Bringing Grimsby’s History to Life: Martin Grant and Steve Drinkle’s Living Museum

Two friends. One vision. A town’s history brought back to life. Martin Grant and Steve Drinkle have known each other since they were teenagers. They’ve lived through different decades, travelled different paths — but they’ve always shared a deep love for Grimsby and its history. Now, after reconnecting over a pint, they’re on a mission to create something truly special: a living museum in Grimsby town centre that celebrates the people, the stories, and the resilience of this place.

From sea to shore

Martin comes from a fishing family. At 15, he went to sea and fished for 32 years, also working in the Merchant Navy. Steve’s background is in fishing too, along with building and construction. Between them, they carry decades of knowledge, stories, and lived experience — and they realised: if they don’t pass this on, it could be lost.

What makes it a living museum?

A living museum isn’t about looking at paintings on a wall or reading plaques in silence. It’s about participation — bringing history to life through real people, real skills, and real stories. “We want families to come along and trace their histories. They can see what their grandfathers and great-grandfathers did.” The vision is to create a space where people can learn traditional skills like rope-making, net-mending, woodwork, and navigation.

“It’s not a one-way thing,” Martin says. “The children can educate us too.”

The plan

Martin and Steve are in the process of opening a venue on Victoria Street in Grimsby town centre, hoping to be open in 2026. “The most important thing to Steve and myself is to reinstall a sense of pride. Pride in who we are. Pride in where we come from. Pride in what we’ve survived.”