I was in there last Friday, it's not bad. City gent has more character but then Record Cafe has more people/atmosphere. Decent ales too.

Have a go at Als Dime Bar if you're up there too. Its a friendly, fun place and they've normally got some good ales on, plus various beers from around the world and some top notch cocktails too. That creme egg martini I had last time I was in there, while not quite affirming my manliness, tasted lovely.

I'm in record cafe. It has a fresh paint smell and seems nice enough. Sparrow was ok but don't really see what the fuss is about it.

Market was pants. Bought mead. Drinking scrumpy.

Generally agreed, but the fuss is that it exists.

That makes sense. The vibe about bradford is markedly more upbeat than a few years ago in my opinion. Two little cafe bars being open close to one another is a good barometer of a modest upturn in the city's fortunes.

The record cafe had an upstairs area that sold black frisbees with writing on. Haven't a clue what they were. I preferred the layout to the cramped style of the sparrow.

Sparrow has a downstairs seating area too. Was that full as well?

Well I didn't know that!

You obviously didn't stay long, then, as that's the only route to the bogs.

More in hope than expectation I called in at the Bradford 'Christmas' Market this morning

It was barely even worthy of the term 'market' and certainly wasn't in the least bit 'Christmassy'

Just a collection of a few stalls telling cheap plastic tat and warehouse clearance items.

What!!

Not even the obligatory stallholders with leather shorts and dodgy taches selling apfel strüdel and pretending to be foreigners?? The world has turned upside down..

It is odd that it was badged a Christmas market. Although I can imagine baby jesus would have liked a set of non stick pans and an elvis presley clock. Three of them.

It was a market and it's [nearly Christmas?