Cold North West wind ...

As November 2006 drew to a close, Edith noted that ...

The first sharp white frost we have had, cold North West wind with showers of hail and rain.

The weather at the end of November 2015 was much more pleasant but nevertheless the year was drawing to a close.  On the 26th of November, I visited Birmingham's Christmas market.

First, a wander through the stalls and amusements in Victoria Square ...

A moonlit scene

 

larger than life decorations

Then, I headed towards Centenary Square and explored the craft stalls.

Craft stalls



Close to this jolly scene, the Hall of Remembrance that I mentioned in my previous post, provided a quiet oasis amongst the lights and bustle.

Hall of Remembrance and big wheel.

It was here that I made a slight miscalculation. The only big wheel that I've been on before is the enormous but sedate London Eye. So I handed over my money and hopped casually into one of the gondolas. Before I knew it, I was rising above Birmingham at a considerable pace. The wheel spun merrily around while I clung to the side looking out over the city.

Faster than it looks!

After staggering off, giggling with the people from the next gondola, I walked past the ice rink.

ice rink

It was so mild last year that many places had trouble keeping their ice rinks sufficiently cold.