Fears historic Grimsby shop sign in Victoria Street could be 'disposed of'
AN HISTORIC shop sign could be stuck in a dark basement for the foreseeable future – or even disposed of – if a new home cannot be found.
A C Pailthorp Jewellers, in Victoria Street, Grimsby, closed in 1983 and the building was dismantled to make way for a betting shop and pizza restaurant.
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HIDDEN AWAY: Tucked away in the basement at Tennyson House is the old shop front from A C Pailthorp. Shoreline caretaker Terry Larn wants it to go to a good home. Picture: Jon Corken. Buy photos at www.thisisphotosales.co.uk/grimsby or by contacting 08444 060910
The frontage of the well-known shop was taken down and stored in the basement of the Tennyson House housing complex in Kent Street, Grimsby.
At the time, the building was in the hands of North East Lincolnshire Council, until it was handed over to Shoreline Housing Partnership in 2005.
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Terry Larn, a senior caretaker at Shoreline, said: "The shop front is currently in the basement of Tennyson House, where it has been for a number of years.
"It is in good condition and all the original coving and fixings are in tact.
"The last I heard about the progress of where the front was going was that the council was looking into cleaning it up and putting it on a lorry and storing it somewhere.
"The shop front is part of the town's heritage. It is among the last of the old town and it would be nice to keep it and put it to good use."
The shop was originally three cottages joined together. In 1895, Arthur Charles Pailthorp opened a jewellers and opticians in one of the buildings, and in subsequent years the other two were also converted into retail.
It became a successful business, with branches opening in other towns in the region.
Jason Longhurst, head of development at NELC, said: "The council is currently looking for opportunities to see if the shop front can be brought back into use, in conjunction with the Freeman Street Shop Front Improvement Grant Scheme.
"We are also making arrangements for a proper assessment to be carried out on the items.
"However, if a use for the shop front cannot be found, at this stage, it is unlikely it will be taken into the council's museum stores, and may have to be disposed of."
Jeremy Mason was the director of the Grimsby shop when it closed and now runs an A C Pailthorp branch in Brigg.
He said: "I wasn't aware that the old shop front was still around.
"It would be brilliant if it could be put to use again and it would be a real shame if it had to be disposed of.
"If I was opening up a shop again, I would snap it up straight away.
"There must be someone out there that could use it."
Shoreline is willing to store the shop front for the time being..
Anyone interested in preserving it can contact Donna Riley on 01472 326391.
Comments
by Grimlander
Thursday, September 20 2012, 4:54PM
“Don't let the council anywhere near enough to get its destructive hands on it! They'll ram it all away in a warehouse near Habrough and when it's 'discovered' it'll be destroyed because "it will need interpretation"-- like everything else of our heritage.
Gaston_J - Mon, Sep 17 2012, 8:38PM
Dam' right! Not a word you write is other than RIGHT!
Beagleyes - Tue, Sep 18 2012, 7:49AM
**Whilst we are talking about things that are of value to our area - any chance we can have grimsbys famous son returned to his former glory and be put back together again ?
**Now that work has been completed at grimsby college ( opps university ) any chance our Grim can be restored and put back ?
Granted the original place might not be the best for him to return to but surely someone can find a home to our Grim
Bring back our Grim !!!!**
Yes, I remember him there! Why not put him on the lawn in front of the refurbished Scartho Swimming Baths!!?? A goodly spot where he'll have meaning to the thousands passing by and using the baths and Barrett's Field -- a.k.a. "BARRATTS Recreation Ground", wrong spelling in memory of our benefactor and with no apostrophe!! It only confirms everything we know about philistine charlatans... Hwe'll look as handsome as Tennyson against the Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral -- very well set off by the ikonic brickwork of another age, just in memory... and so that we don't forget -- THIS time.
Whatever you do, give NOTHING that will end up in the tender carec of NE-£-incs. Meanwhile if you haven't done your bit by signing the Save Scartho Baths (and Barrett's Field) petition at:
w w w dot save scartho Pool dot com
Thanks chaps -- we've got to keep SOMETHING of our heritage even if a youngster compared with what's been "regenerated" by the council: the Corn Exchange; Central Market and its Gothick clocktower; the p.s 'Lincoln Castle' and even more recently, the 'Esther'... doGelpUs!”
by calypso
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:23AM
“"A C Pailthorp Jewellers, in Victoria Street, Grimsby, closed in 1983 and the building was dismantled to make way for a betting shop and pizza restaurant."
Says it all really.”
by grimrich
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 8:04AM
“yes gaston your rite , the ( temperary light signs) have been there almost over a year now this town like most of its historic water vessels is really sinking to low standards of keeping its valuable history”
by Beagleyes
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 7:49AM
“Whilst we are talking about things that are of value to our area - any chance we can have grimsbys famous son returned to his former glory and be put back together again ?
Now that work has been completed at grimsby college ( opps university ) any chance our Grim can be restored and put back ?
Granted the original place might not be the best for him to return to but surely someone can find a home to our Grim
Bring back our Grim !!!!”
by Gaston_J
Monday, September 17 2012, 8:38PM
“Nothing much new about NELC doing this sort of thing. Some time ago the Victorian lamps were removed from Corporation Road bridge, allegedly for refurbishment. They haven't been seen or heard of since.
How long before the guardians of our heritage decide that people have probably forgotten about them and whip them off to some scrap yard or architectural salvage dealer?
No matter what the political persuasion of our council, they are more interested in selling the borough bit by bit than in preserving any of the historical interest.”
by grimrich
Monday, September 17 2012, 2:41PM
“disposed of ? like all our towns historic buildings THEN!!!”
by daveyw
Monday, September 17 2012, 1:41PM
“if ever i decide to open a shop called 'A C Pailthorp Jewellers' ill give you a shout!”
by THEAPPLE
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:59AM
“so,...why might it be got rid of,is it in anyones way,if not what is the problem of storing it until some numpty thinks what to do with it,is it not a shame and an embarrassment to the two towns with such a rich and varied history there is not a museum in either of them ,even when there was that little spate of dragging olde stuff out and putting it the Welholme "gallery" not many people know about it and therefore never went and look where that building and contents are now,lol at the scheme for the improvement of shop front in Freeman st,would this money not be put better use to entice businesses to open up (as it was three years ago when I last counted)88 empty shops down there,whats the point of "doing some up" when the rest look ready for the wreckers ball.Shoreline has said it has no problem storing the it so this is a story that really should have been about "do you have a use for olde shop sign" and not ..we will get rid ...and if you want to make some real money out of it ,then get in touch with the film and TV industry ,Im sure they would pay right over the odds for something like this”