< PreviousHorncastleZ Cake Art Z25 North Street, Horncastle, Lincs. LN9 5DX. Telephone: 01507525926Mobile: 07734007765 Email: horncakes@tiscali.co.uk www.horncastlecakeart.co.uk60 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWEDDINGSideas that a couple have never beforeconsidered. Some of these can be littlegraces that make life easier, while otherscan be menu choices that change theentire feel of the event.You may even think of renting andopening up a separate room away fromthe band or disco so that some of yourolder guests, who may not appreciate themusic, are able to talk and relax in comfortand peace. You don’t have to shut themout, but they’re unlikely to spend verylong at the reception if the speakers arepumping out music relentlessly. The samegoes for marquees, too, where it’simportant to have somewhere peoplefeeling a little overwhelmed by music anddancing can retire to. Similarly, if you’re planning to invitelots of children, it’s probably worththinking about setting space aside forthem to play later in the evening, and ifthere’s a whole army of pre-teens youcould even take the step of hiring somekids’ entertainers to keep them occupied.OK, you’re not organising a children’sparty but the other alternative is a bunchof hyperactive children running aroundthe dance floor all night, which some ofyour guests may not appreciate.Accommodation is another factorLincolnshire’s venues excel at, and whilenot everyone will want to stay and sleepover after the event, having the optionavailable can be a blessing, especially ifsome people drink a little too much. Atthe very least, the happy couple andanyone who has helped to organise andplan the event could likely do with somewell-deserved rest on the night, andLincolnshire’s venues are often happy toprovide, with beautiful bridal suites androoms available. Married life may wait inthe morning, but after such a busy night,a little rest might be more appreciated.© Shutterstock / Gordon Ball LRPS54-61_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:12 Page 754-61_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:12 Page 8Commenting on the big day and thepreparation beforehand Danielle & Aidenexplain:“We decided to book the offsitePlatinum Package with Jocasta’s for ourWedding on 2nd September 2017 atDanielle’s parents’ home in SibseyLincolnshire. “Jocasta’s had come highlyrecommended and we wanted a companythat provided a full in- house service notjust a marquee. From the moment wedecided to book Jocasta’s we felt thewhole set up was very professional andthe team at Jocasta’s all wanted to makeour day perfect for us. “We decided on the platinum package,as we were able to adapt this to ourneeds so our wedding was perfect for us. “Jocasta’s were brilliant atunderstanding exactly what it was wewanted for our wedding, and it was betterthan we could have imagined. From ourinitial meeting with Steve, we knew wecould relax - and with regular contactthroughout the planning process - thewhole team were always on hand toanswer any questions. “We met with Jocasta’s at variousstages to discuss different elements of theday from the marquee design, thelicensed bar options, posh loo’s, foodchoices, the DJ, bouncy castle and muchmore; and they were always happy to helpand offer advice but more importantlycater to what we wanted, we couldn’thave chosen a better company! “A week before the wedding, the sitemanager Dave and his team came tobegin the erection of the marquee and wecan honestly say, the professionalism theyall showed was great; the marquee wasbuilt with such attention to detail. Theoverall layout and design was fantastic,even down to the picket fence andmatting leading to the toilets, so guestsdidn’t have to walk directly on grass andensured all guests remained within thearea so they would know their childrenwere safe to and from the bouncy castle.It was the little details like this that madethe difference and set Jocasta’s apart.“The food tasting was amazing, it gaveus a chance to sample the canapés anddecide on the wedding breakfast choices.The food on the day was absolutelydelicious too, which was backed up by theguests as we had so many positivecomments on and after the wedding. TheDJ was great and he kept everyonedancing and made sure there was a widerange of songs that everyone could enjoy.“The day before our wedding Helen andAmy came to set up and helped organisethe table decoration and made themarquee look amazing. Helen and all thestaff were also around on the day and didgreat job at keeping the day runningsmoothly; and to schedule. But, moreimportantly, this made sure we werehappy and everything was going how wewanted it to. Steve also made anappearance to make sure guests werehappy with the food and, again, it’sgestures such as these that make thedifference and left a lasting impression onus and the guests. “The whole process from start to finishwas hassle free and nothing was too muchtrouble. Steve and the whole team madeeverything so special for us and theoutstanding organization of all the staffallowed us to enjoy our day and make itperfect. “We’ve had continuous comments onhow fantastic our marquee was, with thefood being incredible, beautifullydecorated and the overall quality ofeverything being amazing. Many of ourguests have said it was the best settingand wedding they have been too andmost was due to the performance fromJocasta’s and the amazing team theyhave.”With over 60 years in the weddingbusiness, Jocasta’s prides itself onknowing a thing or two about weddings;and the attention to detail needed toensure the event goes to plan. As theAnother dream weddingfrom the Jocasta’s teamEvery bride and groomwants their special day togo without a hitch and beremembered for all the rightreasons, and that’s preciselywhy Danielle & AidenSkinner chose Jocasta’sGroup Outside Events. 62-63_Layout 1 15/11/2017 11:58 Page 1pictures of Danielle & Aiden’s weddingshow, the result surpassed expectationswhich Steve Horbury and his team weredelighted to hear. As Steve points out “Whether a couplewant their event in the grounds of amagnificent castle, a family home - or inour romantic lakeside venue at Thorpe onthe Hill - they can be assured we have theknow-how and expertise to make itabsolutely magical.“Over the years, we’ve catered for allkinds of weddings large and small and weknow how to transform a bare patch ofearth into a stunning location for awedding”lMarquees: Jocasta’slToilets: Jocasta’slPower: Jocasta’slCatering: Jocasta’slEvent Management: Jocasta’slWedding Planner: Natalie HewittlFlowers: Heathers Florist - HorncastlelCake: Lady B’s Cupcakery - MablethorpelBand: Brass funkeyslStationary: Mariposa Design - Skegness lPhotographer: PM Photography – LincolnlDress: The Bridal House – WaddingtonlHair: The Bridal Hair Professionals – WaddingtonlMake up: Igne’s Beauty Studio & TheBeauty Branch By Emily Gurton – BostonWeddings atJocasta’sTel: 01522 686314 Email: enquiries@jocastasgroup.net Website: www.jocastasgroup.netJocastas Group (Lincoln) Ltd &Jocastas Group Outside Events Ltd,Moor Lane, Thorpe-on-the-Hill,Lincoln, LN6 9BW62-63_Layout 1 15/11/2017 11:59 Page 2LincolnshireheritageexploredThe Foss Dyke survives as a part of our countylandscape from the time of the Roman occupationand has been tentatively dated to around 120AD.Their extensive road network is well known sincetwo important Romans routes, Ermine Street andthe Fosse Way, cross Lincolnshire, but their otherinfrastructure is often less known or appreciated.Two major canals also cross our county; the CarDyke and the Fossdyke.Canal engineers are much restricted by thelandscape contours so whereas the Car Dyke wasforced into considerable meanders along thefringes of the fens the Fossdyke had an easy routeto the Trent. However the Car Dyke, which runsfor 56 from the River Nene near Peterborough tojoin the River Witham just to the east of Lincoln,and the Foss Dyke provided the Romans with anvital transport system linking the fens to Lincoln –the Roman Lindum Colonia – and onwards viathe Trent, Humber and Ouse to York.The Fossdyke is eleven miles long betweenLincoln’s Brayford Pool and Torksey where it joinsthe River Trent. It runs in fairly straight sections,initially northwest from Lincoln towards Saxilbywhere it bends to the southwest. At DrinseyNook it turns fairly sharply northwest againbefore turning due west for the last mile toTorksey Lock. The only lock is the one at Torkseyand the only bridges were at Saxilby andBrayford. Since we generally regard the canalage in Britain as beginning in the mid/lateC18th the Romans were clearly ahead of theirtime.Archaeologists will admit that there is littleabsolute evidence of Roman construction butthere is such strong inferential evidence that itsorigin is commonly (and widely) agreed assuch. There was clearly the need for a strategiclink between Lincoln and York, the Roman’stwo dominant northern settlements. And inlocal importance it contributed to theprosperity of Lincoln itself as an importantport. There is also the discovery in the 1950’sThe Fossdyke is a part ofLincolnshire’s Roman legacythat remains in use today.We look at its history.64-65_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:00 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY65The GNR built anew bridge at Saxilby in 1848where, in 1823, the Ellison’s had replaceda drawbridge with a new swing bridge.That survived until the 1930’s when anew, higher road bridge was built. Therewas a lifting bridge at the entrance toBrayford Pool too but this was removedwhen a new flyover was constructed in1996. The Foss Dyke prospered until wellafter WWII and even continued as acommercial waterway until the early1970’s.One local bit of folklore that concernsthe Foss Dyke, and Saxilby and DrinseyNook in particular, is the gruesome tale ofTom Otter. Tom got married on the 3rdNovember 1805 to a local barmaid butmurdered her the same evening nearDrinsey Nook with a wooden stake. Thedeed was however witnessed by a localfarm labourer, a traumatised JohnDunkerley and the body taken to the SunInn at Saxilby. Tom was soon caught,convicted and hanged at Lincoln Castleon 12th March 1806. His sentence alsostipulated that his corpse be gibbeted –hung in a metal cage until itof the remains of a wharf atLincoln, most likely Romanand furthermore the Romanpottery kilns known at eitherend; one near the Lincolnracecourse site and one atTiovulfingcester - the Roman namefor Torksey – are all strong indicators.Plus a gold statue of Mars, the Romangod of war, has also been found. Howeverlittle is known of the Dyke’s historyfollowing the Roman’s departure in AD410 but it was later used by the Danessome eight centuries later as an offshoot ofa Humber, Trent invasion route. Nevertheless the first documentaryevidence for the Foss Dyke comes from theMiddle Ages since it is known to havebeen scoured out during the reign ofHenry I in the 1120’s but was blocked withsilt again by the C14th. In 1607 James Igranted responsibility for the Foss Dyke toLincoln Corporation. The main cargoeswere then coal and iron from the midlandsbut toll income was low and hencemaintenance neglected so that it againbecame choked so that by the early C18th- as historian David Robinson once noted –laden hay carts could drive across it.The solution arrived at by its ownersLincoln Corporation in 1741 was to leasethe canal for 999 years to one RichardEllison, a Lincoln banker, for £75 perannum. Under his managementimprovements were made to its condition(though it was soon neglected again!) buteven so initial revenues of only £100 wereachieved. Under the Ellison’s oversight,including Richards son and grandson,profits rose to over £5,000 by the early1800’s. They eventually sold out to the tothe Great Northern Railway Company bythe 1840’s.disintegrated. The gibbet was at DrinseyNook! The murder weapon was kept atthe Sun Inn but every year on 3rdNovember it mysteriously disappeared tobe found later at the murder scene. Thishappened even when it was moved toother inns. On his death bed Dunkerleyconfessed to moving the stake – impelled(he said) by Otter’s ghost. It waseventually burned by the Bishop ofLincoln outside the cathedral. There is a“Tom Otter’s Bridge” near Drinsey Nookto this day!Once commercial traffic ceased theabandoned Brayford Pool becameclogged up with boat wrecks and plantgrowth until the formation of a BrayfordImprovement Committee since when ithas evolved into today’s modern leisure,boating and tourist amenity in the heartof the city. Along with a marina at Torkseythe Foss Dyke’s new role in C21stLincolnshire seems assured. It is currentlymaintained by British Waterways.by Hugh Marrows64-65_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:00 Page 266 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNChristmas inNo Christmas would be complete without a trip to Lincoln, with its plentiful festiveevents, bustling Christmas market, and the spirit of giving in the air. © Shutterstock / PhilMacDPhoto66-69_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:34 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY67LINCOLNn the wake of Brexit it was clear that Britain has something of an identitycrisis. As a collective, we aren’t entirely sure of where our values sit on thespectrum, or indeed quite what unites us. Persisting images and cultural touchstones such as the full English, cricket and re-runs of Only Fools and Horsesdoas much to brings as together as reveal our differences, but it’s in thesetraditions we find ourselves most fondly returning and reminiscing. Nostalgia,it seems, is a powerful motivator. This same struggle to balance our heritage with the more progressive andtolerate future in store for our island nation has seen religion – specificallyChristianity – in a bit of a pickle. As a people, we’re a largely atheistic bunch,or, at the very least, agnostic, with church attendance plummeting to recordlows. Though the majority swear by this life alone, confronted with the realtyof death is enough to get the prayer flowing and the idea of an afterlifesuddenly seems an attractive prospect. Christmas is the perfect example, representing the best of modern Britainand the traditions that forged us. If asked to define the holiday, most of us willimagine something Dickensian, with open hearths, vast turkey dinners and anindomitable spirit of optimism in the air. Fortunately for us yellow-bellies, thatvision truly comes alive in Lincoln, with its cobble streets, gothic spires andopen market place. Despite its longevity, the city is hardly resting on itslaurels, with major developments and cultural events well and truly putting uson the map. I68 Á© Shutterstock / Ditt_about_summer66-69_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:34 Page 268 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNThe Lincoln Christmas Market (takingplace from 7th-10th December) isperhaps the crown in the city’s festivecrown, with punters struggling up SteepHill from across the county and oftenfurther. Festive markets are ten a penny,but Lincoln has location and history on itsside. The city dates back some 2,000years, if historians are to be believed, andit shows. The streets and sidewalkssurrounding the cathedral seem towhisper with the stories of a thousandlifetimes. There’s a magic in the air, awanderlust emphasised at this time ofyear, where a simple snowflake is a reverieand goodness abounds around us. Built in 1185, and bearing the mantleof world’s tallest building for 238 years,the cathedral remains one of the finestarchitectural specimens in the British Isles.It’s ingrained in the county’s collectivememories of Christmas, so the annualmind the county. From the antiquestreets of the Bailgate, with itsindependent shops and high-class hotels,down to the main high street with moremainstream brands and names, there isalways something to see. Our particularfavourite remains the Bailgate area, withits vintage shops and quirky boutiquesthat offer a truly unique variety of shops.The area is also usually quite a bit lessbusy than the high street, mainly due tothe effort involved in climbing Steep Hill –one of the most beautiful streets in thecountry, but admittedly, rather a hardclimb. We suggest parking at the top andthen enjoying a leisurely stroll down afterexperiencing the scenic delights of theBailgate. Then, when loaded up with allthose Chrimbo pressies, you can cheatand take a taxi back up. The plethora of artisanal bakeries, cafésand restaurants across Lincoln will be inthe full festive swing by the time you holdthis issue in your hands. While jars ofpreserves, an assortment of fudge or© Shutterstock / chrisdorneycarol singing sessions are always specialevents. The castle, too, has a special place inLincoln’s festive slate, with all manner ofevents entertaining adults and their littleones right through Yuletide. Of course,there’s meeting Father Christmas himself(he seems to be everywhere!), but there’salso an innovative performance ofDickens’ quintessential Christmas Carol.For something a little more macabre,there’s festive ghost stories to be hadcloser to the big day, reviving theVictorian pastime of scary stories comeChristmas. Tis the season of giving but, as most ofour wallets can attest, what that reallymeans is it’s a time of spending. A lot.Never mind all that food and bubbly,there are presents to think about here.Fortunately, Lincoln is one of the premiershopping destinations in the UK, neverLincoln is one of the premier shopping destinations in the UK, never mind the county66-69_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:35 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY69home-baked goods makewonderful gifts in their own right,after braving the crowds, you’llwant to take the weight off yourfeet and enjoy a cake or coffee.For dining there is a wide array of options, spanning the entireglobe in terms of taste. Once more the Bailgate plays host tosome fabulous hotels, most of which have their ownrestaurants that we can personally attest to serving fantasticfood. It’s perhaps understandable that it’s all up the hill oncemore considering that the view is considered a staple in adining experience - and what better view than that of theCathedral itself? There are other locations though arrayeddown Steep Hill and into the high street itself, many of whichhave gone for a more contemporary dining experience thanthe usual restaurant fare. Our advice is to go where your nosetakes you, as the city is hardly lacking for little bistros andindependent restaurants putting their own twists on classicBritish cuisine. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a trip toLincoln. Whether it’s for the Christmas market, a spot ofshopping or for any of the other existing events, make surevisiting our county’s capital is a top priority. The plethora or artisanal bakeries, cafés and restaurants across Lincoln will be in full festive swing© Shutterstock / MarburyLOTTIESATIKEXCLUSIVE FASHIONSITUATED WITHIN THE HISTORIC BAILGATE45 STEEP HILL ILINCOLN ILN2 1LU01522 536035LOTTIESATIK.CO.UKExcitingnewseasonranges available 66-69_Layout 1 15/11/2017 12:35 Page 4Next >