Bath Christmas Market

There's no avoiding it anymore; Christmas is coming and we must prepare for the desolation of our loan-dependent bank accounts that awaits us. But before the despair that comes annually with January, there's the momentary bliss of Christmas spirit that has arrived in our house! Six out of our seven housemates made the delightfully short train journey from Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa and a 10 minute walk later we were in the heart of the Bath Christmas Market, surrounded by illuminated wooden huts and the scent of roasted chestnuts hanging in the air.

Despite the chilling temperatures, there's little more enjoyable than a leisurely stroll around the stalls filled with gifts and goodies for family members and friends of all ages. Our own purchases reflect the food element of the market, myself purchasing a small bottle of vanilla and cinnamon balsamic vinegar for the father (£8) and Lauren indulging her love of spice with a jar of chilli jam. I also succumbed to one of the many cheese stalls and spoilt myself with a block of ginger cheddar (£4) - it probably is as weird as it sounds - which I'm sure will be gone once the boyfriend has had his share of it this weekend!

When the inside of our house is as cold as it is outside, why not spend the afternoon wandering round a market? We made a head start on our Christmas shopping, spent some quality time together (which is rare for more than 4 of our housemates at a time) and tasted the first mulled wine of the season. If you can hop on a train for a reasonable price then you're in for a treat at Bath Christmas Market. The location could be no better suited to this festive affair and there's no pressure to spend money to enjoy it, so don't fret if you're being strict with yourself on spending the pennies. You might even tick a few names off the nice-list. Feeling festive yet?

(From left to right) Rowena, myself, Lauren, Sophie, Graihagh and Elsa!