LUKE MARSDEN: strikes are ensuring it's going to be a miserable Christmas for all

Isn’t this supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year? I’m yet to hear anyone say it without dripping in sarcasm. To be honest, people are miserable.

Of course, it’s easy just to lay blame on HRH’s Government. It’s easy to say Rishi is the Grinch who is ruining Christmas and, in some senses, there may be justification for that statement.

But there has to be a bit of give and take. A 19 per cent public sector pay rise is insane in a cost-of-living crisi and funded by taxpayers who can’t put their heating on.

In my career, I’ve never had anything more than a five per cent rise. Thankfully emergency services will continue over the festive period, but I’d like to take this opportunity to say that if you’ve chipped a nail or ricked your back pulling a cracker, do not go to A&E. Loss of consciousness is a genuine emergency – not a festive hangover.

As for The Royal Mail, I’m now on day 10 without a single thing through my letterbox. A friend said he posted my Christmas card at the start of the month. I told him he should’ve just thrown it out of the window – it may have got here sooner.

The only positive of this entire mess is that I popped into Wigan town centre earlier this week and it was busy. A rare sight these days.

Lots of Wiganers doing their last-minute Christmas shopping, stopping for a festive coffee, and even seemingly enjoying being in The Grand Arcade.

Just imagine if we could recreate this feel every Saturday like the good old days.

Perhaps the implosion of Royal Mail services will be a good thing: we may have to put down our smartphones don our shoes and head to the shops.

I’ll toast to that, Merry Christmas Wigan!