CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO ALL BRIGG BLOG'S FOLLOWERS

Brigg Blog sends Christmas greetings to all our followers in the town, surrounding communities, elsewhere in the UK and across the world, including those as far away as Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
As the clock on top of the Buttercross in the Market Place ticks past midnight, we hope you all have a happy and enjoyable Christmas.
Please spare a thought for those who will be working for the good of others on December 25.
They include police, fire and ambulance personnel, doctors, nurses, care home employees... and those on duty to serve food and drink at local outlets that are open today.
We've dipped into our extensive picture archive to come up with a snowy scene in the Market Place some years ago (not a White Christmas, though).  In the far distance is the Buttercross, which this year sees its 200th Christmas.

Millions of Brits to miss Christmas

SPENDING time with loved ones is the thing British people look forward to the most about Christmas – but for a shocking number of workers, this won’t be the reality this year, new research has revealed.
A study by One4all Gift Cards of 1,382 UK workers, to coincide with their #One4allThisXmas campaign, has found that 4.7 million people across the UK are set to work on Christmas Day this year, meaning they will miss out on festivities with loved ones.
On average, those clocking in on 25th December will work 7 hours in total this year, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) respondents due to work over 9 hours on Christmas Day.
For many, this means they’ll miss out on the most beloved aspects of Christmas – which for the majority (46%) is spending quality time with the family, closely followed by Christmas dinner with loved ones (36%) and giving presents (27%).
Those working in the healthcare industry were the most likely to be working on Christmas Day, with almost 1 in 5 (19%) of this sector likely to be clocking in this year on 25th December.
This was closely followed by those working within the arts and culture industry (11%), the HR sector (9%), legal industry (8%) and catering, leisure and retail (7%).
However, the research did reveal that 33% of respondents enjoy working over the festive period, with 77% of respondents agreeing that helping others is what the true spirit of Christmas is all about.
Aoife Davey, group marketing director at One4all Gift Cards comments; “Christmas is a special time and for many it might be that one day in the year when they get to see loved ones and family members who live further afield, and so it’s a shame that so many are missing out due to work commitments.
“There are so many elements to Christmas which make it as special time with loved ones, whether this be enjoying Christmas dinner or sharing presents around the tree, so it’s great to have the opportunity to give something back through our #One4allThisXmas competition,  gifting one hardworking person, who goes above and beyond during the festive period, a Christmas treat that they can remember fondly for years to come.”
The #One4allThisXmas campaign, from One4all Gift Cards celebrates and gives back to workers who miss Christmas Day with their families due to work or helping others.
The One4all Gift Card can be spent in more than 55,000 outlets across the UK and is available to buy from Post Offices, gift card stands in Tesco stores nationwide and online at www.one4all.com