Guest Post - Christmas Markets by Katey Lovell

For me it just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without a trip to the Christmas markets.  I love the traditional wooden cabins that pop up in city centres, overflowing with foods, gifts and handicrafts, but it’s the atmosphere that really gives me an injection of the Christmas spirit.  People are happy, enjoying gluhwein and churros and choosing out gifts for loved ones, as they’re wrapped up against the winter weather.  A mixture of scents dance on the air and fairy lights cast their magic spell.  It’s a full-on sensory experience.

In my latest novel Joe and Clara’s Christmas Countdown the pair visit the UK’s largest Christmas markets in Manchester.  Manchester isn’t far from my adopted home city of Sheffield so I’ve been to these markets a few times myself and always had a good time.  Although I’ve never come across a slightly strange candle-maker called Miranda like Joe and Clara do, I have wondered whether the Father Christmas over the entrance to the Town Hall is purposely designed to look like Zippy from ‘Rainbow’, so I guess you could say my experience influenced that particular chapter!

It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Lincoln’s Christmas market, but that was also a lovely day out.  There were so many fabulous stalls and I remember a particularly creative stall that had upcycled aluminium cans into gorgeous hanging decorations.

I’ve also enjoyed the Christmas markets in Rome’s Piazza Navona, Birmingham city centre and Sheffield and regardless of the city they never fail to get me in the festive mood.  If you’re going to a Christmas market this December I hope you have a fabulous time and I’d love to see your photos – you can contact me on Twitter and Instagram @katey5678 or via my facebook page www.facebook.com/kateylovell.

Merry Christmas!

Katey Lovell is the author of three rom-com novels.  Her latest release, Joe and Clara’s Christmas Countdown, is available now in ebook and paperback, published by HarperImpulse.