Free summer fun to beat the crunch

County residents can look forward to a weekend of free and cut-price summer events thanks to the Lincolnshire Echo's Bites Back campaign.

The Lincoln Summer Gala will take place on July 18 and 19 with three free events being put on for local people.

Since February the Echo, along with a board of members made up of the county's movers and shakers, have been giving practical recession-fighting advice and tips ranging from the benefits of shopping locally to how to cope with redundancy.

And as part of the Bites Back members' ongoing efforts, the "three for free" Lincoln Summer Gala will be offering three events at Lincoln Castle, Lincoln City Football Club and on the Brayford.

The first event, which will be held on Brayford Wharf North and the University of Lincoln campus, takes place on Saturday, July 18.

It will include water displays, stalls and activities for children.

Lincoln City Football Club will then continue the community focussed fun on Sunday, July 19 with a day of games for all the family rounded off with a football match.

And Lincolnshire County Council has opened the gates to Lincoln Castle for free, with more tours being put on for visitors.

And it will be even cheaper to get into the city throughout the weekend thanks to discounted offers from Stagecoach East Midlands.

Financial director Dave Skepper said: "We are keen to support the Lincoln Summer Gala because it will be a great opportunity for Lincolnshire people to forget their troubles and worries for a few hours and have a good time with their families.

"We want to try to make sure that everyone can take part, which is why we're helping out with discounted bus travel over the two days."

Discounted boat rides will also be available on the Brayford Belle, with £2 off an adult ticket and £4 off the price of a family ticket between 11am and 4pm on the day.

Full discounts for the weekend will be confirmed nearer the time.

For more on the Lincoln Summer Gala, see Thursday's Echo.