St Martin’s pulls in big crowd for annual Christmas market

The event was started eight years ago and this year’s saw a large flow of people come from all corners of the island to enjoy the festivities.

‘It’s not just supported by parishioners but everyone in the Guernsey community,’ said St Martin’s senior constable Dave Beausire.

To cater for all ages, a wide variety of entertainment was spread around the community hub and the evening got under way with carol singing outside.

Inside, the hall was full of the classic Christmas food, drink and gift stalls which included mulled wine, handmade ornaments and a Fairtrade stand where islanders were able to craft decorations out of recycled material such as coffee packets.

Raffles were also run by local charities including Relate and GSPCA, which had set up their own stands.

To further enhance the festive mood, artificial snow was pumped out and the youngsters were able to enjoy a visit to Santa’s Grotto where Father Christmas was on hand to listen to any Christmas wishes.

‘The market grows year on year and this has been one of the most successful ones yet,’ said Mr Beausire.

About 1,000 islanders were estimated to have attended.

Planning is key for an event of this size and the 14-strong parish team had started preparation months in advance, alongside the team of volunteers who give up their time to ensure the smooth running of the event.

‘We’re very grateful to our volunteers who are key to making this happen, and the planning for next year starts now,’ said Mr Beausire.

Following the market’s success, the parish is looking to keep adding events in the new year, with a horse racing night being planned as one of the first in 2023.