Rewind: The Lincolnite top 18 stories of 2018
Whether it has been breaking news, major developments, events or enriching stories The Lincolnite has been on hand to keep you informed throughout 2018.
We have taken a look back at some of the biggest stories of the year as a reminder as to what 2018 has brought for Lincoln.
Beast from the East
It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting snow this holiday yet, but we certainly got it back in March.
The Lincolnite’s live blog was the most read article on the website this year, keeping Yellowbellies up-to-date with helpful information including travel, school information and event cancellations, such as the Lincoln 10K.
Dog breeders raided by police
Nearly 100 dogs were taken into the care of the RSPCA. Photo: Newark Police
Little Rascals Pets in Brant Broughton near Lincoln was raided by police in November after concerns were raised for the welfare of the animals.
As a result of the operation, there were 94 dogs taken from the premises into the care of the RSPCA.
The breeders were given a winding-up order on October 22 to close down.
“Unfair” Tritton Road car park charges
Parking wardens issue £100 fines if people are seen leaving the retail park.
The car park at Tritton Road retail park, which is operated by UKPC, came under fire from angry motorists for fining drivers for “leaving the area”.
They started fining drivers £100 each if they saw them leaving the site.
Drivers have not been warned about the change of rules, except for a small yellow notice on their signs.
It reads: “If you leave this site whilst this vehicle remains in the car park you may be liable to receive a parking charge.”
Lincoln bus station bomb scare
Lincoln went into lockdown after the bus station was evacuated, with some roads also closed due to the discovery of a suspicious package on an incoming bus on Tuesday, October 9.
Hundreds of people waited behind a police cordon while the bomb squad investigated the package, which turned out to be ‘a genuine bit of lost shopping’.
The suspicious package sent Lincoln into lockdown.
When the first image of the ‘shopping’ was released, which turned out to be a water pump, it highlighted why the bus operators made the decision to report the item to police.
Although it proved frustrating for many people, it was reassuring to see the response of the emergency services and the city council in what could have been a worse situation.
Missing man found in river
Micheal Hull had been reported missing after a night out in Lincoln.
The body of Michael Hull was recovered from the River Witham near Gaunt Street on Monday, January 22 after a two-day missing person’s appeal.
An inquest was opened the following week into the death of Michael, who had been on a night out at Home nightclub in Lincoln with friends before walking home on his own.
Lincolnshire Police and underwater search teams had scoured the area after receiving a report he was seen on Gaunt Street in the early hours of the morning. He was sadly found by divers while the area was cordoned off.
Mystery hedge cutter
The mystery hedge cutter investigation caused over 32,000 people to flock to our website and social media pages in November, with the story even gaining national press.
Extra patrols were put in place after a bush cutter hedged their bets after striking a property on St Edwards Drive in Sudbrooke near Lincoln in the middle of the night twice in one week.
Holes were cut in the neatly trimmed greenery, sparking a police investigation.
Goodbye Widow Cullens Well, Hello Craft 2.0 & Cosy Club
A regular sight on Steep Hill. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
2018 has seen a number of businesses bid farewell to Lincoln, such as popular pub Widow Cullen’s Well, The Lincoln Imp pub and Meat Inc. Burger House & Bar (formerly Ribs ‘n’ Bibs).
It hasn’t all been doom and gloom though as the city has celebrated businesses arriving such as the returning Craft 2.0 and new venues Cosy Club, Jump Inc and Lakeland.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Looking ahead to the future it is also exciting for Lincoln with the news that popular cocktail bar chain The Botanist is coming to the Cornhill in early 2020.
Work will begin in the New Year to build a boutique cinema and rooftop restaurant, so there is plenty to look forward to.
Guy Martin in court
Motorcycle racer turned television celebrity Guy Martin is to face a jury trial accused of having a fake Irish driving licence.
He denied possession of a document with intent to deceive between December 4, 2017 and May 15 2018 relating to ‘a document so closely resembling an Irish driving licence as to be calculated to deceive.
He also denied that between March 1 and May 15 this year he made a false statement by claiming he was the holder of an Irish driving licence.
Judge Andrew Easteal granted Martin unconditional bail and adjourned the case for a two day trial to commence at Lincoln Crown Court in July 2019.
Iconic Strelitzia home
Owner of Strelitzia takes The Lincolnite on a tour. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Strelitzia house definitely stands out on the hillside, but the white, yellow and entirely unique building also stands proud.
Restaurant closes and blames news stories
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Tiago Lincoln Brazilian restaurant closed in February this year after receiving a very poor hygiene rating of 1/5 from City of Lincoln Council inspectors.
The venue blamed local media for publicising the inspectors’ findings, and they closed shortly after.
The Lincolnite was the first publication to show off the venue in an exclusive tour in October 2016.
After information became public in late January 2018 we reported the story in the public interest.
Tiamo pizza in The Forum in North Hykeham.
Damning CQC report for village nursing home
Residents have been moved out of the care home due to safety concerns. Photo: Google Street View
Eagle Nursing Home was closed after an inspection at the premises this summer identified “serious concerns”.
Alarm bells by Lincolnshire County Council, which stated care at the home was “not adequate”. This led to an unannounced inspection by CQC on June 6-7.
A report on The Lincolnite sparked a wave of complaints, including claims that a former resident was “dragged along the corridor from his bedroom and thrown into the lift”.
Clamping down on drugs
The Lincolnite posted a controversial video of users taking drugs in an alcove on Clasketgate and it sparked a debate on how to solve the city’s drug problem.
After several follow-up stories highlighting different areas of the issue, the police began cracking down more on Lincoln’s drug problem.
A man on drugs passed out near Brayford Pool on July 19, 2018.
It also had an effect on local businesses, with the police and ambulance offering advice on what to do if you spot someone on spice.
Grand Tour filming in Lincoln
Jeremy Clarkson and James May. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
They filmed at Lincoln Cathedral for the last episode of the third season with the audience singing a hymn.
It was then to the Showground on the Saturday for the last part of filming for the final episode of series three of Amazon’s Grand Tour to celebrate “the end of a piece of British motoring history”.
Midwife in hair colour controversy
The colour of Donna Crichton’s hair has caused controversy at work.
Donna Crichton, who has over 30 years experience working in the NHS, had red hair when she was first employed by ULHT in February 2011.
She claimed this had never been an issue previously until it was flagged up this summer.
Hundreds of people have since rallied in support of her, while the Midwives’ union is challenging ULHT over its uniform policy — but her appeal was rejected.
Lincoln graduate murdered in New Zealand
Grace pictured at her graduation earlier this year. Photo: Facebook
One of the saddest stories we had to write this year was that of Grace Millane, who went missing while on an around-the-world backpacking trip in New Zealand earlier this month.
As each development in the story became more tragic, it was tough to see father David Millane give an emotional press conference before a body was later discovered, which was confirmed to be that of Grace.
Jesse Kempson, 26, who is understood was seen with her in the CityLife hotel, appeared in court charged with her murder.
RAF Scampton closure
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Ministry of Defence confirmed in July that RAF Scampton, home of the Red Arrows, will be sold off.
The base, which is currently home to 600 members of staff, will close by 2022 and talks are underway to enable the Red Arrows to move to another location.
MP for Lincoln Karen Lee delivered a petition, signed by over 3,700 people, to Ministry of Defence minister Tobais Ellwood last month.
She petitioned against the move and began a petition to keep the Red Arrows in the county. The RAF also celebrated its centenary year in 2018.
St Marks development
Fresh designs for the 1,300 student flats on St Marks.
City of Lincoln Council previously dismissed the designs for the flats as “bland”, but have now approved the proposal.
When completed, the major development will also include a number of new shops, hotel and a car park with up to 1,100 spaces.
The development proposed by Aberdeen Standard Investments has seen demolition begin on the vacant Homebase, Lidl and Topps Tiles units.
All the shops to the west of Debenhams will be demolished and replaced with new retail units, leisure space and other amenities. Space would also be made for cycle storage and management facilities.
Options discussed also include the possibility of a new cinema and waterfront restaurants and the scheme has the potential to generate up to 2,000 new jobs in the city.
Merging debate
The merging debate got a lot of people in Lincoln talking this year.
Alongside the video, he asked: “Why oh why can’t people understand the rule of the road and us both lanes then merge in turn at the end?”
Other notable stories in 2018
The Lincoln Eastern Bypass project was another of the hot topics this year. It was revealed in June that the project will cost £120 million instead of £99 million and will also be finished in May 2020 instead of December 2019.
