Lincoln Book Festival Review

Local History Afternoon by Grace Earrey

Grace is studying psychology with forensic psychology at the University of Lincoln and is a member of the students’ Creative Writing Society. 

“I have lived in Lincolnshire for over 10 years and have always loved its historical buildings. I have always loved to write, especially fiction as it allows me to create my own worlds and explore my creativity to the max.”

The Local History afternoon at the Lincoln Arts Centre succeeded in its aim to provide attendees with a fascinating insight into the heritage of city. 

Catered towards history enthusiasts eager to learn more the event featured a variety of activities beginning with stalls from Lincoln’s Record Society and the Society for Lincolnshire’s History & Archaeology (SLHA). These sold books related to the talks and other leaflets, which included events run by SLHA and information about what Lincoln’s Record Society does. 

After browsing the stalls and talking with knowledgeable and friendly stallholders, we got comfortable and listened to extracts from books about Lincoln history. This included Rural England through War and Peace by Andrew J.H. Jackson and Writing the Air War and Lincolnshire. 

The speakers provided humorous insight into history and included presentations to help us follow along. One memorable moment was listening to the extract from a World War diary in which the writer humorously recalled that having a bomb shell land in your garden is an effective way to cure a cold quickly.

The comfortable studio adapted to the size of the group perfectly and allowed the speakers to get their voices across to everyone without having to shout and the live readings provided humour.

The event was well organised mostly ran on time and the staff were helpful making sure everything ran smoothly. While there were no refreshments provided in the room, the reasonably priced cafe downstairs was accessible by stairs and lifts. 

Overall, the Local History Afternoon provided an insightful and fun look into Lincoln’s heritage. The mix of humour and historical depth made the event highly enjoyable and I’d recommend events similar for people interested in the city’s past.