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| After offloading its cargo of crude oil at the Tetney terminal, the Aurora Spirit is now en route to Norway's Heidrun giant oilfield to be refilled. Sailing at a speed of 11.6 knots, the tanker, which was only built two years ago, is expected to arrive at 5am tomorrow (Tuesday). She sails under the flag of Norway. |
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| Woodliffe Villa - looking better than it has done in many a long year |
No 41, Alexandra Road, also known as Woodliffe Villa, Cleethorpes is the latest building to receive a facelift as a result of Townscape Heritage funding.
Work started in March this year to conserve and restore the front facade of this Grade II listed building.
The property is split into two – a shop on the ground floor and a residential property above.
Built from red brick with a Welsh slate roof, the building also has a single cast iron balcony dating from around 1900 which has been stripped, restored, and returned.
Based on the research by The Scottish Ironwork Foundation, this balcony is by George Wright & Co & Lion Foundry of Kirkintilloch and it is believed to be the only example of its kind to have survived.
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| Some sprucing up still required but the front door looks great |
CLEETHORPES boating lake has this week seen the return of a black swan.
It is thought to be the same graceful bird that was an an attraction in the early part of summer before departing the scene for an unknown destination elsewhere.
The bird seems to be healthy but it is mostly keeping to itself at the south end of the lake away from the antagonist mute swans and grey lag geese.
There is far less water in the lake than there was during its first presence, and it may decide to cut short its stay.
It's good to make friends with people in high places. Here's Great Grimsby's MP Lia Nici posing for the camera with new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt prior to a brief chat about Levelling-up and how it might benefit her constituency. It is not known if Ms Nici has retained her post as Deputy Whip since the changes at the top. There is no evidence to indicate that relations with new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are less than cordial, but her first loyalty has always been to Boris Johnson whom she always backed in leadership contests. Whether she will ever pose for a photo alongside Mr Sunak remains to be seen.
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| Handsome building dates back to the 1930s |
NEW non-illuminated sites have been approved for one of Cleethorpes' best-known shops - the 1930s shop at the lower end of Isaacs Hill.
Formerly an electricity board showroom, then a fancy dress shop, the store now sells stylish retro products of the 20th Century.
The current signage is bright pink, and proprietor Kathlen Darker favours gold and white lettering on a black background.
She believes the muted colours and design are more appropriate for an art deco Grade II Listed building and "represents a betterment compared to the current signage".
North East Lincolnshire Council's heritage officer, Louise Jennings, is thought to be supportive though she is still uncomfortable with the existence of "totally alien" roller shutters.
The business has retained its old name, Twinkles.
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Too much pink?
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| Got it! Cllr Swinburn targets a pesky bit of gum |
CHEWING gum stains in parts of Grimsby town centre are being cleaned up over the next three weeks.
Specialist contractors Eco Removal System are using a detergent, made from sugar beet, which is heated, then squirted on to the gum to vaporise it.
With this method, there is no need to cordon off pavements, so it is less disruptive than a jet washer or similar.
Cleaning started on 18 October and is due to be completed by 31 October.
Says Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport at North East Lincolnshire Council: "We submitted a bid earlier in the year to the UK Chewing Gum Task Force - and received £20,000 to cover the cost of the clean-up.
"This is similar to a clean-up we undertook in Cleethorpes last autumn."
The portfolio holder adds: "It would be much better if people put their gum in a bin rather than leaving it to stain the streets."
It is understood some, if not all, of the funding has come from gum manufacturers such as gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle on the principle that the polluter pays.
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| Scope at the ready - inside the hide with North East Lincolnshire mayor Cllr Steve Beasant (left) and Roger Wardle |
THE great and the good gathered today to mark completion of creation of the new Novartis Ings wetland birds mitigation area on the outskirts of Grimsby.
This is a sister-site to Cress Marsh at nearby Stallingborough.
It will not be open to the public, but birdwatchers can peer through the railings or observe from afar on the adjacent estuary wall.
As with the Cress Marsh project, the mitigation area has been created to allow companies to develop other bird-sensitive sites on the South Bank of the Humber without the need for prior ecological consents.
To date, Cress Marsh, created a few years ago, has failed to live up to early expectations. Counts of waders and wildfowl have been modest at best.
However, there are high hopes for Novartis Ings which has a more favourable location.
Both sites were designed by Roger Wardle.
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| Curlews on the wing above one of the wetland scrapes |
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| Watch the birdie! VIPs from NELC and other organisations pose for the camera |
The Grimsby News says: Creation of a new habitat for wetland birds is to be welcomed - and it is understandable why the council has chosen to secure it behind padlocked fencing. The authority does not want the birds to be scared by off-the-lead dogs, motor-bikes, barbecue parties or, dare it be said, over-zealous bird photographers. But, at the same time, the barrier between people and wildlife is to be regretted. It perpetuates the common notion that Nature is something 'over there' - all right in small doses just so long as it does not get in the way.
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| The Cenotaph - one of Grimsby's most revered structures |
SPECIALIST contractors have this week been cleaning Grimsby Cenotaph - and the area around it - in preparation for Remembrance Sunday.
Grimsby’s historic war memorial is 101 years old and special care needs to be taken when cleaning it.
The work is carried out in line with guidance on the conservation, repair and management of war memorials from Historic England and the War Memorials Trust.
Back in 2018, the war memorial underwent a series of essential repairs and refurbishment ahead of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
These works included the repair and refurbishment of the memorial, removal of small bushes from the surrounding garden, cutting back of overgrown trees and additional paving to provide better viewing opportunities.
Says Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport at North East Lincolnshire Council: "The memorial is delicate.
"It is important to ensure for Remembrance Sunday when people remember those who have lost their lives serving their country."
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| Caoimhin Agyarko - sponsorship arrangement |
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| Paul Sargent - keen to make the world a better place |
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| New restaurant plan for former bank |
ENTREPRENEUR Timothy Finbow is applying to change the use of the former Barclays Bank in Cleethorpes to a restaurant and takeaway business.
Earlier in the year, a director of Market Place fish shop Ernie Beckett's expressed interest in the High Street premises, but purchase of the building did not proceed and his planning application was withdrawn in April.
No details have been forthcoming about Mr Finbow's aspirations for the restaurant, and his application is under consideration by North East Lincolnshire Council planners.
The Suggitts Lane bridge - awaiting a visit from Mr Johnson
A RETURN trip to Cleethorpes and Grimsby is likely to be high on the agenda for Boris Johnson if he makes a successful bid to return to 10 Downing Street.
The former Prime Minister has unfinished business in the two towns.
He is eager to cut the ribbon at an official opening of the new Suggitts Lane railway footbridge in Cleethorpes having been instrumental in getting it built when Nework Rail closed the previous crossing.
He also wants to visit Grimsby anew as a way both of thanking the town for backing him so spectacularly at the last General Election and of rewarding Conservative MP Lia Nici for her devoted support during all his trials and tribulations.
If he were to be elected, Ms Nici would almost certainly be promoted from her present position as as Assistant Chief Whip to a post in the Cabinet.
Whether Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers would be offered a job in a new Johnson-led administration is less likely.
Though formerly a Johnson supporter, he became increasingly disillusioned over Partygate and other scandals that made many question the integrity of the former Prime Minister.
Although he has not confirmed this to be the case, it is thought that Mr Vickers would favour Rishi Sunak whom he voted for - in preference to Liz Truss - in the previous contest.
Elsewhere on the local political scene, it is believed that the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Philip Jackson, would like to see Peggy Mordaunt take over from Ms Truss.
DISRUPTION beckons for motorists who use three major road bridges in Grimsby.
In a report published this week, it emerged that the following three are in a state of decay:
* Cleethorpe Road flyover
* Gilbey Road flyover
* Alexandra Dock Bridge
At dates still to be determined, the supporting concrete structures will be bolstered and the carriageways resurfaced.
Where required, re-waterproofing will also be carried out.
Says Cllr Stewart Swinburn, North East Lincolnshire's cabinet member for highways: "These are critical elements of our highway system.
"If they were to fail, there there be significant impacts, both economically, in terms of the amount of trade that use the route, and to our local population as they go about normal life.
"If we not do the repairs now, the structures will only get worse, meaning larger scale repairs, and potentially complete closure of the route in the future."
Without the repairs, it would only be a matter of time before the introduction of weight limits, with no access for HGVs.
Whitehall will foot most of the bill with a contribution of £8-million, but NELC will have to chip in with at least £3-million - more if the project goes over budget.
Cllr Swinburn ends with a warning: "Given the scale of the programme, it is inevitable that there will be disruption to the highway network, but we will be working with contractors to make sure this is reduced as much as possible."
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| Ørsted technician make their views known to management (and the outside world) |
ARE offshore windfarm workers at Ørsted's Grimsby hub poised to step up industrial action in a wrangle over pay?
On Monday, members from the Danish company's hubs across the UK protested outside the Danish Embassy in London.
Many of them belong to the RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) which has issued this statement: "Members have rejected a paltry pay offer and are set to take further strike action in the weeks and months ahead, unless management reverses its position.
In a letter to the Danish government, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch writes: "As you know, Ørsted is a success story in the offshore wind sector and my members are clearly committed to maintaining this record.
"Indeed, we note that the company recorded a profit of DKK5.77 billion (£644m) in the first quarter of this year, a staggering 257 per cent increase on the corresponding figure for last year.
"This is testament to the hard work and commitment of Ørsted’s workers, from the turbine technicians harnessing the elements in the Irish Sea to executives in Skærbæk.
"You will also be aware that workers and communities in the UK today, including my members at Ørsted are facing a particularly acute cost of living crisis due, in large part to record inflation rates and the extreme economic policies of the current Conservative Government.
"In these circumstances, it can have come as no surprise to anyone that my members overwhelmingly rejected Ørsted’s derisory offer of a 3.5 per cent pay increase."
The letter continues: "We are extremely concerned at the disrespectful behaviour of management at Ørsted’s facilities in Grimsby, Birkenhead, Barrow and Brightlingsea who are refusing to engage with RMT representatives following members’ rejection of the pay offer, effectively triggering the current dispute.
"We know from our comrades in the Danish trade unions that this sort of outrageous behaviour towards a trade union would simply not be tolerated in Denmark.
"Therefore, an intervention by ministers in the Danish Government to instruct Ørsted’s management in the UK to engage with the RMT on this pay dispute would be welcome.
"I would appreciate your support in conveying this message to Ministers and senior Ørsted officials in Denmark."
A target date of Friday November 25 (at 1pm) has been set for the opening of a new post office branch inside the William's newsagents/ booksellers store on St Peter's Avenue in Cleethorpes. Staff are undergoing training, but customers might need to show some patience, particularly in the early days. The branch replaces the one on High Street which closed earlier in the year. There is also a post office branch within the Spar store on Hardys Road in Cleethorpes.
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| Waterfowl worries - birds on the boating lake are in peril |
CLEETHORPES boating lake is under surveillance as avian flu continues to sweep through Britain's bird population.
Although no species is immune, waterfowl and marine species seem to be particularly vulnerable.
There are particular concerns for the lake's population of resident barnacle geese. In Scotland, many barnacle corpses have been discovered.
Also at risk are the huge flocks of waders and other shorebirds that overwinter on the mudflats at the mouth of the Humber Estuary.
Yesterday, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) was declared across Great Britain, making it a legal requirement for all birdkeepers to follow strict biosecurity measures.
The birds on the boating lake and smaller waters such as the pond in Grimsby's People's Park are semi-domesticated but free-flying and hence not captive or 'kept' in the strictest sense.
North East Lincolnshire Council is still mulling what, if any, measures, should be introduced at the boating lake.
Although deadly to birds, avian flu is thought to pose little risk to humans.
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| The lake's barnacle geese - thought to be particularly vulnerable |
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| The first shrubs and bulbs have been planted - and there may be more to follow |
FOUR Cleethorpes flowerbeds that had been neglected for at least 20 years are now back in business.
Thanks to an initiative by ward councillors Bob Callison and Graham Reynolds, broken glass, sweet wrappers and other litter have been replaced with topsoil, shrubs and spring-flowering bulbs.
The beds are at the busy junctions of Highgate, Trinity Road and Sandringham Road.
Councillors are often criticised for plenty of words and no action, but this duo showed they were prepared to roll up their sleeves and get on with the job on behalf of Lincolnshire Housing Partnership which, to its discredit, showed little appetite to make the improvements.
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| Forlorn and unloved - how the flowerbeds have looked for the past 20 years |
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| NELC hopes that wetlands birds such as curlews, godwits and ruff can be by safeguarded by creation of mitigation sites such as this one at Novartis Ings in Grimsby |
THE Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council has issued an assurance that Nature will be safeguarded under the authority's current Conservative administration.
Some wildlife organisations - notably the RSPB and the wildlife trusts - have expressed alarm that Government proposals to create 'investment zones' could displace birds and other creatures.
This has prompted Cllr Philip Jackson to issue the following statement: "As an authority, we are keenly aware both of our unique location along the protected Humber Estuary and of the environmental considerations of any project we bring forward.
"Our proposed IZ designations will build on the principle of mitigation ahead of development, ensuring economic growth and nature protection continue to go hand-in-hand in North East Lincolnshire."
Where are NELC's proposed IZs?
The authority has identified eight sites and scheme that it would like to be fast-tracked by Whitehall for industrial projects and housing.
* Pioneer Investment Zone: To include Pioneer Business Park and the development of the CATCH site.
* Immingham Investment Zone: To include industrial redevelopment sites earmarked for energy production, including a green hydrogen facility.
* South Humber Investment Zone: This includes the business area and infrastructure along the South Humber Bank - the Humber Gateway.
* Moody Lane Investment Zone: To include the area known as the Future Grimsby Site.
* Europarc: The area includes part of Europarc Phase 3 and Europarc Phase 4.
* Grimsby Port Investment Zone: A mix of heritage and commercial opportunities.
* Grimsby Town Centre Investment Zone: This covers the town centre redevelopment area around Freshney Place, and the proposed waterfront Alexandra Dock/Garth Lane housing site.
* Western Investment Zone: The housing site on the former Western School.
Continues Cllr Philip Jackson: "After much analysis, these eight clearly stood out as schemes that were most advanced and have the potential to deliver results over the next 12 to 24 months.
"If we are successful, then we have a real opportunity to effect change within Grimsby’s urban area, along with some big and important industrial projects along our Humber Bank."
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| The lapwing - also known as 'pyewipe' - is thought to have been lost to North East Lincolnshire as a breeding species though some visitors from northern Europe spend winter here |
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Lia Nici - unenviable role
SPARE a thought for Grimsby MP Lia Nici in her role - since September 20 - as Assistant Government Whip!
Along with fellow Assistant Whip Mark Jenkinson and Chief Whip Wendy Morton, her job is to ensure fellow Conservative MPs toe the political line.
But it is currently a well-nigh impossible challenge.
There are so many factions both inside the Conservative administration at Westminster that effectively no one is in charge - there is no line to be toe'd.
As Prime Minister, it should be Liz Truss, but her credibility is rapidly being eroded both by her own policy missteps, which have triggered turmoil, and by back-stabbing former Cabinet colleagues as well many disgruntled back-benchers increasingly fearful of losing their seats at the next General Election.
What can Ms Nici and her Whips' office colleagues do?
Nothing.
They will just have to lie low and hope that, somehow, calm returns, unity is restored to the parliamentary party and that its members can then all coalesce behind a leader who enjoys their unanimous support.
And, alas for her, that leader is unlikely to be Ms Truss.
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Newsagents Peter and Yvonne Hudson have been give the go-ahead to convert their shop at the junction of Highgate and Trinity Road in Cleethorpes to a ground-floor flat. Their application did not go before North East Lincolnshire Council's planning committee but was determined under delegated powers by case officer Bethany Loring who says in her report: "The intended use would not be out of keeping in this location where a range of uses are apparent including residential."
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| Whooper swans flying over the RSPB's Tetney Marshes reserve yesterday morning |
ACCORDING to folklore, the early arrival of wild whooper swans in the UK from Iceland and Russia is a harbinger of a cold winter ahead?
"They arrive from the Arctic with snow on their beaks," so it is said.
On that basis, we should start to brace ourselves.
Since the start of this month, several parties, numbering up to 42, of the magnificent birds have been seen flying south over the North East Lincolnshire coastline.
Sometimes, they veer inland when they reach Tetney and perhaps land on the water in Covenham Reservoir, or neighbouring farmland, to rest.
Although, happily, its very rare, the birds' bills have sometimes been known to freeze shut at night if temperatures dip too low while they are sleeping.
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| Whooper swans on the water at Covenham reservoir near Louth |
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| Lot 404 in the sale - Pelham Avenue in Scartho |
This study is one of eight of her works that are due to go under the hammer at a sale to be conducted next Tuesday (Ocotober 11) by John Taylors of Louth.
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| This superb charcoal drawing is also one of the eight by Sarah in the sale |
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Promenaders stopped and stared as an enchanting moon - the first full moon in October - brought beauty and serenity to Cleethorpes seafront at dusk this evening.
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It's destination Poland for these static caravans seen on board the cargo ship, Fri Brevik, as she sailed past Cleethorpes shortly before 5pm today. Currently sailing under the flag of Cyprus, the 21-year-old vessel is expected to reach Gdansk at noon on Monday. Her port of departure was Hull.
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Train cancellations were the order of the day in North East Lincolnshire as unions continued their industrial action. However, there was at least one departure. Pictured is the scene at Cleethorpes Railway Station just after noon today.
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But I don't eat noodles - the sparrowhawk was unimpressed by the food on offer
A SPARROWHAWK that spent the whole of last weekend in Grimsby's Asda superstore is now back in the wild.
The bird eluded attempts by a charity, Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue, to capture it with a net attached to a five-metre reach-and-rescue pole.
As it grew hungrier and weaker, concerns for its welfare grew.
To everyone's relief, it eventually found its way out of the store through a fire escape door that staff temporarily opened.
It is a mystery how the bird flew into the store, apparently unnoticed, last Friday, but chances are that it was in pursuit of prey - possibly a collared dove, feral pigeon or smaller bird.
The raptor had proved an unusual attraction, not just for shoppers but also for birders curious about the phenomenon.
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| What a beautiful bird - shoppers pause to admire the hawk |
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| The raptor is thought to have flown in through open doors while in pursuit of a smaller bird |
DAILY newspapers are today in short supply at stores in North East Lincolnshire.
It is understood that there has been a hitch in deliver arrangements affecting The Guardian and four Reach plc titles - the Grimsby Telegraph, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Star and the Daily Express.
Newsagents say there has been a recurrence of the 'transport issues' which also occurred intermittently earlier in the year.
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| No way out - the sparrowhawk is becoming increasingly hungry |
CONCERNS are growing for the welfare of a sparrowhawk that has been trapped in a Grimsby superstore since Friday.
Efforts to rescue and release it have been unsuccessful and the bird was still present when the Asda store closed at 4pm today.
It spends most of its time perched high up, occasionally flying from one end of the premises to the other.
Shoppers have paused filling their baskets and trolley to admire the bird which may have flown into the supermarket in pursuit of a collared dove which escaped.
Sparrowhawks only feed on birds caught in flight, so any attempts to coax it down with meat would be futile.
Renewed efforts to net the raptor are likely to be made before the store opens tomorrow, Monday.
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| Shoppers wonder what next for the hapless raptor |
