We created this alphabet especially for Grimsby’s Town of Culture bid, working in collaboration with local designers Big Mood Studio. Each letter in GRIMSBY is inspired by a different piece of the town’s history, from our fishing heritage and football club to our civic identity. There’s a story behind every character.
Here’s where each letter comes from:
G is drawn from the official seal of the Grimsby Charter, one of the town’s oldest surviving marks of civic identity.
R comes from an advertisement for the old Royal Hotel, which operated between 1863 and 1965 and hosted the Prince and Princess of Wales during royal duties in July 1879.
I is taken from the Grimsby Ice Factory, built between 1898 and 1901 to supply crushed ice for preserving the fish stored on ships in Grimsby’s docks.
M is taken from The Mariner, Grimsby Town Football Club’s official matchday programme from the 1984-85 season.
S is drawn from the 1977 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Mosaic, created by artist John Freear. It was once on display in Freshney Place shopping centre before being lost during redevelopment.
B comes from heritage matchday pamphlets for Blundell Park, home of Grimsby Town FC.
Y is taken from the Yarborough Hotel, built in 1851 by Charles Anderson-Pelham, 2nd Earl of Yarborough, and the Royal Dock Company. It is now a historic listed building.
The alphabet doesn’t end with us. On October 25th, we had the pleasure of working with a group of brilliant young people at People Make Grimsby, who took the GY28 typeface as a starting point and made it their own.
They began by sharing what makes us Grimbarians and what they hope for from the Grimsby 2028 Town of Culture bid. Then they designed their own Grimsby letterforms and brought them together in a risograph alphabet poster. [Add a line on what the poster looks like, or a favourite letter or idea from the group.]
Thank you to Our Big Picture and GY28 for including us in their creative engagement with young people. We’re proud to be working with them to develop creative opportunities in Grimsby, and to provide safe spaces where young people can express themselves.
