Friday, 20 December 2024
TO: Mighty Memo Readers
FROM: Mighty Memo Editorial Department
SUBJECT: Christmas holidays
The Mighty Memo office will be closed between Monday, 23rd December and Friday, 3rd January. Your next issue of the Mighty Memo will arrive in your inbox on Monday, 6th January. If you wish to contact us during this time, please send your email to hello@mightymemo.co.uk. We will respond to you as soon as we can. As this year comes to an end, we also want to say thank you for subscribing to the Mighty Memo – we’re grateful for your support and loyalty – and we hope you enjoy this special festive edition of the Mighty Memo. Happy Christmas, happy new year and happy holidays!
Friday, 20th December 2024 – Special Festive Edition – www.mightymemo.co.uk
The Mighty Headlines
Business: Knitted figures of Mary and Joseph visit London’s commuters
Markets: Manchester’s Christmas markets deemed most scenic in the UK
Foreign Affairs: Santa Claus train re-starts in Japan
Security and intelligence: Finnish PM invites EU leaders to Lapland tomorrow
Domestic politics: UK Aviation Authority gives Santa permission to enter UK airspace
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 8,105.32 (down 1.14 per cent at Thursday close)
S&P500 = 5,867.08 (down 0.087 per cent at Thursday close)
Nasdaq = 19,372.77 (down 0.1 per cent at Thursday close)
CAC40 = 7,294.37 (down 1.22 per cent at Thursday close)
£1 = $1.25 / €1.21
*If you’ve been forwarded the Mighty Memo, subscribe for free at www.mightymemo.co.uk. You’ll receive the Mighty Memo directly in your inbox as soon as it’s published!*
The Mighty Detail
Business: Miniature knitted figures of Mary, Joseph, a donkey and the angel Gabriel have been giving workers and commuters reminders of the Christmas story on London’s underground. The small, knitted figures were bought off eBay by Father Chrichton Limbert and are pictured at underground stations including Gospel Oak, Angel, Carpenders Park, Marylebone and Covent Garden.
Markets: Manchester’s Christmas markets have been named the most scenic in the UK by Jessops. The photography store compiled the list based on the number of Instagram hashtags for each location. Edinburgh was the second-most scenic. London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland was deemed to be the third-most scenic.
Foreign Affairs: Every year, a Santa Claus train runs in western Japan. The seasonal train is decorated with Christmas ornaments. University students, dressed in Santa Claus and reindeer outfits, also give out presents and quizzes to children. The train is again in operation and runs until the 25th December.
Security and intelligence: Finland’s Prime Minister is inviting EU leaders to Lapland tomorrow for a mini-political summit. The EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, and the Prime Ministers of Italy, Greece and Sweden will be attending. They are due to discuss European security, defence, migration and border security.
Domestic politics: The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that Santa Claus has been given permission to enter UK airspace on Christmas Eve. The CAA has also confirmed that Santa Claus’s sleigh has passed vital safety checks, with CAA staff making sure that:
Presents are stowed away safely and securely;
The aircrew understand the vehicle’s “elf” and safety procedures;
Christmas cheer is handled by qualified experts; and
The sleigh bells ring at an acceptable decibel level.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
UK Christmas Number One song announced
UK, Canada retail sales data (November)
UK Government budget deficit data (November)
Germany, France, Italy PPI inflation data (November)
Eurozone consumer confidence data (December)
United States personal spending data (November)
Lookahead to the weekend
Saturday
Winter solstice celebrations at Stonehenge
Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk II, Saudi Arabia
Tours available of The Charterhouse, London
Sunday
Spain’s annual ‘El Gordo’ lottery draw (€2.7 billion of prize money!)
Christmas carol service in most churches and cathedrals this evening
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Patchy rain in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. No snow forecast for Christmas but you never know…For the Met Office to declare a “white Christmas” a single snowflake must be observed by a Met Office observer or automated weather station on the 24 hours of Christmas Day.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Mighty takeaway: It’s simple. Decide to be happy. Make time to do one thing you enjoy doing every day. Too many of us don’t.
That’s about it for today’s edition and for this year. We’ll see you in 2025!
Adios!
The Mighty Memo team