Festive Fight for Christmas Market
Birmingham's Annual Frankfurt German Christmas Market opened on November 15th, offering the largest authentic German Christmas Market outside of Germany. That was until the battle of the Bratwurst, regarding a minor spat over market sizes, was highlighted in the Birmingham Mail, Our German market is bigger than your German market - Birmingham and Manchester in Christmas dispute.
The dispute arose after Manchester town hall bosses responded to the claim by Birmingham City Council that they had the biggest German market by highlighting the 300 stalls in Manchester's continental markets.
Diplomatically however Birmingham wished Manchester success with it's own markets and that they could see the success of Birmingham's in attracting five million visitors. What is agreed is the success they are for both cities and the welcome tourist attraction they provide helping local retailers and bringing in visitors. While it is flattering that each city sees the competition in it's rival what is important is the respective attraction they provide for each, indeed the title of the post is deliberately ambiguous as a fight between two markets or fight for a market share of the Christmas Market market. We should seek to learn off each other and also the other markets both nationally and across Europe to ensure we further develop the success of the respective markets and give them their own local flavour. A little bit of Germany in Birmingham with a Brummie twist.
Birmingham's market has run for 11 years and comes from Frankfurt, twin city of Birmingham for 40 years.
The following pictures show the Birmingham German Market which runs from the Rotunda, adjacent to the Bullring, up New Street, through the Central Library and into Centenary Square. It is always a welcome sight to see it return in mid November and to see it busy with visitors, after work workers enjoying a drink and locals savouring it's tasty treats and gifts, both German and local.
The dispute arose after Manchester town hall bosses responded to the claim by Birmingham City Council that they had the biggest German market by highlighting the 300 stalls in Manchester's continental markets.
Birmingham is seeking to take the title for themselves after claiming their German market has 190 stalls and attracted five million visitors last year - compared to their rival city's 1.5m.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/manchester-and-birmingham-in-dispute-over-who-337806
Diplomatically however Birmingham wished Manchester success with it's own markets and that they could see the success of Birmingham's in attracting five million visitors. What is agreed is the success they are for both cities and the welcome tourist attraction they provide helping local retailers and bringing in visitors. While it is flattering that each city sees the competition in it's rival what is important is the respective attraction they provide for each, indeed the title of the post is deliberately ambiguous as a fight between two markets or fight for a market share of the Christmas Market market. We should seek to learn off each other and also the other markets both nationally and across Europe to ensure we further develop the success of the respective markets and give them their own local flavour. A little bit of Germany in Birmingham with a Brummie twist.
Birmingham's market has run for 11 years and comes from Frankfurt, twin city of Birmingham for 40 years.
The following pictures show the Birmingham German Market which runs from the Rotunda, adjacent to the Bullring, up New Street, through the Central Library and into Centenary Square. It is always a welcome sight to see it return in mid November and to see it busy with visitors, after work workers enjoying a drink and locals savouring it's tasty treats and gifts, both German and local.
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