December is finally upon us and that means only one thing… Christmas! As this time of year is definitely my favourite, one of the perks of studying here in Bournemouth is their amazing annual Christmas market. Being a Christmas fanatic, naturally, I just had to check it out.

The perfect opportunity was earlier this week when one of my best friends from back home came down to visit me. In the evening we decided we would venture down to the Christmas market seeking some much needed inspiration for Christmas presents. As we walked down to the town centre from my halls, my excitement for Christmas grew with every sighting of Christmas light and market stall. If I wasn’t feeling festive before visiting the market, then I certainly was now!

The market stalls are a great way to look for Christmas inspiration; with everything from roasted chestnuts and woolly hats to lanterns and snow globes -although I couldn’t help but treat myself and buy a bracelet from the handmade jewellery stall! Being a student at Christmas time can be slightly worrying with wanting to make sure you get great presents for friends and family while being on a budget, but I would say the stalls are quite reasonably priced so it’s possible to still find some great gifts for a fraction of the price (yay!).

Christmas shopping can be thirsty work, so it’s also nice to stop at the pop-up bar in the centre and listen to the live music from the music stage just opposite. Something as simple as this can make for a nice outing if your family visit or even just some chill time with your friends after a day of uni.

As well as all of this, it’s nice to take a trip through the gardens which are filled with lights and projections as part of the ‘garden of light’ festival which just adds to the Christmas atmosphere…

…And if all of this wasn’t festive enough, there’s even a Swiss inspired ice skating rink which serves some delicious fondue and hot chocolate- and who doesn’t love a hot chocolate?

I would definitely recommend coming to visit Bournemouth at Christmas time and things as simple as these can make being away from home around Christmas time that little bit easier.

Thanks for reading!

By Jasmine Cattigan