Morning and afternoon in Lincoln

The Strait

The Strait

It was not a Tuesday or a Friday, and so I knew not to wait for a bus but to walk to the main road for a bus into Lincoln. Well timed, a minute before the bus was due and bus only a couple of minutes late. Not long to wait. A popular bus, it was full, though maybe more room on the top floor.

Passing through Sincil Street a little before 11am, very busy. Far busier than the High Street.

On Saturday night into early hours of Sunday morning, heavy rain that washed the snow away.

This morning, the River Witham flowing very fast, muddy, ripples on the surface, very high. It was almost as it was a month ago. It has become like this virtually overnight, it was not like it on Thursday. The ground is now saturated. Any rain flows straight off the land and into the rivers, turning the rivers into raging torrents.

Morning coffee at Stokes on High Bridge. Unlike last week, Stokes was very busy, had to wait to get a table. A pity they have not been able to acquire the vacant unit next door as then they could have expanded their ground floor coffee bar.

I walked up the High Street and The Strait to the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology who are located in the Jews Court, a Norman House. I thought maybe they may have some information on Sincil Street, but sadly not, though they do have a large number of publications on Lincoln and Lincolnshire.

I did though manage to pick up poetry by Alfred Lord Tennyson read in a Lincolnshire dialect. Quite a remarkable find. I suggested they upload to bandcamp to reach a much wider audience.

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), poet, was born at Somersby in Lincolnshire and attended Louth Grammar School, before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge. He was appointed Poet Laureate to succeed William Wordsworth. As Poet Laureate he produced his best known work ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’. A statue of Tennyson can be found outside Lincoln Cathedral. Alfred Lord Tennyson was the first Poet Laureate to be recorded reading his own work.

Tennyson Poems was remastered and re-released for the Tennyson Bicentenary which Lincoln celebrated in 2009 with a world premier of ‘The Lady of Shalott’, with showings at The Collection.

Olibers Coffee Shop was open, but no customers, even though lunchtime. They had at least put a few boards outside. I cannot see how a coffee shop with no customers can possibly survive.

Lunch at the County Restaurant. Nothing wrong with it, but not really to my liking.

I popped to The Angel Coffee House, I was pleased I was able to pick up a copy of 5 Nocturnes for Piano – The Foss Dyke Navigation at Night which had its album launch at the Angel last week. A limited edition of 500 copies. I am hoping the composer Jamie Crofts will make available on bandcamp as he will then reach a much wider audience.