THE Christmas market in Winchester Cathedral
Close, once a space of strictly preserved tranquillity, was hugely
successful again this year - so much so that there were concerns in
the Hampshire Chronicle about overcrowding and traffic
congestion.
The market, with its accompanying skating rink, is open
throughout Advent until just before Christmas; and, on the last
Saturday in November, for instance, no fewer than 37 coach-loads of
visitors arrived in the medieval city to shop among the 90
chalet-style stalls in the Close, or to skate on the rink in the
middle of them.
The three entrances to the Inner Close are all constricted, and
crowds were such that there were queues to get in. One City
Councillor, Ian Tate, said that he had no problem with the number
of people, but he thought that the market would do better running
along The Square, at the bottom of the High Street.
There were, however, mixed feelings among the local shops about
whether the cathedral enterprise was damaging their businesses, and
some blamed their poor sales on competition from the market, while
others rejoiced at the extra crowds.
Restaurants and coffee shops in the lower part of the town did
particularly well. "Coach parties have been brilliant for us," one
of the managers said, "because they get off and have a cup of
coffee and some breakfast before they hit the stalls."
Meanwhile, there were special "highlights tours" of the
cathedral for the visitors, which, the communications officer,
Simon Barwood, says, proved very popular; and, as usual, the
cathedral was packed for each of its three carol services. The
Chapter see the market as an outreach into the community, bringing
many people to the cathedral, and also as an important source of
income: there are 90 stallholders, some of whom can pay up to
£10,000 for their chalets, not to mention extra sales from the gift
shop.
But they are also adding to the Christmas festivities, not least
with the skating rink, which stayed open through Advent and for the
holiday week of Christmas, despite the appalling weather. "It's
surprising how people don't mind skating in the rain," Mr Barwood
said.