Lincoln Cathedral - my beacon of home

If you’re already a follower of Follie on Instagram or Facebook, you may have noticed that I have a bit of a ‘thing’ for Lincoln Cathedral, in particular taking pictures of her. Whatever the weather, come wind, rain, snow or sunshine, her spectacular architecture always lifts me up and I count myself very lucky that I get to walk past her to my shop every day.

She’s survived fires, earthquakes and sieges by Oliver Cromwell’s forces, provided backdrops for Hollywood blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code and Napoleon and to this day is still a very welcome homing beacon for RAF pilots & their crew returning to their bases throughout the county.

Stood magnificently at the top of the hill overlooking the city & surrounding countryside for over 950 years, Lincoln Cathedral is always the landmark I keep a lookout for, especially if I’m travelling back by train, watching the illuminations light up the Brayford. But even from several miles away, once you get that 1st glimpse, you know you are nearly home.

Having already weathered many a storm, like a steady symbol of reliability, I found photographing her during the recent lockdowns and sharing those images quite comforting. And even now, some days when you need a quiet moment to yourself, I sometimes go in to one of the little chapels, not to pray, but just to be still, take some deep breaths and look up at the great big V shaped arches, a legacy of the Norman engineering introduced by the Bishop of Lincoln, St Hugh, in 1186, meaning that the windows could be bigger, ceilings higher and the architecture a whole lot more Gothic.

I got to walk above those arches a few years ago, right up into the rafters, when I went on one of the roof tours. If you love history & architecture, it’s absolutely fascinating and something that I definitely recommend. You’re guided to parts of the Cathedral that are usually hidden away under lock & key, behind big thick oak doors, up spiral staircases, across walkways, through passages and most importantly, you get to go outside on the roof with views west over towards Lincoln Castle and to the south over the whole of the city.

In the warmer months, before starting work, I like to go and have a stroll in the new Deans Garden, which is also the entrance to the Cathedral cafe & shop. It’s very peaceful and when it’s in full bloom, the plants and trees are beautiful & I’ve even taken a little planting inspiration to my own little green space, a 10 x 10 allotment on the edge of town.

There is an entrance fee to visit the Cathedral*, which includes a guided Floor Tour, but I recently discovered if you Gift Aid this entry fee, it then becomes a pass to visit for 12 months. As well as the roof tour, there are several others to choose from, including an Historic Graffiti Tour and the Tower Tour, with 300 steps to tackle to reach the top, they usually run from Monday - Saturday, each costing an additional £7.50 per person and lasting up to 90 minutes, *students & under 16s are free.

As well as providing your usual cathedral services and ceremonies, Lincoln Cathedral continues to provide a magnificent setting for an increasingly diverse range of theatre & musical productions, graduations, concerts, engineering festivals and immersive light shows and as renowned author & adventurer Simon Reeves once said “….Lincoln Cathedral is one of the finest buildings on planet earth” and I happen to agree with him.

Pockets of Lincolnshire Loveliness - May

Each month as well as covering some of the bigger events, I’d also love to point a spotlight on little pockets of Lincolnshire loveliness, those events held in the corners of both our city & county. Organised by volunteers, friends, schools & small organisations, celebrating county traditions, raising money for charity, a new village defibrillator, mending the church gate or funds for the local dog sanctuary. So if you have a fete, open garden, charity lawnmower race, shopping extravaganza or dog show that doesn’t feature on the big search engines, please get in touch

18th - 19th May

Fillingham Open Church Weekend & Plant Sale.

St Andrews Church, first mentioned in the Doomsday book in 1086, is located in the village of Fillingham, 9 miles north of Lincoln. The current church dates to around the 13th Century & will be opening its doors as part of the West Lindsey Churches Festival 2024. There will be a plant sale in the church yard over both days to raise funds towards the upkeep of this special building, as well as an exhibition inside the church called ‘Church Journeys’s’ featuring wedding & christening memorabilia through the years and photographs of the village residents. There will also be home baked refreshments on both days. And who can resist a cup of tea and a slice of cake, or two.

For more information please go to the Fillingham community page

Sunday 19th May 10.00 - 2pm

Second Hand Sundays - Southside, Lincoln

If you haven't visited Southside yet, then you really should, its a warm, buzzing, exciting space located on Colegrave Street, at the south end of the High Street (formerly St Katherine's Church). They hold a huge array of monthly events from concerts & life drawing classes, to Rock Choir practise and Naughty Night Markets (look that one up yourself) and a brand new night market, for you and your dog, 'The Barket'. The Secondhand Sunday event is perfect if you love a bargain hunt, with an indoor car-boot vibe, plus a little background music and a fab cafe/bar. If you've ever thought about 'doing' a carboot, and feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing, but you really need a clearout, its the friendliest place to give it a go, set up a stall and sell your own unworn clothes, shoes, jewellery, treasures, or maybe an un-wanted Christmas present?

saturday 25th May 11.00 - 3pm

Flea Market - Southside, Lincoln

This is a monthly event that I have always wanted to go to, but as I'm chief Saturday Girl at Follie, I've not been able to make it, so you'll have to go for me. They look & sound great fun, and that's just the posters, with a mix of fashion, homewares, vinyl, arts & crafts, food & drinks and live DJ sets.

If you fancy having a stall, get in touch through their Facebook page

31st May - 1st June 1pm - 10pm

The Yellow Belly Beer Festival - Scothern Cricket Club

Scothern Cricket Club presents the 2nd edition of The Yellow Belly Beer Festival. and with the clue in the name, it will feature beers and ciders from Lincolnshire based companies; The Luda Brewing Company, Ferry Ales Brewery, Zest Brewery and 8 Sail Brewery. As it'll still be half term, Friday is a family fun day with bouncy castles, and Saturday sees Scothern 1st XI host Lindum CC for whatr will no doubt be a great match. There'll be local food vendors on site providing tasty morsels to soak up those craft lagers & apple ciders (lots of wine and soft drinks too). I'm going to guess there may be some floral delights too, as the event is being sponsored by The Lincolnshire Flower Co.

And if none of these events have quite hit the spot, take a look at The Lincoln Independents 'What's On Where Guide' for May