Grimsby Ice Factory's final days feature in DVD documentary

HISTORIC footage of Grimsby's iconic Ice Factory in action just days before it closed has been revealed.

In the summer of 1990, as the Grimsby Ice Factory prepared to stop production forever, Martyn Bullock, an amateur film maker from Humberston, decided to make a record for posterity.

Over the course of a few days, he went from compressor house to tank room, from cooperage to garage, filming the men at their work.

He edited the film down to 15 minutes and entered it into a short film competition run by the Cleethorpes Camera Club.

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Now, 22 years later, all of the original, previously-unseen footage, has been made into a 45-minute DVD documentary.

It shows how fresh water, drawn directly from the aquifer below the factory, was turned into a regular supply of ice for the trawlers and fish merchants who used the docks.

At its peak, the Ice Factory produced 1,100 tons of ice each day and contributed to making Grimsby the busiest fishing port in the world.

The film has been donated to the Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust, which was formed in July 2010 with the aim of preserving the Grade II listed factory for future generations.

Trust chairwoman Vicky Hartung said: "We are very grateful to Martyn for allowing us to use his film.

"It is a fantastic record of the ice-making process, details of which would otherwise soon be lost altogether.

"Our hope is to be able to let people view this film in the context of a restored and revitalised ice factory, open to the public."

As reported, the trust's vision for the ice factory is to see it at the centre of a revitalised dock.

Members hope the building can once more provide for the people of Grimsby by offering new cultural, educational and leisure opportunities.

Proceeds from the sale of the DVD will go to support the activities of the trust, which is currently in the process of carrying out an Options Appraisal to assess the validity of several ideas for the site.

Copies of the DVD are on sale now for £10, including postage. To order, e-mail trust secretary Graeme Bassett at grimsbyice@aol.com, or send a cheque to Ms Hartung at 67 Bargate, Grimsby, DN34 5BD. Find out more about the trust at www.ggift.co.uk