Event Description

Free local history exhibition telling the story of road transport in North East Lincolnshire.

The first section of the exhibition will be devoted to horse-drawn transport, including the rulleys, which were a familiar sight on Grimsby Docks.

Also on display will be items relating to the area’s many garages and car dealerships. Included among these will be the Royal Dock Garage (Cleethorpe Road), Alexandra Motors (Bradley Crossroads), Alf Lumley (Brereton Avenue) and Bratley’s Garage (Waltham).

The exhibition will also cover two-wheeled transport, with items relating to local cycling clubs, the cycle track on West Marsh, and the Tower Cycle Company Limited. There will also be a tribute to Freddie Frith, Grimsby’s motorcycle racing legend.

Visitors will also have an opportunity to see items connected with some of the transport-related manufacturing companies of North East Lincolnshire, including Lloyd Cars, Abbey (Cosalt) Caravans, and Woodthorpe & Haddock (cart and carriage builders).

Finally, there will be a display of photographs and documents relating to public transport and commercial vehicles. This part of the display will include items relating to the trolleybuses, Granville Tours and the vans and lorries owned by local businesses, including the Grimsby Ice Company and Dyte’s Bakery in Cleethorpes.

Adrian Wilkinson, Archivist, Lincs Inspire, said: “140 years ago Karl Benz registered the first patent for a practical road vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. Since 1886, cars, vans, buses and lorries have profoundly changed the world we live in. This exhibition provides an insight into the influence that mechanised road transport has had in North East Lincolnshire. However, this isn’t just an exhibition for “petrolheads”, as many of the photographs show how local buildings and streets have changed since the 1880s (and for those who prefer horses, we have included a display of items relating to equine transport).”