As we head into February, despite the winter weather, we're on the cusp of spring with the days getting longer and a hint of those brighter days ahead. It's not quite the season for outdoor adventures yet, but there's plenty of cosy plans and joys to be found to ease us off our sofas. As it's the month for celebrating love, here's just a small selection of a handful of local happenings i'd love to go to this month.
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Welcome to our perfectly lovely corner of Lincoln!
Our Local Events Guide is your treasure map to uncovering the hidden gems of the Bailgate area, what’s going on in Lincoln and beyond. From quaint market days to enchanting events and gatherings,
let’s create memories together…
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LOCAL EVENTS GUIDE
Bonfire night and Follie's birthday celebrations have been and gone and as we step towards the festive season, Lincolnshire is filling up with cozy, holiday-spirited events. With a mix of local food, craft and arts markets, late night shopping, vintage fairs, heartwarming community events to kickstart your Christmas countdown. These are just some of my personal picks, so I've shared some other great souces of whats going on around our great county at the bottom of the page.
17th November - big craft event,
lincolnshire showground
Sunday 17th November - 10.00am - 4.00pm A celebration of Lincolnshire's best crafters and artists brought together at one carefully curated event showcasing contemporary and traditional skills. For more detailed information please visit their website
17th november - vintage flea market, lincolnshire showground
Sunday 17th November - 7.00am till 3.00pm A vibrant indoor weekend flea market, organised by Arthur Swallow is made successful by a loyal roster of traders and an enthusiastic following of visitors of all ages. An event with a great atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to bag a bargain and enjoy a rummage.
19th November - st barnabas annual torchlight procession, bailgate, lincoln
Tuesday 19th November - A magical evening of remembrance. Participants of the St Barnabas Annual Torchlight Procession walk through the streets of Bailgate and Uphill Lincoln, carrying flaming torches in memory of loved ones, in a powerful and beautiful tribute.
24th november - craft & flea,
engine shed, lincoln
Sunday 24th November - 10.00 am till 4pm. Craft + Flea is a spin on the makers market, bringing together talented, independent makers, designers, producers and collectors, each handpicked for their quality, on-trend products. We don't define ourselves as a craft market or a flea market but a great mixture of local talent and finds.
24th November - Oxcombe christmas artisan market, Oxcombe, Horncastle
Sunday 24th November - 10am - 3pm Christmas Artisan Market in the Lincolnshire Wolds, with an amazing selection of crafts for sale, pottery throwing sessions, makers gallery, and festive food & drink by Holly's Kitchen Garden
28th november - advent wreath festival, st mary magdelene church, bailgate
Wednesday 28th November - 19th December - Lincoln's annual Wreath Festival will be returning to the Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene this Christmas. A beloved event will showcasing wreaths, all created and crafted by the local businesses. This is a free event, but donations are invited.
28th november - uphill lincoln late night christmas shopping, bailgate & steephill
Thursday 28th November and 5th, 12th & 9th December - Join Follie and other local independent shops and eateries for festive late night opening and experience the magic of Lincoln's historic Bailgate & Steep Hill. *FREE PARKING IN UPHILL CAR PARKS FROM 4-9.30PM
(only when using the 'pay-by-phone' app) *PLEASE CHECK WITH INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES FOR OPENING TIMES
Follie will be open for all 4 nights, till 7pm
30th november - lincolnshire food & gift fair, lincolnshire showground
Saturday 30th November - Sunday 1st December 10am - 4pm Experience the joy of the festive season at this year’s Lincolnshire Food & Gift event, with over 150 exhibitors, live performances by local choirs, cooking demonstrations, and festive fun for kids, this is an event the whole family can enjoy. Showcasing the very best that our county produces.
As they say, better late than never, so hopefully your November diary has a few spaces left to include one of these events, I'd highly recommend the late night shopping though. As I've also mentioned before, there are some brilliant guides to other events happening throughout the county. My go to websites are Visit Lincoln, Visit Lincolnshire and I also always read the What's On Guide published by the Lincoln Independent every month, both in paperback and digitally
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.
20 Fab Years of Follie!
As we approach the mark of two decades of Follie, we’re planning not just a celebration of our gorgeous gift shop, but a celebration of community, of shared memories, and memories yet to be had.
We're more than just a shop; just pop by and see!
Come & Visit Us!
You’ll find our pink and proud gift shop in the centre of Lincoln’s historic Bailgate.
Follie
83 Bailgate, Lincoln. LN1 3AR
Mon- Sat: 10am - 5pm
Sun: 11am - 4pm
Times may vary on Public Holidays, check our social media for updates!
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