TryGOLD- Free

'It's overpriced tat': why Christmas markets have divided opinion
The Guardian|November 18, 2024
The Halloween cobwebs had barely been brushed off the shop windows of Birmingham city centre when the German-style Christmas market opened on 1 November.
- Jessica Murray , Hannah Al-Othman
'It's overpriced tat': why Christmas markets have divided opinion

Stretching over 500 yards down the main shopping street and spilling out into the main square, for just over seven weeks dozens of stalls will sell bratwurst sausages, sweet treats, trinkets and beer - at £12 for a pint (including the deposit for the glass).

"It's not the same. It's too commercial. It starts too early, and it's too expensive," said Kate Jones, 46, walking through the market, one of the biggest in Europe, on her way home from work. "I've been working here for 20 years, and I've seen it get bigger. It's not as intimate. I never really go any more, and a lot of people who live and work here feel like that."

Christmas markets, bigger than ever and open for longer, are polarising opinion across the UK as some residents and businesses grow tired of the crowds and repetitive stalls.

"I wish they'd go back to how it used to be when it opened later - 1 November is a bit much," said Hannah, 36, walking by on a Wednesday evening. "If every stand was its own independent stall, it would be better, but they all sell the same stuff. It's overpriced tat, but it's fun overpriced tat I suppose."

"Every six stalls is a marshmallow stall," added her friend, Matt, 36. "And it's so big it really does affect the whole city centre."

This story is from the November 18, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 18, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView All
Mbappé shreds sorry City's hope to underline Madrid's superiority
The Guardian

Mbappé shreds sorry City's hope to underline Madrid's superiority

Pep Guardiola had asked his team to at least give the Santiago Bernabéu a fright; instead, they were the ones exposed to a terrifying truth, wearing a haunted hollow look.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 20, 2025
Trump deepens rift with Ukraine by labelling Zelenskyy 'a dictator'
The Guardian

Trump deepens rift with Ukraine by labelling Zelenskyy 'a dictator'

US president accused of being trapped in Russian disinformation bubble’

time-read
5 mins  |
February 20, 2025
The Guardian

Liberal left 'out of step' with rest of Britain

Leftwing activists in Britain are less likely to work with their political opponents than other groups and more likely to think those holding different views have been misled, a study has found.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 20, 2025
'Fight Card of the Century' has glaring omission...women
The Guardian

'Fight Card of the Century' has glaring omission...women

As Saudi Arabia continues to attract highly lucrative bouts, female fighters raise concerns over being sidelined

time-read
3 mins  |
February 20, 2025
Stranded false killer whales in Tasmania to be killed
The Guardian

Stranded false killer whales in Tasmania to be killed

Tasmanian officials plan to euthanise 90 false killer whales who became stranded on a beach near Arthur River, on the Australian state's remote north-west coast.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 20, 2025
Germany All eyes on AfD as far-right party heads for centre stage in landmark election
The Guardian

Germany All eyes on AfD as far-right party heads for centre stage in landmark election

In the tumultuous German election campaign, which has been rocked by US interference, a spate of violent attacks and rare fears for the country's political stability, all eyes have been locked on the party likely to finish second.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 20, 2025
What causes sinkholes to appear?
The Guardian

What causes sinkholes to appear?

Residents of Godstone, Surrey have been evacuated from their homes amid fears that two large sinkholes in their high street could trigger a gas explosion.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 20, 2025
Society makes us invisible' The activists defending African-Ecuadorian culture
The Guardian

Society makes us invisible' The activists defending African-Ecuadorian culture

Painted with the support of the city council in 2017, a mural spanning the side of a six-storey building in Guayaquil's financial district went largely unnoticed for more than a year in Ecuador's most populous city - until it triggered outrage.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 20, 2025
Unfairly dismissed whistleblower wants Whitehall job back
The Guardian

Unfairly dismissed whistleblower wants Whitehall job back

A former civil servant who was unfairly dismissed for blowing the whistle about the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and Boris Johnson's role in evacuating a pet charity said she wants her job back.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 20, 2025
'The final torture' Israeli prisoner released by Hamas was not told of his family's fate
The Guardian

'The final torture' Israeli prisoner released by Hamas was not told of his family's fate

Don't worry, I will be back. Whatever they do to me, I will be back,\" was one of the last things Eli Sharabi told his wife and daughters before he was abducted by Hamas.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 20, 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more