Article Source: Scotland Loves Local
Last Updated: 11 December 2024 14:01
Sean Batty has been sharing the magic of Christmas in Glasgow- and he’s urging locals to spread some seasonal cheer in the city’s shops too.
Paisley’s popular STV weatherman has released his first festive children’s book and has been selling it in person at local festivals, markets and other events across the country, including at the Christmas Market in George Square last weekend.
And he says meeting shopkeepers, stallholders and other community enterprise owners has proven another powerful reminder about the need to get behind local shops, services and attractions.
Sean is also an ambassador for Scotland Loves Local, the campaign urging people to think local first and prioritise spending with businesses in their home area.
He has also taken part in events in Paisley and Brookfield to promote The Worst Christmas Weather EVER! and said: “I’m passionate about the weather and love Christmas so it has been so exciting sharing my new book with young readers.
“Getting out and about at this special time of year - meeting so many local businesses - has also been a powerful reminder about how we need to get behind them and show them our support.
“In my book, Santa asks children around the world to become Ho Ho Heroes by becoming eco-friendly and helping to protect the planet. But we can all become heroes for our local high streets by choosing local this Christmas and throughout the year.”
Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the organisation which spearheads Scotland Loves Local, is leading the charge in calling for people to shop local during the final countdown to Christmas.
STP Chief Officer Kimberley Guthrie said: “A successful Christmas season really can define the year for many local businesses.
“So many local businesses have served our communities for generations. By getting behind them we can help safeguard their future, as well as the jobs of our friends and neighbours, as well as ensuring the foundations are in place to help create vibrant, successful town centres of the future.”
One of the ways by which people are being urged to support their community is through the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, which is available in every region of Scotland.
In The Worst Christmas Weather EVER!, Sean uses Santa Claus to share a fun, exciting - yet thought-provoking - message about climate change, encouraging children to take an interest in the weather, just like he did as a seven-year-old.
It takes readers on an adventurous ride around the world, using real-life weather events to tell an exciting and thought-provoking story. From record-breaking snowfalls in Japan to wildfires in Australia, floods in South Sudan, and even unseasonably warm December weather in the Scottish Highlands (based on the record 18.7°C recorded in Achfary on December 28, 2019), the book draws inspiration from actual climate events.
Sean, who has toured the country championing the Scotland Loves Local message to choose local, explained: “I wanted the story to be as realistic as possible because climate change is not something that needs exaggerating. The extreme weather Santa encounters is based on real events. It’s not about scaring kids – it’s about educating them through fun and adventure.”
In the book, Santa’s festive journey is full of unexpected calamities: losing presents in the snow, rescuing koalas from bushfires in Australia, crash-landing in Ethiopia’s dry landscape, and even getting caught in a winter tornado over Kentucky.
But the story doesn’t end there. Santa calls upon children around the world to become Ho Ho Heroes by adopting eco-friendly actions that help protect the planet and ensure a smoother delivery for Santa in the future.
“The book is a fun way to encourage kids to think about their own environmental impact,” Sean said. “It’s all about inspiring positive change while still embracing the magic of Christmas.”
The Worst Christmas Weather EVER! is available in various local book shops across the country, with more details available at www.seanbatty.co.uk
Flight Club is inviting Glasgow AJ Bell Great Scottish Run participants to celebrate their incredible effort with a complimentary drink on Sunday 5th October!
READ MOREThe team behind the home of Social Darts is embarking on a nationwide charity tour in celebration of its 10th birthday and dishing out treats to its fans along the way!
READ MORECity's biggest Halloween show extended as nostalgia-fuelled 'Miles Better' theme takes Glasgow by storm, with new dates on sale on Wednesday 17th September at 7.30am!
READ MOREScotland's premier five-star luxury wedding destination, Crossbasket Castle, has unveiled a new decadent wedding menu crafted exclusively by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
READ MOREThe full cast has been announced for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile which comes to the Theatre Royal Glasgow in February.
READ MOREPaisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MOREEdinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MOREThe Royal Shakespeare Company's smash hit production of Matilda The Musical, based on Roald Dahl's beloved book, will come to Glasgow for the very first time in 2026!
READ MORECineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MOREFamily-owned national diamond, jewellery and watch retailer, Beaverbrooks, is doubling the size of its Glasgow Fort store with a £1.3m investment.
READ MOREThis festive season at SWG3, Bongo's Bingo is transporting everyone back to the time where coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme!
READ MOREScotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MOREOne of Glasgow's favourites is flipping the idea of a traditional roast on its head with the return of its Sunday BBQ later this month.
READ MOREMarston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MOREÒran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MOREThe Barrowland Ballroom was filled with love, laughter, and music as friends, family and supporters came together for SOAPYFEST, raising over £18K in support of Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
READ MOREM&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORETopgolf Glasgow is bringing a taste of the gridiron to Scotland this autumn with the launch of its brand-new Field Goal Challenge game.
READ MOREGlasGLOW fever has gripped Glasgow once again, with more than 20,000 tickets for this year's GlasGLOW's Miles Better show snapped up within just 60 minutes of being released.
READ MOREIconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MOREThe Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORELove Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MOREMulti-venue music festival taking over Glasgow's East End this October confirms Dead Pony and 14 new acts!
READ MORETickets will go on sale for Aye Write, Glasgow's long-established and much-loved book festival, at 11am today.
READ MOREIt might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MOREBirds Fried Chicken is taking its signature Southern-style fried chicken out of its natural Shawlands habitat and into new, unexpected settings with the launch of Rare Birds!
READ MOREBuchanan Galleries is marking Zero Waste Week (1 – 5 September 2025) by showcasing the centre's wide range of sustainable retail initiatives!
READ MOREBusiness Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MOREA new role-play experience is popping up in community venues across Greater Glasgow this month bringing pint-sized professions and plenty of pretend fun to preschoolers and their families.
READ MORESummer may be over, but music festival season is still here, with an exciting outdoor concert in aid of Mary's Meals taking place in Glasgow's West End on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE