HAVING sampled Christmas markets both in Winchester and Southampton, Winchester by far surpasses the efforts from Southampton.

Stalls offering bespoke gifts, the atmosphere in the Cathedral Close, plus the city’s excellent lights and tree, makes Winchester the preferred choice for me.

Christmas oozes out as soon as you step into its centre, whereas Southampton’s collection of stalls, many of which are just selling food, failed to inspire me, and as for a Christmas atmosphere, well, it scored no points at all.

A few white lights in trees through the precinct and some on the stalls, and that was it! They could not even be bothered to erect a Christmas tree!

Quite shameful really for a major city on the south coast, and as a resident, an embarrassment.

So if you want my opinion, try Winchester, Eastleigh and Romsey, but as for Southampton, unless it is just the shops you want, forget it!

RICHARD A JACOB, Shirley, Southampton.