A Christmas market has come under fire after renaming itself to a mere “Winter Market” to accommodate other beliefs.
The Bowes Museum, founded by the late Queen Mother, has faced outrage from BBC Antiques Road Trip expert David Harper for the name change.
Some critics have claimed the change was made in a cynical attempt to pull in more visitors – although the organisers insist the name simply reflects that the market is open to everyone.
Mr Harper branded the change “bonkers” and claimed it was a sign the museum was trying to “cancel” Christmas.
He told the Sun: “They are deleting Christmas from a Christmas market in the hope it will attract more people.
“What’s next? Are we going to cancel Santa, the reindeer, children wearing Christmas hats? Essentially, all you’ll be left with is a Wednesday market. This won’t stop until we stop it.
“We need to nip this in the bud, take control and be a bit braver.”
He claimed the name change came close to Oliver Cromwell’s attempt to shut down Christmas in the 1640s, adding: “This is as close as we have been in the last 350 years to that Cromwellian idea.”
Mr Harper claimed the Queen Mother and the other founders would be “spinning in their graves”. “It’s bonkers beyond comprehension,” he said.
Director Hannah Fox responded to the criticism, insisting the museum had not cancelled Christmas at all.
She said: “We have a very popular seasonal programme of events of which the market is the centrepiece.
“It’s fabulous and everyone is welcome, however they celebrate over the festive season.”
Mr Harper ran a poll on his X page about the name change, with “Humbug Market” winning the largest number of votes.
One person said the change was an “Xmas betrayal” while another said it was an “absolute joke”.
