Chapter 61: A Day at the Christmas Market
(Friday, December 7th 2012 – 5:15pm, Wellsworth Station)
Snow was falling heavily from the grey early December sky high above the Island of Sodor, and the freezing cold temperatures, often falling to well below freezing point at times, both during the day and night, caused many people to stay inside in whatever buildings that they were in where it was often much warmer, and from where they could look outside at the falling snow outside. Yet despite the freezing cold winter weather, the trains had to keep on running on the railway, and the Fat Controller had to see that his engines kept running so that freight and passengers could get to where they needed to go.
At the platform for the up line at Wellsworth Station, a few passengers who had been waiting in the warmth of the waiting room for the train to arrive quickly boarded the six coaches that were lined up along the platform. Standing at the head of the train was Edward, and Carrie was standing on his footplate, having been assigned to work with him since this morning. As Carrie leaned her head out from the left-hand side of the footplate and looked back along the platform, she could see that the passengers, all of whom were dressed up in their warmest winter clothing, quickly getting aboard the coaches.
This last run of the day was bound for Knapford Station, and Carrie had been working with Edward back and forth along the line that ran from Wellsworth to Brendam Docks for much of the day. Many of the trains they had taken on the line were passengers, but there was also some freight that had been unloaded from ships down in the port that Edward needed to take up to the yards at Wellsworth. Carrie was feeling very good after a good day of hard work, though she was feeling a little bit cold as well from the cold weather. In fact, she had kept her orange Hi-Viz safety vest on over her overalls for the whole day, as it helped to keep in some heat, even though she was bundled up under her overalls, and was close to the firebox where the radiant heat coming out from it could help keep her warm.
As the last of the passengers got aboard Edward's coaches, the porters closed up the doors and got the train ready to set off to Knapford. Up at the front, Edward waited in anticipation for the guard to blow his whistle so that they could set off, but then heard another whistle coming from down the line in the direction of the banker sidings, which he couldn't really see that well due to the heavy falling snow and grey haze. A few moments later, with another set of whistles blasting, he saw Murdoch pass on by on the middle line, heading towards Gordon's Hill with a very lengthy and heavy freight train trailing along behind him.
"Afternoon, Murdoch!" Edward called, as he watched the big orange-painted 9F 2-10-0 head on past him.
"Afternoon, Edward!" Murdoch said, as he blew his whistle in greeting while he went on by. Going over to the right-hand side of Edward's cab and leaning out a little, Carrie watched as Murdoch's train went on past them. She saw how many different trucks and wagons that there were in the length of the train. She didn't count how many there were, but she saw that there were quite a lot of them and, as the brake van went on past, she saw that there were two bankers pushing from the back, which were L.M.S. Jinty tank engines No.47276 and No.47308. The two tank engines were pushing as hard as they could to get the long train moving through the station and towards Gordon's Hill, with the exhausts roaring at their funnels loudly, sent columns of dark-grey smoke shooting high into the cold winter air.
Not long after Murdoch's train had gone by through the station, it was time for Edward to be on his way. The guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag, and Edward slowly set off out of Wellsworth Station and on his way back to Knapford. He passed by the banker sidings after a few moments, and blew his whistle in greeting to the engines waiting there to bank trains up Gordon's Hill, including No.2395, the sole L.N.E.R. U1 Class Garratt, who had recently returned to banking duties at Wellsworth after an overhaul at the works. The other engines all whistled in greeting to Edward as he went on by, and Carrie waved to the engines from Edward's cab before she pulled herself back inside and got to work at stoking the firebox with more coal.
(Insert soundtrack – Edward's Theme – Season 1)
Moving steadily along the Southern Main Line through the falling snow with his train following along smoothly behind him, Edward made good progress, passing over the viaduct, through Cronk Station, and then through Cronk Tunnel and along the line through Henry's Tunnel. For the short journey back to Knapford, Carrie took her turns with the shovel along with the fireman, the work helping to keep her warm and keep her blood flowing. In between turns on the shovel, she leaned out from the fireman's side of Edward's cab and looked forwards along the line as they went along, keeping a sharp eye out for signals as well as for anyone standing too close to the side of the line.
After passing through Henry's Tunnel, amidst a cloud of swirling smoke and steam mixing in with the falling snow, Edward was soon making his final approach to Knapford Station. Despite the snow and freezing temperatures, he had made good time with his train and it looked like he would arrive bang on time. On the footplate, Carrie had just finished taking another go on the shovel and she was feeling warm from the work, as well as the fact that the heat from the firebox also helped keep the cold away for a bit. Not only that, but the fireman had also taken the opportunity to refill the tea cans back at Wellsworth Station with fresh tea, and these were being kept heated on the warming plate over the firehole doors. Sitting down on the fireman's side of the cab with an enamel mug of hot tea in her hands, Carrie settled back for a while and sipped the tea as they rolled on ahead.
(Soon, at Knapford Station)
Once they arrived at Knapford Station, Edward came to a stop alongside Platform 4 and allowed his passengers to disembark from the train. By this point, it was 6:00pm and the sky was now dark as night had fallen, but the snow was still falling outside the station and covering all the exposed ground with crisp white snow, apart from the dark lines to show where the all the railway lines going out of the station were.
As the passengers left the station, Edward felt himself smile at a job well done while on his footplate, Carrie, the driver, and fireman were also quite pleased with how their work today had gone. Despite the heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, as well as the dullness of constantly going along the length of the line from Brendam to Wellsworth for much of the day, Carrie was feeling pleased with herself. However, she was also quite tired and eager get some sleep later on before going out with her friends the following day.
It wasn't long before Edward left Knapford Station and headed back along the line towards Tidmouth Sheds, with Carrie taking her last go on the shovel for the day. Well-used to firing by now, Carrie placed around half a dozen shovelfuls of coal into the firebox, making sure to place the coal where it was needed, including in the back corners. Once she finished, she sat herself down on the front of the tender and rested, with her muscles on her arms very tired from the long day, and her feet feeling quite sore as well. The fireman took over stoking the boiler for the rest of the short trip back, and so Carrie just sat down and rested for the short journey to the sheds.
After they arrived back at the sheds, with Edward being turned on the turntable and reversing into his berth at the sheds, Carrie got off and, after bidding Edward and his crew a good night, she went off to the crew building to get showered and changed into clean clothes, before leaving the changing rooms and heading downstairs to clock out and meet up with her friends. Stepping off the stairs, she saw Simon, Alice, Saoirse, Sophie, and Olivia chatting together by the main entrance to the building, having just clocked out for the day.
"Hey, Carrie." Simon said, when he saw her come down the stairs and walk over to them.
"Hi Simon! Girls!" Carrie said, as she approached.
"You ready to head on out to dinner?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah, but I just need to clock out first." Carrie said, as she turned to the electronic machine mounted on the wall, and placed her finger on the fingerprint scanner, before removing it several seconds later after a bleeping sound and a green light flashed on the machine.
"Now I'm ready to go." Carrie said, as she smiled.
"Well, come on. Let's go then." Simon said, and the six friends headed outside the main entrance and into the cold snowy weather, bound for their favourite restaurant to have a good dinner.
As they walked along the snow-covered street together, they couldn't help but be awed by what they saw going on around them. Stretching from one side of the street to another were brightly coloured Christmas lights that said "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" on them, and in the fronts of the shops they passed by, they saw brightly-lit Christmas trees with bright decorations on them and bright cheerful lights hanging on the exterior walls. In the fronts of some of the shops, there were bright and cheerful displays set up, which included brightly-wrapped Christmas presents under a very small Christmas tree with a figure of Santa Claus beside it…in another shop front was a mountain ski scene with mini figures on its white slopes with what looked like gingerbread houses lined up at the bottom of the mountain…while the front of a toy shop down the street a little way had a really bright and cheery display, which included toys, elves, and a Santa Claus set up at the top of the window flying his sleigh. And each of the doors had Christmas wreaths placed on the front of them.
"Wow…I can't believe how bright and cheery all these Christmas displays are." Carrie said, as they looked into each shopfront they walked past.
"Yeah, I know. I've been along this street many times over the years, and I can't help but be amazed and astonished by what each shopfront has in them each November and December." Simon said.
"And I'm always amazed by different the displays are each Christmas." Saoirse added.
"I remember a few shops around here that had model trains running in their front windows over a few years." said Sophie.
"Oh, I can remember a few displays with moving figures in a few windows over the years too." added Olivia, as a smile crossed her face.
"Me too. I love those ones as well." Alice said.
They soon arrived at their favourite restaurant and went inside, where they were greeting by a warm blast of air, and the sounds of a warm and social environment with the smells of good food being cooked inside the kitchen. There were already people inside at the different tables and the sounds of them socialising with each other, as well as the smells of the food being prepared in the kitchen, made the six friends feel hungry and eager to enjoy the evening together. Once they were shown to a table by one of the servers, they were handed copies of the evening's menu and looked through them to decide what they wanted for dinner.
"What do you think we should do tomorrow?" Alice asked.
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to go to the Christmas market and see what's there to get. I need to do some Christmas shopping, and I also liked the atmosphere there so much last year that I want to experience it again." Carrie said, as she looked up from the menu she was looking through.
"Yeah, I'm thinking of going over to the Christmas market as well tomorrow. I want to try out the food that they're serving there, as well as to do some Christmas shopping there as well." Simon said.
"I'm thinking of going as well. The place has got such a nice festive atmosphere there that I can't help but love it every time that I go." Sophie added.
"Well, if that's the case, don't you think we should all go to the Christmas market tomorrow? I think it might be fun if we went as a group." Olivia said.
"You know, that sounds like a good idea to me. How about it guys?" Saoirse said. And so, they all agreed wholeheartedly to do to the Christmas market tomorrow, as well as often as they could while it was there for the rest of December. After a few more minutes of waiting, the server came by their table and took their dinner and drink orders.
(Next morning, Saturday 8th December 2012, 7:45am)
After throwing the duvet aside, Carrie swung her feet out of bed and stood up before walking over to the curtains and pulling them open. Taking a good long look outside, she saw that it was snowing again and that the back garden, the two railway lines on the other side of the fence, as well as all the rooftops she could see from her bedroom were covered with a layer of fresh white snow. The dull grey clouds in the sky above contrasted starkly with the whiteness of the snow, either on the ground or falling from above. Looking up and along the edge of the slight overhang that stuck out from the house, Carrie saw a number of icicles hanging down from the edge, and each were of a different length.
Then, she heard the sounds of a whistle being sounded from somewhere in the distance a little off to the north along the railway lines. Opening her window and leaned out, she looked off to the north and saw 9F No.92098 coming along in a cloud of swirling steam, with a long line of heavily-laden Tyne Dock to Consett iron ore hopper wagons trailing along behind him. Carrie watched as No.92098 went on past, heading southwards towards Knapford Station with his heavy iron ore train following along behind him. For several long moments, Carrie watched as the train went on by, with the sounds of the steam wheeshing, the clanking of the valve gear, as well as the sounds of the large iron ore hopper wagons going on by.
It wasn't too long before the brake van at the back of the train had gone by, with the sounds of the chuffing and the steel wheels on the rails getting quieter and quieter as the train went further on down the line, with the distant sounds of No.92098 blowing his whistle again as he made his way along. Carrie had counted that there were 15 iron ore hopper wagons in the train, not including the brake van, and each one of the large wagons seemed to be fully laden down with lots of iron ore that had been loaded up earlier in the morning.
After a few moments, after feeling very cold from being outside in the very cold and snowy morning air, Carrie pulled herself back inside, closed the window securely, and then went to get herself ready for the day ahead.
(A short while later)
After getting dressed for the day, Carrie went downstairs and had some breakfast, while watching the snow falling outside the window. Though she had seen it happen before, Carrie couldn't help but be amazed by just how beautiful the snow was and how it made everything seem so Christmassy.
Just as she nearly finished with her breakfast, she heard the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs and then her father entered the kitchen a few moments later. Unlike Carrie, who was dressed for a day out with her friends, Ralph was dressed in his work clothes, as he was rostered to work on the railway today.
"Morning, Carrie." he said, as he entered the kitchen and went over to the kettle, before grabbing it and filling it up at the sink.
"Morning, dad." Carrie said, as she finished off her glass of orange juice. Ralph put the kettle on and took out the coffee from the cabinet above the counter, along with a mug from the adjacent cabinet.
"Going to work today?" Carrie asked, as she stood up from the table and set about putting the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
"Yeah, that's just the way things are for today, Carrie. There's a major shipment that arrived at Knapford Harbour last night in a series of ship, and those goods need to be delivered today." Ralph said, as he spooned some coffee granules into his mug.
"Well, best of luck at getting everything delivered to where it needs to be today." Carrie said, as she handed her father the bottle of milk.
"Thanks, Carrie." Ralph said. As Carrie put the box of cereal and bottle of orange juice away, Ralph poured some hot water into the mug and stirred the coffee for a few seconds before pouring some milk in. Once she had cleaned up the breakfast things, Carrie left the kitchen and went upstairs to get ready for the day ahead.
A few minutes later, Carrie was ready to go. She was dressed up in warm winter clothing, including a warm coat, woollen winter hat, scarf, warm and waterproof boots that were lined with fur on the inside, and warm gloves on her hands. She had her mobile phone, fully charged, in an inside pocket of her winter coat, as well as her purse full of money inside another inside pocket of her coat, and she was looking forwards to enjoying a good, if cold and snowy, day at the Christmas market with her friends. She also had a set of keys as well, so that she could get back into the house as well later on, if her father hadn't returned home yet that evening.
She looked in the mirror for a few long moments and took in the sight of herself dressed in her warm winter clothes, and although she did certainly feel quite warm in these clothes right now, it would be a very different thing once she was outside in the cold winter weather.
After grabbing her bag that was sitting on the end of her bed, Carrie placed it over her shoulder and then went out of her bedroom.
After going downstairs, Carrie went into the kitchen, where her father was nearly finished eating his breakfast.
"Well, I'm heading off, dad." Carrie said, as she looked into the kitchen, where she saw her father sitting at the table.
"Okay, Carrie. And best of luck out at the Christmas market today, and have a good time out there today too." Ralph said, as he looked up.
"Thanks, and I'll also be sure to bring back a few things from the market as well." Carrie said.
"That's good, Carrie. And please stay safe out there." Ralph said.
"Okay, dad. I'll see you later!" and then Carrie turned and headed out from the hallway and out the front door, closing it behind her.
(A short while later)
Carrie soon arrived at the bus stop not too far away from her father's house, and stood under the covered shelter while waiting for the bus to arrive. Even though she was well wrapped-up in her warm clothes, it was still cold enough that she had to rub her hands together to keep them warm, even though she had gloves on. Looking out, she watched as the snow continued to come on down from above, covering the ground in a fresh layer of white. The road before her had recently been cleared by a snowplough, and then gritted by a following gritting machine with a layer of salt and grit to allow following vehicles to drive safely in the difficult conditions.
The only other people who were with Carrie in the shelter of the bus stop were two older women who were chatting with each other, and they had their shopping trolleys with them, meaning they were going out shopping this morning.
Carrie was meeting up with Simon and the girls in front of the town hall, and then they would go into the Christmas market when it opened at 10:00am. Until then, they would wait in one of the coffee shops nearby, where they remain warm and comfortable out of the winter cold while enjoying hot drinks and looking out at the activity taking place outside.
After a few minutes, she heard the familiar sound of a horn beeping. Turning her head to her right, she saw none other than Bertie the bus coming steadily along the road towards them. He was going along at a careful pace, as there was still a chance that there might be patches of black ice on the road that the gritting machines had missed when they went along the road sometime earlier on that morning.
Coming to a gentle halt at the bus stop, Bertie was pleased to see that there were passengers waiting there for him. The driver opened the side door, and Carrie allowed the two older women to get aboard first before she then stepped aboard. But before she did, she said "Good morning, Bertie!" to the cheerful red bus, who said "Good morning, Carrie!" in return. Once Carrie was safely seated, they were off on their way towards Knapford Town Hall.
(Insert soundtrack – Bertie's Theme – Season 1)
For the next while, Bertie went carefully along the streets, making stops at other bus stops and picking up some more passengers. From her seat, Carrie sat in comfort and watched the sights pass by outside while they went along. She watched as groups of people went about on the footpaths, in and out of shops, and chatted together in small groups in sheltered corners. Many people were seen going about and heading to do some of their Christmas shopping, while there were others who were simply going out with their friends for a day out, with a few making their way to the Christmas market.
At one point, they went past a stretch that overlooked the railway lines, and Carrie saw a passenger train passing by amidst a swirling cloud of smoke and steam. She didn't see which engine was pulling the train, but managed to count about seven coaches before the last one disappeared under the bridge that the road crossed over the railway lines on before it turned away from the railway lines.
At one point, they went along a straight section of road where there were houses lined up on both sides of it. Looking out, Carrie could see children out and about enjoying the snow, including throwing snowballs at each other, laying on the ground making snow angels, as well as building snowmen in the front gardens.
Carrie saw that all the snowmen were done in a number of different sizes, and all of them had coal buttons and eyes, carrot noses, and hats of some sorts on their heads. Almost at once, Carrie was reminded of similar sights she had seen back in Chamberlain on many winters over the years, where she had often seen snowmen in the front yards of many houses in the part of Chamberlain where she lived. Yet, she also remembered quite a few times during those winters where she had often been pelted with snowballs by Chris Hargensen and the other girls in her group, sometimes even being ambushed by them as she walked to and from school on many winter days.
Carrie had always hated being pelted with snowballs, and she had always tried to avoid Chris and her friends as much as possible, often going along different streets in order to get to Ewen High School. Sometimes she managed to get all the way to school and then back home without getting pelted by snowballs, but it didn't always work. That hadn't happened in the time she had been on Sodor, either last winter or this winter, and for that she was profoundly grateful, knowing that the people she knew here were good people who would never play tricks on their friends in that sort of way.
It wasn't too long before Bertie finally arrived at the bus stop that was the closest to Knapford Town Hall, and Carrie disembarked and then, after thanking Bertie for a smooth ride, made her way over to the town hall. She didn't know how many of her friends would be waiting there, or if they would be there yet and that she would have to wait for a bit until they finally arrived there.
Arriving in front of the grounds to the town hall, Carrie saw the stalls that were lined up on the outside of the wall front wall, but none of them were opened yet, with the traders getting everything ready for business. She noticed small groups of people milling around along the length of the front wall, and so she walked along keeping her eyes open to see if any of her friends were there.
As she passed by the middle of the wall where the two large gates were situated, a voice called out "Hey Carrie!" and Carrie saw Alice, Olivia, and Saoirse standing together near the gates.
"Hey there, you three!" Carrie said, smiling as she went over towards them, and pleased to see she wouldn't be waiting here alone for some of them to arrive.
"Did you have a good journey over here?" Alice asked, as Carrie stepped over to them.
"Yeah, I did. I came over on Bertie, but we had to go at a slow speed just in case there was any ice on the roads while we were going along." Carrie said.
"I understand. The bus that I was on to get here also had to go slowly as well because of the possibility of ice." Saoirse said.
"I wonder if that's the reason Sophie and Simon aren't here yet." Olivia said, as she looked back and forth along the pavement.
"Yeah, probably. But there's still plenty of time to go until the market opens." Carrie said, as she looked at her watch. The time was 9:05am, and the Christmas market wasn't due to open for customers for business until 10:00am. Taking a look into the grounds, she could see people going about and making their last preparations at their stalls for another day of business. And over on one side of the town hall, they could see the sight of a Ferris Wheel towering over the Christmas market. They could also see the sight of the carousel in another part of the grounds, with the people who were running it looking over it and making sure there would be no problems when customers came to ride on it during the day.
They didn't have to wait very long for Sophie and Simon to arrive, for they soon came up within a few minutes of each other. Sophie arrived first, having taken a bus from near where she lived to get here and they had been delayed due to a faulty set of traffic lights. Simon arrived not too long afterwards, having had to drive Caroline from where he was living carefully through the cold snowy streets to get to the area where he normally parked her, before then walking from there down to the town hall.
"Hey there, ladies." Simon said, as he gave Carrie a big hug, before hugging each of the other girls.
"You got here in plenty of time, Simon." Saoirse said.
"Yeah, well…it's better to be early than late." Simon said.
"Shall we go and head over to one of the nearby coffee shops and wait until the market opens at ten?" Alice said.
"Good idea. It's quite cold, and there's no point staying out here in the cold until the gates are opened." Olivia said.
"Well, come on then, you lot. Let's go over to one of the coffee shops and get warmed up." Sophie said, and they turned and headed across the street.
A short while later, the six friends were sitting together in the upper floor of one of the coffee shops near to the town hall. From the table they were sitting at, the six friends could see into the hall grounds where the stalls were being prepared for another day of business, with fresh supplies for the day being brought in from a number of lorries that were parked along the length of the footpaths that were around the hall grounds.
"I can't wait to get inside the market and get some more of my Christmas shopping. I noticed some things there that I didn't get a chance to buy the last time." Sophie said.
"Me too, and I want to try out some of the food there as well. I can't help but love the food that's served at the stalls in there every year." Simon said.
"Yeah, same here. And I think I can tell that there's going to be a lot of people in there today." Carrie said, as she looked out the window, where a few small groups of people could be seen milling around and waiting for the market to open up.
"Well, that's just something that's to be expected around this time of year. Let's just hope that there won't be too many people there today." Alice said.
"Here, here!" Saoirse said, as she sipped her tea before lifting her fork and taking in another piece of her chocolate cake.
As she took in another forkful of her apple pie, Carrie took a look around the floor of the coffee shop they were in; it was brightly decorated with Christmas decorations, with a Christmas tree in one corner and which was decorated with bright decorations and bright and colourful lights on it, and Christmas presents wrapped in bright wrapping paper under the tree.
There were also quite a number of different Christmas garlands secured on the walls and other decorations hanging from the ceiling, as well as figures painted on some of the windows, including stars and images of Santa Claus. The other people inside this level of the coffee shop seemed to be very happy with how they were today, and some of them were chatting about what they were planning to do when they got into the Christmas market.
(Later on; 10:05am)
It wasn't long before the gates were finally opened and the Christmas market started business for the day, and those who had been waiting outside made their way inside to see what was there to do today. Among them was a school group of about 25 kids with two teachers to keep an eye of them. On seeing the gates open for business from the floor of the coffee shop, Carrie, Simon, and the girls quickly finished up and then left the coffee shop, heading back across the street and into the Christmas market.
"Let's go over to one of the stalls that sells Christmas gifts. I saw something there in one of them that I really want to buy." Sophie said.
"And there's a stall close by that sells fudge as well, as well as another stall that sells other chocolates as well." Alice said.
"Sounds good to me. Then I want to go and see the stall where you can roast marshmallows over the fire in the barbecue pit." Carrie said.
"Okay, let's do that." Olivia said, and they walked off among the many stalls among the show growing crowds of people to the stalls they wanted to go to.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the first stall that they wanted to visit, and began to look through the good selection of Christmas gifts that were on offer, including Christmas baubles – of a number of different sizes and, styles and in different colours, including gold, silver, and red – and stars, silver, gold and red tinsel, Santa Claus flying on his sleigh, reindeer, little decorations in the shape of Christmas presents, as well as candles. There were also little decorations that had Christmas scenes set in the middle of then, Christmas garlands that hung from the top of the stall, Christmas lights in boxes, and there was also plenty of sprigs of mistletoe on sale there as well. Not only that, there were also different things on sale for use in Nativity scenes that many people had out at this time of year. There were also Christmas stocking in various sizes, as well as Christmas wreaths – with each being decorated differently from each other, and small Yule logs that could be hung on Christmas trees.
"Now…what to get? There's just so much on offer in here it's difficult to choose what to get." Sophie said, as she looked around.
"I know. I'm really not sure where to start." Alice said, looking at what was there, one part of the stall at a time.
"Well…I think I'll buy this here." Carrie said, as she reached for and took hold of an angel with its wings opened wide.
"I think that'll look very nice on your Christmas tree, Carrie." Olivia said, as she took a look at the angel.
"Yeah, we've got a much larger angel on top of our Christmas tree at home already. But this one with the string coming out from the top will be perfect for hanging on one of the spare branches on the tree that haven't got any decorations on them." Carrie said, as she went over to the woman in charge of the stall.
"Hmm, if I can't decide now, I suppose that I could always come back later and get something before I do anything else." Simon said, as he looked around.
"Well, that's up to you, Simon." Sophie said, as she looked over a fake gingerbread man that had caught her attention.
"I think…this one will fit the bill for me." Alice said, as she picked out an ornament in the shape of a Christmas present that was wrapped in turquoise blue ribbon.
"And I'd like to get this one." Sophie said, taking hold of a bell-shaped ornament that was in golden yellow and shiny.
Once the friends had gotten what Christmas decorations or ornaments that they wanted to get at the stall, the six of them went off to another stall that caught their interest. They very soon found one, and it was the one that had a barbecue pit inside it with a gas fire, and it was the stall where people could roast marshmallows on long sticks, as well as S'mores. And there were already half a dozen people gathered at the staff and roasting marshmallows on the long sticks over the fire there.
"Now here's another stall I want to see." Sophie said, as the six friends stopped by the stall and looked at the gas fire burning merrily away in the false coals as some of the first marshmallows of the day were being roasted away over the fire.
"Oh, I love this stall, and I love how the marshmallows get this crispy shell on the outside if you roast them just right." Olivia said.
"I love how the insides of the marshmallows get soft and gooey after they've been heated over the fire for a while." Saoirse said.
"You know, I think I might get a stick of them to roast right now." Alice said, as she stepped up to the stall. Saoirse and Sophie followed a few moments later, leaving Carrie, Simon, and Olivia standing back a little.
"Are you two going to go and get any marshmallows?" Olivia asked, as she turned to Simon and Carrie.
"I will later on, Olivia. I just to look around and see what's here first before I do." Simon said.
"I'll wait until later on as well. After all, I'm sure that there'll be plenty of marshmallows there later." Carrie said, with a smile.
In no time at all, Alice, Saoirse, and Sophie had heated up sticks of marshmallows over the gas fire and returned with them in their hands.
"Hmm…this is good." Alice said. She had heated up the marshmallows just enough that it caused a crust to form around them, and which gave a slight crunch when she bit into them.
"Well, I prefer them this way." Sophie said, having cooked the marshmallows enough that they were slightly blackened on some of the edges.
"Now then, shall we continue on and see what's at some of the other stalls?" Simon suggested.
"Yeah, let's go and see." Saoirse said, as the six friends set off among the people in front of some of the other stalls to somewhere else in the market.
They passed by in front of a covered seating area, which wasn't ready to open yet, though it would open within the next ten minutes. Taking a quick look inside the space, they could see that it was set up in the style of a bar that might be found somewhere in Germany, particularly with the carpeting on the floor, the fake woodwork on the walls, and the style of the main bar counter at the other end of the space. There were lines of long tables with benches set up on both sides of the space, and at the bar about half a dozen people could be seen making their last preparations before the bar opened.
"I think we'll find ourselves sitting in there at some point during today." Alice said.
"Yeah, I know. And I think we'll also be eating in there as well." Saoirse said.
"Let's just not get anything with alcohol in it though." Sophie said.
"Agreed. After all, we're not old enough to drink anything like that." Simon said, as they continued on down a little way until they came in front of another stall.
"Well now, what have we here?" Carrie said, as they came to a stop. The stall that they had stopped in front of sold an enormous variety of fudge, of all different kinds of flavours and in all sorts of colours. They had a look over the enormous variety that was on offer, including vanilla fudge, lemon meringue fudge, caramel sea salt fudge, chocolate fudge, maple fudge, and whisky fudge.
"Wow, and just as good a selection as last year." Simon said, as he and the girls looked over what was on offer.
"I've gotta buy some fudge while we're here." Carrie said, grabbing a small cardboard box from the front and then, using a set of tongs, set about selecting the fudge she wanted to buy.
"Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll get some as well." Sophie said, as she also grabbed a box from the front and set about getting what flavours she wanted, being limited only by the size of the box.
Once Carrie had gotten what she wanted to have, she took the full box to the man at the till, who then weighed the box on a scale which also tallied up the price for a full box.
"There we are…that'll be £30." the man said, as he put the box into a plastic bag.
"Okay." Carrie said, as she took out some money and handed it to the man. He handed her the bag, took the money, cashed it, and then handed Carrie the change.
"And there you are, miss." the man said.
"Thank you very much." Carrie said, as she took her change and then stepped aside to allow Sophie to pay for the fudge she wanted to buy.
"You got what you wanted, Carrie?" Simon asked.
"Certainly, Simon. And I hope to buy some more stuff while we're here for today." Carrie said, as she held up the bag in her hand.
"Well, I'm sure that there'll be a lot of things here for everyone to buy." Simon said. Once Sophie had paid for the fudge she wanted, the six friends headed off to look elsewhere around the market.
(A short while later)
There were a lot more people in the market now, and crowds were gathering in some of the stalls, particularly at the ones that sold hot drinks. The most popular hot drinks that were being sold were tea and coffee, as well as hot chocolate and mulled wine. The smells of the mulled wine that was being kept hot for the cold and thirsty customers had a mixture of cinnamon, orange peel, cloves, and ginger, and it was a really nice smell, particularly on a day as cold as this one.
Taking in a deep scent through her nose as they went by where cups of mulled wine were being served out, Carrie couldn't help but smile when the familiar smells of the spices went into her nose.
"Oh, that's a really nice smell." Carrie said, as she and her friends went on past.
"Yeah, I know. And I can't help but think of Christmas whenever I smell mulled wine or any of the spices that are used in it. Such as ginger, cinnamon, or cloves." Olivia said, as a smile crossed her face as well.
"Me too. I also can't help but like the smells from a freshly-cut Christmas tree." Saoirse said, as the smells of pine from another stall drifted into her nose.
"Yes, there's so many smells to bring back memories of Christmas past." Simon said, as he looked round at the different stalls where food was being prepared, and all the different smells that were coming off them. Carrie felt herself smile a little; although she had only celebrated her first proper Christmas the previous year, there were certain smells at this Christmas market that reminded her of the festive season back in Chamberlain years before, including the smell of pine from Christmas trees, as well as different foods that had drifted out onto the streets.
"Hey, let's have a look over here." Carrie said, as she stepped over to another stall, where an enormous selection of brownies and cupcakes were being sold.
"Oh, this is another of my favourite stalls! I love the cupcakes they serve here!" Saoirse said, as the six friends gathered in front of the stall. They could see that there was a good variety of brownies and cupcakes on offer, including chocolate and salted caramel brownies, and vanilla sprinkles, red velvet, lemon meringue, and honeycomb crunch cupcakes.
"Yeah, I love what they serve here too." Alice said, as she looked over the selections of brownies and cupcakes they had today.
"So, what can I get you?" the attendant asked, as she readied herself for what the six of them wanted to get.
"Could I have…two red velvet cupcakes and two death-by-chocolate cupcakes please?" Alice asked.
"Certainly, miss." said the attendant, as she grabbed a set of tongs and placed the requested cupcakes into a clear plastic box.
"And could I have two strawberry and cream cupcakes, and two of the chocolate orange brownies please?" Sophie asked.
While the attendant served out whatever brownies and cupcakes that her friends wanted, Carrie simply stood back and waited for her turn to choose what she wanted. Turning her head to the right, she took in the sight of other people in the market getting what things they wanted in front of the other stalls. She saw as happy customers stood in front of the stalls, ordered what things they wanted to have, and then left a short while later after paying for what they wanted to have. She saw children with big smiles on their faces, and who seemed to be having a very good time today, and she also listened out as jolly and cheery Christmas music was played over the speakers that had been placed at different points around the market. She then took in the sight of the enormous and well-decorated Christmas tree that stood in the middle of the grounds, with large presents underneath it, and a large plastic moulded model of Santa Claus standing beside it.
Soon, it was Carrie's turn to choose what cupcakes or brownies she wanted to get, and she spent a few moments looking over them before choosing.
"Could I have two vanilla sprinkles and two of the lemon meringue cupcakes please?" she asked.
"Certainly, miss." said the attendant, as she got the cupcakes that Carrie wanted and placed them into a small plastic box that could be easily opened or closed at the edges. After Carrie paid for the cupcakes and placed the cupcake box into the bag she had, the six friends left and then made their way to somewhere else in the market.
After a while, the six friends came upon one of a number of stalls selling burgers in the grounds, and there were delicious smells wafting out from the stall as burgers were being cooked on the cookers inside the stall. They watched as a short line of hungry customers moved along with the burgers they wanted in their hands, as well as cans of ice-cold drinks.
"You know, I think a good burger would hit the spot right about now." Simon said, as he felt the pangs of hunger go through him.
"I think so too. I really do like the burgers here." Sophie said.
"Well, come on. Let's go and get some burgers and drinks there while the queue is still quite short." Carrie said, as the six friends went up and lined up at the stall.
Several minutes later, having got the burgers they wanted to get, along with French fries and cold drinks, they made their way to the covered seating area they had seen earlier on and managed to find a spare table where they could sit and enjoy their food. Mounted high up on both walls of the space with heaters which were glowing a pale orange as they kept the space warm.
"Oh, it's so good to get out of the cold and in here!" Olivia said, as she opened the front of her winter coat.
"I agree! I think that a person can only take the cold weather for so long." Sophie said.
"And I want to eat while the food is still hot. So, let's dig in!" Simon said. They all needed no further encouragement, and all six friends tucked into their burgers at once. There were a few other people inside the seating area with them, most of whom were sitting at the tables in the space, with a few others lined up at the bar and getting drinks, including large glass mugs of German beer and glasses of red or white wine. There were all different flavours of beer on offer for people to get at the bar, including some rather unusual flavours, such as raspberry beer, peaches and cream beer, mango beer, cheery beer, strawberry beer, and the rather strange flavour of banana beer.
The six friends just sat at the table and enjoyed their food and cold drinks, while not taking too much notice of the other people milling about around them, or socialising at the other tables, or sipping their drinks from the bar. Carrie, in particular, was really enjoying her burger with French fries and a can of Coca Cola, and sitting in here brought back memories to her of going to the Christmas market the previous year with Simon. And she clearly recalled that she had enjoyed her time there with Simon, particularly the food, sounds, and the festive atmosphere that she had experienced when she had gone to the Christmas market for the first time.
From outside the two entrance doors, there came the sounds of the Christmas market as people enjoyed their day with friends or family, while the sounds of Christmas music being played, as well as the sounds of nearby chatter and laughter, could be clearly heard.
Not too long later, the six friends had finished off their food and drinks, and then they just sat back for a while and chatted.
"My feet are killing me after the walking we've done this morning." Saoirse said.
"Yeah, mine too." Alice said, as she stretched her feet out a little under the table.
"I always seem to get sore feet each time I go to the Christmas market. I don't know why, but I just do." Sophie said.
"And I also get sore feet as well when I come to the Christmas market." Simon said, as he reached down a little and rubbed his right leg a little and tried to rub the sore kinks out of it.
"The soles of my feet are a bit sore as well. And I can't recall ever remember them feeling this sore before." Carrie said, as she finished the last of her can of Coca Cola.
"Well then, I guess that's just something to be expected when we come here." Olivia said.
"Are your feet sore as well, Olivia?" Sophie asked.
"Yeah, they are a bit." Olivia said, knowing the soles of her feet were feeling somewhat sore at the moment.
"Where do you think we should go next in the market? I've noticed a stall nearby where really nice French pastries are sold." Alice said, as she thought about how delicious those pastries were, having always tried many of them each time she came to the Christmas market.
"Oh, I know what stall you're speaking about, Alice. It's not far from here, and I also love the pastries they serve there. Particularly the ones with that rich custard." Carrie said.
"As do I, by the way!" Sophie said.
"So, shall we head to that stall in a little while and see if they have the usual selection of treats this year?" Saoirse said.
"Yeah, let's do that!" the other five agreed.
A little later on, once their feet had rested for a little while, as well as with the seating area and bar starting to get busier as more people came in, the six friends got up from their table and left, heading back out into the freezing winter air. After having been sitting in the covered seating area with the heaters fitted on the walls for the last 45 minute or so, it actually felt good to be back outside in the cold again.
"That stall should be down this way somewhere." Alice said, as she turned and headed to the left, with the others following along behind. Alice looked at the front of each stall she passed by, keeping a sharp eye out for what was in offer. Then she stopped, and right in front of the stall that she remembered.
"And here it is!" she said, sounding pleased with herself. Looking over what was on offer at this stall, there was a good selection of French-style pastries and cakes on offer, including rhubarb tart, French apple tart, and strawberry pastries. There was also plenty of classic custard tart slices on offer as well, much to the pleasure of Carrie and Sophie.
"Looks like there's plenty on offer here this year." Sophie said, as she looked over the mouth-watering selection on offer and wondered what to buy.
"Like usual." Saoirse said, as she also tried to decide what to buy.
"Could I have…two of those strawberry tarts and two custard slices please?" Olivia asked one of the attendants.
Waiting for her turn, Carrie noticed another stall a short distance away, and it was one she hadn't seen before. While it looked no different from any of the other stalls in the Christmas market, what made it stand out was what it was selling; it was selling an enormous variety of cookies, ranging from decorated Christmas cookies all the way up to chocolate chip and sugar-coated cookies. Judging from the small crowd gathered round it, it seemed that it was a very popular stall.
"I think we should go to that stall once we're finished here." Carrie said to Simon, as she pointed over to the cookie stall.
"Good idea, Carrie. I heard that there were some new stalls coming to the market this year, and I think that could be one of them." Simon said.
"I'd like to see what they have there." Carrie said, as she turned her attention back to the stall they were already at.
Once the six friends had gotten the French pastries they wanted to buy, they went over to the cookie stall nearby, and saw that it had an enormous variety of cookies on offer; there were traditional gingerbread men, and many cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees, snowflakes, and stars, as well as candy canes, Christmas stockings, and decorations. There were also plenty of other cookies on offer, including thick ones made of chocolate, ones that were dusted with powdered sugar, and ones that were half decorated. Many of the cookies were decorated with bright coloured icing, and many also had edible gold, silver, and red balls in place as well. There were also wrapped boxes on sale as well, which were full of a different selection of Christmas cookies.
"Wow, I think that we're really spoilt for choice here!" Saoirse said, as she looked over the wide selection of cookies spread out before them.
"Indeed! I've never seen so many cookies in one place before!" Sophie said, as she tried to decide what to get, while Alice and Olivia took the chance to order the cookies that caught their interest.
"It's certainly a very bright and cheerful scene with all these decorated cookies." Carrie said, as she looked over the selection on offer.
"Yeah, and it certainly feels like Christmas with all these cookies on offer." Simon said.
"And I think that it would be a shame to pass up on the offer to buy some too." Carrie said.
Some minute later, having gotten the Christmas cookies that they wanted to get, which were put into brightly coloured Christmas boxes, the six friends went off on their way again, trying to find some other stalls that caught their interest.
"I could do with a cup of tea right about now. The cold is starting to get to me a bit." Saoirse said.
"Me too. I think there's a stall close by where we can get hot drinks. And it should be just around here." Sophie said, as they made their way around some of the other people enjoying the Christmas market. Rounding the corner, they saw it; it was a stall that sold hot drinks, and one of a few around the grounds that did so.
"I think a cup of tea would do some good right now. I am starting to get a little cold." Simon said, as he rubbed his gloved hands together to get some heat into them.
"Okay, let's line up then." Alice said, as they joined the queue where a number of other people were lined up in front of the stall and getting what they wanted to get. Carrie could clearly smell the familiar smells of hot coffee floating through the air, as well as hot chocolate, the spicy scent of mulled wine, and even certain types of herbal teas as well. She could also overhear the conversations other people were having, most of which were about how good the atmosphere at the Christmas market was, as well as how good the food was.
When the friends had gotten the hot drinks they wanted a few minutes later, they went and found another covered seating area, where there were a few spare tables for them to sit at. Sitting down at one of the tables, they took a few long moments to sip their drinks and rest their feet for a bit. Some of the girls had also opened up their coats in order to allow some heat out and to allow themselves to cool down a little, as well as removing their winter hands and taking off their gloves too.
"Phew! Despite the cold weather, keeping the hats, scarfs, and gloves on can make me a bit too hot." Olivia said, just before she took a long sip of her hot chocolate.
"I know. I think I've had my hat on too long today already." Alice said, as she wiped down her forehead before taking another long sip of her tea.
"Me too." Carrie said, as she took a long sip of her own tea.
The friends were quiet for a few long moments as they enjoyed their hot drinks, and took in the sight of the activity taking place all around them, with people chatting at the other tables with each other, the sounds of excited kids laughing, the half dozen bartenders behind the bar counter serving out drinks to thirsty customers, as well as the sight of people coming into the space or leaving after a while once they had finished with their drinks. Among the people who were speaking, Carrie could hear different accents, including Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and English, as well as German, French, and a variety of others whose country of origin she couldn't place.
"I'm amazed to see that there's so many different nationalities here." Carrie said.
"Yeah, and that's one of the things that I'm always amazed by is just how many people from all over Europe come here each year." Saoirse said.
"Well, I guess that's just something to expect with a Christmas market. Once one gets a good reputation and the word of it spreads, then people from all over will want to come over and experience it." Sophie said.
"Yeah, I guess so. And I guess it explains the wide variety of nationalities that come here." Simon said.
(Later that afternoon – 5:35pm)
After leaving the stall where an enormous variety of different candies, baked goods and cakes, as well as all sorts of other goods were sold, some of them wrapped up in brightly-coloured wrapping paper and tied with ribbons, the six friends made their way out towards the main gates of the town hall. By this time, the sun was starting to set and evening was drawing in. Not only that, but it also seemed to have gotten even colder as well, with dark clouds coming overhead, which threatened more snowfall at any moment.
"I'll be glad to be off home right now. I don't think we should be out here if it starts to snow again." Sophie said, as she looked up at the dark sky with some concern.
"Me too. And if it's going to snow, as I think it might, we should all get ourselves off home as soon as we can. And also drop off these heavy bags there as well. My arms are sore from carrying these around all day!" Alice said.
"Well, I'm feeling tired after our long day out. And my feet are killing me as well. So, I think we should be off home now." Simon said.
"I guess you're right, Simon. I'll meet up with you all in the morning. Good night!" Alice said, as she and Sophie turned and walked down the street.
"Good night!" Sophie added.
"Good night!" Saoirse, Olivia, Carrie and Simon said, as they also turned and walked off away from the main gates to the town hall.
Making their way up the street, Carrie and Simon soon arrived at the spot where Caroline had been parked earlier on in the day. Looking up as she saw them approach, Caroline was pleased to see them arrive.
"Hey there, you two!" Caroline said, as she smiled.
"Hi, Caroline. It's time for us to be off home now!" Simon said, as he opened the doors and placed his stuff into the back. Carrie did the same as well, pleased to have gotten her stuff out of her hands and allowing them to rest for a while. Then she and Simon got aboard Caroline, with Simon getting behind the wheel and Carrie sitting on the passenger seat beside her. Once Simon started the engine, they left the parking area and made their way back out onto the main road. Thankfully, with the roads not too busy at this time, they were able to make their way along without too much trouble, though they had to go slowly because of the risk of ice on the roads.
"What a day we've had today." Carrie said, feeling very pleased with such a good day.
"Yeah, and hopefully we can go to the Christmas market as much as we can before it ends later this month." Simon said.
"I agree. I really do love the atmosphere there, as well as the food and things that are sold there." Carrie said, as she settled into her seat and rested for the journey home.
"Me too." Simon said, as he came to a stop at some traffic lights with the lights at red. After a minute or two, they turned green again and Simon drove Caroline carefully past the lights and up the street.
It wasn't too long before Simon turned Caroline into the open gates and up the driveway to Ralph's house. He and Carrie could see that there were lights on inside the living room and in the main hallway, which included the bright and twinkling coloured lights from the decorated Christmas tree in the living room.
"Well, here we are. Home at last." Carrie said, as she got out of Caroline.
"Yeah, and shall I walk you to the front door, Carrie?" Simon asked, as he got out too while Carrie got her things out from the back seats.
"Of course." Carrie said, as she and Simon walked up to the door. But before Carrie could open it with her own keys, the front door opened up and Ralph White appeared.
"Ah, there you are, you two! And perfect timing as well!" Ralph said, as he allowed Carrie and Simon to step inside the hallway.
"What do you mean by "perfect timing" dad?" Carrie asked, unsure of what he meant by that.
"Well, Carrie…Simon's parents are here as well, and we're just about to have hot drinks." Ralph said, as he closed the door behind them.
"I think that would be a good idea about now." Simon said, as he took off his coat and hung it up on the coat hanger while Carrie did the same. After taking off their hats as well, the two of them went into the living room, where Simon's parents were sitting on the couch.
"Ah Simon, Carrie…did you have a good day at the Christmas market with the other girls?" Simon's father asked, as Simon and Carrie sat down on the other couch.
"Yes dad, we did. And we had a really good time too." Simon said, as he settled into the couch and rested his feet.
"It was very cold, but we were able to have a good time there. And we tried out quite a bit of food from the various different stalls there." Carrie said.
"So, both of you, as well as the other girls, are well-fed by now?" Simon's mother asked.
"Yes, mother. I think we are." Simon said.
"But do both of you think you could manage a hot drink now?" Simon's father asked.
"Yes, I think we could." Carrie said.
Ralph soon came in from the kitchen, with mugs on a tray, as well as a pot full of tea, a bottle of milk and some plates. At the same time, Carrie opened one of the bags she had and took out a chocolate yule log she had bought at the Christmas market.
"Oh, that looks delicious." Simon's mother said, as Carrie unwrapped the yule log and placed it onto the coffee table.
"It does, and that's why I bought it earlier on." Carrie said.
After a few moments, the hot tea was poured into the mugs and some of the chocolate yule log was cut into slices and put onto the plates, which was then served out.
"Oh, I'm looking forward to this!" Carrie said, with a heavy sigh, as she settled back onto the couch and took a long sip of tea.
"You tired after today?" Ralph asked, as he sipped his tea as well. And Carrie just nodded, before starting on her slice of cake.
"Yeah, and me feet are killing me after today." Simon said, as he took a long sip of tea.
"Well, if that's the case, you two make sure you don't do too much walking tomorrow, and get well rested up. After all, there's going to be a lot of work to do on the railway come Monday morning." Ralph said.
"Okay Ralph." Simon said.
"I think that sounds like a good idea to me." Carrie said, as she stretched her feet out a little.
"And try not to go out in the cold too much tomorrow as well. I think you'll both be doing enough of that when you go back to work on Monday." Simon's father added.
"Okay, dad." Simon said. But to Carrie, the idea of spending the following day resting and not going out in the cold too much really did appeal to her. And so, she decided to spend the following day at home and resting before going back to work on Monday. Settling back into the couch, she continued on enjoying her tea and cake, and really appreciated that the cake was good and that the icing in it was really nice as well.
And that's the end for this chapter, everyone! The next one to come up is going to be leading to the chapter many of you have all been waiting for when this story began; it's the one where Carrie's classmates, their families and teachers will be going over to the Island of Sodor to make a surprise visit. I hope to have that chapter unloaded as soon as I possibly can, so in the meantime, please enjoy this latest one! I'll see you next time!