Lincoln Christmas Market is officially underway in the city, with thousands of people enjoying a festive extravaganza.

The annual event was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but usually welcomes around 250,000 people to the Cathedral Quarter over the four days.

Back for a triumphant return this year, Lincoln Christmas Market runs from Thursday, December 2 to Sunday, December 5, offering festive fun, street food, gift stalls and more mulled wine than you could ever imagine.

TAKE A TOUR OF THE CHRISTMAS MARKET

Thousands of people flocked to Lincoln Castle for the market. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

There are over 150 stalls at the Christmas Market for 2021, displaying arts, crafts, food, drinks, gifts and even a tent to book COVID-19 vaccinations. See the full list of stalls.

Lincoln got into the festive spirit on Christmas market day. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincoln Castle officially opened its doors to the market at midday on Thursday, as thousands of visitors spilled through the doors to take in the sights and browse the stalls.

There are hundreds of stalls, selling quirky items for all! | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

It will be open from 10am to 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 7pm on the final day, Sunday, December 5, leaving you plenty of time to check out the market.

Amusements are also at the market, including a gigantic Ferris wheel. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Organisers of the market, City of Lincoln Council, are strongly advising people to wear face masks in crowded spaces and indoors, due to the looming risk of the Omicron variant.

Spirits were high on day one. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

To read up on road closures throughout the weekend, as well as public transport travel, check out our ultimate guide to Lincoln Christmas Market here.

The market spans across large parts of the Cathedral Quarter in Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Lincolnite photographer Steve Smailes wandered around the market to get some action shots. See more of them here:

Ole Ole have a stall at the market, serving delicious fresh food. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Copper Cork, selling boozy hot drinks! | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Arts and crafts are always a big hit at the Christmas Market, as well as jewellery stands. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Delicious samosas, bringing exciting international cuisine to Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The market opened at 12pm on Thursday. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

You’ll hardly run out of food options at the market this year. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Sport societies at the University of Lincoln are fundraising for a week in memory of former student Grace Millane, who was tragically murdered by a Tinder date when backpacking in New Zealand three years ago this week.

Grace Millane, a 21-year-old marketing graduate from the University of Lincoln, went travelling across the world in 2018, visiting South America before heading to New Zealand that November.

She went on a date with Jesse Kempson, who she met on dating app Tinder, the day before her 22nd birthday in Auckland. Her last sighting was via CCTV stepping into a lift with Kempson in a hotel on December 1, 2018.

It was found that Kempson had strangled Grace to death, pleading rough sex as a defence, before concealing her body in a suitcase and burying her in the Waitakere Ranges, some 12 miles away from Auckland.

Kempson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years in February 2020, as the story sent shivers down the spines of millions of people around the world.

Grace pictured at her graduation in 2018. | Photo: Facebook

Now, on the anniversary week of Grace’s death, the University of Lincoln Students’ Union are keeping her legacy alive with a series of fundraising efforts.

The fundraiser will see the hockey team and a number of University of Lincoln societies come together for a range of sporty challenges, in aid of three charities.

Tributes poured in for Grace Millane. | Photo: Facebook

The three charities are White Ribbon, which is the leading charity to end male violence against women, Lucie Blackman Trust, which supports families of missing people overseas, and The Blue Door, a specialist service for domestic abuse and sexual violence victims in North and North East Lincolnshire.

All three relate to the tragic incident surrounding Grace Millane’s death, which was looked at in great detail on ITV2’s documentary The Murder of Grace Millane: Social Media Murders.

The challenges will culminate in a 250-minute long hockey game on Saturday, December 4, honouring Grace’s connection to the hockey team at Lincoln uni, which she captained in her second year.

At the time of reporting, the Grace’s Week 2021 fundraiser (donate here) stands at £1,498, smashing the £1,000 target in rapid time.

Activites include a Lacrosse game, a dance challenge, dodgeball tournament, boxing sparring matches, football games and 100 minutes of continuous climbing.

A Co-op shop in Mablethorpe was relaunched on Thursday after a makeover costing over £1.5 million, which has seen the addition of a new Boyes home and family department store.

It took 12 weeks of improvements to transform the 17,000 square foot Seacroft Road Co-op store, including a new 3,600 square foot home for Boyes, which created 12 new retail jobs.

It is the first partnership between Boyes and Co-op and the shop reopened with its new look on Thursday, December 2.

The transformed shop includes the addition of a new 3,600 square foot home for Boyes. | Photo: Co-op

Co-op Store Manager Kevin Ferguson and Lynn Riches, who is Regional Manager for Boyes. | Photo: Co-op

The Seacroft Road Co-op supports around 50 local jobs and includes a free ATM, Post Office services, bakery, Costa Coffee dispenser, and an extensive range and focus on fresh, healthy products, meal ideas, food-to-go, award winning wines, Fairtrade, ready meals and pizzas, free-form, vegan and plant-based products, and everyday essentials.

The store includes customer car parking and is powered by 100% renewable electricity. A new self-service laundrette is being added to the car park.

Co-op’s online shop has also been introduced at the shop to offer online home delivery and click & collect of groceries.

Meanwhile, students in Mablethorpe who are TOTUM cardholders (the new name for NUS extra) will receive a 10% discount of Co-op groceries.

Store Manager Kevin Ferguson. | Photo: Co-op

Kevin Ferguson, Co-op Store Manager, said: “We have had a great response!

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to invest in Mablethorpe, the store has been completely transformed and we are delighted to have added a new Boyes store which we are confident will prove to be a very popular addition.

” We have worked hard to create the range, choice and added services to create a compelling offer to better serve the local community. We are really looking forwarding to welcoming members and customers old and new into the new-look store.”

Inside the store, which reopened on Thursday, December 2, 2021. | Photo: Co-op

The Seacroft Road Co-op store reopened on December 2 after a makeover costing over £1.5 million. | Photo: Co-op

Richard Boyes, Managing Director of W. Boyes & Co Ltd, said: “Boyes is delighted to be joining the Co-op in this new partnership and we believe our large and varied range of products will nicely complement everything the Co-op has to offer so between us we can provide a new level of convenience and service to customers in Mablethorpe.

“Our team is very excited to be opening in Mablethorpe and we look forward to our store becoming part of the local community.”