Stallholders at Lincoln Central Market say they are being forced out as part of a multi-million-pound project to transform the site. The City of Lincoln Council will begin work in Spring 2022 to refurbish the whole of Lincoln Central Market to turn it into a modernised hub.

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But stallholders said they felt they were being forced out of the site, with one owner saying he will have to shut up shop for good. Mike Kirk said he will close The Bag Store permanently on Christmas Eve and he will be left without a job as he said he was unable to find anywhere to move to.

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About the story

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Initially stepping into Lincoln Central Market in November 2021 for a piece on what I could spend with £10, I got into conversation with stallholders about their uncertain futures. They were frustrated and clinging on to their last few months before the city council began refurbishments to completely change the market.

 

Realising how big this news was for Lincoln, with the central market having been a prominent part of the city centre for over 40 years, I grabbed the chance to interview stallholders about their plight. Not only was this a strong human interest story and local news story with the stallholders at the centre, but it was an exclusive opportunity to publicise what was happening inside the market.

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I shared the article in other Facebook groups, including ‘Lincoln’, which received a lot of Facebook engagement. Members of the public described it as the “end of an era”, demonstrating how much of an important issue it was for Lincoln.

 

I proceeded to take control of this story by writing several articles from different angles, and I have continued to follow it through for over a year:

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The cobbler in Lincoln Central Market said he has been described by customers as "the last man standing," being one of only two stallholders now remaining in the market. Refurbishment work is set to begin in May, and Rob Ashworth, the owner of Cornhill Shoe Repairs, said that he will be trading up until Easter.

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He said: "I think it echoes a bit in here now. The last few customers have said I'm the 'last man standing' or to switch the lights off when I leave.

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I followed the closure of Lincoln Central Market until the end, focusing on the angle of a first-person perspective from stallholder Rob Ashworth in what became a “ghost town” market, being one of only two stallholders remaining in the market.

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Several stallholders at Lincoln Central Market have already relocated or are preparing to move into their new premises as the clock counts down for the market refurbishments.

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Plans to rejuvenate the market will begin in spring this year and are set to finish in late 2023 or early 2024.

Lincolnshire Live has put together a list below of where several of the stallholders have already moved to or are planning to move to in the coming weeks.

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Once several of the stallholders had found new premises in different areas of the High Street, I did a listicle piece one weekend when I was on desk by myself. I wanted to ensure people were informed of where the traders had moved to, not just focusing on the emotive human interest perspective. 

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Traders who recently moved out of Lincoln Central Market are now adapting to their new locations in shops around Lincoln High Street. The remaining stallholders officially moved out of the market on Friday, April 15, with some of them having had stalls there for over 40 years.

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As refurbishment work to the market is set to begin on Monday, April 25, traders are now looking towards the future in their new locations as they adjust to no longer being in the market. Lincoln's Little Shops, located on St Mary's Street opposite the train station, is shared by traders Caroline Shelley, owner of Classical Underwear, Linda Hodds, owner of The Wool Box and Fey Bird, owner of Alter It.

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As the city awaits the completion of central market refurbishments, former market traders are trying to make things work in new locations around Lincoln High Street. On Friday, April 15, 2022, the traders, many of whom had been in the market for over 40 years, left the market due to the work.

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With some former market traders"scraping by" and others saying they are "really busy", the new locations have created a mix of results over the past year. Some traders say they are still waiting to hear back from City of Lincoln Council on whether they will be able to return to the new market once refurbishments are complete.

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I then spoke to traders on what it was like in their new premises, and a year later followed this up by asking how they were getting on. I will continue to follow this story with the opening of the new Cornhill Market.

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