Cory Santos looks at Lincoln’s special twin town which inspired the traditional Christmas Market in the city, as well as the history of a special brew sold for the first time at the market this year.
Lincoln’s special twin
A historic place with Roman ruins and dominated by a large, impressive castle on a steep hill, closely associated with a mythical creature which is prominently carved in stone throughout the town. This may seem like a vague description of Lincoln, but it is instead Neustadt an der Weinstraße: Lincoln’s German twin and inspiration behind the famed Christmas Market currently under way in our city.
The history of twinning towns is by no means a modern construction, with Le Mans in France entering into a partnership with Paderborn in what is now Germany in 1832. It wasn’t until after the Second World War, however, that the concept of twinning really took off.
This golden age of twinning was an attempt at understanding and partnership between cities and former enemies based upon their history and geographical setting. Some connections were somewhat crass and crass, such as the linking of Stalingrad in the USSR with Coventry and Dresden in Germany based upon the link that all had been heavily destroyed during the war, but others proved to be lasting and close bonds. One such was the link forged between Nuestadt and Lincoln in 1969.
Neustadt, or its formal title Neustadt an der Weinstraße (literally translates as “New Town on the Wine Street”), is located in the heart of Germany’s wine growing region near the French border in the Palatine region, formerly associated with Bavaria.
Market square in the centre of Neustadt. Photo: Karl Gritschke
Although the town was only formerly settled in the 1200s, the area had a long line of settlement, with Roman ruins being found throughout. The major castle in the area, Hambach Castle, like Lincoln castle sits prominently on a tall hill, and the Schlossberg (literally “Castle Mountain”) was previously a Roman fort before being turned into a castle by the Carolingian dynasty (think Charlemagne) in the 9th century. The town also has a second castle (much like Lincoln), Wolfsburg castle on its western approaches, but this has been in ruins for a considerable period.
Also similar to Lincoln is Neustadt’s connections with a mythical creature. Like the Imp, the town is the centre of focus for the cryptoid creature known regionally as the Elwedritsch. Prominently carved onto a well in the town centre (as well as several carved eggs throughout the area) these creatures are depicted as a strange combination of a chicken with antlers, and are supposedly the direct result of crossbreeding between chickens and other fowl and the mythical woodland creatures goblins and nyymphs. According to legends, however, their wings are useless and as a result can often be heard rustling in the under brush of the Palatine area.
Statue of an Elwetritsch, a cryptoid creature, a strange combination of a chicken with antlers. Photo; Ramessos
It was these similarities which made the town a perfect twin for Lincoln. Formally twinned in 1969, the two soon found themselves looking for potential closer links and collaboration soon after. The chance finally came in 1982, when members of City of Lincoln Council made a visit to the town.
Witnessing the merriment of the local Christmas market, they decided to import the idea to Lincoln, beginning the Christmas market with some 11 stalls in the Castle Square. While Lincoln’s market has been a resounding success, celebrating 31 years this week and having been copied by many cities and towns throughout the country, the idea of Christmas markets in Britain is something completely new, with Lincoln’s being the first.
The Lincoln Christmas Market now boasts some 300 stalls. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
This concept of Christmas markets is essentially an exclusively Germanic one. Beginning in the 14th and 15th centuries in Southern Germany (particularly Frankfurt and Munich), the custom was begun to usher in the period of Advent with a street market, called the Christkindelsmarkt, or literally “Christ Child Market”.
These markets traditionally sold food, such as Bratwurst and roasted nuts and wine and other seasonal gifts and items such as Zwetschgenmännle (decorated figures made of dried plums) and nutcrackers (the origins of the dreaded tat) and featured traditional songs and dancing. Via the Holy Roman Empire, the tradition then spread throughout much of Northern Europe, particularly to Eastern France, Holland and Belgium and many centuries later, via friendship rather than conquest, to Lincoln and later, the rest of Britain.
The Wassail winner
The Lincoln Christmas Market is also a great place to not only shop for seasonal gifts for loved ones, but get into the festive spirit with traditional Christmas drinks, such as mulled wine. This year, however, stalls will also be selling a popular ancient beverage, brewed and enjoyed during the season for over 1,500 years: Wassail.
A Germanic beverage, Wassail now commonly features a cider base, mulled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and sugar, and often topped off with apple slices. The name itself derives from Old English and roughly means “be of good health”, the correct reply being “Drinc Hael!”.
The drink is also closely associated with Wassailing, a traditional event thanking the trees for their bounty and hoping for a greater harvest the following year and later, a Christmas ritual of charity amongst lords and peasants: one which has introduced a number of now-common customs into autumn and winter seasons.
Wassail, an old English tradition for the holiday season. Photo: Jeremy Tarling
While the traditional Wassailing festivals occurred in mid-January (supposedly the twelfth night), after the Norman conquest it began to become much more closely associated with the Christmas season. It was common place for feudal lords to offer the drink to peasants in exchange for their blessings; a charitable deed meant to be perceived separate from begging.
Locals would knock on the door of the noble and sing: “we are not daily beggars that beg from door to door, but we are friendly neighbours whom you have seen before.” After this was sung, the lord was expected to provide the peasants with food and drink, after which the peasants would pay respect to their host by wishing him well and offering their blessings through the following verse:
“Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you
A Happy New Year”
It is from this ritualistic practice that two now-common features of the fall and winter seasons are derived. The first (and most obvious) is carolling. The peasants’ reply is a direct ancestor of not only the traditional practice of singing Christmas songs door to door during the festive period, but also the origins of the modern ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’.
The second has no relation to Christmas ay all, but a much earlier holiday: Halloween. Besides being associated with good cheer and merriment, Wassailing was also associated with roving bands of ne’er-do-wells and youths who would often demand beverage at various houses, and if they did not receive what they wanted (usually Wassail and figgy pudding) they would vandalize the house as revenge. This, of course, is the origins of the concept of trick or treating (i.e. give us something nice or we’ll give you something nasty).
So, when you visit the Christmas market, please make sure to try the traditional wassail and if you see me, feel free to offer me some along with the toast of ‘waes hael!’ I promise to offer the correct response in return. If you don’t, well you now know the possible rammifications!
Enjoy the Christmas Market everyone!
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Cory Santos is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Lincoln who specialises in the social history of Britain during the Second World War. Besides his main research focuses, he also enjoys local history and the interesting tales it often turns up.
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
A Grimsby businessman cleared his name after his son employed illegal workers at an Indian restaurant.
The solicitor for Spice of Life’s premises licence holder Mohammed Abdul Salique argued that the business was owned and run day-to-day by his son Mohammed Hussain Shahir.
Mr Shahir was fined £30,000 for employing two staff (£15,000 each) found to be working at the premises who don’t have a right to work in the UK.
Evidence from the Home Office said the money currently remains unpaid, despite no objections or appeals submitted since the date of the breach on August 23, 2019.
Sarah Clover, on behalf of Mr Salique, argued it was the employer, not the premises licence holder, who was responsible for vetting staff.
She said Mr Salique appeared before North East Lincolnshire’s licensing committee on Tuesday to clear his name.
“Mr Salique has been in Grimsby since 1979, he’s got a reputation — and that is what he is before you with an interest in preserving today, that’s his motivation for challenging this review,” she said.
“He’s operated a number of restaurants and takeaways in this space of time and he hasn’t been subjected to reviews or enforcement action or criticism, or anything indeed to suggest that his reputation is anything other than good he he’s acted as a pillar of the community.”
She said neither of the premises licence holders, including a Mr Abdul Somir, who was not at the committee hearing, were present for the Home Office visits.
She also disputed a number of facts arguing a lack of detail being presented.
It had also taken 15 months for the incident to reach the committee for review, she pointed out.
The premises were raided on five previous occasions by Home Office Immigration Enforcement. During visits in 2012 and 2015, workers were found to be employed illegally and were subsequently arrested.
During the 2019 raid, one of the officers reported a man on the roof of the building who had climbed out of a window. He agreed to come back into the building and was said to have been “visibly shaken and cried for some time before calming down”, said the evidence.
One man, believed to be Mr Shahir, was reported to be “verbally aggressive” during the 2015 visit and “disruptive” to police officers during the 2019 raid.
Emily Price on behalf of Humberside Police said: “The view of the the Chief Constable is, given that there has been a clear breach of the legislation in regards to employees, not one but two illegal workers, not for the first time, but for the third — that the council should consider revoking the premise’s licence.”
Committee members, however, agreed with Ms Clover, with chairman Councillor David Hasthorpe, saying: “The committee are happy that there should be no slur on the character of Mohammed Salique regarding the legal working found to be occurring on the premises known as the Spice of Life.”
However, they noted their concern that regular checks should have been made to ensure laws were being complied with.
They added a series of conditions to the licence including an onus on Premises Licence Holders to verify identification documents.
A transfer of the premises license was also made to new owners Tail and Spirit who took over the business in December 2020.
Two COVID wardens in North Kesteven will be the first in the district — and among the first in Lincolnshire — to be trained in protecting communities against coronavirus.
The wardens, referred to as COVID safety ambassadors by North Kesteven District Council, will explain, engage and encourage compliance for businesses and people in public places during the pandemic.
They will cover different times of day as part of their shift patterns, identifying businesses that are open and not following government guidelines.
These COVID wardens will never call to a residential property, they will instead be focusing solely on business premises and public spaces.
They do not have the power to issue fines to people or businesses, and are required to carry body cameras as a precaution.
Any matters that would require further action will be escalated to the local Environmental Health Team.
It’s hard to miss the wardens as they patrol, as they will have uniforms such as high visibility vests and jackets, and will carry council identification documents at all times.
A second warden will join the first one this week. | Photo: NKDC
The first ‘ambassador’ is now trained and in place, a former pub manager in Old Somerby who has been trained specifically for the role, and he will be joined by a second warden this week.
They will be in place until the end of March in North Kesteven, thanks to government funding specifically for this purpose.
While these two are the first in North Kesteven, they aren’t quite the first wardens in Lincolnshire, with ten being trained in West Lindsey back in November.
Richard Wright, leader of NKDC, said: “As coronavirus cases continue at this high level in our District, across the county and nationally, the assistance of COVID safety ambassadors in North Kesteven could save lives.
“We’re also acutely aware of the importance of supporting residents in using their local high streets and centres to access essential goods and how vital this is for our local businesses.
“In the main, the presence of these ambassadors in our retail and High Street areas will be a reassuring one, increasing people’s confidence while also working to reduce transmission of the virus.”
A new licence was applied for in 2019, but it didn’t last long as police again raided the premises on October 21, 2020, following a test purchase operation.
Super Stop Shop was searched as illicit cigarettes were seized. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
In the operation, a foreign branded packet of cigarettes were bought, which prompted officers to search the property for evidence.
Upon searching, a further quantity of illegal cigarettes were found hidden on the shelves opposite the till.
Illegal cigarettes were hidden in a bag on the shelves. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
As well as the illicit cigarettes, Super Stop Shop was also found to be breaching multiple conditions of its licence.
Investigations found that the previous owner, who had been banned from any involvement in the shop’s business, was still heavily involved.
The cigarettes were a mixture of non-duty, counterfeit and illicit brands, all of which failed to meet health and safety regulations.
The cigarettes were either duty-free or counterfeit. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
In the past, these kinds of brands have been found to contain rat droppings, sawdust and human excrement mixed in with the tobacco.
The Alcohol Licensing Team from Lincolnshire Police submitted paperwork about Super Stop Shop during a digital licence review hearing in front of City of Lincoln Council’s licensing sub-committee.
The hearing found that the premises had been actively involved in the illegal sale of illicit cigarettes.
A 21-day appeal process is now underway, and if no appeal is submitted then the revocation comes into action.
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