Grimbarians Blog

What inspires you?

info@grimbarians.co.uk (Dan Clarke) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:02:57 GMT

Our new series of interviews with our Grimbarians was commissioned for the We Are Great Grimsby event supported by Grimsby Creates.

We talk to Toni , James , Ruchita , Jim and Jess about inspiration, success and wellbeing. Watch the interviews below...

Grimbarians turns 5!

info@grimbarians.co.uk (Dan Clarke) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:45:23 GMT

5 years ago, on 1st January 2018, we launched Grimbarians, a photo documentary project to shine a light on people who are making positive changes to Grimsby in their own way. Since then, and with your continuing support, we’ve achieved quite a bit…

- Showcased 58 Grimbarians , each nominated by you for their dedication to Grimsby

- Teamed up with Grimsby Town Football Club to shine a light on the people behind the Club - One Of Our Own

- Commissioned creatives for a history project, telling stories of the people from Grimsby’s past - Grimbarians Through Time

- Collaborated with talented artists who have created exclusive hometown artwork

- Held exhibitions

- Hosted panel talks, including one under the moon with TheCultureHouse

- Published three editions of a good news only newspaper

- Launched an online shop

- Won an award

- And preparing to open our very own studio!

And, we have much more to come in 2023! To celebrate, we’ll have big updates and news to share throughout the year, but for now we have to say a huge THANK YOU for supporting Grimbarians CIC, for sharing all the positives of our hometown, and for proving time and time again that #GrimsbyReallyIsMore .

My journey to becoming an artist..

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:40:42 GMT

Our current Artist in Residence, Francesca Young, is here to tell us about her journey so far.

My love of art started from a young age; I used to love painting with my nana and couldn’t wait for the Saturday morning art classes at S&A Frames in Cleethorpes. Art was always my favourite subject at school and I was lucky enough to have some very inspiring teachers who really spurred me on and got me to try lots of different styles of working. I then went on to study art at college and then at Loughborough University where I did a degree in Fine Art. I absolutely loved spending full days in the studio or the library painting and studying art (although possibly hungover after many nights out!). This was where I first started painting Cleethorpes.

For my final project at Uni I became obsessed with Cleethorpes’ history as a Victorian seaside town. I spent lots of time digging through old imagery from books and postcards - the bright, almost garish tones found in those first colour postcards or the vibrant 1960’s saturated hues have always been a big inspiration. I loved the idea that all of this colourful history is still within the buildings left standing today, yet slightly more crooked and wonky than they once were.

After Uni I did a PGCE to teach art, but after this me and my partner decided to move to Spain to teach English as a way to travel and live abroad. This was the start of 4 and a half years living in various cities around Spain. Although I was teaching, in my free time I documented everything in sketchbooks - favourite places, favourite restaurants, favourite f oods (there is going to be a theme..). I even had a little exhibition of my work in Bilbao where we lived for two years. I loved to paint the colourful, old Basque architecture alongside the famous landmarks and places to visit (and the food of course, the pintxos were incredible!) This was where I really started to use the techniques and materials I use now, which is mainly watercolour and pen.

In our last year in Spain we lived in Granada in Andalusia. It’s a beautiful historic city with Moorish influences and the best place to get free tapas with any drink (yes, it was all free and sometimes you could choose your free tapas from a menu!). I loved painting the narrow, Morrocan style streets of the Albacín and the view from the top of The Alhambra Palace. It was in the March of that year that the pandemic hit and we were stuck inside during a strict Spanish lockdown. Although I loved living in Spain I was starting to get really homesick and missed my family and friends, so I started painting where I wanted to be - which was home.

I was still teaching English online but I had so much more time to paint. Using the style I had developed throughout Spain, I started painting Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The ideas came quickly as I started writing down all of my favourite places I was missing so much; the beach, restaurants, shops, cafes, bars and of course the historical landmarks that make our town so recognisable. I try to combine lots of elements into one painting so they lie somewhere between reality and the imagination. I love to use vibrant, exaggerated colours to add to this dreamy, nostalgic state in the hope of capturing a little of the past alongside the present landscape of today.

This started out as just a hobby but people were messaging me and asking if they could buy prints of my paintings - I couldn’t believe it! We decided to come home for the Summer after Lockdown to see family and friends and I started selling my work as a way to make some extra money over the Summer before heading back to Spain. But things just began to take off; I started selling my work in the local shop Original Emporium, taking part in local craft markets and taking on commissions. By the end of the Summer I realised I was making enough money to live on as a full time job - I was astounded!!

With constant lockdowns and unstable teaching jobs to return to in Spain, we decided to move home so I could pursue my dream of becoming a full time artist. If not then, I don’t think there would have ever been a better time. It's been two years now and although I really miss the free tapas (!) I am loving living back in Cleethorpes and can’t believe I get to say that my job is doing what I love.

During the past two years I’ve been working on lots of paintings celebrating the beauty of our town and have started getting them printed onto luxury homeware products like tea towels, coasters and mugs. I even have some 1000 piece puzzles coming which I’m VERY excited about! I sell my work on my website plus I’m still in the local shop Original Emporium which is amazing to be a part of. We have over 40 local artists and makers and it’s such a supportive community. The shop also hosts markets now and we have some exciting Christmas ones coming up (details on social media). The business side of things can be really hard so I’m still learning a lot but I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without my amazing family. They help me so much especially my mum, if you’ve seen me at any markets you will have seen her by my side chatting away.

This year I’ve started going into schools to give art workshops which I love and I’ve taken part in some brilliant local projects like ‘Paint The Town Proud’ with Creative Start and The Culture House. Plus I love being the artist in residence for The Grimbarians, we’ve recently designed a t-shirt together and we’ve got lots of exciting things coming up…

Thank you for reading, I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing a bit about my background!

Francesca x

You can support both Francesca Young and Grimbarians C.I.C by ordering our latest Artist in Residence t-shirt through our online shop . Contact Fran directly at https://francescayoungart.uk/contact .

Mr Grimsby - Mr Cleethorpes - The Railway King

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 12:35:44 GMT

Following on from our Grimbarians Through Time post, Geoff Scargill (From the Watkin Society) delves a little deeper into 'Mr Grimsby'

Those are three of the titles that could be pinned on Sir Edward Watkin, one of the most dynamic and exciting characters of the dynamic and exciting Victorian Era. At his death over 150 tributes to him were published throughout the world. They were celebrating a lifetime of extraordinary achievements and equally extraordinary failures.

Now, a group of local people have set up ‘The Cleethorpes and Grimsby Watkin Group’. Their aim? To bring Edward Watkin’s achievements to the notice of all Grimbarians and Meggies.

Nationally, you can take your pick from: the first Parks for the People in Manchester, a hell-hole for ordinary families; Saturday afternoons free from work (that was the start of 3pm kick-offs for football matches); keeping the price of bread within the reach of the starving poor; building the Great Central Railway from Manchester to London; trying to build an Eiffel Tower in London (it became Wembley Stadium and its foundations are still under the present pitch) and to dig a Channel Tunnel in 1880. And to get votes for women in 1867.

Internationally, Watkin advised governments on new railways in the West Indies, India and Africa, he built the longest railway in the world and played a key role in creating a vast new country: the Dominion of Canada.

Amazingly, much of Watkin’s legacy in Britain and abroad has been forgotten, including his tremendous successes in one corner of Lincolnshire, where ‘Mr Grimsby’ and ‘Mr Cleethorpes’ literally created the biggest fishing port in the world and one of Britain’s best-known family holiday resorts.

Two characteristics drove Watkin on in his public life.

The first was a need, almost a compulsion, to win. That made him an exciting risk-taker. The second was his genius for spotting potential. It was that which led him to transform Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

As general manager and then chairman of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Watkin re-created the town of Grimsby. One writer said: “Under Watkin’s supervision the town was transformed from a muddy Georgian wilderness into an international Victorian success.”

The Watkin statistics are stunning:

The town’s population shot up from 8,860 in 1851 to 63,000 in 1901.
Over a billion pounds in today’s money was spent on the Grimsby docks.
The vast area of West Marsh was drained.
The tonnage of vessels in 1855 was 188; in 1891 it was 64,000.
In 1856 fifteen hundred tons of fish were landed in Grimsby; in 1875, 35 thousand.
Trade in coal, grain and manufactured goods increased ten-fold and new luxury passenger ships sailed daily to and from the Continent. This poster from the time is on display in the sole remaining building of Watkin’s original station at Cleethorpes, now the Number 1 pub.

On 8 April 1891, at a special meeting of the Council, the Borough of Grimsby made Edward Watkin an Honorary Freeman of the town. The citation reads: “Grimsby is a monument of Sir Edward’s enterprise and foresight”. He had earned the title of ‘Mr Grimsby’.

But Edwards Watkin’s work as ‘Mr Cleethorpes’ was even more dramatic.

The coming of the railway to Grimsby in 1848 marked the start of a new era for Cleethorpes. Newcomers who had taken up jobs in the docks at Grimsby came on foot or by coach for day trips to enjoy the sands and the fresh air. This is where Watkin’s second great characteristic, his genius for spotting potential, comes into the story. In 1863 he extended his railway from Grimsby but he built the station not in the centre of Cleethorpes but right next to the sea. The position of the station and the date of its opening, Easter Monday, the first bank holiday after the winter, were both what we would call today: statements. The future for Cleethorpes was going to be holidays.

But Watkin’s support did not end with the new station. In 1872 Cleethorpes pier opened, paid for by Watkin’s railway.

But Cleethorpes, in common with many other towns on the East Coast of England, suffered from a constant threat to its existence: erosion by the sea. In 1883 Watkin paid for a concrete wall all along the sea front. His new sea defences made the town and its future secure.

The new sea wall also created space for a foreshore safe for recreation. Watkin personally took over the building of a promenade (lit by electricity), swimming baths and public gardens. He even constructed a mock ruined castle on the highest point of the cliffs and named it after the secretary of the railway.

Watkin spent the equivalent of £12 million of the railway company’s money on developing Cleethorpes into a holiday resort for all the family. But not just for Grimsby. His horizon was the hundreds of thousands living in Sheffield and Nottingham. On one Saturday in the 1890’s, 30,000 visitors came to the town, all with tickets bought on Watkin’s railway. People called it Sheffield-on-Sea. The man who created modern Cleethorpes has earned the title of ‘Mr Cleethorpes’.

Would you like to know more about Edward Watkin? The national Watkin Society’s website is under construction at www.watkinsociety.org.uk A new book Victoria’s Railway King sets out the successes and failures of his life and goes behind the public image to reveal someone subject to depression and self-doubt.

Locally, you can contact the new Cleethorpes and Grimsby Watkin Group for information about their plans on gscargill@gmail.com . Grimsby Local History Library has collected its extensive Watkin resources as ‘Watkin references’ in their People newspaper cuttings ( Libraries@lincsinspire.com 01472 323603). A pilot scheme organised by Heritage Lincolnshire has used Watkin's local achievements to encourage young people to discover pride in their heritage. This has proved so successful that an even more ambitious scheme is planned for 2023.

And next year also marks the 175th anniversary of the year the railway came to Grimsby.

Two more reasons to celebrate the amazing life of Edward Watkin.

Something Exciting Is Coming Our Way

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 11:25:13 GMT

Coming Soon… The Grimbarians Studios!

Here at Grimbarians we have some very exciting news.

We are committed to supporting the creative sector in the Grimsby area and that’s why we are launching the Grimbarians Studios!

For too long there has been a lack of space for photographers and artists alike to create and collaborate in this area.

By October, the Grimbarians Studios will be launching and here to provide such a place for all of Grimsby’s creative sector. It will be right in the heart of the growing community on the Docks as part of the 'Kasbah' developments.

Comprising of a photographic studio and artist ‘hot desking’ it will provide affordable opportunities to work right here in Grimsby within a supportive community of like minded creatives. We are currently seeing the space stripped and transformed, by Steve from WE1 and his team, into the vision that we’ve had for a long time.

A space for people to create, a space thats been sorely needed right here in Grimsby.

We want to hear from you on what you want to see from the Grimbarians Studios and how we can help the creative community thrive. We have exciting plans forming for the initial months of the space including workshops, socials and open days but why not drop us an email to let us know what you want to see?

Keep your eyes peeled on all of the Grimbarians socials for more updates coming soon and don’t forget to share this with all of the local creatives here in Grimsby - because always remember #grimsbyreallyismore

Thanks

A very excited Grimbarians Team!

Don’t forget to check out our newest T-shirts from our Artist in Resident - Francesca Young, available to preorder right now!

Capturing Home with Francesca Young Art

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:26:54 GMT

What excites us most about the Artist in Residence project, is seeing how each artist interprets their life experiences of Grimsby, using their signature styles, colours, and techniques to create a piece of artwork that is truly inspired by this town we call home. From Creative Start CIC’s ‘Adockalypse Now’ , which combines po p culture with the historic Docks, to Francesca Young’s distinctive maritime illustration that encapsulates the welcome feeling of coming home to Grimsby.

T hrough deep hues, building layers, and a shining light, Francesca’s piece captures the heart and heritage of the Port of Grimsby - the harshness of the fishermen’s environments but the welcome sight of the Dock Tower leading them home.

Talking about her art, Fran said: “I spent a while thinking about everything that Grimbarians represent and knew I wanted the design to epitomise Grimsby and our heritage. The first images that came to mind were our famous historical buildings, which I started to align in a row and was considering how to place the Grimbarians logo within it. I tried a few versions of this sketch, but nothing was feeling right, it wasn’t coming together as a full painting and felt like lots of small parts working alone. This is often part of my process, and it can be frustrating.

“I went back to my sketchbook to try some more simplified designs with just the Dock Tower and a trawler with the fishing net flowing into the sea. I started sketching in some rough waves and an idea started to form; a trawler bracing the stormy seas, the fishermen seeing the Dock Tower and knowing that they are home. It felt like the perfect homage to Grimsby’s heritage. The lighthouse was an extra addition to balance the composition and light up the sky giving me some room to write ‘Grimbarians’. It also adds to the theme of coming home, which in a way is what Grimbarians is all about - celebrating our town and shining a light on the locals who are working to inspire their community.”

“When I start a final painting, I usually do a faint sketch just to know where I want things to go then I start adding the watercolours in layers. I work really quickly for the initial wash of lighter colours, I then build up darker layers on top, each layer adding more detail. It’s all quite experimental, I don’t set out for it to look a certain way. This is my favourite part. I love exaggerating colours and shapes with expressive brush strokes, then leaning back to see if what I’ve added has worked or if I’ll have to sort out the mess I’ve made by using another technique! I then add more colour and texture with crayons, gouache paints and a fineliner until I think it’s finished. The hardest part is deciding when it’s finished.”

You can support both Francesca Young and Grimbarians C.I.C by pre-ordering our latest Artist in Residence t-shirt through our online shop . Prints will also be available soon. Contact Fran at https://francescayoungart.uk/contact .

The Great Escape

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 16:37:45 GMT

For many who worked on Grimsby Docks in the past, it represented much more than a place of work – it was a community, bringing people together for generations. This is why the restoration of the Kasbah heritage zone has been much anticipated, so these “truly unique” historic buildings can experience a new lease of life.

It seems fitting that the organisation kickstarting this regeneration is Creative Start. Established in 2012 by Grimbarian Sam Delaney, Creative Start is a community of supportive peers encouraging people going through addiction recovery and with mental health issues, providing creative, hands-on projects. ‘The Great Escape’ is the team’s latest workspace and will serve the local community as a place to build their own creative projects.

The Great Escape by Sam Delaney

When we set out to refurbish The Great Escape, we wanted to create a service that would provide local people with the tools, space and inspiration for them to be able to set up their own creative or community projects. We also wanted to create a community space that was different, somewhere in the heart of the docks that could be used for a variety of creative purposes.

One of our main aims at The Great Escape and the restoration work we have carried out, was to provide tangible e vidence of what is possible. How a small group of volunteers, without a large budget but plenty of determination and commitment can play a part in helping the heritage of the town. We hope that we can help inspire people to do similar work.

We were the first and only organisation in the Kasbah to take a hands-on approach to regeneration. We began work before we knew of any potential investment in the area. We have treated the building refurbishment as we would any other community art project and given our members complete creative freedom, painting a number of murals on the outside and inside of the building. We have decided on a theme for each room, including:

McQueen’s workshop - Our fabrication, repairs and woodwork shop which is fully equipped with tools and workspaces. Our focus is on refurbishment and recycling and so, have created a vintage workshop feel with a themed wall displaying vintage tools. There are also references to Steve McQueen throughout. We have already worked on a number of community projects in the workshop, including making 50 wooden boxes for Oasis Community Hub to hold children's Christmas presents, restoring furniture, and a Grimsby Docks themed sculpture. We have made a number of items for the building in the workshop and fully restored our 4x4 truck.

Viking Kitchen - We have created a themed Viking community kitchen, which now includes a large Viking-style table that can serve up to 20 people. We are currently working on the downstairs toilets attached to the kitchen.

The Fish Merchants Office - This will eventually be our office at the building. We have furnished this in a vintage style to resemble a Fish Merchants office just as it may have looked during the Docks’ heyday. We also have original paintings of Grimsby Trawlers on the walls, which were donated to us by a wagon driver who has worked on the docks for many years.

The Escape Artist room - This is the brightest room in the building and will be our art studio. We have refurbished in an Escape Artist theme, primarily Harry Houdini.

The Great Escape Room - This is our main workshop room upstairs. We have decorated this with bespoke plastering techniques to resemble patina copper, rusty metal, and concrete. It has tables to seat up to 20 people.

The Movie room - This is our presentation room. We have decorated the room in a 1950s theme. It can seat 8 people comfortably and is equipped with a large projector screen for presentations as well as movies and gaming.

Grimstone - This is where the building's strong room is. We have decorated it in a wild west theme.

We are currently planning the next rooms whilst currently working on a maritime-themed room. It will be decorated to create an atmosphere of being underwater, in a submarine.

It will be quite industrial with rivets on the walls to look like sheet metal, and also a porthole in one of the walls.

We will be painting a mural in this room too. This will be one of our workshop rooms and we hope to be able to hire these rooms out once completed.

All the work has been carried out by our team, including veterans, people in recovery, art students and community volunteers.

We have also had community payback take part in the restoration and they did a great job. Everyone involved has put their heart and soul into the building and I'm really proud of what has been achieved and the sense of purpose it has provided to all.

We would love to see more people get involved. Everyone that visits the building, loves the place and not many are aware that the project exists and of the work that has been carried out there.

We want people to know that they are welcome to get involved.

We want local people to take ownership.

We would like to thank Kurt Christensen, former tenant of the building.

He has supported us from the start and throughout the project.

He donated us his office furniture and equipment when he retired and we are really grateful for his support.

We would also like to thank all our funders who have enabled us to work on this project, including The Crime Reduction Fund, The Havelok Rotary Club, Orsted and Co-op. We would also like to thank ABP who initially gave us the opportunity to work on the project.

We have all loved being part of this restoration initiative on Grimsby Docks. We love it at the Docks, we are committed to its restoration and happy to support anyone who would like to do similar work here.

For anyone who would like more information about Creative Start, to receive support or to get involved with their upcoming projects, visit creativestartcic.org

Why Cleethorpes is an Amazing Place to Experience Blue Mind

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:01:28 GMT

Ever heard the term blue mind? Ever wondered why time spent in, on or near water feels therapeutic?

Blue Mind is the science that shows how being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected, and better at what you do. It's a term coined by marine biologist Dr Wallace J Nichols and one of the main reasons I wanted to introduce stand up paddle boarding (SUP) to Cleethorpes, so people could experience the same enthusiasm and connection with water.

I dove deeper into the concept of Blue Mind and the wellness elements surrounding SUP, sharing why Cleethorpes is an amazing setting to experience Blue Mind.

Why Cleethorpes an amazing setting to experience Blue Mind.

1. Seaside town - the clue is in the name. We have a gorgeous stretch of coastline right on our doorstep.

2. Minerals in sea air reduce stress.

3. These minerals increase the flow of oxygen to the brain which improves alertness and mental energy.

4. Salt in the water preserves tryptamine, serotonin, and melatonin, which aid depression, giving us a better night’s sleep and boost feelings of wellness.

5. Water sounds have long been used in meditation to create a soothing atmosphere for our minds.

6. Sense of awe. There’s just something about the beauty and vastness of a natural scene that has a profound impact on the way we feel.

Toni is the Founder of watersports lifestyle brand dedicated to physical and mental wellbeing, environmental education and sustainability, EBB & FLO.

New paragraph

What's in a name?

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 10:35:51 GMT

For far too long, the town of Grimsby has been a victim of its own name. After all, “it’s grim up north,” is an all too popular phrase. Though the town gets its fair share of drizzle, the word “Grim” means a lot more to its residents than typical English weather and the smog of industry. For us, it’s a syllable that speaks of myth, legend, history, and the very founding of our proud community.

Much of the past is shrouded in mystery, put together in hindsight like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle with countless missing pieces. We may never know the exact details of how Grimsby was built on the fringes of the Humber estuary, but what we do know spins a tale of heroism and fate that stretches across the county of Lincolnshire. Today, it’s a story that you rarely hear and, following the removal of a commemorative statue from Nuns Corner in 2006, has practically faded from thought.

With little surviving from the time to help us paint a picture, historians and scholars are left with a single 13th-century text as a guide – Lay of Havelok the Dane. Within its literally epic poetry, royal families break apart across nations in a romance that spans centuries. Of particular interest to Grimbarians is the humble fisherman, Grim, who enters the story under the nastiest of circumstances.

Amongst the foam of a stinging sea, and under royal order, Grim’s unthinkable task was to murder the infant son of Birkabein – a Danish king who had recently died. Birkabein’s replacement, the regent Godard, was quite unlike his predecessor. Ruthless and evil, Godard had already killed Birkabein’s two daughters in cold blood, leaving their brother’s life in the hands of Grim. Despite facing the death of his entire family as punishment, Grim returned home with the young boy to care for him as his own – refusing to leave a child to the cold brutality of the ocean.

It’s here where the tale turns mythological, as that night, after saving the poor, discarded boy, a strange light is said to have poured from the baby’s mouth like a divine beacon. If any of the story is grounded in truth, the glimmering ray that Grim saw shine that night was surely a metaphor; an antiquated fable that really conveys the quiet fisherman’s discovery that he harboured a forgotten prince – Havelok the Dane himself.

Indeed, the unbelievable is rife throughout Grimsby’s history, making it fitting that the earliest hints of our existence are shrouded in superstition. Grim himself, though portrayed as a modest figure, may have been read by scholars at the time as a mortal vessel of Odin – a God found in Germanic and Norse religious writings, and so influential that characters wholly based on him still pepper our popular culture.

In order to protect Havelok from further harm, Grim and his wife fled to England for a better hope. Fortunately, Godard was fooled and the family set up comfortably at the feet of new waters. Already a fisherman, the location was perfect for Grim to continue his trade. Despite countless challenges and difficulties, it’s incredible that fish is still associated worldwide with the little spot he found in the shadow of the Humber.

Eventually ending up in Lincoln, the adult Havelok enters the history of another town too. In a different legend, his kingly heritage is proved beyond all doubt by a shotput competition. Havelok’s performance – if it ever took place at all – must have been quite something to behold, resulting in an instant reputation that he was the “Strongest Man in England”.

As if that weren’t enough of an accolade, his victory won him the hand of Princess Goldborough – the much-loved adopted daughter of Godrich, Earl of Cornwall, who took care of Goldborough and England alike following the death of King Athelwold. The very same stone thrown by Havelok is even thought to still hide within Lincoln Castle – tying two of Lincolnshire’s key towns together through one ambitious figure.

Remembering his roots, at least as far back as he could, Havelok returned to Grimsby with his new wife. As far as he knew, he was nothing more than Havelok – perhaps the country’s strongest man, but certainly not of royal blood. Yet, as the newlywed couple shared their first night in the town together, his destiny once again shone through the same light from his sleeping mouth.

Adding to a prophetic dream of Goldborough’s, the two sought answers from Grim (who still cast his nets among Grimbarian waves). After hearing of his highborn background, and being able to prove his bloodline, Havelok was finally able to take the mantle of Denmark’s rightful king. In tandem, Godrich stepped down from his role as England’s ruler, allowing Goldborough to become queen in his stead. Thus, thanks to the good-hearted instincts of a single fisherman, two great houses came together as one – in spite of the oceans and evil that stood in their way.

Just how much truth there is to the spiralling story of Havelok the Dane, and his Grim beginnings, is something we’ve lost to the sands of time. Regardless, the marvellous epic we have should never be misplaced – even if it’s obscured by myth and old gods. Grimbarians should hold on to their founding legend, understand it and revel in the unassuming details that we still see in our town today. At its best, modern Grimsby still has the heart and honour of its historical namesake, who couldn’t fathom harming a child, and our community can certainly be as strong as Havelok himself.

Picture credit: Grimsby Telegraph

The Tidal Optimist

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 08:55:36 GMT

Something that many of our Grimbarians have in common is their passion for bringing what they have learned throughout their lives back to the area, helping to change perceptions and inspire people within the community. Richard Askam , a motivational speaker, grew his family’s business into the largest of its kind in the UK, and travels the world speaking about his business and personal journey. In recent years, his work has brought him back to his hometown, sharing his experience and wisdom with the people of Grimsby.

Just so you know….I am a Grimbarian. My Father was a Grimbarian. My Grandfather was a Grimbarian and his Grandfather was Danish….possibly a Viking? So what I’m saying here is my roots are a long way down in the Lincolnshire clay and like a lot of people – I love this area, this is home for me.

I was once told that the only benefit of getting older is wisdom, that’s it! So if you don’t use what you have learned then what’s the point of getting old? And when I turned 50 a couple of years ago, I didn’t feel as though I could describe myself as young anymore, well maybe for a bit longer. So if I analyse my wisdom to date from all the various working experiences I have had then I come to one conclusion – I am a Tidal Optimist. What does that mean I hear you cry? Well, I will do my best to explain;

Business and life, in general, is a series of phases and pivots but you need to take a moment to view these from a Google Earth perspective to see how, when and why those course corrections have occurred. The various mind shifts that have taken place and the decisions that have come from them all form part of everyone’s storybook. Of course some people never feel the need to study these details about themselves and as a result, lack an element of mindfulness to those around them. But if you get the opportunity then my advice to you is, have a look. Have a think. Take some time to understand who you are, where you have been and more importantly where you are going.

During the last three years of my freelance working life, my own confidence has ebbed and flowed like the tide and this is quite normal. Relentless optimism or pessimism is not a natural state of mind and constantly questioning your goals and re-positioning your thinking will often allow negative thoughts to creep in to even the most positive mind. Creative people are born not made and with that ability comes imagination and of course, an imaginative mind almost always strays to the negative.

It’s one of the main reasons that I am now pursuing more freelance work in the Grimsby area, simply because I get it now and I think I can help other Grimsby people get it too. And of course, this great place we call home lives and breathes by the sea. And for the last few years, in fact if we are honest for the last two generations, it’s been on a downward spiral. But like any tide, it turns and what starts as a negative thought can soon flip to a fantastic positive thought, and away you go again. Accept and embrace the ebb and flow so what was once a problem is now a solution.

It’s time for change for our wonderful town and the good news is… it’s already begun but as yet it’s not visible. But if you are struggling to adjust to the new tide then I suggest you just leap and a net will appear…

Read Richard’s Grimbarian story.

Adockalypse Now - AIR Artwork

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 15:18:38 GMT

Kicking off the first Grimbarians Artist in Residence campaign is Creative Start CIC, with their Grimsby-inspired artwork, Adockalypse Now.

To recap, what is Artist in Residence?

Think of this as a collaboration, a partnership to showcase the conversation-starting pieces of art created by local artists, inspired by their own experiences of life in Grimsby. Every six months, we will be working closely with a local artist or creative organisation to design and release a collection of artwork, which will be turned into a limited edition collection of merchandise, from t-shirts to prints and more.

The first Artist in Residence, who we will be collaborating with us from now until December 2021, is the incredible Creative Start CIC .

Who are Creative Start CIC?

Creative Start uses the power of art and creativity to provide support to people in abstinence-based recovery and those facing mental health issues. The CIC was established by Grimbarian Sam Delaney almost 10 years ago, who had himself used art to help him through the recovery process. You will find Creative Start’s murals across Grimsby, including the St James Underpass in the town centre and the Kasbah regeneration on Grimsby Docks. To find out more about their initiatives, their workspaces, and their community, read Sam’s Grimbarians profile , watch his Grimbarians Chat , and take a look at creativestartcic.org

You’ll find that Creative Start have an incredibly distinctive style, which is why we’re excited to be launching Artist in Residence with Sam and the team – starting with their artwork, ‘Adockalypse Now’.

Adockalypse Now

“We have always enjoyed coming up with concepts that combine Grimsby with pop culture, one of those that we have been sitting on for a while, is the ‘Adockalypse Now’ design. We love the simple bold and impactful design and it was initially our intention to paint it as a mural, which hopefully we may still get an opportunity to do.” Says Sam.

“Creative Start CIC has always been an inclusive arts programme, we want to make art accessible to all people. We are not precious when it comes to art and therefore believe it’s important that our designs and artwork are not always taken too seriously and that there is humour involved. To be honest, it’s felt like a bit of a mini apocalypse for us all lately, so being able to team up with Grimbarians CIC and launching this design, couldn’t have come at a better time. We hope that it brings a smile to the people of Grimsby.”

View 'Adockalypse Now' products in our store and help to support our local artists...