Aaron Renfree

A weekend-long cycling festival will return with a host of sporting events in Lincoln after two event organisers joined for a unified programme.

The programme of events, set to take place on May 12, 13 and 14, 2017, is expected to attract cyclists from across the country to take part in the festival.

As reported previously, 2015 festival events were scaled down when former partners ITP Events and Lincoln Grand Prix organisers both claimed rights to one of the sportive races.

The two have now joined forces to offer cyclists a bumper programme of races.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Lincoln Criterium will take place on May 12, the Lincoln GP Sportive on May 13 (morning), the Uphill Dash on May 13 (evening) and the Lincoln Men’s and Women’s Lincoln Grand prix on May 14.

Entries for the Sportive will open on October 1 with numbers limited to 2,000 participants, to ensure a high-quality and safe experience for the cyclists.

Dan Ellmore for The Lincoln Grand Prix said: “The 2017 event will be bigger and better than ever and won’t disappoint.

“By working together we’re proud to be protecting the future of Britain’s oldest remaining classic one-day cycle race and a proportion of the Sportive entry fee will contribute toward the Grand Prix.”

Ian Penrose for ITP Events said: “Our focus now is develop the festival into the UK’s biggest weekend of cycling.”

Tim Downing, director for Pygott & Crone and sponsor for the event said: “I’ve been a keen cyclist for many years now so I’m thrilled about the Lincoln Festival of Cycling 2017.

“Lincoln’s tourism trade is booming now and events like this help to strengthen that even further and really put our fantastic city on the map,” he said.

Fore more information about the event and detail on how to sign up, people can visit the website here. 

It was celebrations all round at the 2016 Asylum Lincoln Steampunk Festival, especially for two happy couples who got engaged amid the festivities.

The festival, which is the largest and longest running in the world, ran until Monday, August 29 and saw 25,000 enthusiasts visiting the city dressed in unusual and intricate costumes.

The Lincolnite spoke with two happy couples whose shared a love for the eccentric trend (described as a genre of science fiction featuring steam-powered machinery) saw them publicly engaged.

Jon Meeds & Di Wildman

Jon and Di with their engagement rings.

Jon Meeds and Di Wildman met two years ago and he introduced her to steampunk, a hobby of Jon’s for several years.

“She started coming to Lincoln Steampunk Society nights shortly after we started going out, and following that we went to our first Asylum together as a couple,” he said.

Jon decided to propose during “chap-hop” rapper Professor Elementary’s performance at The Engine Shed, Friday night and luckily a fellow steampunk was armed with a camera to film the moment.

“Originally, Professor Elemental was going to call Di on stage and then me after, but it was really difficult to get onto the stage, so I had to find a way to sneak away from her,” Jon said.

Jon got on stage and the raucous crowd were fully behind him, and Di knew where things were heading.

“I couldn’t stop crying. All I felt after was overjoyed,” Di said.

Before she knew it, Jon’s friends were slowly shuffling her to the front of the stage, where Jon popped the question, and Di said yes.

“I’m glad I could give her the moment she deserves,” said Jon

Will Bligh & Nicky Rider

Will found the perfect moment to ask Nicky to marry him at the ‘Dead Dog Party’, the closing event of The Asylum on Sunday, August 28 at the Assembly Rooms on Bailgate.

Will remembers when he asked Nicky’s dad for his permission, he replied with “oh, go on then,” a few months later his daughter said exactly the same words.

The couple, from Bournemouth, met at a teddy bear picnic last year with their local steampunk society.

Will Bligh and Nicky Rider

Before The Asylum the pair had been on holiday and visited a friend’s wedding, The Asylum was on their route home and throughout the entire time Nicky was waiting for the question to be asked.

“I was suspicious as it is very hard to get a ring made secretly for your size,” Nicky said

Nicky said that she had a few ideas for the wedding theme: “I was thinking of a steampunk wedding, followed by a pirate reception.”