Christmas countdown starts

IF it's September, it must be Christmas: fake snow being sprayed at the Housing Units entrance

DESPITE the Met Office wrongly forecasting a summer scorcher, even it may have been surprised by a snow storm in Failsworth yesterday.

A dusting fell at Housing Units, thanks to Hollywood-style special effects helping to launch the store’s Christmas department.

Snow machines and equipment used by Hollywood film producers were used to create the winter wonderland scene, which will feature in the store’s Christmas activities.

Nick Fox, director, said: “So far as we’re concerned, Christmas starts on September 10, with the opening of our Christmas department.

“Our concession to the timing is that no doubt there’ll be a very un-Christmas-like heatwave, so we’re moving winter forward a bit — and bringing in snow machines to spray some trees and part of our store and retail park a couple of days in advance.”

Launched a whole 105 days before Christmas, the festive department will be 3,500 square feet of floor-space dedicated to Christmas trees, decorations and accessories, and six ready-made decoration themes.