Grimsby
250638
225368739
2008-07-13T09:21:45Z
80.6.94.131
/* Fishing and maritime industry */
{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}}
{{otheruses}}
{{infobox UK place|
|country = England
|official_name= Grimsby
|static_image = [[Image:Alb flats 240.png]]
|static_image_caption = <small>Flats on Albion Street, Grimsby</small>
|latitude= 53.5595
|longitude= -0.0680
|population = 87,574
|unitary_england= [[North East Lincolnshire]]
|lieutenancy_england= [[Lincolnshire]]
|region= Yorkshire and the Humber
|constituency_westminster= [[Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Grimsby]]
|post_town= GRIMSBY
|postcode_district = DN31 - DN34,
|postcode_district1= DN35, DN37
|postcode_area= DN
|postcode_area1= DN
|dial_code= 01472
|os_grid_reference= TA279087
}}
'''Grimsby''' (or [[Archaism|archaically]] '''Great Grimsby''') is a [[seaport]] on the [[Humber]] Estuary in [[Lincolnshire]], [[England]]. It has been the administrative centre of the [[unitary authority area]] of [[North East Lincolnshire]] since 1996. According to legend, Grimsby was first founded by Grim, a Danish fisherman. 'By' means 'village' in [[Old Norse]] and 'city' or 'town' in the modern [[Danish language]]. The town was previously titled "Great Grimsby" to distinguish it from [[Little Grimsby]], a village about 14 miles (22 km) to the south, near [[Louth, Lincolnshire|Louth]]. People from Grimsby are called Grimbarians.<ref name=bbc_greatgrimsbyday>BBC - [http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2008/01/21/great_grimsby_feature.shtml Great Grimsby Day]</ref>
The town itself has a population of around 87,589. It is physically linked to the adjoining town of [[Cleethorpes]], and 11,000 of its inhabitants live in the village of [[Scartho]] which was absorbed into Grimsby before laws on the [[Green Belt (UK)|Green Belt]] were put in place. All three areas come under the jurisdiction of the same council, North East Lincolnshire. It is close to the main [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/145657 terminus] of the [[M180 motorway|A180]], which ends in Cleethorpes. [[January 22]] is Great Grimsby Day[http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2008/01/21/great_grimsby_feature.shtml].
==History==
===Vikings===
Grimsby was founded by the [[Danes]] in the 9th century AD, although there is some evidence of a small town of Roman workers sited in the area some seven centuries earlier. Located on The Haven, which flowed into the [[Humber]], Grimsby would have provided an ideal location for ships to shelter from approaching storms. It was also well situated for the rich fishing grounds in the [[North Sea]].
The name Grimsby probably originated from the '''Grim's by''', or "Grim's Village". This is based on Grim the [[Danish people|Danish]] Viking, supposedly the founder of the town, with the suffix ''-by'' being the [[Old Norse]] word for village. For more on the legendary founding of Grimsby see the [[Lay of Havelock the Dane]]. This is only one explanation of the founding of Grimsby, and is completely unsupported, being a legend. There is however a Grim and Havelock Association which has produced evidence to back up the legend.
Grimsby is listed in the [[Domesday Book]], having a population of around 200, a priest, a mill and a ferry (probably to take people across the [[Humber]], to [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]]. It also appears in the [[Orkneyinga Saga]] in the phrase ''í grims bæ mithivm'' ‘in the middle of Grimsby’. During the 12th century, it developed into a fishing and trading port, at one point ranking twelfth in importance to the Crown in terms of tax revenue. The town was granted its charter by [[John of England|King John]] in 1201 The first mayor was installed in 1218.
Grimsby does not have town walls. It was too small and was protected by the marshy land around it. However, the town did have a ditch. In medieval times, Grimsby had two parish churches, [[St Mary]]'s and [[St James]]'. Only St James' now remains.
In the 15th century, The Haven began to silt up, preventing ships in the Humber from docking. As a result, Grimsby entered a long period of decline which lasted until the late 18th century. In 1801 , the population of Grimsby numbered 1,524, around the same size that it had been in the [[Middle Ages]].
===Fishing and maritime industry===
In the early 19th century, the town grew rapidly. The Great Grimsby Haven Company was formed by Act of Parliament in May 1796 (the Grimsby Haven Act) for the purpose of "widening, deepening, enlarging, altering and improving the Haven of the Town and Port of Great Grimsby". Grimsby's port boomed, importing iron, timber, wheat, hemp and flax. New docks were necessary to cope with the expansion. The Grimsby Docks Act of 1845 allowed the necessary building works.
[[Image:Alexandra Docks.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Alexandra Docks and National Fishing Heritage Museum]]
The [[Dock Tower]] was completed in 1851, followed by The Royal Dock in 1852. No.1 Fish Dock was completed in 1856, followed by No.2 Fish Dock in 1877. Alexandra Dock and Union Dock followed in 1879. During this period the fishing fleet was greatly expanded.
The arrival of the railway in 1848 made it far easier to transport goods to and from the port. Coal mined in the South Yorkshire coal fields was brought by rail and exported through Grimsby. The population of Grimsby grew from 75,000 in 1901 to 92,000 by 1931 but then remained fairly static for the rest of the 20th century. [http://www.nelincs.gov.uk/council/populationstatistics/census_population_figures_for_settlements_1931-2001.htm]
The former Humber [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/46380 ferry], ''[[PS Lincoln Castle]]'', is [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/228313 moored] in Alexandra Dock. It used to be a pub\restaurant, but now lies adjacent to Corporarion Bridge, its future very much uncertain. Also in the dock is the ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/263253 Ross Tiger]'', a [[Commercial trawler|trawler]] which can be toured in the summer as part of the Fishing Heritage [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/145086 centre].
===World War II===
During [[World War II]], Grimsby's status as a major port made it a focus of the German [[Luftwaffe]].{{Fact|date=January 2008}} They used the [[Dock Tower]] as a landmark and refused to bomb it (the British Government discussed its' demolition to prevent its use as a navigational aid).{{Fact|date=January 2008}} It was later revealed that had the German invasion been successful Grimsby would have been one of the first landing points in the north of England due to the combination of its location and its infrastructure.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} This was probably one reason why the town suffered significantly less bombing raids than neighbouring fishing port [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] whose geographical location would have made it harder to reach. However, Grimsby was still hit by numerous air raids during the war and 197 people were killed. Grimsby was also the first place in [[Great Britain]] to have the [[Butterfly Bomb]] used against it by the [[Luftwaffe]] in 1943, devastating many areas{{Fact|date=October 2007}}.
The Royal Dock was used as the UK's largest base for [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweeper]]s, to patrol the [[North Sea]]. Minesweepers are military vessels using deep-sea trawling methods. There is a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/141676 memorial] next to the dock.
In reference to modern-day minesweeping, [[HMS Grimsby (M108)|HMS Grimsby]] is a [[Sandown class minehunter]] (commissioned in 1999) currently in service in the [[List of mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy|Royal Navy]].
===Local government===
{{infobox historic subdivision|
|Name= Great Grimsby
|HQ= Grimsby
|Status= [[Town Charter Granted 1201]]<br>[[Municipal Borough]] (until 1889)<br>[[County Borough]] (1889-1974)<br>[[Non-metropolitan District|Borough]] (after 1974)
|Start= 1835
|End= 1996
|Replace= [[North East Lincolnshire]]
|Map= [[Image:HumbersideGreatGrimsby.png]]<br><small>Great Grimsby as a Borough of Humberside</small>
|Arms= [[Image:Grimsbycoat.jpg|100px]]<br><small>Arms of Great Grimsby Borough Council</small>
|AreaFirst= {{convert|2868|acre|km2}}
|AreaFirstYear= 1911
|AreaLast= {{convert|5881|acre|km2}}
|AreaLastYear= 1961
}}
Great Grimsby formed an ancient Borough in the [[North Riding of Lindsey|North Riding]] of [[Lindsey|Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey]].<ref name=vision_ancientboro>Vision of Britain - [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10134316 Great Grimsby]</ref> It was reformed by the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]] and became a Municipal Borough in that year.<ref name=vision_grimsby>Vision of Britain - [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10000567&c_id=10001043 Grimsby MB/CB] ([http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/bound_map_page.jsp?first=true&u_id=10000567&c_id=10001043 historic map])</ref> In 1889 a County Council was created for Lindsey, but Great Grimsby was outside its area of control and formed an independent [[County Borough]] in 1891.<ref name=vision_grimsby/> The Borough expanded to absorb the adjacent hamlet of Wellow (1889), also the neighbouring parishes of [[Old Clee|Clee-with-Weelsby]] (1889), [[Little Coates]] (1928), [[Scartho]] (1928), [[Weelsby]] (1928) and [[Great Coates]] (1968). It had its own [[police]] force until 1967 when it merged with the Lincolnshire force.<ref>A History of the Lincolnshire Branch - [http://www.lincs.police.uk/getFile.asp?FC_ID=181&docID=189 Chapter One - The First Ten Years]</ref>
In 1974, the County Borough was abolished<ref name=vision_grimsby/> and Great Grimsby was reconstituted (with the same boundaries) as the ''Grimsby'' non-metropolitan district in the new county of [[Humberside]] by the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. The district was renamed ''Great Grimsby'' in 1979. Local government in the area came under the review of the [[Local Government Commission for England (1992)|Local Government Commission for England]] and Humberside was abolished in 1996. The former area of the Great Grimsby district merged with that of [[Cleethorpes (borough)|Cleethorpes]] to form the unitary authority of [[North East Lincolnshire]].<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19950600_en_1.htm The Humberside (Structural Change) Order 1995] SI 1995/600</ref> The town does not have its own town council, instead there is a board of [[Charter Trustees]]. During 2007, in the struggle for identity, it was suggested that the district could be renamed to something like ''Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes'' to give a stronger indication of the towns the district consists of. This didn't meet with favourable comment among local residents, and the Council Leader dropped the idea a year later<ref>North East Lincolnshire Council - ''[http://www.nelincs.gov.uk/news/namechange.htm Council to consult on possible name change]''</ref>
==Economy and manufacturing==
===Frozen food===
Grimsby is indelibly linked with the sea fishing industry, which once gave the town much of its wealth. At its peak in the 1950s, it was the largest and busiest fishing port in the world.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} However as a result of the [[Cod Wars]] with [[Iceland]] this industry has been in decline for many years. It is still home to the largest [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/626900 fish market] in the UK although most of what is sold is now brought overland from other ports or [[Iceland]] via [[containerisation]].
In recent years the [[frozen food]] industry has become a large part of Grimsby's economy and new industries such as light engineering, chemicals and plastics have grown. Grimsby held the record at one time for the largest 'Cold Store' in the UK and it was in Grimsby that the UK's first 'fish finger' food was produced in 1955. [[Birds Eye]] closed their frozen ready meal factory in 2005, ending a link with the town that stretched back 50 years. The said factory has since been demolished, following a fire which gutted the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/716965 building] and almost totally destroyed it itself. Arson is suspected.
70% of the fish sold at the town's [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/390295 market] is now imported from outside the [[United Kingdom]], particularly [[Iceland]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/59214.stm Grimsby nets a 'pizza' the action] - BBC News Online</ref>
Grimsby is colloquially known as ''UK Food Town'',<ref>[http://www.knowhere.co.uk/321.html UK Food Town]</ref> previously known as ''Europe's Food Town''. It is said that more pizzas are produced in Grimsby than anywhere else.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/59214.stm Grimsby nets a 'pizza' the action] - BBC News Online</ref>
The food production and seafood heritage links are perpetuated in a UK 2006 [[Young's Bluecrest|Young's Seafood]] television advertising campaign emphasising Grimsby as the source of its seafood products. In the campaign, Grimsby Docks are briefly shown, at dusk, lit and shot somewhat romantically. In 2008 this was followed up by further commercials paying reference to the town and its main industry as the company launched a range of ''Great Grimsby'' fish-based frozen meals.
===Main employers===
Some of the largest employers in the area are the pharmaceutical giant [[Novartis]] (since 1951 making pharmaceuticals at its [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/145650 factory] and employs about 400 people) at ''Pyewipe'' close to the A180, chemical [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/145922 producer] [[Huntsman Corp.|Tioxide Europe]] (making [[Titanium dioxide]] white [[pigment]]s) on ''Moody Lane'' with its landmark [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/148665 chimney], and food processor Young's Bluecrest Seafood next to the docks on ''Wickham Road''. A significant number of locals are employed at the refineries located at nearby [[Immingham]] and in associated industries.
The port partnership of Grimsby & Immingham is the largest port in the UK in terms of tonnage, with a total traffic of 57 million [[tonne]]s, 10% of the total, in 2006. Alexandra Dock is used to [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532754 import cars]. The [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/626898 Royal Dock] imports food, such as [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532701 fish].
== Flood sirens ==
The [[Environment Agency]] has awarded [[Sheffield]]-based telemetry company CSE Seprol a contract to supply flood warning devices for risk areas in [[East Anglia]]. CSE Seprol provides outstations that control the risk area's flood warning sirens to alert local people of impending severe flooding. The control and monitoring of the sirens is linked by a Seprol S250 telemetry outstation to the Environment Agency's Regional telemetry system.
The 18 sirens, at various locations around the flood risk area of [[Grimsby]] and Cleethorpes, should reach 25,500 households to warn them of portending [[flood]]s. The sirens will only be sounded in the event of the [[Environment Agency]] issuing a severe flood warning for tidal flooding or if there is a likelihood of the sea defences being breached. The sirens make a variety of sounds, from the traditional wailing sound to a voice message. The alarms are said to sound like [[World War II]] [[air raid]] sirens, with an '[[all clear]]' system in place.
In the event of flood siren activation, which can give up to six hours notice of pending floods, residents are advised to go indoors and listen to local radio stations [[BBC Radio Humberside]] or [[Viking FM]].
Testing of the sirens takes place annually on [[26 October]], and residents are not required to take any action.
==Places of interest and landmarks==
* Grimsby Docks
* [[Grimsby Dock Tower]]
* Welholme Galleries (Hainton Avenue)
* [[National Fishing Heritage Centre]], ([[West Marsh]])
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/310087 Grimsby Town Hall]
* Freshney Place Shopping Centre
* [[Corporation Bridge]]
* [[Weelsby Woods]]
* [[Humber Forts]]
* [[Waltham Windmill]]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/732021 People's Park] and Floral Hall
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/146188 St James' Church] (also known as [[Grimsby Parish Church]]) and the [http://www.hodsonarchitects.com/projects/community/fishermens.html Fisherman's Memorial]
* [[Grimsby Institute]] which features one of the best Media centres in the [[UK]]{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. It also features local [[Channel 7 Television]]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/21830 Grimsby Marina]
* Grimsby is the site of a [[The Blue Cross|Blue Cross]] Animal Hospital, one of only four in the country, the other three being situated in London. The Grimsby hospital was previously in Cleethorpe Road, but in 2005 it moved to a new building called 'Coco Markus House' in the town's Nelson Street.
==Education==
Up to the age of 16, the results in recent years for Grimsby have not been particularly good, being one of the worst areas in England. However, two schools nearby, outside of Grimsby, in [[New Waltham]] (Toll Bar Business & Enterprise College) and [[Healing, Lincolnshire|Healing]] do quite well, performing notably better than all other schools in the Borough. Past the age of 16, for A-level education, Grimsby's [[Franklin College, Grimsby|Franklin College]] gets excellent results (as does the Toll Bar College). The [[Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education]], which is located near to Franklin College, operates mainly to educate vocational students and achieves respectable examination results at all levels of adult education. The Institute has attracted a large number of foreign students from China to business studies courses in recent years following on from a tradition which saw many students from overseas taking courses connected with the fishing industry. It has also experimented with local television - Channel 7 Television.
==Shopping facilities==
The award-winning [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/57018 Freshney Place] Shopping Centre<ref> http://www.rospa.co.uk/awards/winners2006/silver.htm RoSPA Silver Award]</ref> in the heart of the town boasts over 70 stores including [[Marks and Spencer]], Binns ([[House of Fraser]]) and [[BHS]]. It was originally constructed between 1967 and 1971 in a joint venture between the old ''Grimsby Borough Council'' and developers [[Hammerson|Hammerson's UK Ltd.]] and was known as the ''Riverhead Centre'' (so named as the development was adjacent to where the two local rivers, the [[River Freshney|Freshney]] and the Haven, meet). ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/144850 Victoria Street]'' is the main shopping street.
The Riverhead Centre development caused some controversy at the time as it followed the 1960s trend of replacing old architecture with new; in this case it involved the wholesale demolition of much of the old town centre including the historic Bull Ring (which is now where [[Wilkinson (shop)|Wilkinson's]], the [[Halifax plc|Halifax Bank]] and the St James Hotel are based) and streets going back many centuries including ''Flottergate'', ''Brewery Street'' and ''East St Mary's Gate''.
In 1990 the council agreed to sell the area around the shopping centre, used for surface car parking, to [[Hammerson|Hammerson's UK Ltd.]]. The development owner and [[Humberside County Council]], the [[highway authority]] at that time, agreed to the sale of the area of ''Baxtergate'', the road which ran to the rear of the shopping centre, between the shopping centre and the surface car park. ''Baxtergate'' was relocated alongside the River Freshney and became phase one of the [[Peaks Parkway]]. [[Hammerson|Hammerson's UK Ltd]]. began a £100 million redevelopment of the site which saw it double in size. The centre was also covered in a glass roof and (where the new extension was built) two multi-storey car parks were constructed at each end of the centre, effectively privatising, roofing and enclosing the old ''Top Town'' area of Grimsby. Servicing to the stores was made available from a first floor service area, accessible by even large vehicles, using a ramp at the western end. The ramp also provided access to the car park on the roof of the indoor market which is operated by the local council. In recognition of the design of the new facilities, the Royal Town Planning Institute awarded the scheme a commendation in 1992.
Other developments near the town centre include a new [[Tesco Extra]] (the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/368832 second] in the area), the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/716956 Victoria Mills] Retail Park which is home to several chain stores including [[Next (retailer)|Next]] and a [[B&Q]] [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/150880 Depot] off the [[Peaks Parkway|Peaks Parkway A16]].
Unlike many other towns who have shopping facilities on their outskirts, these (and other similar developments) can be found in and around Grimsby's town centre, making shopping far easier for pedestrians and public transport users, reflecting Grimsby's relatively cheap central commercial land. Other major retailers include the [[supermarket]] chains [[Tesco]], [[Marks & Spencers]], [[Sainsbury's]], [[ASDA]] on ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/737479 Holles Street]'' and [[Morrison's]]. The [[Morrison's]] store is located just outside the town boundary, in the parish of [[Laceby]], and is peculiarly known as Morrison's Cleethorpes. This is an anomaly arising from when the area was part of the now defunct [[Cleethorpes]] Borough. Most major [[supermarket]]'s in the town have expanded somewhat in the last few years, including a massive extension built at [[ASDA]], and more recently another floor was built at [[Tesco]] at Hewitts Circus. Trade is going from strength to strength.
There are also a number of local, independent specialist stores and the ''Abbeygate Centre'' (off Bethlehem Street) is where many are located. [[Abbeygate Centre]] has been dubbed "Little Town" by locals. Once the head office of local brewers ''Hewitt Brothers'' it was renovated in the mid-1980s and is home to a number of restaurants and designer clothing stores. The town also has two markets, one next to Freshney Place and the other in ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/737481 Freeman Street]'' (B1213), itself once a dominant shopping area in the town with close connections to the docks but one that has sadly struggled since the late 1970s when the fishing industry declined.
In March 2007, Henry Boot properties announced a new £30m shopping development adjacent to the existing Freshney Place site. The project will create 150,000 [[square feet]] of retail space and 290 car parking places on land between the River Freshney and Sainsbury's, presently occupied by the former [[Travis Perkins]] builders' merchants. Included in the plans are 25 residential apartments with the possibility of riverside Nightclubs and amusement Arcades.
A new retail and leisure complex is also to be built on the West Marsh by landowners [[P&O]] Estates. Covering {{convert|85|acre|ha|0}} and costing £35 million it is planned to be open by 2009{{Fact|date=June 2007}}, although there is little evidence of construction work as of March 2008; a smaller retail development is planned alongside the proposed new stadium for [[Grimsby Town FC]] at [[Great Coates]] adjacent to the A180, scheduled for completion in mid-2010. A road access to the area has been built from a new roundabout on ''Cromwell Road'', near to the town's Leisure Centre, with a bridge, over the main railway line to the town, leading to the former refuse land fill site. There is a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/145518 retail park] next to Alexandra Dock.
Such is the quality of shopping in the area that bus services are run to bring in shoppers from across the county of [[Lincolnshire]], especially from smaller towns such as [[Louth, Lincolnshire|Louth]], [[Brigg]], [[Market Rasen]] and [[Scunthorpe]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
==Entertainment==
The area has a developed, if somewhat ''corporate'', nightlife. Aside from the [[nightclub]]s in nearby [[Cleethorpes]], the town centre has undergone a renaissance in the last decade. A number of national pub chains have redeveloped or opened new outlets, including a specially-built complex at the Riverhead which is home to three (originally five) such operations. Prior to the late 1960s many public houses in the area were owned by the local brewer ''Hewitt Brothers'' and gave a distinctive local touch but following a takeover in 1969 by the brewer [[Bass (beer)|Bass Charrington]] these have been re-badged (many times), closed or sold off; examples are the ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/146163 Yarborough Hotel]''.
Musical entertainment is found at the [[Grimsby Auditorium]], built in 1995, on ''Cromwell Road'' in Yarborough near [http://www.slm-leisure.co.uk/centres/grimsbyleisure Grimsby Leisure Centre]. The smaller Caxton Theatre is on ''Cleethorpe Road'' (A180) in East Marsh near the docks. The [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532478 Caxton Theatre] provides entertainment by adults and youths in theatre. A notable theatre company in the area is the Class Act Theatre Company run by local playwright David Wrightam. The company produces strong factual drama and premiere award-winning productions.
North East Lincolnshire Council have installed a Wi-Fi network covering ''Victoria Street'' in central Grimsby. The service provides access to the Internet for the general public on a yearly subscription.
==Politics==
Since 1977 [[Austin Mitchell]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]) has been the [[Member of Parliament]] for the [[Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Grimsby]] [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532489 constituency]. Mitchell, a journalist by trade, succeeded in a [[by-election]] following the death of the [[Highgate School]]-educated incumbent [[Anthony Crosland]], who was elected in 1959 and after several ministerial posts, reached the rank of [[Foreign Secretary]] in 1976. Crossland served in the Government of [[Harold Wilson]] as Education Minister and Foreign Secretary. He was a champion of [[Comprehensive school|comprehensive]] education, and [http://www.whitgift-school.co.uk Whitgift School] is situated in the town's ''Crosland Road''.
Other Members of Parliament for Grimsby include the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] politician [[William Younger]], a member of the Youngers brewing dynasty, elected in 1945. The constituency of [[Great Grimsby]] is considered a Labour [[stronghold]] although Austin Mitchell held the seat in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983 General Election]] with a majority of less than 1,000.
==Transport==
===Buses===
Grimsby's bus service is provided by [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] which took over the original ''Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport'' in 1993. ''Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport'' had been formed in 1957, with the merger of the previously separate Grimsby and Cleethorpes transport (GCT) undertakings. Stagecoach had all the buses resprayed to their standard livery to replace the buses previous colour-scheme of orange and white. Prior to this, the buses were painted blue and white until 1981, when the colours were changed to caramel and cream. The orange and white livery was introduced in 1987. Until 1982 ''GCT'' ran a mixture of crewed and
one-person operated services. However, in that year the job of conductor was abolished and the company changed entirely to driver-only services.
In 2005, Stagecoach bought out ''Lincolnshire Road Car'', who provided buses to [[Killingholme]], [[Louth, Lincolnshire|Louth]], [[Barton-upon-Humber]] and the Willows Estate. The company is now known as ''[[Stagecoach in Lincolnshire]]''. Joint ticketing was allowed with ''[[Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes]]'' from May 2006.
From September 2006, a new fleet of low-floor single-decker was introduced, making the fleet an unprecedented 85% low-floor.
===Railways===
Grimsby also has rail links via [[Grimsby Town railway station]] and [[Grimsby Docks railway station]]. There is a [[level crossing]] in the centre of the town [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/429939 across] ''Wellowgate''. [[TransPennine Express]] provide direct trains to [[Manchester Airport railway station|Manchester Airport]] via [[Doncaster railway station|Doncaster]] and [[Sheffield Midland station|Sheffield]] whilst [[Northern Rail]] operate services to [[Barton-on-Humber railway station|Barton-upon-Humber]] (for buses to [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]]) and [[Lincoln Central railway station|Lincoln]] and [[East Midlands Trains]] services to [[Nottingham railway station|Nottingham]]. The service to Cleethorpes runs at least hourly during the day, along a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/369940 single track], passing stations at [[Grimsby Docks railway station|Grimsby Docks]] and [[New Clee railway station|New Clee]].
===Former trams===
Grimsby was home to two tramway networks: the ''[[Grimsby District Light Railway]]'' and the ''[[Grimsby & Immingham Electric Railway]]''. The Grimsby Electric was a normal gauge tramway opened in 1912 between [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/52622 Corporation Bridge] at Grimsby and [[Immingham]]. There was no physical connection with the railway system. The tramway served the town with a passenger service between Grimsby and Immingham until closure in 1961. It is claimed that once this was controlled by the Corporation, they were more interested in supporting the motorbus service, now number 45.
The Grimsby Light Railway opened in 1881 using horse drawn trams. In 1901, these were replaced with electric tramways. In 1925 the Grimsby Transport Company bought the tramway company and in 1927 moved the depot to the Victoria Street Depot, an old [[sea plane]] hangar. This system closed in 1937. The [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/184069 depot] continues to be used by Stagecoach, though the old Grimsby Tramways livery is still visible on the front of the building.
Operating in the area until the 1950s was a network of electrically operated trolley buses which received their power from overhead power lines.
In the early years of the new millennium it was suggested that a [[Tram]]way system much like the [[Sheffield Supertram]] should be built in Grimsby. Various news reports and details of which areas the trams might go through were published, though the project was abandoned due to lack of funding. Currently there are no active plans to bring back this proposed system.
===Airport===
14 miles west of Grimsby is [[Humberside Airport]], which mainly caters for charter holidays, and is popular for general aviation, with five flying clubs based there. There are also scheduled flights to [[Aberdeen]] and [[Amsterdam]], provided by [[Eastern Airways]] and [[KLM]] respectively.
==Redevelopment and regeneration==
Grimsby is soon to be vastly redeveloped as over £13 million is being used to improve the town.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} It is currently being planned out by a small team of officials,{{Who|date=June 2007}} however no details have been released as to which areas of the town will specifically change.
<br />
Recently it has been suggested that some of the areas that will be redeveloped include Freeman Street and the Yarborough Estate.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
==Media==
The ''[[Grimsby Telegraph]]'', with an audited circulation of 40,533 copies (January-June 2004), has the highest circulation of a local newspaper in Grimsby and the surrounding area since it is the only daily newspaper. Its [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/368464 headquarters] are on ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/369855 Cleethorpe Road]'' next to the A180. A "Cleethorpes Chronicle" was launched as a weekly in April 2008 www.cleethorpeschronicle.co.uk. The only locally owned newspaper in the area. The local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Humberside]] (which has a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/310082 studio] on ''Victoria Street'' manned by [http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2006/05/08/lara_king_afternoon_show_humberside_feature.shtml Lara King]), [[Lincs FM]], [[Viking FM]] and the exclusively [[North East Lincolnshire]]-based [[Compass FM]]. The transmitter for Compass FM and [[EMAP Humberside]] (Lincs FM DAB) is on top of a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532459 block of flats] in East Marsh. The local television channel is [[Channel 7 Television]], which has studios in [[Immingham]] and the [[Grimsby Institute]].
===Grimsby in the media===
*The old [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/390198 ice factory] on Grimsby Docks was used as one of the locations for the film ''[[Atonement (film)|Atonement]]'' (2007). Adapted from a novel by [[Ian McEwan]] the film stars [[Keira Knightley]].
*Local actor [[Thomas Turgoose]], was studying at the town's [[Wintringham School]] when he starred in the [[Shane Meadows]] film, ''This Is England'' (2006). Most of the movie was also filmed in the town.
*[[Bernie Taupin]], who lived in [[Humberston]] and Tealby, near Market Rasen, when in his teens, wrote a song called ''Grimsby'' that was featured on [[Elton John]]'s 1974 album "Caribou".
*Corporation Bridge was featured in the video for the [[Erasure]] song "The Circus". It also featured clips showing [[Cleethorpes]]' Big Wheel.
*Grimsby was the location for the 1937 film ''The Last Adventurers''.
*The town's ''Scartho Hospital'' - now [[Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital]], as well as the Scartho Cemetery entrance featured in the 1985 film ''[[Clockwise (film)|Clockwise]]'', starring [[John Cleese]].
*Grimsby was featured in the [[Open University]] documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', which despite the food heritage of historic significance, chose to show only a '[http://www.bbc.co.uk/coast/programmes/11-robin-hoods-bay-wash.shtml fish-finger]' production line.
*A rash of lottery winners in the late 1990s saw the town being officially designated "Winsby" by the Grimsby Evening Telegraph but despite popular support this new name never really caught on.
*The town went '''[[Pop Idol]]'' mad' in 2003 when Grimsby girl Kim Gee made it into the final 12 of the live TV talent show and in 2006 youngster Georgia Taylor emerged from the smoke and dazzled the nation as the winner of ''[[Stars in Their Eyes|Stars in Their Eyes Kids]]'' but later lost out in the live final. Kim Gee now presents a daily [[radio]] show called [http://www.compassfm.co.uk Compass FM], which is broadcast locally.
*Grimsby also went '''[[The X Factor (UK)|X Factor]]'' crazy' when in the first series, [[G4 (band)|G4]], a pop quartet with a member from Grimsby, and Verity Keays, a singer from Grimsby, all made final three. Neither Verity nor G4 won the contest, but G4 went on to become a big success.
*The ''Grimsby Telegraph'' also encouraged the town to support [[Big Brother (UK)|Big Brother]] 6 contestant [[Derek Laud]] because in the early 1980s he was once a researcher for [[Michael Brown (UK politician)|Michael Brown]], who was then MP for [[Brigg and Cleethorpes (UK Parliament constituency)|Brigg and Cleethorpes]].
*Grimsby features in the [[PlayStation 3]] [[videogame]] [[Resistance: Fall of Man]], where the player has to escape a [[Chimeran]] Conversion Centre on the Docks.<ref>[http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?articleId=2006051285459468019§ionId=1006 Resistance: Fall of Man]</ref>
*The ''Grimsby Telegraph'' is currently offering a huge amount of support to local filmmaker [[Tony lane]] who is currently in pre-production on his first feature length movie ''[[Invasion of the Not Quite Dead]]'' which will be produced by legendary filmmaker [[Ken Russell]].
*In January 2001, Nicholas Griffin, the owner of the ''[http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532501 Little Amsterdam]'' sex shop on ''Freeman Road'' was [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/porn-seller-fined-for-tame-films-702872.html fined] £5,800 at York Magistrates Court for four offences under the [[Trade Descriptions Act 1968]] because angry customers had complained to [http://www.york.gov.uk/advice/Trading_standards/ Trading Standards] officers in York that some of the films he sold were not pornographic enough.
==Sport==
The football team is [[Grimsby Town F.C.]], nicknamed 'The Mariners', who play in [[Football League Two|League Two]]. Their ground is [[Blundell Park]] in [[Cleethorpes]]. Due to the club's football grounds being in the neighbouring town it's often joked by locals, that it's the only British club that plays away every game. It is the oldest professional [[football (soccer)|football]] team in the [[county]] of [[Lincolnshire]] (indeed one of the oldest in the country being formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham with a home ground on land off Ainslie Street, Grimsby).
During the 1930s they played in the English First Division, the then highest level of the domestic game in England. They also appeared in two [[FA Cup]] semi-finals in this decade, in 1936 (against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]) and 1939 (against [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]]). The latter semi-final was held at [[Old Trafford (football ground)|Old Trafford]], [[Manchester]], and the attendance (76,962) is still a record for that stadium.
They also reached an FA Cup quarter-final 1987 and in 1998 won the [[Football League Trophy|Auto Windscreens Shield]] and the second division play-off final. Notable former managers include [[Bill Shankly]] and [[Lawrie McMenemy]].
Blundell Park has the oldest stand in English professional football, the Main Stand. It was first opened in 1899 although only the present-day foundations date from this time. The club plan to move to a proposed new stadium, sponsored by [[ConocoPhillips]], at nearby [[Great Coates]] in the summer of 2009. This will cost £14m{{Fact|date=March 2007}} and accommodate 20,000 spectators.
[[Grimsby Borough F.C.]] is a football club established in 2003 and based in Grimsby. They are members of the [[Central Midlands Football League|Central Midlands League Supreme Division]].
The area also boasts an amateur rugby union side, the [http://beehive.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=2775 Grimsby RUFC], and an amateur cricket side, the [http://grimsbytown.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp Grimsby Town Cricket Club], both of which attract reasonable levels of support. Tennis teams from local clubs have been successful in various inter-County competitions with the Men's Team from [http://home.comcast.net/~grimsbytenniscentre/teams.htm#_top Grimsby Tennis Centre] winning the Lincolnshire Doubles League again in 2005. Tennis players from the town represent the County on a regular basis at all age levels.
'''[[Grimsby Tennis Centre]]''' underwent a major redevelopment of facilities in 2005 and is now entirely accessible to the disabled.
The town had one of the largest [[table tennis]] leagues in the country ([http://www.grimsbytt.co.uk Grimsby & District Table Tennis League])with over 120 teams competing during the 1970s, but sadly, like the game of [[squash (sport)|squash]], the sport has declined in the town during recent years.
[http://www.cleethorpescricketclub.co.uk Cleethorpes Cricket Club] (Chichester Road, Cleethorpes) has three [[squash (sport)|squash]] courts, [http://www.millfieldshotel.co.uk Millfields Hotel] (in ''Bargate'') two courts and there is one court at [http://home.comcast.net/~grimsbytenniscentre/Members_Area/Squash/SquashMenu.htm Grimsby Tennis Centre] (''Weelsby Avenue'', Grimsby).
==Notable connections==
The lack of green belt land and close proximity between Cleethorpes and Grimsby meant that many Grimbarians (natives of Grimsby) were born at the now defunct Croft Baker Maternity Hospital in Cleethorpes. Those born and/or brought up in the area include:
*[[Shirley Bloomer Brasher|Shirley Brasher (Bloomer)]] (1934) won the [[French Open]] Singles and Doubles titles in 1957, and the French Open Mixed title in 1958. She played tennis in her early years at Grimsby Tennis Club. She was married to athlete [[Chris Brasher]]. Shirley was part of the successful 1958 team that beat the USA in the [[Wightman Cup]], the first time it had been done for 30 years. At the veterans level, Shirley has won many British national tiles and continues to represent Great Britain internationally at the sport.
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/presenters/quentin_cooper.shtml Quentin Cooper], the presenter of [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]]'s ''[[Material World (radio programme)|Material World]]'', and film correspondent for [[BBC Radio 2]] grew up in the town, attending Wintringham School.
*Peter "Mars" Cowling - Bass player in the [[Pat Travers]] Band for many years.
*[[Michele Dotrice]] (1948) - actress famed for playing the role of [[Betty Spencer]] in the 1970s comedy [[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]
*Brenda Fisher - the daughter of a Grimsby trawler skipper, she was one of the first women to swim the [[English Channel]]
*[[Helen Fospero]] - newsreader for [[Sky News]] and [[Five (channel)|Five]] News
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/looknorthyorkslincs/content/articles/2008/06/12/keeleydonovan_feature.shtml Keeley Donovan], weather presenter for [[BBC North]]
*[[Freddie Frinton]] (1909-1968) - a comedian famous for playing a drunk (although in real life he was [[teetotal]]). He is more famous in [[Germany]] and [[Scandinavia]] than he is in his native [[United Kingdom]] due to a recording of a sketch of his entitled [[Dinner for One]]. Based on a music hall act he used to perform this is shown in Europe each year as part of the [[New Year's Eve]] celebrations. In his own country he is generally more remembered for his role in the 1960s [[BBC]] comedy ''Meet The Wife'' which also starred [[Thora Hird]].
*[[Freddie Frith]] (1909) - former [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Grand Prix]] [[motorcycle]] [[road racing]] [[List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions|World Champion]].
*[[Vivean Gray]] (1924) - actress most noted for the role of Nell Mangel in the Australian soap opera [[Neighbours]]; her father was once a fish merchant on Grimsby Docks
*[[Dan Haigh]] (1981) - bass guitarist in rock group [[Fightstar]], was also born and brought up in the town.
*[[Patricia Hodge]] (1946) - television actress whose numerous roles include the series [[Rumpole of the Bailey]] and [[Jemima Shore Investigates]]. Her parents used to manage the now defunct Royal Hotel in the town. She attended [[Wintringham School]] in Grimsby.
*[[Ian Huntley]] (1974) - Convicted for the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Huntly lived in Grimsby and Scunthorpe before moving to Soham. He was well-known in local pubs such as 'The Hainton' and 'The Longship'.<ref>[http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91060-12947479,00.html Sky News] -
Profile of Ian Huntley</ref>
*Dame [[Madge Kendal]] (1848-1935) - a famous theatrical actress at the turn of the 20th century. Dame Kendal Grove, in [[Nunsthorpe]], is named after her.
*[[Tony Lane]] (1978) filmmaker/Indywood Founder
*[[Duncan McKenzie]] (1950)–1970s footballer. Played for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Everton. Famous for feats such as jumping over a Mini from a standing start and throwing a cricket ball out of the ground at Leeds. He attended [[Wintringham School]].
*[[Duncan Newmarch]] - BBC continuity announcer and former commercial radio presenter
*[[Julie Peasgood]] (1956) - another actress who has had many television appearances including a major role as Fran in the former soap opera [[Brookside]]. She grew up in Grimsby and attended [[Wintringham School]].
*[[Matthew Stiff]] (1979) - vocalist with troupe [[G4 (band)|G4]] was born in the town and brought up in the nearby village of Waltham.
*[[John Whitgift]] (1530–1604) - rose to become [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] under Queen Elizabeth I.
*[[Patrick Wymark]] (1926–1970) - actor noted for his roles in the popular 1960s ITV drama [[The Power Game]] and in the 1970 film ''[[Cromwell (film)|Cromwell]]'', alongside [[Richard Harris]]. The film was completed shortly before his premature death at the age of 44. Wymark View was named after him. (His daughter [[Jane Wymark]] is an accomplished actress in her own right, presently seen playing Mrs Barnaby in the drama [[Midsomer Murders]].
*Numerous well-known [[snooker]] players come from the town, the best-known being Sid Hood, [[Ray Edmonds]] (1936), [[Dean Reynolds]] (1963), [[Mike Hallett]] (1959), [[Sean Storey]] (1971) and Stuart Carrington (c.1990).
Those with connections to the town include:
*[[Jeffrey Archer]] (1940) - when he was [[Member of Parliament]] for the former Louth constituency from 1970 to 1974, his constituency house was in Tetney.
*[[Richard A Collins]] (1966)- scientist and author, best known for his 2005 [[techno-thriller]] [[Under A Blood Red Sky (novel)]], lived with his parents in [[Holton-le-Clay]] and [[Scartho]] for most of his youth.
*[[John Hurt]] (1940) - although born in Derbyshire, the actor spent his formative years in the town while his father was a minister at [http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~hjansma/homepage.html/homepage.html St Aidan], Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.
*[[Norman Lamont]] (1942) - Conservative MP and former [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] was brought up in the town. His father was a GP in the area.
*[[David Ross]] - businessman, co-founder and large shareholder in [[Carphone Warehouse]] was brought up in the town. His grandfather [[J Carl Ross]] was the founder of the Ross Trawler Company and who moved into frozen food. It is still a popular frozen food brand albeit no longer with any family connection.
Those who live in the local area include:
*[[Roy 'Chubby' Brown]] (1945) - adult comedian, lives in the nearby village of [[Fulstow]], near Tetney.
*[[Barbara Dickson]] (b. 1947) - singer, lives near Louth.
*[[Patrick Mower]] (b. 1940) - actor lives near Louth.
*[[Graham Fellows]] (b.1959) - comedy writer/performer and musician, most famous for his character [[John Shuttleworth]] and 1970's punk-parody artist [[Jilted John]], lives near Louth.
==Twin cities==
Grimsby's [[Town twinning|twin cities]] include:
{|
| valign="top" |
* {{flagicon|Norway}} - [[Tromsø]] ([[Norway]]), since 1961
* {{flagicon|Germany}} - [[Bremerhaven]] ([[Germany]]), since February 1963
| valign="top" |
* {{flagicon|Gambia}} - [[Banjul]] ([[The Gambia]])
* {{flagicon|France}} - [[Dieppe, Seine-Maritime|Dieppe]] ([[France]])
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk Grimsby Telegraph] - the local newspaper
* {{cite web | title=A Brief History of Grimsby | url=http://www.localhistories.org/grimsby.html | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=Historical Grimsby | url=http://www.visitoruk.com/grimsby/history/timeline.htm |work=A thousand years of history and famous figures from Grimsby in Lincolnshire | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=Leslie Aitchison, Lincolnshire Acts of Parliament | url=http://www.localhistory.co.uk/la/la-lia.htm | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=Grimsby Guide | url=http://www.grimsby.ac.uk/gyguide/details.asp?section=8&id=91 |work=Introduction | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=Grimsby Guide | url=http://www.grimsby.ac.uk/gyguide/details.asp?section=1&id=1 | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=The Legend of Grim & Havelock | url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nigel.portas/sealb.htm | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=Newspaper Reports | url=http://www.nsdatabase.co.uk/newspaperdetail.cfm?paperid=449 | accessdate = 2005-04-13}}
* {{cite web | title=Department for Transport Maritime Statistics 2003 | url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/downloadable/dft_transstats_032464.pdf | accessdate = 2005-08-28}}
* {{cite web | title=Resistance: Fall of Man | url=http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?articleId=2006051285459468019§ionId=1006| accessdate = 2006-08-20}}
* {{cite web | title=The 2007 Grimsby Floods | url=http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/grimsby-lincolnshire-2007-floods | accessdate = 2005-04-12}}
* {{cite web | title=Great Grimsby Day | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2008/01/21/great_grimsby_feature.shtml | work=BBC | accessdate = 2008-01-22}}
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