50th anniversary LaDiDA dinner to be held at the Showground 22 Jan
In 1896, the Lincoln Cattle Market Auctioneers, together with a group of farmers, butchers and livestock dealers held a meeting of The Lincoln Fatstock Association. These enthusiasts, many of them ancestors of the present Committee, made the arrangements for the Lincoln Christmas Fatstock Show to be held in Lincoln Cattle Market. On the night of the Show a dinner was held at one of the local hotels when the presentations of prizes were made. First Prize for the best pair of bullocks was six guineas.
The Show and Dinner lapsed during the 1939-1945 war and until the end of rationing and the re-introduction of free marketing in the Cattle Market in 1953. The Lincoln Fatstock Dinner of 1953 was held at the Great Northern Hotel, Lincoln. The President of the Dinner was the late J.H.Walter, the grandfather of one of our current committee members.
The last Christmas Fatstock Show and Dinner was held in December 1966 and in March 1967 Lincoln Cattle Market was closed. However, a small group of the old organisation felt that the successful Dinner should continue, and they formed a new committee to arrange an annual dinner to celebrate Agriculture in the county. Diners have enjoyed hearing 158 speakers over the years, from all walks of life, including Farmers, Auctioneers & Land Agents, Accountants, Bankers, Solicitors, Doctors, Clergymen, Members of Parliament, Knights and Noble Earls.
The number of diners has steadily increased over the years and this year will see a record number of 360 diners attending, each connected to Agriculture or the Allied Trades in Lincolnshire.
This year the committee are celebrating the 50th Lincoln and District Dinner to Agriculture, known these days as “The LaDiDA”. For the 50th Dinner, the committee is presenting a special lapel badge to all the diners, which features the LaDiDA bull, depicting well hung beef, a traditional feature of the dinner.
The committee are delighted to announce that this year’s speakers are Minette Batters, NFU President and the first female speaker at the dinner, and Squadron Leader Steve Morris, Red 5 of the Red Arrows, to celebrate the RAF Centenary combined with the RAF’s strong links to Lincolnshire.
The LaDiDA is called to order by the old Lincoln Cattle Market.
The Committee wish to thank all the speakers and diners who have contributed to make this an important event in the Lincolnshire agriculture calendar.
