To not get the hype around the average UK Christmas market?

[Xenapo]

So I'm not a scrooge and enjoy a family Christmas, although I do think the whole thing is ridiculously commercialised.

But I've been to the Manchester Christmas market a few times over the years and just don't get the hype.

It's very crowded, overpriced, lots of stores selling very similar things, never anywhere to sit and a lot of the stuff sold there just seems like pointless tat. A friend would suggest going then we'd spend ages queuing to pay extortionate prices for small bit of novelty food to eat standing up in the cold. Could never see the appeal myself and probably won't go this year.

I know there's other markets out there so maybe some are better examples in the UK that are worth a visit.

I imagine some of the original German ones must be quite spectacular and have a lot of interesting history behind them as they started them there many hundreds of years ago.

I looked up when most of the UK ones started and looks like 90s and 00s (they didn't have them when I was little) so I guess we've tried to import it here to different UK cities with varying degrees of success.

Well dod before even Ryanair became bit pricey

Any opinions on the Winchester one?
I think the better Christmas markets are the curated ones, where they encourage individual makers to have stalls. This does mean they are expensive, but it's not tat from China or Taiwan but made in the UK by crafters. Some people don't want to pay for that though.

The London Winter wonderland one is terrible

@mondaytosunday I love the Winchester one, plus the market is on in the town as well. Been a couple of times although they ran out of sausages last year which was a disaster as I’d gone on and on about having a German sausage all day 😆

It's full of over priced tat that will get put in a cupboard.

Then there is the food rip off priced a hotdog for a tenner, a couple of pieces of fudge for a fiver.

We've been to several over the years, it made a lovely day out when the DC were little, but I think the novelty has worn off for us too. We didn't bother last year and no plans to go this year.

I like the Worcester Market. More variety of stalls and less crowded. There's also a fairground if you have children.

It's become na Christmas activity now.

It's about going, not it being a market.

So you go along, have hit chocolate, waffles and giant hotdogs... And pretend you're all having a marvelous time, not buying anything from the market stalls that sell generic crap they've bought from AliBaba.

I've been to a few different cities and they are all the same formula. The idea of a Christmas Market is always better than the reality... maybe that's a good thing to prepare for the same on Christmas Day itself!!!

I live in Manchester & will try to visit the markets once with DH. However we go quite early on for just a drink and a hot dog if hungry. We'll have a look at the stalls on King St and St Ann's Square but then leave it. We make as part of a Christmas shopping morning then pubs/market/restaurant for the afternoon 💃

They are repetitive & expensive which is why we don't spend much time on them but the two areas I mentioned are a bit more pleasant in the early afternoon.

I do miss the Father Christmas on the town hall though!

I'm in Edinburgh and have to say I like them here but not on a Saturday afternoon in mild weather! The crowding can be horrendous so the key really is to go at a quieter time. I don't really buy anything as it's so over-priced, but nice for a wander and maybe a mulled wine.

Quite.

They'd rather pay £8 for a generic Chinese import made by a 9 year old with polyester yarn, than £30 for one locally made with wool from the UK.

The Birmingham Christmas Market on a Saturday in December is fucking hell on earth!
Been dragged there a few times and have vowed to never go again!

It gets busier and more crowded every year and the stalls are mostly selling tat anyway and everything's SO overpriced.

We used to have a lovely German market. Gluhwine, bratwurst etc. the council changed itVs it's just crap now.

Agree. They used to be good but now they're largely the same mass produced expensive tat.

They have a Victorian Christmas market in Worcester just over one weekend that's good, but it gets very busy. It has more independent stalls selling gifts and food, and street entertainers.

I agree. Too busy and not much worth seeing, although I still have a lovely wooden moose keyring I brought from a German stall on the Southbank Christmas stall a few years ago, which I use everyday.

A local village dies a Christmas fayre/market which is lovely - carols in the church, stalls run by local organisations etc. lovely atmosphere. You don’t mind paying inflated prices if the money goes to your local scout shop.

I loved the Winchester one last year. They seem to curate the stalls well so you don't see the same things over and over. It's a beautiful setting and loads of lovely gift ideas.

Scout troop.

Twenty years ago the Birmingham one was great. Busy, but enjoyable. Then it expanded and is just the same few stalls over and over again with the same overpriced food.

Good to know about Leamington though, might be worth a visit.

Having lived in Germany, the uk Xmas markets are nothing in comparison and I won't revisit. German markets are well worth it

The Chatsworth one is good. Lovely setting, feels very Christmassy. The stalls tend to be the same every year though so after a few years it becomes a bit pointless which is a shame.

We are doing the Haddon Hall one this year. more of an Artisan Market and its inside the hall rather than outside like Chatsworth.

I haven't done a city one like Manchester or Birmingham but I'm not really a city person

The UK ones are generally awful.
We try and go to Germany instead

The Christmas markets I have been to in the UK have generally been awful, I don't go any more. I used to live in Germany and the Christmas markets there are magical.

agree most are over hyped, last one I really enjoyed was the Lincoln one a few years prior to covid. Was only on over a long weekend rather than the month long Birmingham one, had Victorian carollers, events happening making it feel very festive , walking down steep hill and having people out the front of their homes roasting chestnuts and home made mulled wine was quite nice. Plus it’s in a beautiful place around the cathedral, bail castle and arboretum area

that said none of them have anything on the Germany markets Berlin is just another thing but even smaller ones like in Ulm were fantastic

Uk ones are shite! Go to Germany or Belgium for a much better experience!