When my friends first told me about the Lincolnshire Sausage Festival I was a bit apprehensive. I wasn’t too sure that I could see the fun in looking at sausages all day but I thought I’d give it a go, after all what else would a student  do on a Saturday morning?

This year’s Sausage Festival began at 10am on Saturday 29^th October and I was pleased when I looked out of my window that morning to see the sun shining. By ‘morning’ I of course mean mid-afternoon when the rest of my flatmates rolled out of bed. At this point, with a rumbling stomach and friends in tow, I was excited to see what the Lincolnshire Sausage Festival could offer.

The trek up Steep Hill is enough to put even the most active and energetic off but not me. With a helping hand from a friend, literally, I made it up. The smell of sausages wafting down from the castle was definitely the motivation I needed. By the time I had reached Castle Square I was lost in a crowd of people, all trying to get from one stall to the next.  It seemed this sausage festival malarkey was a lot more popular than I had anticipated!

As you walked through the Castle Square it was lined with stalls all competing for customers, with the sound and smell of sizzling sausages as you made your way through to the castle grounds. I had never been past the castle gates before so this in itself was a treat for me; I’d always wanted to see what was lurking behind them. I was impressed! The grounds of the castle were buzzing with people and stallholders, with the picturesque backdrop of the castle walls surrounding the event. For those who were new to the city, or maybe those who just wanted to experience something different, there were free tours of the castle scheduled throughout the day. This is a brilliant way of showing off Lincoln’s best bits from a different angle.

The Lincolnshire Sausage Festival is now in its ninth year and I can see why; the tourists and trade it brings to the city must be a big boost for the local economy. As I made my way to one of the first stalls I was keen to see what I could sample. Being a student definitely has its limitations at times like these! It may not have been a sausage but I began by trying some crisps that the first stallholder had to offer, and this tempting taster had worked on me, I bought a whole packet!

I was surprised to see more than just sausage stallholders there. I noticed a big tent set up for children where they could watch their own food demonstrations and presumably let the adults get on with the food tasting! In another tent there was TV chef Rachel Green cooking up a storm with several food demonstrations using food from the many stalls at the festivals which she then handed out for members of the audience to try. I made my way to a hog roast stall where my friends wanted to stop for lunch but I had different ideas, I’d already spotted a stand offering sausages, roast potatoes and gravy which sounded like heaven!

I joined the longest queue at the event, which to me suggested that this was the best stall. It was certainly the best choice I made and definitely worth the wait! The local sausages were delicious and I could now see why the Lincolnshire Sausage Festival was so popular. As I left the castle grounds I saw the mascot for the festival walking around – a lifesize cartoon sausage! My friends and I grabbed the opportunity to have our photo taken with him/her, a lasting reminder of our day out. As I walked back through the crowds of people, which were still growing considering the festival finished at 4pm, I knew that I would definitely be back next year. In my opinion it’s worth trekking up Steep Hill for!

Me and my friends in the VIP area of Tokyo Lincoln (Me in pink)

When I initially heard about the new Tokyo nightclub opening in Lincoln, I cannot express how excited my friends and I were. Everybody I spoke to was highly anticipating this long awaited nightclub, and without a doubt there was a massive hype surrounding it from the get go, writes Layla Ameen…

I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed this excitement about something in Lincoln before. As it’s quite a small city I find youngsters in Lincoln like me have the desire to experience new and exciting things. It definitely was about time Lincoln had something fresh and fun to offer us.

 In the lead-up to the opening of Tokyo Lincoln my friend Kaylee had landed a job as a PR helping to promote the opening weekend as Calvin Harris was making a guest appearance. She needed someone to help her and I thought – why not?  Being a student I’m always keen to earn some extra cash, so it was the perfect opportunity.

 Promoting for Tokyo Lincoln was fun and easy! We strolled the High Street targeting potential customers and advertised the nightclub by giving away flyers about upcoming events and getting people to fill out free membership forms which allow members to receive special offers. I was surprised by the overwhelming responses I’d received from the general public who were all extremely inquisitive to hear all about it.

 After weeks of promoting, it was finally here! Chart-topper Calvin Harris was about to make an appearance. Lincoln partiers were queuing up from 7pm and doors didn’t even open till 9. Wow – the turnout was great and people were buzzing for this event! Hundreds of eager fans were spotted huddling under umbrellas patiently waiting for the anticipated arrival of the one and only Calvin Harris. People seemed more than happy to wait in the pouring rain for what was going to be one of the biggest events Lincoln had witnessed in recent years.

 When I arrived inside the club for the first time I remember thinking, “Wow”. It’s the most sophisticated, classy, pristine club I’ve seen in Lincoln to date. It’s got a really modern and innovative feel to it, and such a fun and friendly vibe. The atmosphere inside was electrifying and I’d never experienced anything like it in Lincoln, that’s for sure. The club was packed from wall to wall, bottles popping, people dancing – I could tell this was going to be a great night. You could feel the positive energy flowing amongst everyone and it was spreading like wildfire! Laughs and smiles were coming from every direction.

 As soon as Calvin hit the stage the crowd was going insane. Was this really lincoln? It almost felt like we were somewhere else watching the amazing Calvin Harris. It was a refreshing feeling.

 My friend turned around in awe and said, “I don’t feel like I’m in Lincoln.” Its clear to see that the feeling was mutual.

 My Tokyo experience so far has been amazing and I absolutely love working for them. In fact, you can hardly call it working: perks of the job include free staff VIP entries, free drinks, fun nights with the team – what more can you ask for? All of the Tokyo staff I have met including my managers and my fellow Tokyo promoters are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. We all get on like a house on fire and have such a laugh working alongside each other.  I’ve met some lovely people and I’m so grateful for my opportunity as being a part of the grand opening of this prestige nightclub. I have no doubt in my mind that Tokyo Lincoln will continue its success and will be Lincoln’s favorite hotspot for a long time to come.

Next Stage Productions raised the curtain last night on Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Jesus Christ Superstar. The first auditions for the show were back in September when I didn’t even know about the theatre group, writes Matt Waldeck.

My Nan was in contact with the amazing choreographer Amy Dalton who said she was part of a group who were looking for boys. This was happening whilst I was on holiday in April. My Nan rang me and I got straight on the phone to the director, Rachel Ashworth-Jerem, to ask if I could come along to a rehearsal and see if I could be given a part in the production.

I went along the following Thursday with another boy, JJ Marston, and we both sang a part of the last supper to Jason Ashworth who is the Musical Director. I remember that I was so nervous because I had just walked into a room of strangers who were all older than me and I was asked to sing part of a song that I had never heard before, but Jason was very helpful and it was decided that we would be given the parts of apostles and guards.

Once I met the cast I was so relieved because, not only were they friendly and good to get to know, but they were all amazingly talented. I knew I could learn a lot from them, which I definitely have.

All of the rehearsals were strenuous but a lot of fun. We had a few late nights leading up to the performance: our technical rehearsal on the Sunday started at six and I didn’t get home until the early hours of Monday morning.

In the tech rehearsal it was the first time the production had been performed on the Lincoln Theatre Royal stage because we had been rehearsing at Bishop Grosseteste University College, but it was also the first time we had ever used the dreaded cross. I didn’t realise that it was going to be JJ and I who would be putting Alex Lodge (who plays Jesus) on the cross and with the help of two others we would be lifting it with Jesus on it. We had a few practices before we got him on. He must have been terrified. He had just been given the 39 lashes and then was going to be tied onto a 10-foot bit of wood and left to die. Well not really left to die, but he still must have been scared left so high up on his own for a few minutes.

Finally the moment came. Last night the audience flooded in and the audience was packed. Everything went to plan and from what I have heard we all did a really good job. The crucifixion had no mistakes and there were cheers at the end of every song. I was even on the radio today talking to Nicola Gilroy about the show.

For more information on last night’s performance and some audience comments listen to Nicola Gilroy’s BBC Radio Lincolnshire show on BBC iPlayer.

You can still buy tickets up until Saturday 23rd of July from the Theatre Royal website.

The misleading title of the play did at first put me off as I prepared for an evening of over dramatics and failing to keep up with the plot, writes University of Lincoln student Loryn Good.

But I was pleasantly surprised to find a very different play from what I was expecting. “Death by Fatal Murder”, recently performed at the Lincoln Theatre Royal, can only be described as a comedic evening, filled with slapstick entertainment and innuendo’s to reduce any audience into fits of hysteria, including myself.

This play had something for everyone; every joke received a chuckle although arguably some of the slapstick comedy was cliché to an audience looking for something new.

The all-star cast provided 2 hours of sheer enjoyment especially the lead David Callister in his role as ‘Inspector Pratt’ coupled with his constable, ‘PC Thompkins’ or “Atkins” as Pratt likes to call him, played immaculately by Christopher Elderwood.

The excellent comedy duo were able to pull off some wonderful comedic scenes including a spitting tea sequence where a poor aim on Callister’s part resulted in raucous laughter from the audience and sly giggles from cast members.

Leslie Grantham, best known for his role in Eastenders as Dirty Den, successfully pulls off his typecast sneaky character as “Enzo Garibaldi” an Italian guest with a hidden agenda. The entire cast clearly have a wonderful rapport with one another and worked well together on stage.

The matinee performance secured a modest audience of theatre goers who appreciatively laughed, giggled and applauded throughout the performance, making the general feeling in the theatre pleasant and enjoyable.

Upon final bows, the theatre played ragtime music to which Callister chose to give a little jig, which again supported the jolly feeling in the audience. Overall, the performance was thoroughly enjoyable and was received well by all. Well done to the cast!

The time is getting closer for me and my friends to leave university for Christmas, head back home to be spoilt by our parents, eat proper meals and not have to do our own washing up. So after weeks of deadlines, stress and dissertations what better way to relax than to plunge your feet into a tank of fish that nibble them?

Not my initial thought.

When my friend Candi suggested we visit the new Ticklfish salon in the Waterside I was slightly dubious. We arrived full of nerves and giggles to be greeted by friendly and professional staff who answered my endless line of stupid/frequently asked questions.

Apparently the fish are called Garra Rufa fish and have been used for centuries because of their health benefits. Basically they emit enzymes that break down the rough skin on your feet which means that the treatment continues working up to three days after, and yes, they still do need to be fed as they don’t eat your skin.

When you submerge your feet into the tank you experience probably one of the strangest feelings EVER which is hard to describe.

It tickles and feels like you have your feet in a jet spa with thousands of bubbles. You don’t imagine that there are fish swarming around your feet, until you look down that is! Candi had the luxury of two goldfish in her tank, Gary and Ruth, so look out for them if you go in.

Lots of people came into the shop asking questions about what it felt like and the best advice I could offer was to give it a try. After my 15 minutes with the fish was up I was treated to a mini foot massage which topped off the whole experience.

With Christmas coming up everyone deserves a treat and this is certainly an experience and one I would definitely do again! My soft feet were then taken Christmas shopping to get a few last minute presents.

No Saturday night would be complete without Engine Shed, especially because Jaguar Skills was performing. This was something myself and my friends had been looking forward to for months, in fact since he came last year.

After having to walk to Engine on the ice as there were no taxis available we eventually got there and danced the night away to Drum and Bass and girly giggles! The walk home was equally eventful with a few slips and trips – consequently my paracetamol reserves are now running low!

My last year at university is coming to an end, and a lot quicker than I thought, but days and nights like this remind me why I will miss it so much.

The Ticklfish website can be found here: http://ticklfish.com/ and they can also be found on Facebook.

Right back in 2009 I made myself a New Year resolution: I had to attend a ‘gig’ and see what all the fuss was about. We queued for quite a while and we were now standing in a venue I had been in many times before, staring at a stage from an extremely limited personal space.

As soon as Bluey Robinson hit the stage all was forgotten; with the voice and hair of a god all the ladies were swooning while he sang Showgirl and mashed up songs including Use Somebody and Club Can’t Handle Me. I had never heard of Bluey before, but then again I am not renowned as being the most ‘trendy’ person when it comes to downloading music because I can’t really use iTunes… but I shall definitely get someone to download him for me!

While the DJ kept the crowd in the mood Tinie Tempah’s performance was getting closer. Chiddy Bang was next on stage, freestyling his way through words suggested by the crowd. And Lincoln didn’t make it easy for him: anyone who can rap about cheese, golf, Hallowe’en and fragrance deserves a round of applause!

Finally Tinie emerged on stage with his trademark shades and enviable swagger. The crowd went crazy while he sang his number 1 hits including Frisky and others from his album. Having just won two MOBO awards the night before he was extremely happy and kept thanking his fans for their support. My personal space was becoming increasingly limited and a boy even bent down and grabbed my foot thinking it was his girlfriend’s lost bag.

Then that was it! All over! But there was one song that he hadn’t sung: Pass Out, the song everyone had been waiting for. Sure enough he bounced back onto the stage to a room filled with the most energy I have ever experienced! We all sang and jumped around like lunatics. Then before we knew it the stage was empty and the lights were on and I had to join the long queue for my cardigan from the cloakroom.

I have to admit it, I’m a convert. I didn’t see the big deal at first but once you have experienced one of your favourite artists singing some of your favourite songs and felt the energy in the venue you’re addicted.

Tinie said that we were the best venue he had ever played. Yes, I know, he says that to everyone. But I have to admit Lincoln, we were the best!

I had been waiting for it all summer. Freshers Week had finally arrived and I simply couldn’t wait to get back and see all my friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen for three months!

We had bought our tickets for Freshers Week as soon as they had come out; being third years we now knew the tricks of the trade and refused to queue up in the cold.

On Saturday I packed up my life, a fact that I found rather scary – most of my life fitted into the back of a Range Rover… As I walked into my bare room I felt a sense of excitement, although I felt a bit sorry for the Freshers. I was a veteran at this but I remember saying bye to my mum for the first time and being left in this strange room all by myself in a flat with people I had never met before. This time for me was different, I knew my flatmates and my girlies and I had already got a week of fun planned. Starting tonight!

I hadn’t even unpacked all my clothes (sorry Mum…) and I was getting ready to hit Engine Shed. It was fantastic to see all my friends again and we all had a fabulous first night back.

Sunday was host to Icebreaker at Engine Shed. We weren’t Freshers but we were out again. Maybe Gaga was performing and Emma and I managed to grab our picture with her.

On Monday Stevie Starr from Britain’s Got Talent was swallowing live goldfish, padlocks and rings on stage at Engine Shed. This is something that wasn’t helping my hangover. We were then transported back to the 1990s when B*Witched performed on stage. It’s amazing how many words I could remember….sad but true!

By this point in the week my body was flagging from late nights and maybe the alcohol. In fact that is a lie, I was feeling the effects by Sunday but shhhhh! Don’t tell anyone!

Tuesday I managed to get up and hand leaflets out on the bridge for LoveLincoln.co.uk. It was good to meet some new freshers and see some old faces that I hadn’t had time to catch up with yet. Yoyo’s was the destination for lunch and I have to admit it helped my tired body. After handing out leaflets all day Ritzy’s was the club of choice, we didn’t have tickets but luckily we got there early enough so that we weren’t queuing too long. After a few drinks and dancing for a while the week’s events caught up with me, and as there were far too many people I went home at around 2am.

Max and OB were DJing at Engine Shed on the Wednesday, an event that many girls were looking forward to. However the fire alarm went off and we ended up outside…..twice.

Zane Lowe graced Engine Shed with his presence on Thursday….amazing….enough said.

We admitted defeat on Friday and opted for a nice quiet meal at Ask on the Brayford. The other choice was the Roller Disco and we all know what happened last time…

Saturday we were back in Engine Shed and feeling (slightly) revitalised after a brief rest. We danced away to Radio 1 DJ Greg James. His Twitter feed had told us that Ellie Goulding, his girlfriend, was also there, something we were very excited about.

Sunday = bed.

That was my official Freshers Week and my final one as a student. If I had one piece of advice for freshers it would be to enjoy every minute of your time at university as it flies past. So that’s me, head down for my final year, but I won’t let you down: I’ll still be out and about so keep checking back.

Now where is my golf glove?…Pub golf for a friend’s 21st tonight