London, UK - 29 October 2018
1. Close of British Lion Christmas decoration, by Aerloom London, at the Spirit of Christmas Fair 2018 at Olympia London
2. Mid of crown Christmas decoration being placed between two British Bulldog decorations
3. Wide of display featuring various Christmas decorations by Aerloom London
4. Founder of Aerloom London Ania Zankowska speaking to customer
UPSOUND (English) Customer: "Are these sprouts or cabbages?"
Ania Zankowska, Founder, Aerloom London: "Sprouts. The idea was to create a Brussels Sprout"
5. Mid of stand of Brussels Sprout decorations next to Aerloom London gift bags
6. Top shot of Brussels Sprouts decorations next to cracker decoration reading 2018
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ania Zankowska, Founder, Aerloom London
"It was just natural to go with the British theme to celebrate the fact that I live in the Kingdom, which obviously was very unusual for me coming from Poland. So the first collection comprised of typically British pieces and they are very popular now, not just in Britain but all around the world."
8. Mid of Queen decoration in front of Corgi decoration
9. Pull focus on side angle of Queen decoration
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ania Zankowska, Founder, Aerloom London
"I'm not feeling it (Brexit) yet, of course we're all very much curious about what's going to happen in the future. I'm remaining very positive. I work very closely with the Department of Trade and Investment, who assure me that the situation will be well monitored and the support I've received will be continued."
11. Mid of stand of Brussels Sprouts decoration
12. Top shot of Zankowska organising boxes of decorations
13. Tilt down wreath with decorations
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ania Zankowska, Founder, Aerloom London
"The best sellers in my collection are the Queen ornaments, the bulldogs and the lions and this is very much supported by the sales with the British retailers and I think everyone feels immensely proud to be British during Christmas time."
15. Close of bow being tied on gift bag
16. Wide of visitors walking past Christmas tree at Spirit of Christmas event
17. Tilt down from ceiling of Olympia to stands at Spirit of Christmas
18. Wide of visitors walking past Village Workshop stand
19. Tilt up of gingerbread Big Ben
20. Wide of gingerbread Big Ben
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Itet Radcliffe, Founder, Village Workshop
"I was really looking for something iconic that will relate to England, and if you see Big Ben then immediately it's London, it's England."
22. Mid of Radcliffe arranging gingerbread houses on stand
23. Mid of gingerbread items on stand
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Itet Radcliffe, Founder, Village Workshop
"We sell through online shops and they distribute to Europe and they haven't given us any indication that things will be changing. For this year definitely we haven't seen any change, no repercussions at all."
25. Tilt up gingerbread Big Ben
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Itet Radcliffe, Founder, Village Workshop
"Well I think people like to associate what they are buying as made in England. I think on that line, yes, here people are quite aware of where it's coming from, so made in England is quite a lot of difference."
27. Close of top of Big Ben
28. Wide of Eadie family members working on The Oxton Liqueur Company stand
29. Mid of customer trying flavoured liqueur
30. Various of flavoured liqueur bottles
31. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Eadie, Owner, The Oxton Liqueur Company
"Well in the run up to Brexit we've seen the currency move from about 140 to about 110 (British pound to Euro), so we've seen an increase in the price of goods that we buy from Europe of about 25 per cent. So that for us is all our glass, that comes from Italy, from Germany and from France. So already there's been a huge impact, what will happen after Brexit we'll have to see, but time will tell."
32. Mid of flavoured liqueur bottles
33. Customer trying flavoured liqueur
34. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Eadie, Owner, The Oxton Liqueur Company
"You know the exchange rate swung 25 percent, it may turn around, there may be a movement in the other direction, that would be good. Obviously for people exporting it's been incredibly beneficial. So it depends on which side you're on as to whether you've benefited or whether you haven't."
35. Mid of flavoured liqueur bottles on front of stand
36. Wide of visitors climbing stairs in event hall with shopping bags
37. SOUNDBITE (English) Stuart Hunter, Portfolio Director, Clarion Events (Organisers of Spirit of Christmas Fair)
"At the moment in terms of Brexit having any impact to us and the show we're not seeing any, but obviously we do have a lot of conversations with our exhibitors and obviously there's some nervousness, I think certainly probably overall this year in terms of the trade side of business, there's been a bit of a sluggish approach to some of the retail elements."
38. Mid of packaged Christmas puddings
39. Mid of Christmas pudding in front of wooden boxes reading (English) "Made in the UK"
40. SOUNDBITE (English) Stuart Hunter, Portfolio Director, Clarion Events (Organisers of Spirit of Christmas Fair)
"It remains to be seen whether the spend will be the same as we are on site this week, we'll find that out, exhibitors will tell us. We measure that post show as well so we do lots of research. But on the evidence of today it's felt busy, buzzy, lots of shopping bags going out of the doors, so it feels like it's business as usual for us."
41. Mid of bauble on Christmas tree
The British lion: a symbol of pride and patriotism in the UK.
But as Britain prepares to leave the EU there is ongoing uncertainty about the country's future - not least about how it will affect trade.
At this year's Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia in London, retailers and exhibitors are showcasing their goods for the festive period.
Ania Zankowska, the founder of Aerloom London, has an array of quintessentially British looking Christmas decorations. As well as a lion she has the Queen, corgis, crowns and British bulldogs.
And as we approach Brexit she's even got "Brussels" Sprouts.
As someone who originated from Europe - she was born in Poland - her British pieces were originally a celebration of her move to the UK.
She says they remain incredibly popular to this day: "Not just in Britain but all around the world."
With business still booming Zankowska says she hasn't suffered any negative effects from Brexit yet:
"I'm remaining very positive. I work very closely with the Department of Trade and Investment, who assure me that the situation will be well monitored and the support I've received will be continued," she says.
Another exhibitor selling iconic British images this Christmas is the founder of Village Workshop, Itet Radcliffe.
Amongst her traditional gingerbread houses stands a large, gingerbread Big Ben, with Santa hanging off the top.
She says unless the online sites she sells through change their rules, after Britain officially leaves the EU on 29 March 2019, her business should remain stable:
"We sell through online shops and they distribute to Europe and they haven't given us any indication that things will be changing. For this year definitely we haven't seen any change, no repercussions at all," she says.
And she believes there is something about British made goods which still gives people the confidence to buy:
"Well I think people like to associate what they are buying as made in England. I think on that line, yes, here people are quite aware of where it's coming from, so made in England is quite a lot of difference."
While decorations representing British culture look to become a trend this Christmas, another product which will be popular is flavoured spirits and liqueurs.
The Oxton Liqueur Company is a family run business which hand makes fruity liqueurs from a farm in Nottinghamshire.
This year, alongside their Elderflower Gin and Bramble Whisky, they are showing off a Christmas Vodka.
But while the drinks themselves are very much made in Britain - the glass they sell them in comes from Europe. Owner of The Oxton Liqueur Company Christopher Eadie says Brexit related fluctuations in currency have come at a cost for him:
"We've seen an increase in the price of goods that we buy from Europe of about 25 per cent. So that for us is all our glass, that comes from Italy, from Germany and from France. So already there's been a huge impact, what will happen after Brexit we'll have to see," he says.
The Spirit of Christmas Fair is all about shopping and often a good indicator of consumer confidence and spending power.
Organisers say this year was a record year for visitor and exhibitor attendance.
Stuart Hunter is a Portfolio Director at Clarion Events which organises the Spirit of Christmas Fair.
He says Brexit is hot topic: "We do have a lot of conversations with our exhibitors and obviously there's some nervousness,"
However he adds:
"On the evidence of today it's felt busy, buzzy, lots of shopping bags going out of the doors, so it feels like it's business as usual for us."
The Spirit of Christmas Fair 2018 is on at Olympia London from 29 October to 4 November 2018.
