Last Saturday, December 4th, we predicted that Saturday 11th's second Christmas push would be
less popular that last the 4th's. The 11th was too near to Christmas, we said. History tells us that shoppers evaporate in Rhuthun/Ruthin so close to the Big Day, we said.
We're happy to be proven wrong. More than happy.
For yesterday's activities were hands down more popular than
last week's. It's hard to remember a time when Rhuthun was so busy. It's a case of Ymlaen Rhuthun 0 - Artisans' Market 1. Or, rather, they shouldn't really be in competition, even though there was something of a falling out that resulted in things being split over two Saturdays.
True, yesterday's numbers did surprise us. It was as busy in RAnd, it did take a while to warm up but there were many more people around than last week's '
handfuls'. The market on the Square was bigger and better and St Peter's was at times uncomfortably full in the era of coronavirus.
Not that everything went smoothly. The festivities officially started with the ringing of the church bells but, rather crassly, they started up the hurdy-gurdy sound system blasting out from the PA system to Jona Lewie and others, drowning out the bells.
The women duo were popular and, surprisingly, Geraint Woolford less so. The bell ringers outside the post office were perhaps most favoured. This time's Santey Claus was less popular than the I T Williams shipping container version, last week, though.
There was free parking again this weekend and even a market stall to promote it.
