Has anyone on Mumsnet ever been to a UK town or city Christmas Market and thought "that was great, so glad I went"?

[LindorDoubleChoc]

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This one is a good one

https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/victorian-christmas-market/

Haworth (where the Brontes lived) is lovely at Christmas. It's not so much the market but they hold different events each weekend. It feels so magical and Christmassy. The torchlight procession is wonderful. www.christmasinhaworth.com/events-2024

I've only been to Winchester Xmas market about ten years ago and even that was a waste of time. I don't drink, don't like hot chocolate, don't eat hotdogs etc and don't want to buy clutter from a glorified garden shed.

Anyone recently being to Rochester?

We went years ago, I still have an adorable wodden reindeer I bought and I think. it's the nearest one for us.

London is just awful, Southbank went crap several years ago with just tat.
Winter Wonderland is everything but a Christmas market.

Yes - Manchester circa 2014- I was mid 20s then, went as 2 couples on a fun day of eating & drinking lovely hot cocktails and spending an extortionate amount on cheese.
Now I've got 2 little ones under the age of 4 & approx 200000% less disposable income i can't think of anything worse.

Ely Cathedral and Peterborough Cathedral Christmas markets are lovely.

I remember reading about the Manchester market last year and it was reported as a bit of a binge drinking fest rather than a market.

Leeds is no longer a market, but a few bars and streeet food stalls.

Exactly this. It’s just a way for the town centre to feel a bit more atmospheric. Some lights, stalls and music and scents.
I wonder if the council pay them to run the stalls or the stall holders try and make money? There’s a man back this year whose stall is small waxed cheeses. Different colour wax and flavours .£7 each or 3 for £15 in a cardboard ‘basket’ with a bit of shredded paper. Never seen anyone buy anything and he looks so cold.
(identical small waxed cheeses can of course be bought for £3 each from Lidl which is around the corner).

Do any of the markets actually sell decent decorations/gifts? I’ve only seen generic mass market stuff.

I've enjoyed Worcester Victorian market before but haven't been for a few years. When I went they had a lot of local producers, craft stalls, Carol singers etc. It's only on for three days.

It's only fun if you go alone I reckon, and just wander about for a bit. Then you're not constantly trying to stay together against the press of the crowd, and aren't trying to chat over the hubbub.

York is lovely for a wander about, any time of year but especially at Christmas.

DH and I went to Bath Christmas market two years ago, took annual leave so on a weekday and not so busy. Good selection of stalls and not just standard tat, also Bath is very pretty generally.

We live in Bristol tho, and spend Nov and December avoiding the shed invasion that swamps our city centre, that really is a tat fest. Teen DS is particularly scathing about the ripoff food and drink options. It's usually rammed though, so presumably plenty of people do like it.

Glad to read this, we have booked our caravan in for a few days next November on the Chatsworth site for the market and house visits, caravan site already looks full for it.

I disagree about Leeds. I went yesterday, and they do have market stalls selling Christmas decorations and ornaments, etc. But yes, most of the stalls are food.

I've recently been in Gloucester and saw them setting up in the quays. It looked very pretty and is near some great outlet shops and restaurants. Does anyone know if this is a good one? The reviews look good on trip advisor.

Bath does. I did quite a bit of Christmas shopping there last year. There were a lot of local producers and artisans.

Glad to see that Leeds have upped their game @SallyWD

Yes. I used to love the atmosphere walking around Edinburgh's Christmas Market and did manage to buy some bits and pieces. But it was mostly the atmosphere I enjoyed.

Not the same the last few years and it's more and more 'food' based and less and less other types of stalls. Won't be rushing to go this year!

I did enjoy the Edinburgh one for a few years. The setting is lovely and I even managed to buy the odd thing.

It went downhill and I haven't been for some years. And all the barricades round it so you have to find an entrance make it look horrible.

The thought of a Christmas market is lovely, stalls selling individual and unusual things, nice food and smells, twinkly lights and excited rosy cheeked kids muffled up against the frosty weather.

The reality is the same food vans/wooden tree ornaments/soaps/candles, sweet/cheese /Mediterranean figs/olives/dates stalls. Fairground rides and massive beer tents. All gone corporate now.

Our village Christmas lights switch on was last week, it was busy, as people come from the surrounding areas.
All the coffee shops stayed open, selling bacon butties, baked potatoes, hot chocolate, warm mince pies and the bars put on live music and were serving mulled wine.
Lots of stalls with only local people selling their handmade goods, a brass band playing carols, it was just so 'right'
Oh and the Christmas lights looked fantastic, with plenty of twinkle!

Cardiff looks nice. I happened to be there just after they set up. A couple of small fairground type bits, a light trail was being set up, and the market stalls were being spread across the centre in clumps. Sort of a Christmas market, but more adding Christmas bits to a city centre.

Which is where he probably got them from 😂.
Aberdeen Xmas market is the same and it seems geared for the local fair ride company to make a lot of money.
A few years back the council claimed 680,000 visitors to it this was widely ridiculed in Aberdeen as complete horse shit.

Despite the weather, Ely was lovely yesterday, especially inside the cathedral. Bought a glass tree decoration, lunch and a couple of treats and spent maybe £30. Plenty of space to push a buggy round, kids enjoyed it, great.

The worst I've ever been to is Peterborough, felt like we might get stabbed the whole time.

Sheffield city centre is shite, you're lucky if there is no mass gluhwein poisoning.

Ultimate Christmas trip is Tivoli in Copenhagen, been twice and it is just magical.

Lincoln got too busy and apparently the insurance is too expensive now so it’s cancelled.

It's very much a typical British council response, isn't it? Too many people enjoy something, so let's just scrap it.

I'm sure they could have found a way to make it work if they'd been actually bothered. Restrict numbers, strictly entry by ticket only, extend the period when it's open etc.

I don't know how much the insurance cost them, but they must have been raking in thousands - even just from the park and ride (a tenner a car even when I last went years ago) - let alone all the hefty charges levied on the stall holders.

In my experience, if a council really wants to do something, they will find a way to do it - and they'll just pass all the expenses on to the locals/punters/ordinary folk one way or another.

I love York, went to Uni there and visit quite a bit for work now BUT I try and avoid the Christmas Markets, crazy busy.
Pretty though

I work in the centre of Edinburgh a couple of days a week and the market is lovely for a wee wander at lunchtime. There are some nice stalls with interesting things.

I would never go there at the weekend or evening after horrific experiences a few years ago. The entrance system makes it into a ghastly jam.