"Let's get inside for some warmth," said the old couple I was walking behind on my way to Durham Christmas market.
Just weeks after the stunning light displays of Lumiere the market square has been transformed again, fully getting into the festive spirit.
The traffic was bad getting into Durham but walking out of the car park felt like entering Narnia.
There was thick snow falling and my breath was clouding in the air as I headed in the direction everybody else was going.
I was swept along by a tide of people all heading towards the market square and I had never seen Durham so busy.
Entering the square I could see it was packed with white tents that were slowly being covered by the snow.
There were large queues of people huddled together waiting for hot chocolates and mulled wine.
Everybody was having a brilliant time despite or maybe because of how chilly it was.
The shop windows of the buildings around the square were all misted up and filled with people.
It was hard moving around at first to get a good look at what was on offer.
The stall that immediately caught my eye was selling second-hand Christmas jumpers for £5.
A brilliant idea and it was popular with the crowds, I kept coming back and each time people were enjoying looking through the rails of jumpers.
There was such a range of stalls from artwork to jewellery to pottery.
For those who needed warming up like I did, there were plenty of hot food and drink stands to warm yourself with.
I settled for a delicious hot chocolate to help stave off the cold.
If you were wanting a bit more warmth there was always the indoor market to retreat into.
I passed a sign on my way in of all the events that will be going on in Durham during the Christmas period.
The indoor area was just as full as the outside market and seemed to be a maze of stalls.
I spotted a café on a higher floor as I walked into the stalls but resisted the temptation of another hot drink.
If there was anything you thought was missing in the outside market, you will find it in the indoor one.
I didn't explore all of it as I wanted to enjoy the snow coming down on the market.
On my second lap of the stalls, I took my time a lot more to soak in the hustle and bustle of festive shopping.
The backdrop of the old stone buildings and statues being dusted by snow gave Durham's Christmas market more atmosphere than any I've ever been to.
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There were entertainers moving through the crowd including a Grinch, two jesters and two angels.
Children were loving the experience and the snow was definitely adding to it for them.
My advice for anyone thinking of coming along would be to get properly wrapped up against the cold and to be ready for a bit of queueing if you need to buy food or drink.
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