Traders on their first week at this years Sheffield Christmas Market
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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.