Look Local: Grimsby sticks with tradition

GENERATION GAME

‘Grimsbarians like continuity and to see the same faces,’ says Robert Marshall, the owner of Robert Marshall Optometrists.

Despite the collapse of the Grimsby fishing industry in the 1970s, the town is known for its three fishing docks, with food and retail still the most prominent local industries. The town football club that plays in the 5th tier of English football are proudly nicknamed the Mariners, reflecting Grimsby’s fishing heritage.

‘The population is mainly white working class,’ said Marshall. ‘There are a large amount of low paid [factory] jobs and unemployment is relatively high, but Grimsbarians have a feeling of worth and have aspirations for their children. You don’t travel through Grimsby, we are covered by water on two sides and so people come because they want to.