By Ruth Amos, Chair of Ossett Civic Trust.

It was a cold but beautiful crisp morning as we pulled out of Ossett, as we neared Lincoln we readied ourselves for the festive fun that lay ahead. On arrival in Lincoln, the Cathedral loomed above and set the scene for a magical day.

Three of us dived into the Lincoln Children's School for a bacon butty and a large cup of tea or coffee, I might add at a reasonable price and the proceeds supported the church school. We then followed everyone down a very orderly street which was well signposted to the market areas where we entered an area just full of market stalls which oozed Christmas with all the different smells you would expect . There was everything from Christmas decorations, mulled wines, spiced wines, Christmas cakes, sausages, and meats ... you name it , then this market had everything you could wish for.

After a while we decided to find a spot for lunch and saw a banner announcing “Traditional Christmas lunch” so we decided to take up the offer. We climbed some stairs and found ourselves in a very large hall decked out for Christmas with a large lit Santa and Snowman on the stage with a Christmas tree. The staff could not have been more helpful and we enjoyed a lovely meal with the most wonderful Christmas stuffing which was all home made.

After lunch, we then meandered around a craft hall again filled to the brim with Christmas goodies. There was just something for everyone. We then followed the path that had been laid down out through the castle walls and into another area filled with stalls and this time an arena where the local Morris dancers gave a fabulous foot tapping performance. At this point we decided to sample the spiced cider and mulled wine which was fabulous. It made a worthy chaser to the Frickendela and Brat Worst we had sampled at one of the German stalls. By this time I was really itching to make a few purchases and bought some wonderful Elizabethan marmalade and some potent Raspberry jam, this Christmas market was a shoppers paradise.

After all this walking we decided it was time to find a coffee shop for a bite to eat before we headed back to the coach. We were blessed by finding a wonderful place which on the outside looked like an ice-cream parlour but which turned out to be a glorious café set in the basement and which appeared to be made out of the old castle brickwork. Again all the food was home made and delicious.

Clutching our purchases we made our way back to the coach and met up with our fellow visitors. The consensus was that it had been a fantastic day which everyone had enjoyed and would remember for a long time to come. Some people had gone into the Cathedral and listened to the singing which set them in the mood for Christmas. As it grew dusk it was wonderful to look at the stalls all lit up in their Christmas lights and tinsel, it was a beautiful sight. On the way back we drew our Christmas raffle which added funds to help continue the work being carried out by Ossett Civic Trust.

If you came on our trip and would like to come with us again, then we shall be going to Chester on Saturday April 4 2009 , followed by a trip to Southport on July 25th and then on Saturday December 5 2009 we shall be going to Chatsworth House.

For further details, please keep watching this website, the notice board outside Ossett Town Hall or in the local press.

It just leaves me on behalf of Ossett Civic Trust to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a very Peaceful New Year.

By Peter Savage, Media Liaison Officer of Ossett Civic Trust.

What a day, everyone was on time and we set off from the Community Centre for Lincoln in brilliant sunshine, which lasted all through the day. The coach arrived in Lincoln at 10.20 and everyone embarked with great anticipation and well wrapped up against the cold. A coach marshall informed us that over 400 coaches were expected that day and it is a good job that they are so very well organised at getting the coaches in and out.

We were all looking forward to a hot drink and the services were excellent and some of us couldn't resist the smell of the bacon butties. It was then off to the Christmas Market and what a market with hundreds of stalls with fantastic goods but it wasn't easy getting to the stalls as there must have been what seemed to be the whole country there. Fortunately the stewards had everything under control and operated a one way system. There was also lots of entertainment on the way and of course, lots of food and mulled wine and beers. Have to give them credit, there was also plenty of non-alcoholic spiced drinks to warm us up.

Quite by chance, together with Ruth and David, we came by a restaurant, which was an old civic building, and the voluntary group who used the building had a splendid Christmas lunch on offer with traditional and vegetarian fare.

It was then back to the trail of market stalls which seemed to be never ending and the whole place took on an absolutely magical air as the sun went down and the lights of the stalls and decorations sparkled in the cold air. We made our way towards the coach pick-up point and noticed lots of queues and we thought they were either for toilets or the tea and coffee shops but no, it was quite simply people running out of money and waiting at the cashpoints. We managed to find a quite wonderful place serving home baked cakes, scones and bread with lovely fresh coffee and tea with not a tea bag in sight. It was in the basement of a shop and we were told it was originally a 14 th century house, and one had the feeling it could have been inhabited by monks as the ceilings were like cloisters.

At the coach point there were lots of weary but very happy people laden with shopping bags and parcels and we were back in Ossett just less than 12-hours after leaving and it seemed more like just a few hours as the time just flew by.

All Lincoln Christmas Markets photographs © Peter Savage 2008