Hazal Demirel with her candles and embroidery

FOR Hazal Demirel, who started her soy candle and embroidery business during lockdown, the Christmas market at Charterhouse on Tuesday had been a date in her diary for a while.

The baby she was carrying had other ideas however, and Ms Demirel had to find last-minute cover to run her stall at the 650-year-old Clerkenwell building in Charterhouse Square after she went into labour.

Mr Demirel said: “My wife is a bit tired now. We had a beautiful baby girl. Labour was tough but we feel euphoric now.”

Gaby Morris of Greyscape

Ms Demirel, 28, started cross stitching and making candles during the pandemic as a way to relax but before long was fielding requests from friends, and ended up starting her own business called Bleu Handmade, which she runs from home.

Other local traders included Marcia Michael, who lives off Amwell Street in Angel and began her printing business Marogmi, inspired by Caribbean artists, after taking a course in weaving following lockdown. “Its been really enjoyable,” she said of the festive market, now in its seventh year.

Marcia Michael of Marogmi

“A nice mixture of people and very good conversation.”

Gaby Morris of Greyscape, an organisation that celebrates Brutalist architecture and began life on the Barbican estate, was also there to sell calendars, cups and books.

Ms Morris explained how Greyscape was originally started by residents of the iconic City of London estate as a “bit of fun,” before they decided to open it up to lovers of Brutalist architecture everywhere.

“We asked what buildings people felt strongly about, and 63,000 followers later, we found out!” she added.