insideKENT Magazine Issue 93 - December 2019 | Page 75

TOWNSPOTLIGHT
SPOTLIGHT ON CANTERBURY CONT.
Boys House, one of the most photographed historic
buildings in Canterbury, and mentioned in the novel
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Have your
photograph taken by the crooked door and then
browse for second hand books inside.
Canterbury’s Christmas Market and Santa’s
Grotto 2019 - 22 November – 24 December
Canterbury has fast established a name for itself in
the South East as a leading Christmas Market
destination. It’s another reason to visit the beautiful
heritage city at Christmas. Discover streets of
sparkling lights, pretty Christmas windows and, new
for 2019, its first ever Ice Rink! Thousands of festive
shoppers now flock to Canterbury every year to soak
up the sounds and smells of the 70+ wooden cabins,
located between St George’s Street and Whitefriars
Shopping Centre. Between them, they sell everything
from local food and drink, candles, handmade
stocking fillers, games and toys, to Christmas
decorations, jewellery and a vast array of gifts from
around the world; and there is also a dedicated area
specially for made in Canterbury producers! Shoppers
can also enjoy live music on some dates to get them
in the festive mood, and there’s a special place for
little ones to meet with Santa and the elves in his
Grotto. There will also be a Golden Ticket hunt to
encourage shoppers to keep their eyes open. Small Business Saturday -
Saturday 7 December
There’s also an invitation to children (and parents)
to take part in a fantastic FREE ‘Look for a Book’
event. Hunt out the Christmas themed books, take
them home to read and, if you want, hide them
again for someone else to find. Take a photo of the
books you enjoy the most and share to spread the
word! If you’re looking for original, innovative gifts
or just need some inspiration, a wander around
Canterbury’s Christmas Market is a delightful way
to spend an hour, and will certainly get you in the
mood for shopping, wrapping, and preparing for
the season. For shoppers looking for that unique shopping
experience, Canterbury city centre also proudly
boasts 48% independent retailers. The beautiful
medieval streets come into their own as we approach
Christmas and the businesses set their creative hands
to eye-catching Christmas window displays. Saturday
7th December is Small Business Saturday, a national
campaign which encourages customers to ‘shop local’
and support small businesses in their communities.
This year, Canterbury Market welcomes four-legged
friends for the ‘Santa Paws’ sessions on Wednesday
Dec 4th and 11th (11am to 4pm). Humans can book
their furry friends in to visit Father Christmas, who
absolutely adores all animals – obviously! Each visit
includes an opportunity for your dog to tell Father
Christmas how well behaved they’ve been, a
Christmas gift for your dog and plenty of
opportunities to take photos. One dog and up to 4
humans per booking. Sessions last up to 10 minutes.
£4.00 per dog per booking. (All dogs must be
accompanied by a responsible adult).
If you are looking for handmade products, imbued
with the maker’s love, creativity and skill, here are
just a few businesses you must not miss:
Chocolate: Madame Oiseau Fine Chocolates
in Northgate (along the King’s Mile) and The Fudge
Kitchen (Sun St) provide delicious sweet treats this
Christmas – and you can watch them being made!
Hops and Gin: Discover beer made from local
hops and yeast right within the city walls at The
Foundry on Stour Street, where they host distillery
tours too. You will also find Canterbury Gin
distilled using all local ingredients. For local food
and wine, The Goods Shed, by the Canterbury
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