German Xmas market Birmingham season finale 11/12

[Tempest 0]

Just checked the dates for the German Christmas Market in Birmingham for a nice show season finale:

 

Thursday 18 November – Thursday 23 December 2010

 

Meet date: Saturday 11th December 2010

 

Usual proceeding: meet at around 13:00 at the bottom of the fountain stairs on Victoria Square, the main square in front of the Council house in the heart of Birmingham, less than a 10-minute walk from Birmingham New Street train station (the main tratin station). Travel by train encouraged as parking in Birmingham can be a nightmare and expensive, plus it would limit the enjoyment of mulled wine :laugh:

 

New Street has a rear entrance, directly leading onto Pinfold Street, which leads directly to Victoria Square, where you literally walk into the fountain (not falling in, of course) :)

 

Little map:

 

 

Tempest

[Tempest 0]

For those wanting to join a little team of hearty folk from Coventry, said folks are leaving Coventry train station with 12:22 train to Birmingham New Street, to arrive at 12:48, enough time to leave the station and get to the meeting-point by 13:00 :D

 

Tempest

[vornwend 0]

Might be up for this Eric as we are only an hour away by train. Apart from the mulled wine what do you normally get up to? Mulled wine would be fine on its own but if I bring the missus and nipper they may want to include other activities :wink:

[Jim 1]

It is pretty much mulled wine and some accompanying nosh Vorn.. plenty to look at in the market though if you and the family wanted a wonder around. Does get RIDICULOUSLY busy though!

[Tempest 0]

That´s why I have chosen a Saturday, since that offers plenty of (late) Christmas present shopping opportunities :shock: :lol: . The Bullring shopping centre featuring Selfridges is literally just around the corner. Brum has a very compact city centre, so everything is within walking distance of the main train station.

 

The Xmas market itself also features loads of handicraft and gift stalls to buy stuff from, or just simply take it all in, the atmosphere, the smells, food.

 

May move towards the English side of the market this year, too. which is located on the other side of the Birmingham public library, leading up to the Symphony Hall / conference buildings.

 

Time generally tends to fly once you´re in the m,iddle of it all :D May scout it out today, first day of the market (what a lousy excuse to not do some necessary work on my Mk1 Rocco :lol: )

 

Tempest

[Tempest 0]

Right, just got back after I scouted out the market with a German mate of mine. Yes, same set-up as in previous years: German part of the market occupying all of Victoria Square (including stand with the singing moose :lol: ), stretching all along New Street right up to the Pallisades Shopping Centre entrance almost, square behind the public library occupied by the English Xmas market (markedly quieter than the German section, where the beer is available :lol: ).

 

Had a few already, yup, nice :D

 

The knoblaunch, erm Konblauch stand selling garlic baguettes is also where it always is, now with an English flag on the top of the stand :( Rather have the German one :D

 

Tempest

[Tempest 0]

Promo video :D

 

Not featuring any of us, though, sow ill have to complain :lol:

 

Tempest

[vornwend 0]

Will see you there :) Going by train to allow for mulled wine and other beverages

 

Had a quick shuftie last week as I was in New Street for meeting - looks a massive range of stalls!

[vornwend 0]

Bump and see ya all there :)

[Jim 1]

Had a great afternoon - nice to see everyone :) It also turned out to be my partners first time driving the Corrado (VR6). I'd driven us in to get the train but then proceeded to have a few too many Mulled Wines.. on the train back I suddenly realised and after must protestation she was given the keys and had to drive me home. She has always flat out refused to touch my cars for fear of damaging them, as she knows what I'm like. But she was absolutely fine. Kept saying it felt slower than her Diesel Micra though.. mumble..

 

Thanks for taking the time to organise it Eric - was good to catch up :)

 

Two pics I took!

[KIPVW 0]

Ha Ha great stuff! must try to do one of these one year :D glad you all enjoyed it!

[Guest]

Kept saying it felt slower than her Diesel Micra though.. mumble..

 

You did tell her to keep it in 3rd till at least 5k didn't you??? :lol:

Wish we were closer so as to be to come to this but I was doing my rounds of the family down south anyway.

[vornwend 0]

Good to see you chaps yesterday. Carousel was fun - I have an image of Eric spurring his mare on that will live with me for some time :lol: Thanks to Eric for organisising and especialliy for bringing the Gluh Wein additive!, this may be related to Jim needing to hand over the keys to the VR6 :wink:

[Jim 1]

Kept saying it felt slower than her Diesel Micra though.. mumble..

 

You did tell her to keep it in 3rd till at least 5k didn't you??? :lol:

Wish we were closer so as to be to come to this but I was doing my rounds of the family down south anyway.

 

Hehe... she HATES it when I go quickly and sticks rigidly to the speed limit. I kept telling her to put her foot down but she wasn't having any of it. Maybe some other time ;)

[Tempest 0]

Thanks everyone for turning up to this IMHO great event, and big thanks to Jim´s other half for actually coming up with the idea of us all going on the carousel, which us blokes would have probably never done otherwise! :lol:

 

I have an image of Eric spurring his mare on that will live with me for some time

 

More worrying was Jochen´s aim of his camera directly at the horse´s a**e in front of him, assuring me he was pointing the camera at himself :lol:

 

especialliy for bringing the Gluh Wein additive!,

 

Indeed, was one of my very few better ideas :lol:

 

this may be related to Jim needing to hand over the keys to the VR6

 

Never! I didn´t do what we once did in my student days to one of my mates back then: Add 50% rum to each of his cups of mulled wine, and the chap didn´t notice it till the morning after :lol:

 

Ha Ha great stuff! must try to do one of these one year :D glad you all enjoyed it!

 

Indeed, would be great to have you and Judtih down here for one of these visits, cost-effective hotel in Coventry, and voila, sorted :D

 

Chris, Jochen and me stayed till we got kicked out, well the stalls simply closed up around us :lol: . That was at about 22:00! Time just flew by :shock: :D

 

Tempest