer’s website, shoppers will already find everything from trees and gift sets to adorable seasonal ornaments, such as ceramic LED houses and pastel gingerbread houses. The popular Polar Express collection has also made a return for 2026.

Based on the iconic 2004 animated Christmas film, the seasonal range comes with a selection of themed velour pyjamas for the whole family, making them perfect for cosy Christmas movie marathons, lazy mornings and for Christmas morning itself.

Despite the early announcement, some shoppers already seem to be delighted, as many have responded to Home Bargains’ Christmas range under its Instagram reel. One such comment read: “Oh wow I can’t wait. It all looks fabulous.”

Another eager customer wrote: “Stop I’m so excited!!!!”

And someone else added: “Died and gone to Christmas heaven.”