Closed until March

Trip to Alston to do a bit of Christmas shopping and we failed. One of the shops we particularly went to look round, sells the type of stuff my SiL likes is closed until March. Seems odd that they have closed at the start of the Christmas shopping season.
We had lunch at the Nook, lovely farm shop and cafe a couple of miles outside Alston, and a walk up to Epiacum Roman fort site. Interesting wall I thought. Brother called after dinner and planning to visit on Sunday.