“Manchester people are very friendly”
Monika Zieskoben and Sonja Scholtes from Luxembourg have sold gluhwein and snacks at the Albert Square Market for ten years
Date Published: 16/12/2009 Updated: 18/06/2010
| “We love it, we love it. It has changed a bit over the last ten years. I have to say, it's gone a bit more commercial. I miss the choirs, and that Christmassy music. We visit just this one. It is more and less similar to the other European markets. The only thing I feel is a bit different in other markets is the Christmas music. They have beautiful Christmas music!
“Manchester people are very friendly. They tell you what they think, they don't hide anything away. People from all over the wider area come along and see the Christmas markets. I think it brings a lot to Manchester itself. Most of us here Europeans, and that adds a lot to Manchester as well. We are all very open-minded. “While we are here we rent an apartment. We come to work early, but when it finishes on the 23rd, we go home for Christmas ourselves. We live in the countryside of Luxembourg, not in the city itself. It's very beautiful. We are semi-retired. But we love coming here for two months. We don't just want to sit around at home – I think doing nothing is no good. “We sell homemade gluhwein, goulash soup, pretzels, croissants with cheese and ham, and pretzel sticks with cheese and ham. We have a van that we bring over, and we make it all at home. We always come prepared – we should never run out. It's all a secret recipe, of course, I wouldn't tell you! “The word spread. We heard that there was a new Christmas market in Manchester. Before that we did the cities in Luxembourg. But we decided to come to Manchester to do the markets, and we came back the year after. We have worked here ever since.” |
