Do You Or Don't You.

[nicebloke1]

If you have a Christmas market in your area do you make any effort to go.

Had a walk round mine yesterday and what a flop.The indoor town centre very busy, but yhe market deserted.

Again its full of foreign food stalls, along with the normal hotdogs and burgers, all with stupid prices, most of which looked as though it had been laying there from early morning, dried up, burnt, and fit for the bin. The chap selling the Mexican food was sitting down behind his counter wrapped up like a teddybear because it was so cold, as I passed he continued to pick his teeth with his finger nails, and made no attept to hide it as I caught his eye. Why do they bother? The mini fairground there was also deserted, well I suppose it would be with kids at school, but must have been costing a bomb in electric with all the lights burning. Has the Xmas market hads its day? 

[davebro3]

never been to one, never will...

[youngmafbog]

No, I dont go. Mainly for the reasons you have outlined.

I think it probably depends on the Xmas market whether they survive.  I've been to them in a few countries and ours have always been pretty poor by comparison (and rediculously expensive - on a par with Paris in many cases).

[nicebloke1]

As I walked round looking at these prices they were hoping to get, I remembered going to some kind of show a few years back. It wasn't a really cold day but it had a nip in the air. There were some really nice food stalls there, but guess which one had a long line of customers waiting including myself?

It was opperated by army cadets. They had a massive steel pot over an open fire, and it had nothing more than beef stew in it, with every type of veg chucked in, I'm sure it was round about 75p for a paper dish full and plastic spoon.

Even if you doubled that price today, your biggest expense would be the beef, the veg this time of year, or anytime of year is really peanuts.

Maybe its about time some of these retailers started coming back down to earth, and the councils who rent the stalls out should have a little think of what makes sense.

It don't take a mastermind to work out the profit margin of a bowl of stew.

 

 

[naomi24]

//It don't take a mastermind to work out the profit margin of a bowl of stew.//

 

 

Clearly ...

[Togo]

More rambling. Last week it was "the shops are rammed and business is booming, where is the evidence that the economy has crashed".

[nicebloke1]

Sarcastic.

[SIRandyraven]

When we lived in Switzerland we used to visit the chits as market in Zurich and Lucerne.

The Zurich one is at the main train station and has the 50 foot Christmas tree dressed in a few million quids worth of Swarovski crystal stars and had stands around edge with amazing animal creations made from their crystals.

The actual market was a bit same as ...same as ...same as ...as you saw a lot of repeat of what was for sale.

Zurich at Christmas was always worth the visit (30 minutes car ride). They had the living Christmas tree (it had a choir in it) also and some good street food stalls.

 

[SIRandyraven]

Christmas in Switzerland we found was much more traditional.

Things didn't appear in shops until a few weeks prior, not in October like over here. Also it was less commercialised.

Shops in Switzerland close on a Sunday, even garden centres. 

[pastafreak]

There's a market here in the citycentre. Not open yet, but I know what to expect. It used to be better, with some quirky stalls selling handmade cards and decorations and other crafty bits such as jewellery. And food of course. But the cost for these stalls is astronomical. Small producers can't afford them...hence mass produced rubbish now. 

We have a yearly South West food festival here. It used to be wonderful with fresh produce, meats, cheeses, condiments. Also food stalls. Now...it's just giant trays of paella, overpriced burgers and maybe a hog roast. Lots of really junky sweets too. 

The twice yearly continental market disappeared with covid...never to return. Same with the craft fairs. And people thought the city centre was dead 5 years ago!

[gramps85]

A few years ago, along with my wife, we visited the  excellent and popular Christmas Market in Lincoln.  It was always so busy that they had to operate a one way system. It then started to go down hill until last year it was cancelled. A great shame and because of the reasons outlined by the poster we no longer look at Christmas Markets. A great pity because we always enjoyed these visits.

[rowanwitch]

Used to go to the Frankfurt market in Birmingham every year but it's silly money and the same old stalls,  when I was a crafter I did Stratford, and Leamington Spa, both were big and busy with a mix of stalls.  Leamington was my favourite.

Might go to Worcester this year, it's not too bad.

[Hazlinny]

I have gone up to the Edinburgh Xmas market in the past but not impressed mainly by the outrageous cost of the items sold.
However, one has to remember the high cost of having a stall, electricity, etc. This year I see the cost of the fairground ride, e.g. Starflyer is £12.50 and family ticket £35!  Most only take card payment.   I prefer to go to the local market where stall-holders are from the area and selling their own produce.

[Maydup]

At the other end of the scale is the Christmas Market in our town which had nothing but cakes, knitted items, and felt elves. Bah Humbug! 

[sandyRoe]

I went to one years ago where I paid £24 for two pints of beer and two hamburgers.  

Never again.

[brainiac]

I was in Leamington today - first time in ages -  and I found it a depressing experience.  No Christmas market, but the shops were empty and uninspiring, the whole couple of hours very disspiriting, not least the £3.40 I had to pay for a lukewarm coffee.  Hellish traffic to get home.  Will not be hurrying back

[Barmaid]

No.  Too many people.  Too much over-priced tat.  I shop at my local suppliers and stay loyal at Christmas.  

[Canary42]

I like the ambience, abhor the prices.

[pastafreak]

I went into town today. Sadly, the market was just as I expected. The only thing that caught my eye was Cornish gin as I plan to get gin for daughter's partner. 

[douglas9401]

Ah the cauldron of cheap red wine with a couple of cloves lobbed in with a thimbleful for a fiver signals that rip-off Britain is alive and well and still populated by the gullible.

Let's go now and tour the poorly decorated garden sheds set out in lines, all selling the same garbage to the unwary and play spot the stallholder round the back for a sly fag and a nip from his bottle as he wonders what he's doing with his life.

This then is Edinburgh, the very hub of tat and broken dreams.

[Canary42]

Your enthusiasm is overwhelming douglas 😀