The Boy Who Likes To…

With an empty Christmas shopping list, what else are you to do at a Christmas market?

The boy who likes to shop.

It always happens. Everytime you’re in a rush for the train the “Slow People” arrive. I don’t know where they come from or how they appeared in front of us, but they were there. Moments earlier we had seen that there was a train leaving for the Christmas market town in minutes. So we had to rush. But then you get the old couples. Neither of them know which one has the tickets, let alone where they are. After a quick dash over some stairs along a bridge we managed to get to the train. Out of breath. But we had 30 minutes to go to the next stop so we got our breath back. So we had expectations of grand Christmas scenes. Carol singers,…singing. And other  stereotypes for Christmas. With a handy map we made out way to the market and greeted with crowds. Very large crowds of shoppers. There where no singers, although there was music music playing over the roar of the engines coming from the fair. We did see a tree. But no groto.
We tried very hard to make it to the stalls. But this was Mission Impossible due to vast amounts of old people and prams. When we got to one end of the stalls, instead of going back and looking at the stalls at the other end we decided to cut our loses, get some fresh air and walk around town for a bit. At least the shops wouldn’t be full as everyone was in he market. Some of the highlights on our little walk included, finding the last remaining shop selling golliwogs. And I have proof.

The last remaining Golloiwog shop?

So as we tried to hunt down a pub that had the football game on, which we couldnt find, we did come along this rather wonky pub, which amused me.

One straight reference is enough.

So we headed off to see if anything nice could be found. I did realise that I hadn’t bought anything for the housemates. So after endless searching and thinking of every idea from socks to cups. After going in to one small “collectable” store that sold many badges and little sew on covers for holes in pants/coats I did see these lovely gifts that I picked up.

It was hard thinking, but I think I got some good gifts.

At this point we decided we had been out long enough, no where was showing the footy. We we’re both getting a bit hungry and we didn’t like the huge crowds. So much so that the missus uttered “I think this place has the UK’s population of prams, old people and golliwogs.” She could be right. As we got to the train station, on the grass outside, was something that has been freaking me out quite a lot lately. I first noticed these a few weeks back. But that was in a different place, and here they were again. It wasn’t a one off. There is something the matter with the weather. As Thom Yorke says “or that there is something not quite right about the fact you’re still walking round in a Tshirt in october.” I have been seeing a lot of flowers around this year in teh winter months. And its eerie.

Its not right having flowers in Winter.

There was one other thing. As we stood at one of the market stalls looking over some old womans shoulder, the missus spotted landing on the old womans fleece a lady bug. What are they still doing out?