A REVIVAL in men’s suits has helped Marks & Spencer fashion a dramatic comeback.

Its profits jumped by a fifth as both food and clothing sales rose.

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Boss Stuart Machin said 670,000 new shoppers had been tempted by its menswear ranges, as advertised by Mark Wright and Spencer Matthews, over the past six weeks.

He reported it had sold one million suits so far this year as more workers returned to offices after the pandemic and wanted a smarter look.

And he claimed the average age of its menswear customers had fallen by a decade as it was now winning more shoppers in their mid-20s and 30s.

He said: “Our menswear is getting better. I was wearing our £60 sell-out bomber jacket at the weekend and a friend thought it was Prada.

The chief exec, wearing head-to-toe M&S gear including Supima briefs, said it had been working on becoming more stylish.

Mr Machin, 54, added: “I wear my suit straight off the rack and, I shouldn’t say this, but former CEOs used to have theirs altered.”

Despite half-year profits of £391.9million, Mr Machin warned the high street giant faced a £120million hit from increased National Insurance and the minimum wage rise.

However, he said he had no intention of putting up prices.

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AN incredible hoard of rare toy cars has sold for an eye-watering £46,000.

Terry Kneeshaw, from Darlington, County Durham, began his collection of Matchbox Regular Wheels in the 1970s.

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It has grown to a whopping 450 cars over the years.

The eagle-eyed collector has categorised the artwork of each box from type A to F, as well as by model series from one through to 75.

It has been dubbed Britain’s biggest collections of Matchbox toys, and was expected to fetch £21,000.

But, with the help of Vectis Auction House, Terry sold his 50-year-old collection for £46,000.

Ahead of the sale, artist Terry said: “I loved the paintings that came together on the boxes and I have some very, very rare ones.

“I started collecting variants and it became an obsession.

“For a lot of people the cars are the most important part of the collection but for me as an artist what was more important was the pictures.

“So when I collected, I collected all the box types.”

The auction, which was held online, saw buyers from across the world bidding on 445 items.

All of them sold on the day, as reported by What’s The Jam.

Interesting cars included a Matchbox Regular Wheels 55a DUKW Amphibian.

It sold for £760 in a rare late issue type D1 box, printed by Pembroke Abbey with matching model artwork.

A Matchbox Regular Wheels 33a Ford Zodiac pair, which was estimated at £40 to £60 also sold for £539.

This comes as a superfan who collected every copy of NME magazine for 52 years is selling them for an eye-watering £3,000.

Tony Howard’s attic nearly collapsed under the weight of his massive magazine hoard – which started when he was just 12-years-old.

Elsewhere, a vintage Star Wars toy hoard found at the back of a cupboard is set to go under the hammer for an eye-watering £600,000.

The over 400 near-mint figurines – including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader – are still in their original packaging.

Dating from the late 1970s and early 80s, the plastic toys had been stashed in a carboard box for 40 years by a pensioner.

In Livingston, Scotland, a dad-of-two hopes his giant collection of Pokémon cards will be worth more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Gordon White, 58, has been hoarding the rare trading cards for 16 years and has amassed thousands.

He has already cashed in by selling half of his collection, which fetched a whopping £200,000 when it went under the hammer in November last year.

And, a collector who found 1,246 coins over the last 45 years sold the lot for £2million.

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MORE than £49billion has been raised for good causes by the National Lottery — and its new owners are setting their sights on raising even more cash.

In February, after a lengthy regulatory process, Allwyn took over from Camelot — which had held the licence since 1994.

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Andria Vidler, the firm’s chief executive, said that there was a huge amount of work to modernise the National Lottery and bring back the buzz.

Its existence has proven vital as its grants have been relied upon for the country’s sporting and artistic triumphs — as well as at grassroot levels.

Since funding began British athletes have won over 1,200 Olympic and Paralympic medals.

Allwyn has set out plans to double the amount of cash for good causes from £30million to £60million a week over the next decade of its licence.

Ms Vidler, said: “One of the biggest challenges with the National Lottery is that it has aged.

“The world has changed massively since the National Lottery was launched 30 years ago.

“Back then it was a TV spectacular hosted by Noel Edmonds and Anthea Turner and watched by a third of the population.

“Now we’re facing increased competition, not just from other lotteries but from competing demands for our attention from streaming box sets, to video games and social media.”

Still, in the eight months since Allwyn took over, it has raised £1billion for good causes.

Ms Vidler revealed Allwyn, which was founded by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, has invested more than £350million in modernising operations.

Its revamp involves improving tech, scrapping charges for ­terminals and upgrading point of sale kit for retailers.

To come next year will be a new and improved digital app and website for customers.

It is also rolling out a festive launch with scratchcard gift cards and Christmas cards with more prizes to be launched next year.

Ms Vidler added: “I want the next decade for the National Lottery to be the best yet.”

‘We’ll hand shopkeepers £10k bonus for every millionaire’

WITH over 41,000 shops selling Lottery tickets we know how important the local store is to every neighbourhood in the UK.

The ripple effect of each ticket sold in a shop needs to be championed more.

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From our beginning, 30 years ago, local retailers have been at the heart of the National Lottery.

You couldn’t buy tickets from a phone screen — the only place to get them was your local store.

Much has changed since then but despite the world becoming increasingly digital we know there’s still a thrill from buying a physical ticket, whether that’s ­filling in your lucky numbers or buying a scratch card.

Without local retailers selling our tickets, National Lottery players could never have raised the amazing £49billion for good causes and had such a profound impact on British society.

The National Lottery has backed Olympians and Paralympians to ­fulfil the nation’s dreams.

And we’ve invested in some of the UK’s most loved landmarks — including the Angel of the North, Cornwall’s Eden Project and Stonehenge.

Money from tickets has also backed over 600 films, including award winners such as Billy Elliot and The King’s Speech.

None of this would be possible without your local shopkeeper and we want them to be part of our winners’ celebrations.

So when a winning National Lottery ticket is sold with a jackpot of £50,000 or more, we’ll hand them a cash prize of up to £10,000.

It’s a meaningful commitment — there’s nine million winning tickets a week and seven new millionaires.

ASHLEY’S BLAST AT BOOHOO

MIKE Ashley’s Frasers Group has blasted Boohoo for its “utter disregard for shareholders” and threatened the online retailer’s directors with legal action.

Mr Ashley is reeling from Boohoo snubbing his demands to become its next chief executive and promoting insider Dan Finley instead.

In response, Mr Ashley has issued another public letter saying: “This has to stop. What will they try next? Desperate people do desperate things”.

The tycoon, who is Boohoo’s biggest shareholder with a 37 per cent stake, is now calling on Boohoo to put any brand disposals to a vote and hire an investment bank to scrutinise the terms of any brand sale.

It comes amid concerns that Boohoo could sell one of its brands to someone with ­connections to chairman and founder Mahmud Kamani.

Boohoo said last month it could break-up the business to revive its share price.

’SPOONS PINT RISE

WETHERSPOONS’ boss Sir Tim Martin has warned the price of a pint will rise after the Budget added £60million in costs to the pub chain.

Wetherspoons, which employs more than 40,000 people, plans to pass on the costs of hikes in employers’ national insurance contributions and the minimum wage.

Analysts think it could add 5p to the price of a pint, despite record sales over the last 14 weeks, with like-for-like sales rising by 5.9 per cent.

SWEET TREAT lovers are thrilled to discover a chocolate thought to be “extinct” in the confectionary aisle of B&M.

Originally sold as a full bar, the chocolate has made a Cadbury comeback in miniature form.

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Retailer B&M has sparked excitement among chocoholics after customers spotted the Cadbury Fuse Mini Treats on the shelves.

Shoppers were quick to post the find on Facebook after realising it was the beloved Fuse in smaller chunks.

One user commented: “My local one doesn’t have the fuse yet! I need them.”

Another added: “I can’t believe the fuse is back! Its about time.”

A third user responded: “Wow fuse! Need to get them haven’t seen them in a long time.”

The discovery was posted on a food finding page on Facebook and has since racked up 386 likes and 297 comments.

In the picture there are two types of Mini Treats, the 5 Star and Fuse – but all the focus was on the long anticipated return of the Fuse bar.

The cult classic chocolate bar has a soft creamy center surrounded by crunchy peanuts and gooey caramel.

With a blend of crispy cereal and sweet fudge is was pinned as a Cadbury favourite.

The treat was launched in 1996 but only lasted for a decade, being removed from shelves in the mid-2000’s.

It’s not known why the bar was discontinued but fans were gutted to see it go.

A Cadbury 1996 business stated: “The secret of the Fuse recipe is that it uses Cadbury’s chocolate as the main ingredient, fusing together a mixture of favourite snacking ingredients.”

It’s no wonder then, as a combination with the top snacks, the fuse bar became a popular treat.

Fuse bars are now rarely spotted apart from in specialist stores like Bombon.

If you’re determined you can buy the full sized Fuse in India.

Now at least with the Fuse Mini Treats, chocolate lover will get the chance to relive the the glory days in miniature form.

The Fuse bar isn’t the only treat that shoppers are calling for.

The Cadbury Time Out was found to be the most missed chocolate bar 18 to 35 year olds.

Fans were fuming after the bar was removed in favour of a new, single finger, Time Out Wafer.

The Cadburys Dairy Milk Tasters were an product that didn’t quite sell enough to keep on the shelves.

As a Malteser look-a-like the product didn’t have the crunchy centre and were eventually removed from stores.

Four years after it was launched the Mars Delight was discontinued.

A survey found 76 per cent of Brits of would love to see Mars Delight make a return.

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

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Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

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So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

A SUPERFAN who collected EVERY copy of NME magazine for 52 years is selling them for an eye-watering £3,000.

Tony Howard’s attic nearly collapsed under the weight of his massive magazine hoard – which started when he was just 12-years-old.

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He bought his very first copy in August 1966, and took one home every week until 2018 – when the magazine stopped printing paper editions.

The 64-year-old stashed his jaw-dropping collection of 2,700 copies of The New Musical Express in his Lincolnshire loft.

But now he’s decided to put them under the hammer after his attic was in danger of collapsing.

The NMEs are being sold individually, with some rare copies expected to fetch up to £50 each.

The collection is going up for auction at John Taylors Saleroom in Louth, Lincs., on November 12.

Auctioneer James Laverack said: “Tony’s interest was triggered at a particularly exciting time when British groups were taking the world by storm, all faithfully reported and reviewed in the NME.

“The very month that he bought his first issue of the New Musical Express, The Beatles released Yellow Submarine and Eleanor Rigby on a double A-side single and then flew off to their final tour in America – and into a massive row over John Lennon’s remark about being more famous than Jesus Christ.

“Tony has decided that the time has finally come to let the astonishing collection go to relieve the weight pressure on his attic and enable other enthusiasts to fill gaps in their NME archives.”

The collection will be sold in three parts, 1966-72, 1973-2018, and a duplicate copies lot.

James added: “In total the collection extends to around 2,700 copies, an almost complete run spanning the years 1966-2018.

“There are just a handful of issues from the sixties missing, mistakenly thrown out by Tony’s mother when she was tidying up.

“There were some weeks in the seventies when printer’s industrial action stopped publication, but apart from that they’re all there.

“It’s quite remarkable.

“It is an extraordinary collection, perhaps the finest ever to be offered at auction.

“Other sales have had runs of the NME, some quite early, but involving limited periods. Nothing of this magnitude.

“We’ve given it a pre-sale estimate of £2,500-£3,000.”

This comes as many people are discovering their unusual collections could fetch them thousands at auction.

A vintage Star Wars toy hoard found at the back of a cupboard is set to go under the hammer for an eye-watering £600,000.

The over 400 near-mint figurines – including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader – are still in their original packaging.

Dating from the late 1970s and early 80s, the plastic toys had been stashed in a carboard box for 40 years by a pensioner.

In Livingston, Scotland, a dad-of-two hopes his giant collection of Pokémon cards will be worth more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Gordon White, 58, has been hoarding the rare trading cards for 16 years and has amassed thousands.

He has already cashed in by selling half of his collection, which fetched a whopping £200,000 when it went under the hammer in November last year.

And, a collector who found 1,246 coins over the last 45 years sold the lot for £2million.

Robert Puddester paid up to £250 for some of the rarer coins, but the value of East India Company coins has shot up over the last 30 years.

The top selling lot was a Bombay half-mohur from 1765 which sold for £117,800.

A 1765 Bombay gold mohur sold for £99,200, as did a rare 1770 Bombay gold 15 rupees, which was one of only four known examples.

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SUBWAY have revealed their new festive menu and hungry Brits can’t wait to try the “ultimate Christmas sarnie”.

The popular fast food chain rolled out their latest scrumptious items today – and customers were glad to see an old favourite make a comeback.

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The V.I.Brie SubMelt was hailed by fans who were sad to see it leave last year.

It boasts a festive combination of bacon, brie, American-style cheese, red peppers, caramelised red onions, and a sweet onion sauce.

The mouth-watering bread is also toasted to golden perfection, making it the “ultimate cheesy winter warmer”. 

The V.I.Brie SubMelt will set you back around £8.19 and they’re 469 calories.

Subway announced their Footlong Sidekicks range earlier this year, which features the Footlong Cookie.

And, there is now be a limited-edition festive choice in the form of a Gingerbread Footlong Cookie.

The warmed sweet treats, topped with edible snowflakes, are filled with Christmas spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

Their size makes them perfect to share with friends of family this winter season over a cup of coffee.

They are £4.49 and contain 1,288 calories.

Meanwhile, the Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie offers customers another mince pie alternative this Christmas.

It has both milk and white chocolate chips, crunchy hazelnuts, and delicious salted caramel bits.

Customers can expect to pay £4.18 for the cookies, which boast 671 calories.

All of these festive new items are available nationwide from today.

They can also be ordered online for collection or delivery on the Subway App.

The “ultimate” sarnie and taste bud tingling goodies will be available until January 10, 2025.

Deniz Safa, Director of Innovation & Culinary at Subway EMEA, said: “We’re so excited to unveil the first new addition to our Footlong Sidekicks range since their launch in June.

“Fans went mad for our Footlong Cookie this summer, and as Christmas is all about sharing, our all-new Footlong Gingerbread Cookie is set to be the perfect treat to spread some festive cheer with friends and family.

“Enjoy it fresh, warm, and straight from our in-store ovens.” 

“We’re also delighted to bring back the much-loved V.I.Brie SubMelt® which is back due to popular demand.

“This brie, bacon and caramelised red onion festive toastie is the ultimate comfort food for chilly days, combining iconic festive flavours, and toasted to perfection.”

You can find your nearest open Subway store via their website.

This comes as Costa also announced their Christmas 2024 menu will be launched tomorrow.

And Costa fans are bursting with joy to find out that the Black Forest Hot Chocolate is making a come back.

Not only this, but customers will also be able to ask for a Black Forest Frappe – a whipped iced alternative which has never been seen before.

The rich dessert-inspired drinks will come with cream, sprinkles and cherry sauce.