'It's overpriced tat': why Christmas markets have divided opinion

The Halloween cobwebs had barely been brushed off the shop windows of Birmingham city centre when the German-style Christmas market opened on 1 November.

- Jessica Murray , Hannah Al-Othman

Stretching over 500 yards down the main shopping street and spilling out into the main square, for just over seven weeks dozens of stalls will sell bratwurst sausages, sweet treats, trinkets and beer - at £12 for a pint (including the deposit for the glass).

"It's not the same. It's too commercial. It starts too early, and it's too expensive," said Kate Jones, 46, walking through the market, one of the biggest in Europe, on her way home from work. "I've been working here for 20 years, and I've seen it get bigger. It's not as intimate. I never really go any more, and a lot of people who live and work here feel like that."

Christmas markets, bigger than ever and open for longer, are polarising opinion across the UK as some residents and businesses grow tired of the crowds and repetitive stalls.

"I wish they'd go back to how it used to be when it opened later - 1 November is a bit much," said Hannah, 36, walking by on a Wednesday evening. "If every stand was its own independent stall, it would be better, but they all sell the same stuff. It's overpriced tat, but it's fun overpriced tat I suppose."

"Every six stalls is a marshmallow stall," added her friend, Matt, 36. "And it's so big it really does affect the whole city centre."