One of Lincoln Christmas Market’s longest serving traders says he is “grieving” the end of the event.
The long-running festival was axed by City of Lincoln Council last week over concerns about overcrowding and its escalating cost.
Paper Starlights’ Andy Jupp, who worked the market for 27 years, said: “Lincoln Christmas Market is to the Christmas market industry what the Glastonbury Festival is to the festival industry.
“It is an event of deep cultural significance and clarity.”
Andy started trading from the side of a rusty red van on Westgate.
He described the event as a community of people who “will never exist again, one of the largest expositions of independent businesses ever in the UK”.
Lincoln Christmas Market was a landmark and marker of his life that had shaped him, he said.
While he acknowledged that he would be financially poorer, he said that coming to Lincoln had become a way of life for him and many others.
Lincoln Christmas Market was busier than ever in 2022. | Photo: S. C. Photography
He thanked everyone for their support, and expressed his sadness at not being able to take his Victorian top hat off to one last time to the “Oom-pah, the gluhwein and sausages, and the smiling faces of old and new customers”.
“What would be the real tragedy is not to realise and embrace the cultural capital that exists within the market – the knowledge, professionalism, skills, equity, passion of every stakeholder,” he said.
“So let us for a moment ignore the folly and recriminations. Let’s take a deep breath. Relax. Breathe in, breathe out.
“And let us shout out together with one last Hurrrah for the Best Christmas Market ever in the UK.”
The City Council’ Labour leadership is planning to use the budget for the Christmas market for a series of smaller events throughout the year.
The Conservatives however, last week called for an apology over a lack of engagement with local businesses and residents and called for the decision to be paused to carry out a full public consultation.
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.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!