Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre welcomed a group of former Icelandic fishermen last week, marking a special visit that bridged past rivalries and shared histories.
The 48-strong group from Akureyri, often called the capital of North Iceland, formed on social media in October 2024. After visiting Hull, they crossed the Humber Bridge to explore Grimsby’s rich fishing heritage on Thursday, 27 March.
During their visit, the group enjoyed a guided tour of the historic Ross Tiger, led by former skipper Bob Formby, before exploring the museum and indulging in a well-earned slice of cake at the Galley Café.
The trip was filled with reminiscence and nostalgia. Leading the group was Sigfus Helgoson, who worked as a fisherman in Iceland during the 1980s and 90s. He reflected on the experience, saying: “It was amazing, we’ve all loved coming here. It reminded me of my time on the boats, which was 30 years ago, so this has brought back some great memories for me,” he said.
Fellow former fisherman, David Hauksson, added: “I thought the museum was perfect and a fantastic place to learn about fishing.
“We have something similar to this in Reykjavik, but not to this level. It’s definitely something many of us would like in Akureyi if we could and we’ll definitely be coming back to Grimsby in the future.”
The visit also carried historical significance.
The Cod Wars of the 1950s and 70s saw tensions between British and Icelandic fishermen after Iceland expanded its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, banning foreign vessels. Britain initially refused to accept the ruling, leading to confrontations at sea. However, by 1976, an agreement was reached, requiring foreign fleets to gain Iceland’s permission to fish in their waters.
Now, nearly 50 years later, former skipper Bob Formby was delighted to welcome fishermen from Iceland, finding common ground in their shared experiences.
“When we spoke about our respective jobs, we found we did more or less the same thing,” Bob said.
“The only difference was that they worked six hours on and six hours off, whereas we worked all the hours God sent. I’ve loved having them here though and they enjoyed the museum and the trip on the Ross Tiger; overall it was a great day.”
Speaking about his time in the Cod Wars, Bob continued: “I was one of the first trawlers to have their gears chopped. I saw a small vessel by the side of me, which I thought was another trawler, but turned out to be an Icelandic vessel. When I looked across again, it was steaming over to me and before I knew it they’d chopped my gears.
“Myself and the Icelandic fisherman had a bit of a laugh about it and, In hindsight, they were only looking after their fishing industry and having them here to speak to about it has been really interesting.”
David Ornsby, Operations Manager at the Fishing heritage Centre said: “A lot of them had been to Grimsby before when they were fisherman and loved being back.
“They remember seeing the Ross Tiger and enjoyed speaking about their shared history with Bob who had been a fisherman for half a century.”
He added: “We’re here to celebrate Grimsby’s heritage and it’s brilliant that we’re inspiring visits like this from Iceland.”
(Images: NELC)
Reporter.
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2021.