In this thread, Chas mentioned a German Christmas market. I went to a German Christmas market in Hamburg about 20 years ago and loved it. One of these days, I'll go back to Germany with my hubby and we'll visit a Christmas market together. He's never been to one. However, I'd really love to go to the Erzegebirge region which is the heart of traditional German fretwork and carving.
Now that Christmas is here, it's time to get out the decorations :ho2 . We have loads of Christmas Pyramids, little carousels which are powered by the heat rising from candles and turn a fan. And before anyone gets worried about fire being near wood, these little toys have been around for centuries and are perfectly safe unless used recklessly. I started my collection with a pyramid I bought in Hanover and then added to it with purchases from a shop in Lincoln which imported quality pyramids from the Erzegebirge. Sadly, that shop is no more. We have added a few more pyramids which we bought at the Birmingham German Christmas market but, sadly, the quality isn't that good. I suspect some of the pyramids have more to do with Hong Kong than Hanover.
Nevertheless, the Birmingham German Christmas Market (which is underway now until Christmas) is well worth visiting, especially for scrollers who like bratwursts, glühwein and novelties. There's more info about it here.
This year, I took a few photographs because I'm very interested in the 'chalets' which are used instead of market stalls. Basically, they're wooden sheds with a bit of frippery! Nevertheless, imagine how they could be adapted by an imaginative woodworker.
Gill
Now that Christmas is here, it's time to get out the decorations :ho2 . We have loads of Christmas Pyramids, little carousels which are powered by the heat rising from candles and turn a fan. And before anyone gets worried about fire being near wood, these little toys have been around for centuries and are perfectly safe unless used recklessly. I started my collection with a pyramid I bought in Hanover and then added to it with purchases from a shop in Lincoln which imported quality pyramids from the Erzegebirge. Sadly, that shop is no more. We have added a few more pyramids which we bought at the Birmingham German Christmas market but, sadly, the quality isn't that good. I suspect some of the pyramids have more to do with Hong Kong than Hanover.
Nevertheless, the Birmingham German Christmas Market (which is underway now until Christmas) is well worth visiting, especially for scrollers who like bratwursts, glühwein and novelties. There's more info about it here.
This year, I took a few photographs because I'm very interested in the 'chalets' which are used instead of market stalls. Basically, they're wooden sheds with a bit of frippery! Nevertheless, imagine how they could be adapted by an imaginative woodworker.
Gill