00:00Every year the market brings two stories, the footfall and the fallout. Traders welcome
00:05the surge, hotels fill up and bars get their December bump. But for shoppers it's often
00:10a battle of elbows and queues. Some say the atmosphere is what keeps them coming back.
00:15Others see rising prices and repeat stalls and wonder if it's worth the squeeze. As the
00:20cabins go up and the smells of sausage and glue vine drift through New Street, people
00:25here are already winding it up. Whether it still feels like Birmingham's market or just
00:30a travelling brand dressed in lights. If it looked cosy, if it looked kind of nice
00:36and warm and inviting and if the mood was positive rather than a bit balshy.
00:45Well if it's lit up and it's attractive and the smells emanating from the stores are attractive
00:53it draws you in. Well we don't get down Birmingham very often so let's spend time, if we came
01:01down we'd just spend time on the market. A few streets away shops and cafes rely on
01:07the spillover. The crowd that wonders out once they've had their fill. When crowd control
01:12works they feel the benefit, when it doesn't taking nosedives. Safety stewards, barriers
01:17and visible policing can make or brag that fine balance between festive and frantic. For some
01:23it's part of the buzz. For others it's what drives them out early. What people keep mentioning
01:28is spice. The simple ability to move, browse and breathe without losing the Christmas spirit.
01:33And that's where opinion starts to split. I can't say anything would make it any more comfortable.
01:39I think having the crowds around is part of it. Part of the market, part of the atmosphere.
01:45I think it would make it more comfortable if the crowds have a one way system. So you're
01:52not trying to go against the flow and knocking into people and you're very wary of having your
01:59pockets picked. That sort of thing. Your personal security.
02:03What would put you off staying? Just it being too cold or wet or just, you know, kind of done
02:12with it. And maybe if people were a little bit over rowed and we weren't in that mood, I guess.
02:22Security at the market is tightened this year. Stewards keep the crowd moving and playing
02:27close officers are joined by overt patrols around Victoria Square and New Street. Tokens
02:34and mugs are trapped. Bags stay zipped. Phones out of sight. But once you've got safety in
02:40hand, viewers tell us the bigger concern isn't fear of theft or chaos. It's staying engaged.
02:48One visitor put it plainly. A better variety. A lot of it is food and drink. It would be nice
02:55to have other products as well available.
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