Traders on their first week at this years Sheffield Christmas Market

The Star, Sheffield

Transcript

00:00 Is that a subject up there? I was asking people, traders in the market, how this first week has been.

00:04 Has it been busy at all?

00:05 It's been nice. It's been Christmas Eve. It's been something we've been waiting for.

00:09 Staff have been getting in touch in June.

00:12 I say it's not long now, six months ago.

00:15 It's nice. It's nice to see familiar faces, customers returning.

00:21 And it's nice to see the city centre buzzing. That's the main thing.

00:25 How busy compared to last year would you say it is?

00:28 If I was to be brutally honest, I couldn't tell you.

00:32 Just because it's a bit like ground-off day for myself.

00:35 I'm here every day at 8.10pm, which is a lot of hours.

00:41 So for now, it all depends on the weather.

00:44 Saturday was manic, then Sunday was a lot quieter, so it depends on the weather.

00:50 Today's perfect. It's dry. It's cold. But you can wrap up, have a sausage, warm you up.

00:56 What are you preparing for tonight then? Friday night?

00:58 Yeah, again, it's down to the weather. But I think we're in for a dry one.

01:02 So I don't think that's going to affect us in any way.

01:05 And as regards to Mad Friday, all the nights have been mad.

01:10 Every night, the Christmas market stays open till 8pm every night.

01:14 And every night from about 5pm, you can see people coming in.

01:18 To have a look at every round, a mulled wine and a sausage.

01:23 It's been great. It's lovely to work. It is really lovely to work.

01:28 It's Arthur from Shuffled Star, the newspaper.

01:30 We're no more than asking people how trade has been this first week of the season.

01:34 How are things doing?

01:35 So far, we are doing okay. Could be better, as always.

01:39 We hope it could be.

01:41 But yeah, we're progressing well. It's nice to see a lot of people.

01:44 A lot of people still spending regarding the current crisis we are in.

01:49 But yeah, it's nice to see everybody's out and we are doing a decent business.

01:53 It's very traditional chestnuts when you have to compete with people wanting churros and crepes and brownies and stuff.

01:58 But I've still seen you've been very busy most days actually.

02:00 Do you think people still enjoy that kind of old-fashioned charm to it?

02:03 I think it's a tradition that's come back for years.

02:05 As it hot roasted chestnuts around the open fire.

02:07 I mean, all of us ourselves, we've been in Sheffield now doing the chestnuts for 20 years.

02:10 And it's still something that people will come to us.

02:13 People will find us.

02:14 And every year on the first day, when people come to us and say,

02:17 "Oh, we're looking forward to you coming at the same time every year."

02:21 So it's good to see these people coming out, sticking to the old traditions

02:24 and also educating the people that don't know what they are

02:27 or are unfamiliar with hot roasted chestnuts.

02:30 If people walk past and say, "Oh, I wonder what they taste like."

02:32 Take one, try it. It's not a problem.

02:34 If you enjoy it, pop that. Why are you packing?

02:36 We've got to keep up traditions.

02:40 That's what life's about.

02:41 Rock and roll.

02:42 At the same time, we've got to embrace the new.

02:43 So it's a bit of a fine balance of keeping things going as we are.

02:46 Lovely.

02:47 Hello, it's Alistair from Sheffield Star.

02:49 I might have to speak quite clearly.

02:51 Just asking people how the first week of trade has been at the Christmas market.

02:54 How are you doing?

02:54 It's been really good.

02:56 It's only the weather that sort of slows us down.

02:58 But yeah, the people have come back and supported us as usual.

03:02 I've seen a lot of the same customers that I've seen last year.

03:05 So it's been really good.

03:06 Not the first. Some other people there said they saw some familiar faces as well.

03:10 Hi.

03:10 Saturday was a particularly busy day as well.

03:13 How are things then?

03:14 Yes, yeah. Last Saturday and Sunday was really busy.

03:16 Through the week's a little bit quieter.

03:19 But like I say, people can't come out spending every day, can they?

03:23 It's OK.

03:24 Right.

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