Since moving to Malmesbury I have suffered from market withdrawal syndrome. For about five years I ran a bookstall every Saturday on Portobello Market and I really enjoyed meeting readers and authors, the fresh air and being away from the computer.

When I moved to Malmesbury I had to give up the Portobello stall and after a while I began to miss being on a market. It’s such an ancient straightforward way of trading.

After doing the very successful Petticoat Lane Market in Malmesbury in August, I discovered the excellent Malmesbury indoor market run by the lovely Julie Exton. Inspired by the success at these markets I booked at pitch for seven days spread over five markets.

First up was the Christmas Gift Market in the Cirencester Corn Market.
Followed by the Late Night Christmas Shopping in a packed Malmesbury High Street.

Cold but very busy, festive and friendly. I think the whole town was there.

Next was the Christmas Lights Switch-on in Tetbury under the very atmospheric Market Cross

At the start of the evening

The market is in full swing

No Christmas market is complete without that classic winter warmer:
mulled wine.

The two days in the Goods Shed in Tetbury were a revelation. I had never been to this authentic Great Western Railway building wonderfully restored into an arts centre.

Excellent sales and perfectly organised by Kathryn Limoi. Inside it was nice and cosy…

But overnight it had snowed. This is how Baskerville looked on a cold Sunday morning when we set out on the road to Tetbury.

The final two days were spent in Cirencester organised by Cotswold Markets in the Market Square.

The weather was inclement, very wet and windy the first day, very cold and windy on the second day, but, as always, the customers came to the rescue to make it into a memorable event.

A very Merry Christmas to our authors, freelancers, friends and readers!

How better to wish you this, than with a selfie of all of us at Holland Park Press.