Anyone been to Winchester Christmas Market? (or another location)?

[amethyst]

It sounded lovely on the search Site, with a Lantern Procession and Fireworks display on the Friday.  Would welcome hearing if anyone as actually visited this Christmas Market before (late November-December)?  Or any other location in the UK and what they thought?

Grateful Thanks,

amethyst

[millielilac]

Not been to Winchester but have been to Edinburgh and Southampton and they do have a very good feel about them ...lots of continental style gifts like candles , wooden toys , xmas ornaments.....gluh wein.....nice xmassy feel to them.

Went on a cruise last year to the German Xmas markets and to be honest you would almost think they are a franchise as the goods are pretty similar .....

It is a lovely thing to do in the run up to Xmas just to get you in the mood .....

[fluffypenquin]

I haven't been to the Winchester Christmas Market but we usually go to the Lincoln Christmas Market.  We usually end up having a glass or two of Gluhwein and a Hog Roast Bun with Apple Sauce and Stuffing, but to be honest we hardly ever end up buying anything else.  As I have never had any children, Christmas tends to be a bit of a non event for us and we like to go to the Christmas market as i helps us garner a bit of the Christmas spirit. 

The only problem with the Lincoln Christmas Market is that it is a victim of its own success and it gets so busy, it is difficult to get near some of the stalls.

I have some friends who go over to the German Christmas Markets every year and they love them.

We have had the most glorious day here today, sunny and warm, and it doesn't seem right to be thinking about Christmas, but I guess it will soon be here 🙂

[amethyst]

Hello Millielilac, many thanks for this response.  Never been to one before, so first-hand experience is appreciated.  Especially as I was thinking of this to be a Birthday celebration for my Mum to enjoy, and stay over-night.

amethyst

[amethyst]

Hi Fluffypenguin,  Thank you for sharing your experience too.  Made me feel hungry "hog roast and apple sauce stuffing"!  Can appreciate the point you made regarding Lincoln, and loads of people flocking there.  The reason I am thinking now, is because of wanting to consider for a Birthday surprise. 

(PS.  Christmas is what we feel, and enjoy the wonder)  - hope your heart will fill with pleasure) x

amethyst

[millielilac]

Would be a lovely birthday gift .....

[captainbovine]

oooh it certainly would, I'd love a present like that. As mine is in May my friend took me to the zoo one year. We had a ball!!!

[ed_blackadder_1]

Went to Birmingham Christmas market last year, great food, great fun and spent too blooming much, I am not allowed to go this year,

everyone say aaaahhhhhh.

[guardpig]

Well been to a few local ones buy not Winchester and find them all much the same and pretty boring and the food overpriced and not particularly good.  Most of the sellers have never seen Germany or foreign climes except in the school holidays.  Seems very popular - well the alcolholic bit.  Main problem at ours is the noise.  There's the taped oompah band, the hotdog seller who always has the volume on high but turns it up even more to compete, various buskers and you can't get in, out or past the shopping centre for the peeps selling pashminas, hats and balloons.  My son, who loves German Bratwurst, misses out every year because as soon as the wave of sound hits him he collapses(quite literally) in a heap so we rarely go as a family.  Like i said no idea if Winchester is better and with the parking there we won't be going.

Likes salisbury. They had a bit of a Christmas market last year along with the normal one. Parking is easy. One of the local churches does second hand books and cheap home made cakes and drinks on a Saturday. 🙂

[guardpig]

PS Winchester itself is very interesting to look round and, like Salisbury, not a clone of everywhere else.  Just make sure where you stay is central with parking. 

[**streety**]

Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park is lovely to get into the Christmas Sprit.  Free entry so no need to shop unless you want to.

[tintinthegingertomcat]

Have been to the christmas market in Lincoln quite a few times. It is a great atmosphere but I have always found it to be very very busy and not easy to see all the stalls. Often there are so many people about you tend to get moved on with the crowds. I have been to the German market held in Leicester and that is also such fun. Nice to see what the continent has to offer. If you shop at Aldi and Lidl in the run up to christmas they have some fantastic chocolates and cakes....much better than what you can get in the British supermarkets. I love their marzipan. I also love Lidl's advocaat chocolate liquers

[guardpig]

Better get moving Tintin - Lidl had all their Xmas stuff in on Saturday!!!

[aernethril]

Not been to WInchester.

Went to Bury St Edmunds and that is quite large.  Most of it was really good and I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't want to go again, partly because of the distance.

Also went to Cirencester last year.  That was quite small but very enjoyable as there were other craft fairs going in different buildings, with lots of individual shops and I bought more there than at Bury St Edmunds as the choice was more varied and special.

Have also done the huge one at Bruges, but we didn't get there early enough and so didn't have enough time to really enjoy it as much as we'd like to have done.  But that's another very beautiful town to visit anyway.