to want our own authentic German Christmas market in London?

[pmTea]

Glasgow has one (twinned with Nuremberg).
Birmingham has one (twinned with Frankfurt).
Leeds has one (no idea who they're twinned with).

London - bloody capital city has nada.

Oh, sorry, unless you count the utter crock of shite that is the Southbank "German-styled" market: nothing authentic about it whatsoever, no German stall holders to speak of, but the usual Christmas tat only sold from a wooden chalet!

I WANT A GERMAN CRISTKINDLMARKT IN LONDON PLEASE

Over and out.

[ghostonthecanvas]

Edinburgh has one.

[ghostonthecanvas]

Mind, maybe the Edinburgh one isn't authentic. Good though.

[NeoFaust]

www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/christmas-market

[pmTea]

ghost I went a couple of years back and there were definitely some real german stalls mixed in with the Brits - it was pretty good - a tad too far for me now tho .
thanks Neo but went to Winter W a year back and found it bloody awful TBH - just some gi-normous fun fair, the volume ratcheted up to ear-splitting levels and virtually nothing German whatsoever, leaving aside the odd sausage and 1 gingerbread stall that was manned by an English woman.

[PseudoBadger]

The traders at Winter Wonderland are very much authentic Germans.

[pmTea]

Really? I only saw one! There were no craft stalls the year I went, only some German food. The fun fair operators were German though, that's true.

[PseudoBadger]

Unfortunately since it has grown in popularity the funfair has dwarfed the market somewhat! It's a far cry now from what it was when it first started.

[MuffCakes]

Bristol has had one for years I really don't like hog roasts blugh and I have bought most of the snow globes, they do hot chocolate with loads of different liqueurs though

[PseudoBadger]

I can only vouch for up to last year but all the food traders on the main straight walk/thoroughfare are German. But other traders have come along as the event grows. You're right that the craft element is tiny now, when I first dealt with it in 2008 (I work for the local authority) there was more if that sort of thing.

[TensionWheelsCoolHeels]

The one in Glasgow isn't called a German market - it's a Xmas market now. Still has the same stalls but seems the German bit is surplus to requirements. The food is uh-mazing!

[pmTea]

Aaah that must be why I didn't spot any of the good stuff - all I could do was try to avoid getting trampled by the hoards of people trying to get onto the many garish, all lights flashing rides! The German stuff got lost...I guess I'm used to seeing the ones in germany, which are not about the bling and the noise, but rather more about the amazing stalls selling beautiful arts and crafts, as well as yummy food. I had no idea the WW used to be better in the past though....shame.

[pmTea]

I went to the one in Glasgow Tension 2005 when I lived up there- with then OH (who ended up being DH) who is from Nuremberg - it wasn't that big an event, but very authentic at least and we got our German sausages fix!

[Damnautocorrect]

The winter wonderland market was like the German markets I've visited
over priced, quite samey stalls

[caruthers]

The market in Celle Germany was lovely every year when I lived over there.

[squoosh]

The Glasgow one is lovely and Christmassy, and lots of pretty boys in leather feathered hats serving beer. What's not to love?

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

There's usually a German Market along the South Bank - it was pretty large last year. Starts just past the London Eye and carries on past Waterloo. And the WW one was okay last year too - the funfair is pretty big, yes, but there were a fair few stalls, at least two 'streets' worth. We go up to the circus and then wander around the stalls afterwards (not big funfair fans)

[lastnightiwenttomanderleyagain]

Bath used to have a lovely (not German) Christmas market but now it's been commercialised into one of those hideous garden shed ones selling mostly generic crap (with a few gems). Draws in coachloads of tourists who potter around it and miss some of the wonderful independent shops that are there all year round...

[Weegiemum]

We've been at the Glasgow one several times already this year, fil is German and dh needs his fix of sausages and curry ketchup!

[ilovesooty]

I live in Leeds and come from Birmingham. I think both markets are overpriced commercialised tat and you aren't missing much.

[madasa]

I am going to a German market...in Germany (excited emoticon)

[ilovesooty]

Leeds is twinned with Dortmund btw.

[yegodsandlittlefishes]

About the second or third year that the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland ran I took the kids and we had a great time. Lovely apple pancakes, hot spiced drinks and pretzels. I still have the little wooden candle powered nativity scene, a lovely pottery cottage candle holder, and the tree decorations that come out each year. We went back the following year and they were still all there.
I do think there is too much in the way of noisy 'fun' fair and they should be made to keep the noise levels down. It must be horrible for anyone who lives anywhere near there, and it must put a lot of people off from returning. They could leave out the haunted house and other noisier sections and just have a helter skelter and the more traditional rides.

We have a German Christmas market developing here in Gloucester, and it's a great mixture of local, regional and European stalls. Lots of varied hot foods, gifts, crafts and hand made items. Just a carousel or two in terms of the rides, and a great brass band setting the seasonal atmosphere. To be honest I prefered that to the London one, and I wouldn't travel to London for the Winter Wonderland as I used to.

[Morgause]

The Birmingham one is fabulous. Entire families come over and their kids go to local schools. We look forward to going every year and spend loads.

[chickydoo]

I thought South Bank German market was great last year!
Just big enough, lots going on....Amazing back drop... Give it a go

[Lagoonablue]

We have great xmas markets in Manchester too. German stalls, Spanish, Italian etc. massive too.