CHARLES GRAHAM - Festive markets do my head in
It is the season to be jolly - but not unremittingly so.
Apologies to be Grinch-like, but I would like to dare voice an aversion to Christmas markets. Every town or city worth their salt has one these days and there is no doubting they can be commercial triumphs.
But my experience of them is either of loading myself down with lots of craft cheese and beer, then realising there wasn’t really much I could buy for anyone else (not too many loved ones would be bothered with weird seasonal artwork, garlic dishes or little plaques with witticisms carved on them).
Or - as was the case in Beverley on Sunday - there being such a huge crush of folk you can’t get near anything to browse. We came away empty-handed wondering whether we were victims of its success.