'People wearing trousers and boring shoes are the weird ones'

Top hats, waistcoats, an array of pocket watches and jewellery - uphill Lincoln has been plunged into a quirky Neo-Victorian world for its annual steampunk festival.

Run annually over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the four-day event blends science fiction with reimagined Victorian fashion and technology, and is held mostly within the backdrop of Lincoln Castle and Cathedral.

Lincoln Steampunk Festival is thought to be the largest and longest-running steampunk event in the world.

Kate Smith, 36, who has travelled from Cambridge for the event with her mum, said: "I love the fact you can be creative and do anything with steampunk. So long as you're being splendid, everything is accepted."

Amber Magliulo, 19, from Leamington Spa, is wandering across the Lincoln Castle grounds in an impressive skull mask made of plaster, which is full of eye-catching jewellery which glued onto it.

She says: "I love being thrown into situations where I'm talking to interesting creatives.

"This is the place I want to be."

Her friend Molly Ramsden, who lives near Stratford, was wearing a striking red and gold waistcoat, which was adorned with various pocket watches of different shapes and sizes.

She said: "I wanted to make an outfit out of stuff I already have in my wardrobe.

"As someone said earlier people wearing trousers and boring shoes are the weird ones, whereas all of us dressed in steampunk are the normal ones for once."

King Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table, as seen in the film Monty Python and The Holy Grail film in 1975, even turned up for the event, having travelled from Birmingham.

One knight, who goes by the name of Baron Wagtail said: "We choose to come to these weekends really for the escapism and sheer magic that the Ministry of Steampunk achieve by converting the city into a place of fantasy, wonder and expressiveness.

"You're able to walk around a beautiful medieval city wearing whatever you want in an atmosphere of sheer whimsy," the 41-year-old added.

The sequins on Graham Lockyer's jacket sparkled as he stood regally in the Lincoln Cathedral grounds, surrounded by other festivalgoers.

For Graham, it is his sixth year attending - and he only lives about 100 yards away from Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.

He said: "Steampunk is a way to express yourself, it's nice to be appreciated on the effort you make with the costumes.

"It can be as simple as finding a hat, just go with it and see where you go.

"Seeing all different ages doing this is good."

First-time attendee Jordan-Leigh Campbell, 29, travelled from Bedford for the event.

She said: "My friend Emily recommended this event. What interested me is that everyone is free to express themselves how they want."

Her friend Emily Dunn, 25, who was attending for her 10th year, said: "It's my favourite thing in the world to do because the community is so gentle and welcoming."

Mother and daughter Kate Smith, 36, and Zoe Baxendale, 66, who live just outside Cambridge, had just lugged a colourful balloon display and trolley up the hill.

Despite the climb, they were still in high spirits for the event, which they have been to about eight times.

Zoe said: "One of the big events in the festival is teapot racing.

"A few years ago I decided I'd like to have a go. I made myself a knitted teapot on the top of a remote control tractor.

"The following year we decided we would run our own event in a non-competitive way - the Teapot Virgins was born."

The steampunk genre also expands into music, films, sculpture, literature and dance.

It is one of the most popular free weekends in Lincoln's events calendar.

This year's theme is 'Weekend at the Asylum', inspired by The Lawn, which opened in 1820 as the Lincoln Lunatic Asylum.

Over the weekend, the event will include markets, parades and exhibitions around the Cathedral Quarter, as well as evening events at the Drill, Engine Shed, Blue Room and Assembly Rooms.

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