Tuesday 17 December 2013

Sparkle & Shine

Hello Lovelies, 
one of the things I love about Christmas is the pretty lights.....fairy lights are perfect to add a bit of cheer and sparkle to a time of year when the days are so short.
On Saturday afternoon we headed into the city as I wanted to take a look around the outdoor Christmas market. 
We waited until 4pm so the lights would look their best...........


These cabins are temporary, set up especially  for the festive period. I'm sure there are similar looking events in many, many towns and cities at the moment.  Nevertheless, they did look so effective in the dark, with their fake snow and mock tudor design, and of course....loads of fairy lights.

 I loved the giant candy canes on this sweet stall....


the sweets looked yummy too.........


 As you can see it was very busy, but thankfully not too crowded. There was Christmas music and delicious smells wafting from the many food stalls. We happily wandered about and the boys enjoyed a warming hot chocolate.......




Next to the market was a huge tree , perfectly placed in the middle of the outdoor ice rink..........


I think the city looks lovely when it's decorated with coloured lights, shining brightly in the darkness..........


As well as the stalls and ice rink there were a few fair rides . I just love the look of the traditional carousel with it's hundreds of  lights and colourfully painted horses.....


And fabulous sign writing..........


Before we left Mr BM and I shared some mushy peas from the Hot Pea stall :0) 
 They were delicious , with lots of mint sauce..........


But it was the sparkly lights that really made me smile.........


We all enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and I hope we will make this little trip again in years to come.
Jacquie x

30 comments:

  1. beautiful christmassy stroll!!!!! envy that!!!!
    xxxxxx Ale

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  2. Lovely - and I'm sure your boys enjoyed it too. We went to a similar market last year in London. I wish we could find time again this year but Matt breaks up so Kate this term that we can't fit everything in. I shall have to make do with my own twinkling lights.
    Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas. X

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  3. Your city is my city! Doesn’t it look lovely in all its Christmas finery? It doesn’t look quite so pretty the rest of the year! x

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  4. What a wonderful Christmassy market, the skating rink looks great, did you have a go?

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  5. How lovely! We are visiting our closest city's Christmas market on Thursday. I do so love the festive feel of these markets! Thanks for sharing your visit. I especially LOVE the outdoor skating rink with the huge tree in the middle!

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  6. lovely to go to a real christmas market! I had a boyfriend once from Manchester who always wanted to eat mushy peas and gravy! I don't think I've had them since! A nice evening out, Heather x

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  7. Lovely photos, you've really captured the festive sparkle. I love carousels too, they are magical. Hope you have a good week.

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  8. Lovely photos as usual. It seems so strange seeing all those winter scenes when it is so hot and stormy here in Australia. I have the same camera as you have and I was wondering what setting you used to take those great photos.

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  9. Riding the Carousel....my favorite thing in all the world!! Warmest Christmas Wishes x

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  10. Looks as though you had a great time Jacquie! and all so very pretty too. xx

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  11. Sounds a wonderful, magical family outing, so pretty with all the lights

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  12. It all looks so lovely! Thank you for sharing so many great pics with us! xxx

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  13. Jacquie thanks for this nice report, it is really nice to travel from the comfort of your own home, especially when you do not have the chance to do it really o)

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  14. What wonderful pictures, especially the skating scene.

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  15. Hi Jacquie what a lovely post - I do adore Christmas and your wonderful photographs just showed how special this time of the year is. They are all wonderful and have that special Christmassy glow, no wonder I love this time of the year. Thank you for the lovely treat Jacquie, big Christmas hugs
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  16. Looks like you had a great time
    Julie xxxxxxxxx

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  17. Mushy peas - yummmm! I love the picture of the ice rink - it always looks so festive - and yet my last venture on to the ice involved me clinging on to the sides for dear life whilst small children pirouetted past! Jane x

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  18. Yum to mushy peas and I love sparkly lights too :-)

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  19. Jacquie, I'd forgotten how quickly darkness creeps in on a winter's day in the UK, but how wonderful to see all your lovely pics with the dazzling array of Christmas stalls, lights and goodies brightening everything up, thank you, I soooo appreciate this Seasonal post!Happy Christmas to you and yours! Warm hugs, Joy xo

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  20. Jacquie, I have had such a fine time looking at this post and the one that went just before. I don't know if you and your visitors have seen my current post about New York's Fifth Avenue "holiday" decorations, but ...I have to say that I absolutely love the idea of a Christmas after-dark gathering that includes mushy peas.

    I love mushy peas...and was happy to sample a delicious version back in October while in London at E. Pellicci...on Bethnal Green Road.

    At this time of the year, it's rather wonderful to be able to gather lots of friends together. Some of these friends we've met in person, and some of them are friends whose personalities shine out to us through their blogs.

    Yours shines out to me every time, every season.

    xo

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  21. Oh Jacquie, your photos are stunning, the lights look beautiful. Can't believe it's still early, yet so dark. I have visited the UK in December and found it hard to adjust to the short days.
    Looks like a wonderful outing and the mushy peas sound yummy too.....

    Claire X

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  22. Hi Jacquie. I'm just loving the pop-up Christmas village in your city. We don't have anything quite like that here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I think that's really something special to take your kids to. Thank you for sharing your pictures :)

    And I will keep an eye out for "mushy peas." I don't know where to find them here in the states, but it sounds delicious!

    Always,
    Kimberly

    www.jandkalways.blogspot.com

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    1. Kimberly, the cheats version is to buy a can of cooked peas in the tinned food section of the supermarket (I'd be really surprised if you didn't have at least one brand in the US). Drain the can, heat very gently. Lightly mash and snack away!
      Here in Australia, there is a late night delight in the city of Adelaide known as "the Pie Floater", whereby the street-side vendor in his gorgeous food van dispenses a bowl of mushy peas topped with a meat pie and the purchaser gets to drown it with as much tomato ketchup as they like. I am not a fan, but my husband reckons that they are what everybody who had been drinking at the pub would go for before heading home.
      Try either idea. You may start a new tradition in Chattanooga! :)
      Happy Christmas to you and yours.

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  23. Oh Wow!! How beautiful Jacquie! Here in Australia it is all harsh light, and dark here is closer to 9 in the evening! Although, I do believe in the height of summer, it is much later in your latitudes.
    That's the beauty of the northern Christmassy season; it just looks so right. Here in Australia, people have joined that very American tradition of plastering their houses with pretty lights and MDF cutouts of Santas, sleighs and reindeer, with the odd nativity thrown in for good measure. We go tour these neighbourhoods, while swatting flies and mozzies in the baking Australian heat. It really doesn't seem quite right.

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  24. It looks soooooo pretty! Makes me nostalgic for the city of my birth. xx

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  25. I think I may have found my Christmas spirit strolling through your lovely photographs, my city is nowhere near as gorgeous as this. My city is suffering a lot at the moment, local businesses' have closed in recent years and those that are left are struggling to survive.We do have street markets from time to time, a regular market and a farmers market which I try to support when I can. Thank you for the stroll and I agree that those Candy Canes are brilliant.

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  26. It all looks so magical and so Christmassy. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year xoxo

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  27. Nothing beats a twinkly fairy light! looks like your city have gone to town :) Only six more sleeps!
    Jones x

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  28. What a great way to get into the spirit of Christmas. The lights look beautiful and I love all the little stalls. Thank you for sharing your photos. XX

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  29. Absolutely beautiful...makes me nostalgic for what is my heritage. Could you please tell me what City it is!

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