The beloved Christmas markets being axed by council scrooges

Christmas markets throughout England have confronted the axe this 12 months, with the nation’s oldest truthful changing into the newest tragedy. 

England’s oldest Christmas market within the metropolis of Lincoln was known as off this 12 months over a ‘important threat to public security’, as market organisers across the UK blame rising prices, falling footfall and crowd security as key issues.

Markets in Brighton and Felixstowe have additionally been known as off, whereas in Durham the ‘Christmas’ market grew to become a ‘Winter’ market this 12 months in a bid to develop into extra inclusive.

Poor climate has additionally created additional issues for organisers – on the Essex County Christmas Fair, punters have been turned away after muddy circumstances created a ‘swamp’ within the automobile park, with even rescue autos changing into caught.

With gentle shows additionally lower across the UK as cash-strapped councils try to steadiness their budgets, some are dealing with accusations they’ve ‘cancelled Christmas’.

Lincoln Christmas Market 

Last 12 months’s four-day occasion noticed 320,000 folks flock to town for its fortieth 12 months – however fears of crushes and different crowd accidents have meant the council rejected a last-ditch try to safe the way forward for the occasion.

In 2022, virtually 90 folks have been handled for accidents and the council needed to implement people-calming measures with a purpose to stop a crushing catastrophe.

The occasion noticed enormous queues weave across the metropolis’s fortress, with disgruntled punters describing it as a ‘nightmare’ and ‘claustrophobia simulator’.

Ric Metcalfe, City of Lincoln Council chief, mentioned the choice had been made because the ‘present market has gotten approach too massive’ and risked changing into ‘unsafe’ sooner or later. 

MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney slammed the choice to cancel the market, saying: ‘It would not appear rocket science to mitigate and guarantee all elements are catered for’.

Speaking on BBC native radio, he criticised a council choice final week which voted towards a movement which sought to make sure a market was thought of in Lincoln for 2024.

‘It wasn’t to say we positively need to convey the Christmas market… to only have a look at the chances of a distinct kind of Christmas market that was carried out in a really protected and enhanced method than earlier Christmas markets. 

‘The Christmas market is one thing that not solely all people seems ahead to who lives, works, research or visits Lincoln however you possibly can’t even pay for the promoting that gave Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire.’

Cllr Ric Metcalfe, Leader of City of Lincoln Council, mentioned: ‘We perceive some folks’s disappointment that Lincoln Christmas Market isn’t any extra. The choice was introduced 9 months in the past on the premise that we merely couldn’t proceed delivering an occasion that had been deemed a big threat to public security.

‘Lincoln at Christmas stays a shocking place to go to, with lights all throughout town centre and our new Ice Trail and conventional festive actions happening this weekend.’

Durham ‘Winter’ Market 

A preferred Christmas market in Durham was additionally the centre of controversy in current weeks after it emerged bosses had renamed it the ‘Winter Market’ – seemingly in a bid to develop into extra inclusive.

The Bowes Museum, which was based by the ancestors of the Queen Mother, has this 12 months eliminated the phrase ‘Christmas’ from the occasion’s title.

BBC Antiques Road Trip knowledgeable David Harper known as for the Durham museum’s ‘bonkers’ choice to be reversed, saying it was deleting Christmas.

Mr Harper claimed the museum hoped to try to appeal to extra folks however was taking the enjoyment out of Christmas.

He advised The Sun: ‘What’s subsequent? Are we going to cancel Santa, the reindeer, kids sporting Christmas hats?

‘Essentially, all you will be left with is a Wednesday market. This will not cease till we cease it. We have to nip this within the bud, take management and be a bit braver.’

The Museum’s director Hannah Fox strongly disputed the claims. 

She mentioned: ‘We have a very talked-about seasonal programme of occasions of which the market is the centrepiece.

‘It’s fabulous and everyone seems to be welcome, nonetheless they have fun over the festive season.’

Brighton Christmas Market 

Brighton joined Lincoln in calling off its market altogether, saying it was dealing with an ‘monumental funding disaster’ which meant it couldn’t stump up the £70,000 value of internet hosting it. 

Last month Brighton & Hove City Council confirmed its Christmas market wouldn’t return after no business companion may very well be discovered to fund the occasion – because the council chief blamed low footfall.

Lead councillor for tourism and tradition Alan Robins mentioned: ‘Organising a Christmas marketplace for town was all the time depending on discovering a brand new business companion to assist us to fund and co-ordinate the occasion.

‘Unfortunately, regardless of our greatest efforts, we’ve got been unable to discover a companion keen to decide to the mission for a single 12 months.’

He continued: ‘We needed to create a distinct type of Christmas market this 12 months – as a result of within the two years it was staged it was by no means really all that common with the general public, and was additionally costly for merchants who needed a pitch there.’

The final two markets in Brighton have been held by an impartial occasions firm – but it surely ended its contract early citing issues attributable to Covid and rising prices. 

Felixstowe Christmas Market

Event organisers in Felixstowe additionally named footfall as one of many components within the choice to cancel.

The Suffolk seaside city historically holds a Beach Street Christmas Market initially of December.

Organiser Karen Stewart advised the East Anglian Daily Times she had had come to the ‘tough choice’.

‘We did not have as many individuals with availability to participate on this market as we had anticipated, or to make the nice ambiance and footfall we have had at earlier markets,’ she mentioned.

It marks a blow for native enterprise as the choice got here simply days after two eating places within the space have been each compelled to shut. 

Essex Country Christmas Fair 

Last month an Essex market was cancelled part-way by resulting from security fears – after moist climate meant there was an excessive amount of mud. 

The Essex County Christmas Fair, which takes place at Layer Marney Tower, needed to be known as off by Prestige Country Events as they launched a determined social media enchantment telling folks to cease arriving.

On Facebook, a submit from the organisers learn: ‘We can’t let anybody else in… tonight, because the circumstances within the automobile park are too boggy and we do not need anybody else getting caught within the mud’, the BBC reported. 

The three-day occasion was additionally cancelled the next night, as organisers mentioned: ‘Do not arrive, occasion cancelled tonight. Cars caught in mud.’

A spokesperson added: ‘Unfortunately after a 12 months of laborious work, enormous monetary funding and 1000’s of labor hours, we’ve got needed to take the extremely robust choice to cancel the Saturday and Sunday festivals, purely as a result of climate.

‘The discipline on the again had develop into a swamp, with rescue vehicles being caught within the mud.’

Oxford Christmas Market 

Oxford’s conventional Christmas market virtually joined this 12 months’s casualty checklist after the organiser complained the council’s insistence on cycle lane entry made it too sophisticated to carry.

Organiser Nicole Rahimi beforehand ran the occasion for greater than a decade however claimed the council’s stance made it ‘not possible’ to proceed as a result of ‘excessive threat of accidents’.

But the occasion was saved when new organisers have been discovered, Oxford council confirmed. 

Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cupboard member for freeway administration, mentioned: ‘We have labored intently with all companions to ship a market that works for all events, together with residents, merchants, and the cyclists who use Broad Street as a significant route.’ 

Christmas Light Switch-ons 

Elsewhere Christmas markets are usually not the one casualty of this 12 months’s festive season – many cities have known as off their gentle switch-ons too.

The Mail beforehand reported how cities together with Bournemouth, Bolton, Medway and Leominster are cancelling the occasions with a purpose to save money or on account of native disruption equivalent to roadworks.

In Bournemouth, the switch-on was ditched after its £44,000 finances was scrapped in a cost-saving train – the council at the moment has a £44million gap in its funds.

Medway Council took related motion and mentioned it will save £75,000 – as they search to fill a £17million finances hole. 

Braintree Council, in Essex, additionally blamed ‘budgetary constraints’ for cancelling its official switch-on occasion.