81-554: The Ross Group was a British food company founded in Grimsby , England in 1920. The Ross brand remains prominent in the retail frozen fish market. David Ross , the co-founder and significant shareholder in mobile telephone retailer The Carphone Warehouse , is the grandson of J Carl Ross . Originally a small family-owned fish merchanting company, Ross diversified into trawling , fish processing , and later into food processing in general, expanding into factory farming to become
162-680: A paravane with a cutting jaw through the water in what was known as a "sweep" to bring mines to the surface and allow for their removal. This hazardous work lost the Patrol Service more vessels than any other Royal Navy branch in the Second World War; 2,385 men died. Grimsby's Royal Naval Patrol Service veterans financed a memorial beside the Dock Tower to ensure that the bravery and sacrifice of their comrades were not forgotten. On 14 June 1943, an early-morning air raid by
243-596: A European centre of excellence in producing chilled prepared meals, and the area has Europe's largest concentration of cold-storage facilities. The Port of Grimsby has been in use since the medieval period. The first enclosed dock, later known as the Old Dock , was built in the 1790s by the Grimsby Haven Company . Major expansion came with the railways and construction of the Royal Dock, Grimsby in
324-556: A bank loan , Frank Taylor built a pair of semi-detached houses, one of which he promptly sold at a good profit. It was only after financing Taylor's growing housebuilding work for another two years that the bank manager realised that his client was under the legal age for conveying land and his uncle, Jack Woodrow, was brought into the business, creating the Taylor Woodrow name. During 1930, Frank Taylor moved down from Blackpool to London where Taylor Woodrow rapidly expanded
405-560: A division of Taylor Woodrow . The building, still in use as the head offices of Young's Bluecrest and known as 'Ross House', dominates the southern wall of the town's once thriving fish docks. Carl Ross left the Ross Group after an acrimonious board room struggle in 1965 and, as a direct result of this, Imperial Tobacco gained control in September 1969; the company had offered £47.5 million for Ross on 6 August 1969. While Carl Ross
486-569: A factory at Westwick, Norfolk from 1948, where they had fruit and vegetables – garden peas ; it was bought completely by Ross in 1954, bought by United Biscuits in 1999, and was acquired by its present owners Heinz in 2000. Potato chips were introduced in 1962. It bought Grimsby Motors in June 1959, Sterling Poultry (broiler chicken) in May 1961, and Waterworth Brothers (fruitshops) in August 1964. In
567-581: A month after the raid. HMS Grimsby is a Sandown class minehunter (commissioned in 1999) currently in service in the Royal Navy . After the pressures placed on the industry during the Cod Wars and the European Union 's Common Fisheries Policy , which redistributed fishing quotas to other EU nations, many Grimsby firms decided to cease trawling operations there. The sudden demise of
648-515: A population of 86,138. Grimsby has notable landmarks including Grimsby Minster , Port of Grimsby , Cleethorpes Beach and Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre . Grimsby was once the home port for the world's largest fishing fleet around the mid-20th century, but fishing then fell sharply. The Cod Wars denied UK access to Icelandic fishing grounds and the European Union used its Common Fisheries Policy to parcel out fishing quotas to other European countries in waters within 200 nmi (370 km) of
729-618: A supplier of fish products to the UK food market. The £5.6 million Humber Seafood Institute, the first of its kind in the UK, opened in 2008. Backed by Yorkshire Forward, North East Lincolnshire Council and the European Regional Development Fund, it is managed by the local council. Tenants include the Seafish Industry Authority and Grimsby Institute and University Centre . Greater Grimsby is
810-555: A tenth of the fish consumed in the United Kingdom was landed there, although there were also many smaller coastal fishing ports and villages involved. The demand for fish in Grimsby meant that at its peak in the 1950s it claimed to be the largest fishing port in the world. The population grew from 75,000 in 1901 to 92,000 by 1931. The Great Depression and restructured fishing caused a sharp decline in employment. After that
891-507: A white ethnic group. There is archaeological evidence of a small town of Roman workers in the area in the 2nd century AD of Roman occupation. Located on The Haven, which flowed into the Humber , the site long provided a location for ships to shelter from approaching storms. It was well placed to exploit the rich fishing grounds in the North Sea . Sometime in the 9th century AD, Grimsby
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#1732772276551972-543: Is 22 January. Grimsby is the second largest settlement by population in Lincolnshire after Lincoln . The town was named "Great Grimsby" to distinguish it from Little Grimsby , a village about 14 mi (23 km) to the south, near Louth. It had a population of 88,243 in the 2011 census and an estimated population of 88,323 in 2019. It forms a conurbation with Cleethorpes and the villages of Humberston , Scartho , Brigsley and Waltham . The 2011 census recorded
1053-467: Is associated with a folk tale of an imp who played tricks in the church and was turned into stone by an angel. (A similar tale is told of Lincoln Cathedral – see Lincoln Imp ). In the mid-14th century, the town benefited from the generosity of Edmund de Grimsby , a local man who became a senior Crown official and judge in Ireland. In the 15th century, The Haven began to silt up, preventing ships in
1134-516: Is likely to have the same derivation. Grimsby is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having a population of around 200, a priest, a mill, and a ferry. Grimsby grew in the 12th century into a fishing and trading port, at one time ranking twelfth in importance to the Crown for tax revenue. The town gained its charter from King John in 1201; the first mayor was installed in 1202. Grimsby
1215-474: Is noted in the Orkneyinga Saga in this Dróttkvætt stanza by Kali Kolsson : Vér hǫfum vaðnar leirur vikur fimm megingrimmar; saurs vara vant, er várum, viðr, í Grímsbœ miðjum. Nú'r þat's más of mýrar meginkátliga látum branda elg á bylgjur Bjǫrgynjar til dynja. We have waded in the mire for five terrible weeks; there
1296-613: Is one of the largest centres of fish processing in Europe. More than 100 local companies are involved in fresh and frozen fish production, the largest being the Findus Group (see Lion Capital LLP ), comprising Young's Seafood and Findus , with its corporate headquarters in the town. Young's is a major employer, with some 2,500 people based at its headquarters. From this base, Young's has a global sourcing operation supplying 60 species from 30 countries. Traditional Grimsby smoked fish
1377-488: The Luftwaffe dropped several 1,000-kg bombs, 6,000 incendiary bombs and over 3,000 Butterfly Bombs in the Grimsby area, killing 99 people. In total, Second World War bombing raids in Grimsby and Cleethorpes killed 196, while another 184 were seriously injured. The Butterfly Bombs that littered the area hampered fire-fighting crews trying to reach locations damaged by incendiary bombs. The search for bodies continued for
1458-690: The North Riding of Lindsey . It was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and became a Municipal Borough in that year. In 1889 a County Council was created for Lindsey, but Great Grimsby was outside its area of control and formed an independent County Borough in 1891. The Borough expanded to absorb the adjacent hamlet of Wellow (1889), also the neighbouring parishes of Clee-with-Weelsby (1889), Little Coates (1928), Scartho (1928), Weelsby (1928) and Great Coates (1968). It had its own police force until 1967 when it
1539-644: The United Kingdom power generation industry: after a string of conventional power stations, the company was the contractor for the world's first commercial nuclear power station , Calder Hall , followed by Hartlepool , Hinkley Point A , Wylfa and Sizewell A . In the private sector, notable contracts undertaken by the company included terminal buildings at Heathrow Airport and the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral . Taylor Woodrow's original private housebuilding business
1620-467: The 1840s. A Fish Dock was added in 1857, and the fish docks expanded over the next 80 years. The Old Dock was expanded to form Alexandra Dock in the 1880s. The Kasbah is a historic area between the Royal Dock and Fish Dock marked by a network of streets that remains home to many artisan fish-processing businesses. Fishing activities were reduced to a fraction of former levels in the second half of
1701-542: The 1950s and the beginning of the 1980s, while Taylor Woodrow was involved in private housebuilding, it was a relatively small endeavour in comparison to its other activities. In the mid-1970s, overseas profits accounted for two thirds of group profits, a large proportion of which originated from the firm's work in the Middle East . As part of a consortium , Taylor Woodrow worked on the Channel Tunnel throughout
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#17327722765511782-441: The 1950s, around chemicals and from the 1990s gas-powered electricity generation. Grimsby is strongly linked with the sea fishing industry that once generated wealth for the town. At its peak in the 1950s, it was the largest and busiest fishing port in the world. The Cod Wars with Iceland , and the European Union 's Common Fisheries Policy sent this industry into decline for many years. In 1970 around 400 trawlers were based in
1863-464: The 1980s and 1990s, amongst other major civil engineering works and commercial projects. However, the collapse of the property boom amid the early 1990s recession led to the company becoming increasingly centered around the private housebuilding sector. The acquisition of both Heron Homes and Bryant during this decade made the company into one of the top five housebuilders in Britain. In March 2007,
1944-404: The 20th century. The current port has become a centre for car imports and exports, and since 1975 for general cargo. In the early 21st century, it has developed as a wind-farm maintenance base. High-street shopping is grouped in central Grimsby between the railway and River Freshney, where Victoria Street acts as a central pedestrianised shopping street with an undercover Freshney Place centre to
2025-543: The British construction industry". However, by the 1980s, Middle East construction was declining; in its place, a new source of growth emerged as the decade went on – commercial property development. Taylor Woodrow entered the commercial property market during 1964, its flagship project being the St Katharine Docks complex. By 1989, almost 60% of group profits was coming from rents , development profits, and
2106-580: The Council Leader dropped the idea a year later. North East Lincolnshire Council has eight Council wards within the area of Grimsby: The main sectors of the economy are ports and logistics, food processing, specifically frozen foods and fish processing, chemicals and process industries and digital media. Cleethorpes to the east has a tourist industry. To the west along the Humber bank to Immingham, there has been large-scale industrial activity since
2187-469: The Dane ) may have taken the fisherman Grim to be Odin in disguise. The Oðinic name "Grimr/Grim" occurs in many English place names in the historical Danelaw and elsewhere in Britain. Examples are numerous earthworks named Grimsdyke . Other British place names with the element Grim are explained as referring to Woðen / Oðin (e.g. Grimsbury, Grimspound, Grime's Graves, Grimsditch, Grimsworne), and Grimsby
2268-562: The Dane , but historians see this account as a myth. In Norse mythology, Grim (Mask) and Grimnir (Masked One) are names adopted by the deity Oðin (Anglo-Saxon Woðen ) when travelling incognito amongst mortals, as in the short poem known as "Grimnir's Sayings" ( Grimnismal ) in the Poetic Edda . The intended audience of the Havelock tale (recorded much later as the Lay of Havelock
2349-591: The Haven of the Town and Port of Great Grimsby". After the dredging of The Haven and related improvement in the early 19th century, the town grew rapidly as the port boomed, importing iron, timber, wheat, hemp, and flax. New docks were needed to cope with the expansion. The necessary works were allowed under the Grimsby Docks Act of 1845. The arrival of the railway in 1848 eased the transport of goods to and from
2430-588: The Humber from docking. As a result, Grimsby entered a long period of decline until the late 18th century. By 1801, the population of Grimsby numbered 1,524, around the size it had been in the Middle Ages . By 1810 Joseph Smedley was hiring a purpose built theatre for seven Guineas. The Grimsby Haven Company was formed by Act of Parliament in May 1796 (the Grimsby Haven Act) for the purpose of "widening, deepening, enlarging, altering and improving
2511-433: The UK coast. Grimsby suffered post-industrial decline like most other industrial towns and cities in the UK. Food production has been on the rise in the town since the 1990s. The Grimsby–Cleethorpes conurbation acts as a cultural and economic centre for much of north and east Lincolnshire. Grimsby people are called Grimbarians; the term codhead is also used jokingly, often for football supporters. Great Grimsby Day
Ross Group - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-404: The acquisition of Wilson Connolly, taking output to approaching 10,000 units per year. In March 2007, the company announced plans for a £6 billion nil premium merger with long term rival construction company George Wimpey . The merger was effected by means of a scheme of arrangement, leaving the original Taylor Woodrow shareholders with 51% of the new Taylor Wimpey . Taylor Woodrow provided
2673-489: The beginning of the 1980s, Taywood Homes was still only building around 500 to 600 houses per year. Largely as a result of its Middle East presence, Taylor Woodrow's international construction business went from strength to strength and, by the mid-1970s, overseas profits accounted for two thirds of group profits. The centrepiece was the joint venture with Costain to build the dry docks at Port Rashid Dubai , described as "the largest single overseas contract ever undertaken by
2754-626: The best trawler skippers in Britain, and began building trawlers in his latest acquisition – the Cochrane Shipyards of Selby. These were the famous 'Cat' and 'Bird' class trawlers. In 1960/1, the Ross Group took over the Rinovia Steam Fishing Company Ltd. At its peak the Group owned the largest fishing fleet in Europe, with eight trawler fleets. The company also acquired its own shipyard, which began building
2835-543: The company announced plans for a £6 billion nil premium merger with George Wimpey . In September 2008, Vinci plc, the British subsidiary of France's Vinci SA , acquired Taylor Woodrow Construction from Taylor Wimpey for £74m. Frank Taylor was working in the family fruit wholesaling business in Blackpool when, in 1921, at the age of 16, he persuaded his father that he could build a house for them to live in. Using some capital provided by his father and supplemented by
2916-540: The company chartered the Norwegian steamer Norfrost to import £40,000 worth of Halibut (150 tonnes), which was claimed to be the world's largest catch of deep sea fish ; it would be enough fish for one million meals. By the end of the 1950s it was landing 100 million lbs of fish per year; at this time, Ross Group was a subsidiary of Trawlers Grimsby – in March 1959, the company changed its name to Ross Group, and all food
2997-406: The company into both West Africa and South Africa . Throughout the 1950s, Taylor Woodrow expanded into Australia , Canada (including housing) and the Middle East , the latter region would prove to be a particularly lucrative one for the business. At home, Taylor Woodrow Construction engaged in a wide variety of work, both for the private and public sectors, but what stood out was its role in
3078-669: The company was bought by United Biscuits for £335 million. Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire , Lincolnshire , England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation . Grimsby is 45 mi (72 km) north-east of Lincoln , 33 mi (53 km) (via the Humber Bridge ) south-south-east of Hull , 28 mi (45 km) south-east of Scunthorpe , 50 mi (80 km) east of Doncaster and 80 mi (130 km) south-east of Leeds . In 2021 it had
3159-725: The company's vessels. In 1960, in England there were around 600 fishing trawlers. In the mid-1960s it had 65 vessels, the second largest fleet in England, after Associated Fisheries. Ships in the Ross fleet included: In October 1953, George Dawson began importing Icelandic fish, when the Ingólfr Arnarson trawler landed; this was opposed by the company and the Grimsby Fish Merchants' Association. Imports of Icelandic fish had been officially banned. In October 1954,
3240-411: The conflict's end, Taylor Woodrow was a substantial construction company; it quickly spread internationally and engaged in a wide variety of work, both for the private and public sectors. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was involved in the construction of the world's first commercial nuclear power station ( Calder Hall ), the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral , and the St Katharine Docks complex. Between
3321-770: The country, according to government statistics. Since the December 2019 general election , Lia Nici ( Conservative ) has been the Member of Parliament for the Great Grimsby constituency, having won the seat from the former MP, Melanie Onn ( Labour ), who had served since 2015. This lost the seat to the Labour Party for the first time in 74 years, not least under Austin Mitchell ( Labour ), who held it from 1977 to 2015. Great Grimsby formed an ancient Borough in
Ross Group - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-474: The docks, but industry and demographic changes have led it to struggle since the late 1970s. Previously the town centre area was rivalled by the Freeman Street shopping area, located closer to the docks. Freeman Street retains its covered market. Grimsby town centre has re-emerged in prominence as the docks declined and shops such as Marks and Spencer relocated to central Grimsby. Other developments near
3483-461: The end of the conflict, Taylor Woodrow had become a substantial construction business. This expertise was quickly turned towards civil construction work at home and the start of what was to become the group's international business. The first overseas construction was in East Africa where, amongst other things, Taylor Woodrow was involved in the notorious Groundnut Scheme . Later moves brought
3564-501: The first floor by ramps at the western end, which can accommodate even large vehicles. The ramp also provides access to the car park on the roof of the indoor market, which is operated by the local council. Freshney Place won a design commendation in the Refurbishment Category of the 1993 BCSC awards. In the town centre Bethlehem and Osborne Street are also mixed in use, hosting retail, legal and service functions to
3645-541: The general construction sector as well. In 1935, the various housebuilding companies were amalgamated and floated on the London Stock Exchange as Taylor Woodrow Estates . Taylor Woodrow Construction formed two years later. Private housebuilding was halted during the Second World War ; instead, the company built various military facilities and factories to support the British war effort. By
3726-555: The industry brought an end to a way of life and community that had lasted for generations. The loss of the fishing industry brought severe economic and social problems for the town. Huge numbers became redundant, highly skilled in jobs that no longer existed, and struggled to find work ashore. As with the Ross Group , some firms concentrated on expanding industries within the town, such as food processing. Grimsby's trawling days are remembered through artefacts and permanent exhibits at
3807-493: The largest chicken producer in Europe by 1962 via a series of takeovers. The company bought out rival Young's in 1959 and, after a series of takeovers and mergers and de-mergers, forms part of what is now Young's Bluecrest , the UK's largest company in the frozen fish sector. The company's history is also Grimsby's industrial history. The company was registered as Thomas Ross Ltd in 1920 in Grimsby. In 1929, Carl Ross became chairman and managing director when his father retired. By
3888-544: The largest concentrations of such firms in Europe. The local council has promoted Grimsby as Europe's Food Town for nearly 20 years. In 1999, the BBC reported that more pizzas were produced than anywhere else in Europe, including Italy. Grimsby is recognised as the main centre of the UK fish-processing industry; 70 per cent of the UK's fish-processing industry is located there. In recent years, this expertise has led to diversification into all forms of frozen and chilled foods. It
3969-415: The mid-1960s, its businesses were, in order of turnover: poultry; frozen foods; fish trawling and distribution; fresh foods other than fish; motors, transport, and vessel construction; chemicals and agricultural services; and overseas business. They were the largest fish distributors in the UK and worth £27 million in 1965. In the mid-1960s, a new £430,000 11-storey headquarters was built in Grimsby by Myton,
4050-419: The new chairman and finance director, while the chief executive and the United Kingdom managing director came from Wimpey. In September 2008, Vinci plc, the British subsidiary of France's Vinci SA , acquired Taylor Woodrow Construction from Taylor Wimpey in exchange for £74m. Some aspects of the company, including the rights to its logo, were not included in the sale. Presently, Taylor Woodrow Construction
4131-529: The newcomers came from Barking in East London and other Thames-side towns. In 1857 there were 22 vessels in Grimsby. Six years later there were 112. The first two legitimate steam trawlers built in Britain were based in Grimsby. A gale in February 1889 resulted in the loss of fifteen smacks and 70 to 80 lives. At that time it was thought to be one of the most serious losses to a single port. By 1900,
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#17327722765514212-475: The north. Freshney Place is visited by 14 million shoppers a year and employs over 2,000 staff. The centre houses over 100 stores, including Marks and Spencer and House of Fraser . Constructed between 1967 and 1971 in a joint venture between the old Grimsby Borough Council and developers Hammerson's UK Ltd. , it was known as the Riverhead Centre (so named as the development was adjacent to where
4293-680: The outbreak of World War II, Thomas Ross Ltd operated fish merchanting branches in Leeds , Leicester , and Fleetwood as well as its Grimsby base. Starting with a small fleet of four fishing vessels in the 1930s, Ross diversified into trawling from 1934. The acquisition of a major shareholding in Trawlers Grimsby in 1944 was followed by several other fishing fleets such as the Queen Steam Fishing Company. In 1956 Carl Ross took over GF Sleight Ltd, which employed 20 of
4374-409: The past 30-odd years" and a town which "seemingly shuns the notion of heritage." Redevelopment was planned as part of Yorkshire Forward 's Renaissance Towns Programme, but the scheme was abandoned in 2012. In the early 21st century, the town faced the challenges of a post-industrial economy on top of the decline in its fishing industry. The East Marsh ward of the town is the second most deprived in
4455-475: The population of the conurbation as 134,160, making it the second largest built-up area in Lincolnshire . A little under half of the population of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes reported a religious affiliation in the 2021 Census, mainly Christian, with Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and other minorities making up around 3% of the population. In Grimsby town, 95.7% of the population identified with
4536-501: The population was fairly stable for the rest of the 20th century. The Royal Dock became the UK's largest base for minesweepers patrolling the North Sea . The Admiralty requisitioned numerous trawlers to serve the purpose of the Royal Naval Patrol Service . Often the crew was ex-trawlermen, alongside Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Navy volunteers. Trawlers used the winches and warps from fishing operations to tow
4617-540: The port to markets and farms. Coal mined in the South Yorkshire coalfields was brought by rail and exported through Grimsby. Rail links direct to London and the Billingsgate Fish Market allowed fresh "Grimsby fish" to gain nationwide renown. The first true fish dock opened in Grimsby in 1856, and the town became central to the development of the commercial fishing industry. The Dock Tower
4698-537: The port, but by 2013 only five remained, while 15 vessels were being used to maintain offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The town still has the largest fish market in the UK, but most of what is sold is brought overland from other ports or from Iceland by containerisation . Of the 18,000 tonnes of fresh fish sold in Grimsby fish market in 2012, almost 13,000 tonnes, mainly cod and haddock, came from Iceland. Grimsby houses some 500 food-related companies, as one of
4779-466: The proposed merger of Bryant – Beazer , buying Bryant for £632 million in cash and shares. Adding Bryant's annual sales of 4,000 to Taywood's 2,000 immediately elevated Taylor Woodrow to one of the United Kingdom's top five housebuilders. Taywood's housing was relocated to Bryant's Birmingham office, and rebranded under the Bryant name. Two years later, the housing business was again enlarged, this time by
4860-439: The sale of long-term investment properties . Around this time, the company was amongst the most profitable construction companies in Britain. The collapse of the property boom amid the early 1990s recession led to exceptional write offs of more than £100 million being incurred in 1991 and 1992. At the same time, few in the construction industry were making substantial profits. Gradually, Taylor Woodrow's construction business
4941-602: The scale of its private housebuilding – by the mid-1930s, it was building at a rate of 1,200-1,500 houses per year. The company built over 1,000 houses at Grange Park in Hayes and set up its headquarters on Adrienne Avenue in Southall . It also diversified into more general construction around this time. In 1935, the various housebuilding companies were amalgamated and floated on the London Stock Exchange as Taylor Woodrow Estates. Two years later, Taylor Woodrow Construction
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#17327722765515022-563: The south of Victoria Street. Many local independent stores operate, several at the Abbeygate Centre off Bethlehem Street. Once the head office of local brewers Hewitt Brothers , the building was renovated in the mid-1980s and now houses restaurants and designer clothing stores. The town has two markets, one next to Freshney Place and the other in Freeman Street (B1213). This was a dominant shopping area with close ties to
5103-690: The town centre since the 1980s include the Alexandra Retail Park and Sainsbury's to the west of Alexandra Dock, an Asda store between the town centre and Freeman Street, and the Victoria Mills Retail Park off the Peaks Parkway A16 , which has several chain stores, including Next and close to a Tesco Extra (the second in the area. B&Q opened a large store off the Peaks Parkway to the east of
5184-424: The town centre. Unlike many towns where shopping has been built on the outskirts, these and similar developments were placed around Grimsby's town centre. This keeps shopping in a compact area, easier on pedestrians and public transport users. Taylor Woodrow Taylor Woodrow was one of the largest housebuilding and general construction companies in Britain. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and
5265-525: The town's Fishing Heritage Centre . A preserved 1950s trawler, Ross Tiger , is located here. Few fishing vessels still operate from Grimsby's docks, but the town maintains a substantial fish market important in Europe. Grimsby was struck by an F1/T3 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of a record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak that day. From the mid-1980s, the former Humber ferry PS Lincoln Castle has been moored in Alexandra Dock. She
5346-460: The two local rivers, the Freshney and the Haven, meet). Hammerson's UK Ltd began a £100 million redevelopment of the retail centre, doubling it in size. The expanded centre was covered in a glass roof. Two multi-storey car parks were constructed at each end of the centre; with this development, the old Top Town area of Grimsby was effectively privatised and roofed over. Stores are serviced at
5427-484: Was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index until its merger with rival housebuilder George Wimpey to create Taylor Wimpey on 3 July 2007. Taylor Woodrow was created from the work of Frank Taylor and his uncle, Jack Woodrow; Frank started building homes in Blackpool at the age of 16 in 1921. During 1930, the company relocated to London and rapidly increased its activities in the private housing market as well as entering
5508-419: Was abolished in 1996. The former Great Grimsby district merged with that of Cleethorpes to form the unitary authority of North East Lincolnshire . The town does not have its own town council, instead just a board of Charter Trustees . In 2007, in the struggle for identity, it was suggested that the district be renamed Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes , but this did not meet with favour among local residents, and
5589-568: Was awarded a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in 2009 by the European Union. The traditional process uses overnight cold smoking from sawdust in tall chimneys, roughly 1 by 2 m (3 ft 3 in by 6 ft 7 in) square and 10m high. Other major seafood companies include the Icelandic-owned Coldwater Seafood , employing more than 700 across its sites in Grimsby; and Five Star Fish ,
5670-409: Was completed in 1851, followed by the Royal Dock in 1852. No.1 Fish Dock was completed in 1856, followed by No.2 Fish Dock in 1877. Alexandra Dock and Union Dock were completed in 1879. During this period, the fishing fleet was much expanded. In a rare reversal of usual trends, large numbers of fishermen from the south-east and Devon travelled north to join the Grimsby fleet. Over 40 per cent of
5751-445: Was describing itself as an international housing and property group. The last major civil engineering contract undertaken by the firm was as a part of the Channel Tunnel consortium (completed in 1994) and although there were still substantial building contracts, including the National Assembly for Wales (completed in 2006), such construction work was a diminishing area for the business. In January 2001, Taylor Woodrow intervened in
5832-463: Was formed and, after a modest start, the company was soon heavily engaged in defence work. Following the outbreak of the Second World War during 1939, all private housing development stopped. For six years, Taylor Woodrow built numerous military camps, airfields and factories; one of the more extensive single projects the firm was involved in was the construction of the Mulberry harbour units. By
5913-625: Was in control Ross Group had diversified into non-fish foodstuffs such as Ross frozen food . While the non-fish food companies were subject to several further takeovers, the Ross fishing fleet was acquired by British United Trawlers by a merger with Associated Fisheries organised by the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation on 2 April 1969; Ross had tried to buy this company in 1961, then bid £15.5 million in December 1965, and £17 million in January 1966. The bid
5994-649: Was merged into the Lincolnshire force. In 1974, the County Borough was abolished and Great Grimsby was reconstituted with the same boundaries as Grimsby non-metropolitan district in the new county of Humberside , under the Local Government Act 1972 . The district was renamed Great Grimsby in 1979. In the early 1990s, area local government came under review from the Local Government Commission for England ; Humberside
6075-453: Was no lack of mud where we were, in the middle of Grimsby. But now away we let our beaked moose [ship] resound merrily on the waves over the seagull's swamp [sea] to Bergen . Grimsby had no town walls. It was too small and felt to be protected by the marshland around it. However, the town dug a defensive ditch. Grimsby in medieval times had two parish churches, St Mary's and St James . Only St James, now Grimsby Minster , remains. It
6156-415: Was not neglected. Once building controls were abolished, Taylor Woodrow, (in the shape of Taywood Homes), responded rapidly and, by 1956, sales were back to their best pre-war levels. However, with Frank Taylor running an international construction business, yet still controlling site purchases himself, Taywood Homes never benefited from the post-war housing boom; indeed, housing sales actually declined and, at
6237-667: Was now branded under this name. In October 1965, it opened a division in the Netherlands with Eurofrost NV called Ross Diepvries in Breda , to distribute and make its products in the Dutch market. By the early 1960s, Ross's holdings included poultry, frozen and fresh foods, including fish, as well as its fish trawling, merchanting, and other operations. Yet the company's trawling operations, which by then represented just 5 percent of group sales, had become perennial money-losers. Ross also had
6318-421: Was reduced in size and the emphasis of the group was redirected to private housing – both in the United Kingdom and North America. In March 1994, Taywood Homes was strengthened, by the acquisition of Heron Homes taking its sales to an annual rate of 1,000, while overseas the success of its United States and Canadian subsidiaries gave the group an extra 2,000 per year sales. By the end of the 1990s, Taylor Woodrow
6399-597: Was referred to the Monopolies Commission , and rejected in May 1966. By the 1970s, the three largest UK producers of frozen food were Birds Eye (UK), Findus (who opened a plant in Grimsby in June 1960) and Ross Group. By 1973, Findus and Ross were selling £41 million of goods per year, and Birds Eye sold £109 million. Ross Poultry was producing around £4 million per year, with its Buxted (now based in Suffolk ) and Premier Farm brands. On 16 March 1988
6480-512: Was settled by Danes . Local folklore claims that the name Grimsby derives from Grim, a Danish (as an old term closer to " Viking ") fisherman. The common toponymic suffix -by is derived from the Old Norse word býr for village (compare with Norwegian : by , Danish : by and Swedish : by ). The legendary founding of Grimsby features in a medieval romance, the Lay of Havelock
6561-573: Was used during this time as a pub\restaurant, but despite her design and status as Britain's last coal-fired paddle steamer, the catering no longer yielded a profit. The ship was broken up in 2010. Berthed in Alexandra Dock is the Ross Tiger , the last survivor of what was once the world's largest fleet of sidewinder trawlers. The town was described in The Daily Telegraph in 2001 as one "subjected to... many crude developments over
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