publication date: Nov 16, 2011
|
author/source: Debbi Scholes
What the Dickens is going
on?
Charles Dickens is
irrevocably linked with
Rochester in Kent as this
Christmas Market attests. Although
the
festival itself has been going for over
30 years, to fans of the
festive
season this event still glows with the
magic of
Christmases even further in the
past. For a start, it takes place in the grounds of
Rochester Castle and
extends down the High Street with a daily parade of
Dickens' characters and
performances by
street entertainers and musicians.
-
Wednesday 30 November to Sunday 18 December
2011.
www.dickenschristmasmarket.com
Step back in time
Rochester may celebrate a
Victorian Christmas but
Ludlow in Shropshire travels even further back in time
with its
Medieval Christmas Fayre. Apart from featuring more than
100 stalls
selling gifts and foods with a medieval flavour, the event also plays host to a
Plantagenet Knights' Tournament; minstrels,
giants and puppetry; falconry
displays and
carol singing.
- Saturday 26 & Sunday 27
November
www.ludlowmedievalchristmas.co.uk
Gorge yourself on chocolate
Not so much a
Christmas
market, more like death by chocolate! The
London Southbank Centre's
Christmas Chocolate Festival has more than 30 stalls selling everything to do
with the
delicious confectionery. From live
demonstrations and workshops to
tasting and
sampling sessions, visitors also have the opportunity to chat to
the UK's
top chocolatiers and learn all about the different aspects of this
magical bean.
- Friday 9 & Saturday 10 December
www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/22453702-christmas-chocolate-festival-at-southbank-centre
Cologne by the Thames
While you're at the
Southbank, why not visit the
Cologne Christmas Market for a taste of
German
magic without crossing the Channel.
Stretching out along the
Thames from the
London Eye, the Cologne Christmas market provides
gifts galore,
from amber and silver
jewellery to
glass ornaments and from hand-crafted toys
to scented candles.
Of course, a
German Christmas
market wouldn't be complete with some
mulled wine and a bag of
roasted chestnuts
- just the thing to warm up a wintry evening by the
Thames. - Friday 18 November to Saturday 24
December
www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/22261871-cologne-christmas-market-at-southbank-centre
The spirit of Christmas past
If your dream would be to
recreate a
Victorian Christmas table or to introduce some
vintage style under
the tree, head to
Blackfriars' Hall in St Andrew',
Norwich for the
Christmas Nostalgia Fair. This collection
of stalls selling
antiques and
vintage memorabilia includes teddy bears and
dolls,
children's games and old fashioned
table settings.
www.cloistersfair.com
Seasonal Scotland
Around
Scotland there will
be many
festive markets taking place but one of the more unusual venues to help
you get into the
festive spirit has to be in
Edinburgh.
On Thursday 1 December,
Camera
Obscura & World of Illusions -
Edinburgh's oldest purpose-built
attraction –
offers visitors a
Christmas market-themed day out with a difference.
Apart from the usual five
floors of
interactive exhibits and illusions, the
venue is offering visitors
mulled wine and mince pies on the
roof terrace, which
overlooks the city, while
listening to the
music coming from below. The
gift shop is stuffed with
unusual
stocking ideas and handcrafted gifts.
www.camera-obscura.co.uk
