Artist hopes hovercraft will return to the Humber

Hovercraft operated on the Humber in the 1960s

An artist is hosting a free workshop about bringing hovercraft back to the Humber.

Organised by Paul Drury-Bradey, the event will take place on 17 August from 11:30 until 13:30 BST at Our Big Picture arts organisation on Bethlehem Street in Grimsby.

The event will explore the heritage of the Humber Hovercraft, which connected Grimsby and Hull in the late 1960s.

Mr Drury-Bradey said there are "great opportunities" in the region but links between Hull and Grimsby "could be so much better".

'Think outside the box'

Mr Drury-Bradey, 42, who was born in Scunthorpe and grew up in northern Lincolnshire, said he would "love to be part of a team bringing hovercrafts back to the Humber".

He said the first hovercraft hit the Humber in 1969 under a service called Hoverlink, with a craft called Mercury. A rival company was then set up named Humber Hoverferry Limited.

The hovercraft took about 30 minutes to travel between Hull and Grimsby.

Mr Drury-Bradey added: "Trains are expensive and often irregular. The roads are crowded and [there are] so many delays. I think it'd be great for local authorities to think outside the box in terms of how people get around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

"This project is about really listening to people, exploring what they want for the future of the region and learning from stories of the past."

A hovercraft is an air-cushion vehicle capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice and other surfaces.

It was invented by English engineer Sir Christopher Cockerell in the 1950s.