Markets bring a festive flavour to Christmas

Looking for that unusual gift you can't find on the high street?

 

Kingston Town Centre may be famed for providing the ultimate retail experience, with more than 500 shops, but that is being supplemented by two distinctive visiting markets this Christmas.

 

The Traditional Christmas Market returns to the Ancient Market Place for its seventh festive season in Kingston on Friday, November 11, with the Eden Gift and Craft Market opening on the lawn of All Saints Parish Church on Thursday, November 17.

 

Open every day from 10am to 8pm the Traditional Christmas Market offers unique gift ideas, handmade crafts, delicious food, international traders and a festive atmosphere to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

 

A huge variety of traders will sell everything from traditional Christmas decorations to warm and cosy winter accessories and from unique and cute baby clothes to new ideas for home decorations. Whether you are gift hunting or just looking for that little surprise, take a look at the handmade ceramics, fine scarves or distinctive jewellery.

 

You won't be able to resist the tasty offerings, whether they are sausages from the German charcoal barbecue, Hungarian Langos, hog roast from Kent, crêpes or a glass of warming mulled wine.

 

And you can treat yourself to a taste of the culinary talents that saw Andrew Thorndyke become London's youngest chef at the age of 21. Andrew, who learned his skills from TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson, will be offering his personally-made finest mince pies, mouth-watering Christmas puddings, biscuits, cakes and chocolates.

 

Kingston's other visiting market this year is the Eden Craft and Gift Fair which opens on Thursday, November 17, to coincide with the Town Centre's Christmas Lights Switch On, which is organised by Kingstonfirst.

 

Located on the lawn outside All Saints Church, you will be spoilt for choice by the items for sale among the 75 exhibitors. You can buy beautiful bespoke gold and silver jewellery, exquisite letters and words, hand-made wooden bouncy puppets, Victorian lace scarves, lovely ceramics and glass from Jerusalem – not forgetting tasty treats including Med Food's cheese counter.

 

There will be new exhibitors every week and, new for 2011, you can come along to the café and enjoy breakfast, lunch or 'in-betweens'.

 

Ros Morgan, Chief Executive of Kingstonfirst, said: "We are delighted to be welcoming back two such distinctive markets to Kingston this Christmas.

 

"We are rightly proud of our Town Centre retailers but this also gives visitors to Kingston the chance to savour something that little bit different and get into the Christmas spirit."

 

For more details on this year's festive offering in Kingston visit www.kingstonfirst.co.uk/christmas or call 020 8547 1221.