“I’ve never met a mayor before and it was all so interesting”: school children pay visit to mayor and Time Trap museum

A year 5 class from St. Peter’s C of E Primary Academy got to learn all about the town’s past as well as ask the mayor a range of questions thanks to Townscape Heritage (TH) funding.

The project, supported by £1.9m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund with a further £1m from North East Lincolnshire Council, has an ambition to ensure the area’s unique heritage features are restored for a new generation to enjoy.

Part of the project also includes educating the local community on various skills and improving knowledge of the borough’s heritage. For example, in November last year, learners from Grimsby Institute were taught how to lime point brick work by skilled stonemason Paul Booth.

The class learnt about the former prison cells of Grimsby Town Hall as well as how one rock started a riot in the middle of Grimsby in 1877. The museum is built on the former Police cells and prisoner exercise area, taking visitors on a whistle stop tour of the town’s past.

After learning all they could, the group met Mayor Steve Beasant to get an insight into what life is like for the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire.

There was even time for the children to ask questions including how heavy his robes are and how the Cleethorpes town is linked to Königswinter.

Mayor Steve Beasant was impressed by the groups questions and their eagerness to learn about Grimsby and Cleethorpes. “It’s lovely meeting young people, it really brings you back to reality.

“They are all so amazing and it’s great to know that children like that are the future of our towns.”

Mrs. Hodge, a teacher at St. Peter’s said: “I think it’s been really informative for the children and they especially enjoyed meeting the Mayor. If they could’ve stayed longer I definitely think they would’ve.”

She added: “We often go on school trips, but not very often ones that are so local. It’s been great for us all to learn so much about Grimsby and its history.”

If you want to visit the Time Trap museum, find out everything you need to know by going to Discover North East Lincolnshire | Time Trap - Discover North East Lincolnshire