Television presenter Sean Batty and book shop owner Elaine Sinclair have celebrated their own festive firsts together.
The popular STV weatherman called into Daydreams Bookshop in Milngavie on Tuesday (December 17) to sign copies of his first children’s book, The Worst Christmas Weather EVER!
There, Elaine is embarking on her first Christmas in business.
And each of them is hoping for blockbuster success as both get behind calls for people to support businesses in their community as the clock ticks on the festive shopping season.
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.
Speaking after meeting fans and reading from his book in the Milngavie shop, he said: “It was a really nice event. Elaine’s launched something really good.
“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.”
Elaine, a mum-of-two, swapped her old career as a commercial property lawyer to become a book shop owner and opened Daydreams, on Stewart Street, in September.
She said: “There’s been a great response from the community. People have really got behind us
“The last book shop we had in Milngavie closed nine years ago when its owners retired. People have said they are so glad to have one back.”
Elaine’s book shop idea developed out of a book club she started during the Covid-19 lockdown and which grew to have a 200-strong membership.
“I really enjoyed running it and wondered how to make more of a career from it – and I had always dreamed of running my own book shop, so I thought I’d take a chance,” she added.
“There’s a real resurgence in book shops at the moment, with more young people wanting to go back in to pick up books. It seems to have been the right time for me.”
Signed copies of The Worst Christmas Weather EVER! are available to buy in Daydreams.
Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the organisation which spearheads Scotland Loves Local, is leading the charge in calling for people to shop local this Christmas.
Milngavie Business Improvement District (BID) has long been a prominent supporter of the initiative.
This summer, Sean shone the spotlight on the difference that choosing local makes to people and businesses in the region as he visited Gavin’s Mill to find out about the work there as part of a special promotional video for the campaign.
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.”
