Matt Discombe

The Lincoln Sausage Festival will return for its tenth year in October to celebrate the county’s most famous export.

The festival, held in Lincoln Castle and Castle Hill on Saturday, October 27, will feature over 50 exhibitions including demonstrations, stalls and free entertainment.

TV chef Rachael Green will hold cookery demonstrations, and Neil Curtis from Curtis’ of Lincoln will hold sausage-making demonstrations, and around 60 stalls will offer Lincolnshire sausages, cheese, fish and other local produce.

Entertainment will be provided by The Europa Clowns, Matto and Polo, while four-piece band and festival circuit regulars the Cosmic Sausages will perform on the street.

There will also be a children’s cookery demonstration area as well as face painting in the Redhill’s marquee.

Festival mascot Mr Sausage will also appear throughout the festival.

Lincoln Sausage Festival, organised by Rotary Club of Lincoln Colonia, is being held to raise money for Rotary Kids Out 2012, which aims to give underprivileged fun days out.

A celebration of Lincolnshire Food and Farming will be held in Lincoln Cathedral on the same day.

Mark Brewer, of the Rotary Club of Lincoln Colonia, said; “The first year we started this festival it was very small, we just wanted to provide a service to the community, so it’s great that it’s really popular now. Free events in the Castle have been 30% more popular this year so I’m hoping for 13 or 14 thousand people to come.”

“The Lincolnshire Sausage is very important to the people of Lincolnshire. The fact that the sausage hasn’t got PGI status in unfortunate,” said Mark, who has organised the event for the past ten years.

The event, which attracted more than 11,000 visitors last year, is sponsored by the Tastes of Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire County Council, Lincoln Business Improvement Group and Redhill Farm.

Photo: Maya Arsenovic for The Lincolnite

A Green Flag has been raised in Hartsholme Country Park on Thursday to praise its cleanliness and safety.

The park has won the award for the fifth year in a row by also improving its community involvement, sustainability and overall management.

Councillor Pat Vaughan, Deputy Mayor, raised the Green Flag outside the park’s visitor centre.

The Green Flag Award recognises well-kept green spaces across the country. Currently, 1424 UK parks and green spaces have a Green Flag or Green Flag Community Award.

Volunteers gave more than 2,000 hours of their time to Hartsholme Country Park last year.

Councillor Vaughan said: “I am very pleased to be raising the Green Flag and congratulating the volunteers for their dedication to Hartsholme Country Park as without them contributing there time there is no doubt that the park wouldn’t be as special and popular as it is now.”

The park, owned and managed by the City of Lincoln Council, held more than 100 events last year including treasure hunts, tree dressing and their annual family fun day.

Ruth Simons, Senior Conservation Ranger at Hartsholme Country Park said: “I believe one of our major strengths lies in our strong links with the local community. Volunteering is very popular and we have volunteers helping Park Rangers throughout the year in a range of different activities, from park maintenance to events.”

Source: City of Lincoln Council