Exhibition opens into history of demolished flats

Photos by Richard McClean depict the history of the flats since the 1960s

An exhibition showcasing photos and stories of the East Marsh flats in Grimsby is now on display.

Titled Better Than Watching TV, local photographer Richard McClean documents the history of the community to the east of Freeman Street.

Demolished in 2018 with a derelict site left behind, the six 15-tower flats were built in the 1960s.

The project is on show at the Turntable Gallery on Wharncliffe Road from 13 until 22 June.

The exhibition details history of the site including bombings during World War Two

The Turntable Gallery said a "close-knit" community who lived to the east of Freeman Street in the 1960s were broken apart when their homes were cleared for the flats.

In their place, the six blocks known as Albion, Bevan, Garibaldi, Nelson, Tennyson and Thesiger were built.

Mr McClean has now brought the history alive along with additional photos by Andy McClean and research by Carla Linford.

The Turntable Gallery said the exhibition "invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the towers, which had cast their shadow over Grimsby for more than five decades".

'Future nostalgia'

Mr McClean said: "In terms of influence there’s no one specific but the Café Royal series of books is.

"I kind of aim that my photos might be something they would publish in 20 years.

"A kind of future nostalgia, documenting today’s mundane in an artful way so it becomes more interesting as time passes.

"Whether our view was from the windows looking down on the daily comings and goings on Freeman Street or looking up as the cranes tore down a chapter of local history, it was better than watching TV."