GRIMSBY is missing out on thousands of pounds worth of tourism revenue
through lacklustre promotion of its rich heritage.
That was the claim made by North East Lincolnshire's deputy mayor, Coun Christina McGilligan-Fell, at a meeting of the authority tourism. culture and leisure scrutiny panel
"Why haven't we got a museum and visitor centre?" she demanded. "That's a question I've been asked time and again.
"We are way behind places such as Lincoln - look at the success it has had with its Magna Carta celebrations. It's brought in thousands of visitors to the city."
One bugbear of many people has been the demise of the Welholme Galleries building which NELC has now earmarked for disposal.
Many of its fascinating artefacts have been relocated to a purpose-built storage unit on the South Humberside industrial estate where they are currently being kept under lock and key and never seen by the public.
Sue Wells, the chief executive of Lincs Inspire Ltd, which oversees much culture and leisure provision (but not tourism) within the borough, agreed that Grimsby had an impressive past.
She noted that the public had access to archives and fishing records - and could even have sight of a rare genuine copy of Henry VIII's "autograph".
However, neither she nor anyone on the panel was able to offer any hope that the deputy mayor' museum aspirations might come to fruition, at least in the near to medium future.
Both the council and Lincs Inspire face extreme financial pressures, so it perhaps needs a deep- pocketed philanthropist to come forward.
But where is that individual . . . ?
That was the claim made by North East Lincolnshire's deputy mayor, Coun Christina McGilligan-Fell, at a meeting of the authority tourism. culture and leisure scrutiny panel
"Why haven't we got a museum and visitor centre?" she demanded. "That's a question I've been asked time and again.
"We are way behind places such as Lincoln - look at the success it has had with its Magna Carta celebrations. It's brought in thousands of visitors to the city."
One bugbear of many people has been the demise of the Welholme Galleries building which NELC has now earmarked for disposal.
Many of its fascinating artefacts have been relocated to a purpose-built storage unit on the South Humberside industrial estate where they are currently being kept under lock and key and never seen by the public.
Sue Wells, the chief executive of Lincs Inspire Ltd, which oversees much culture and leisure provision (but not tourism) within the borough, agreed that Grimsby had an impressive past.
She noted that the public had access to archives and fishing records - and could even have sight of a rare genuine copy of Henry VIII's "autograph".
However, neither she nor anyone on the panel was able to offer any hope that the deputy mayor' museum aspirations might come to fruition, at least in the near to medium future.
Both the council and Lincs Inspire face extreme financial pressures, so it perhaps needs a deep- pocketed philanthropist to come forward.
But where is that individual . . . ?
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