Fair play

Snore cures & framed cigarette cards for him, massage tools & natural skin care for her - & that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From 16 to 19 November the NEC in Birmingham hosts the Festive Gift Fair - a good place to find some great gift ideas. This year   there are over 370 exhibitors, offering everything from toffee-flavoured vodka to a day at a recording studio. Besides the home & garden accessories, food & drink, festive decorations, fashion items, stocking fillers, stationery & gadgets to browse, you’ll find plenty to amuse. There’ll be carol singers, street performers, & festive food to sample, as well as a present crèche where you can leave your purchases while you stop for refreshment at one of the bistros, bars or cafés. As a group-travel organiser, you have the chance to reserve discounted tickets now with no obligation to pay until the end of October when you finalise your group numbers. Refunds are available for any unused tickets, providing they’re returned within one week of the show. To benefit from group discounts of up to 45% off, ring 020 8332 9595 or circle the more info number on the reader-reply card.

To market, to market

For an award-winning shopping experience - literally - you might want to head for Bury Market in Greater Manchester. Earlier this year the National Association of British Market Authorities recognised Bury as the Best British Market of the Year, which is no mean feat considering there are 1150 markets in the UK.

With over 370 stalls & an award winning food market, Bury Market is a good place to start ticking off your Christmas list. Market days are Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays, & for   those of you travelling in a group, the market offers a load of freebies, including welcome packs, DVDs & coach-driver incentives.

Every year hundreds of thousands of group visitors head to Greater Manchester for the wide selection of fashion & footwear, household goods & furniture, books, toys & gifts that the market offers. And if you’re still stuck for choice, the Mill Gate Shopping Centre is right next door. For more information about visiting Bury Market as part of a group, see http://www.burymarket.com/.

Personal touch

For presents with an added personal touch, try the Ceramic Café in Tenby. You & your group can choose from hundreds of pottery items to paint, including jugs, vases, trinket pots, teapots, bowls, fairies & garden ornaments. You can also make arrangements for a private group workshop led by Wendy or Jennie Marsh - the talented mother-&-daughter team behind the Ceramic Café. Wendy & Jennie have been running ceramic painting courses & workshops for the public for nearly 10 years - & they’ve also run courses for other potters looking to start up their own ceramic studios.

While you wait for the paint to dry on your customised piece of pottery, you can relax with a cup of coffee & some light refreshments in the café or scout for other pressies in the gift & home ware shop. It’s worth noting that most items visitors choose to paint require glazing & firing to make them ready for hardy use, & this process takes between two & three days. The Ceramic Café can cater for

groups of up to 65 people.

Leading Wedgwood

If you’re not quite ready to decorate your formal tableware & stemware yourself, you might want to head for the Wedgwood Factory Shop in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. Whether you’re looking for gifts or for yourself, it’s a great place to stock up for Christmas. You’ll find everything from formal Wedgwood dining to contemporary designer ranges, as well as stemware & gifts from Waterford & Stuart crystal at prices up to 75% off.

The Wedgwood Factory Shop is just minutes from the M6 & the A50, & there’s free parking for coaches. There’s a priority booking service for groups, so get in touch before you go to take advantage of a few extra perks. Ring 01782 598 077 or email factory.shop@wedgwood.com.

Deck the malls

There are more bargains to be had at Lowry Outlet Mall in Salford Quays. With over 80 stores selling at prices up to 50% off, it’s a good place to get a deal on the likes of Liz Claiborne, Karen Millen, Marks & Spencer - & other top high-street brands.

And there’s more to the mall than shopping. The ever-popular group days include a classic film, refreshments, lunch, tea, free prize-draw, & a dance courtesy of the Greg Francis Band. At £9 per head you definitely get value for money - & there’s no minimum group

size, either.

There are four dates planned between now & Christmas: Sabrina on 20 September, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers on 18 October, Educating Rita on 15 November, & It’s a Wonderful Life on 13 December. To reserve your spot call Claire Bleasdale on 0161 848 1806 or email claire@lowryoutletmall.com Do act quickly as spots are limited & fill up fast.

Peak pressies

Over in Derbyshire, Peak Village is another busy outlet shopping centre. There are more than 25 high-street shops offering up to 70% off regular retail prices - so you don’t need to wait for the January sales to bag yourself a bargain. Besides big names like French Connection, Ben Sherman, & Cotton Traders, you’ll also find some interesting specialty shops to browse.

You’ll find Peak Village is a group friendly place, & some of their perks for groups include dedicated coach drop-off points, shopping vouchers up to the value of £60 for drivers & GTOs, & a 20% discount for members on admission to The Toys of Yesteryear exhibition.

Situated in Rowsley between Matlock & Bakewell on the A6, Peak Village is a short distance from Chatsworth stately home, Haddon Hall, & the Heights of Abraham – so you can easily combine a half-day’s sightseeing with a round of shopping. To find out more about Peak Village & its incentive programme for drivers & GTOs, circle the more info number on the reader-reply card.

Knut’ cracker

At Tatton Park in Knutsford, Cheshire, you can visit an awardwinning historic estate & do a bit of Christmas shopping at the same time. For some seasonal savouries, the Housekeeper’s Store sells local Cheshire produce, as well as ham, bacon, pork & venison fresh from the estate. You can pick up some fresh veg from the walled garden at the Garden Shop, & everything from bone china to books at Tatton Gifts.

You can easily make a full day of your visit to Tatton Park with a stroll around the estate & an evening concert - ring 01625 534400

for your Christmas brochure.

Leed-ing the way

Leeds Castle in Kent is another interesting & unusual spot to get the shopping done - or at least some of it. The shops on the castle island & at the visitor entrance will carry a wide range of traditional & contemporary gift ideas & themed decorations. From medieval times to the present day, the collection has been chosen to reflect the key colours & styles of each period.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the state rooms are kit- ted out with themed floral displays & stunning decorations - & a stroll through the castle’s a good way to get you in the festive mood. From 4 to 15 December you can pull up a chair at the ‘Turkey & Tinsel’ Christmas dinner in the Fairfax Hall restaurant - just make sure to book your group in advance. You can get further information from the group reservations co-ordinator on 01622 767865.