n February 2002, the following press release was submitted to local press and media. The story featured on local and regional radio and television networks.

The Phoenix Project.

Grimsby's statue of its legendary town founder Grim, heroically saving the infant Prince Havelok of Denmark from the sea was unveiled in May 1973. The statue of Grim was a gift to the people of Grimsby by the 'Art for Grimsby' movement, from the Grimsby Art School, and was produced by the sculptor, Douglas Wain-Hobson, famous for the Shakespeare figure in The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Centre at Stratford-Upon-Avon. The sculptor had been commissioned to produce the statue with money raised from charity fun-runs and the sale of objects of art. It was the first free-standing statue to be created appearing in a public place within the town of Grimsby since the Victorian age and the unveiling of the Prince Albert statue. The statue of Grim was created, erected, and unveiled before an invited audience of around 200 people on the lawns of Grimsby College at Nuns Corner by the Right Honourable Anthony Crossland, the M.P. for Grimsby amid controversy. The Grimsby Art School had been based at the main Grimsby College site at that time. The statue itself of Grim and the infant prince was a classic nude after the style of Michaelangelo's famous 'David,' somewhat resembling a St Christopher figure.

Although the statue has repeatedly received damage and deterioration due to the harsh assaults of vandalism and weathering over time since it was first set in place at the site upon the open lawns at Nuns Corner in Grimsby, like the re-sited fountain statue of the famous Cleethorpes 'Boy with the Leaking Boot,' it still features on our local postcards and has done so for many years. The Cleethorpes statue fountain was re-sited indoors many years ago due to it suffering the same problems and fate.

In March 1999, 'The Grim Report' was produced as an independent report by a Grimsby sculptor, Kevin Gracie, which sought to finally deal with the problems facing the sad and forgotten statue of Grim. The report was produced for the attention of the principal and board of governors of Grimsby College. The author of the report had spoken to Douglas Wain-Hobson and ex-members of the 'Art for Grimsby' movement and a full damage report was included. Recommendations were made that the statue needed to be restored and re-sited in a safer new setting indoors. The report also recommended that a replacement statue needed to be built upon the original site, of a form and style that would not attract the future attentions of vandals; something that would be perhaps more befitting with which we could enter the 21st Century.

It is a curious fact that within a fortnight of 'The Grim Report' being submitted, that its author discovered a rare old 1912 edition of Charles Whistler's novel of 'Havelok the Dane,' for sale, displayed within a glass case within an antique and curio centre and bookstall section of Grimsby's mini-mall in Abbeygate. The book was purchased and turned out to be a copy of the first English novel to have been written and produced in Great Britain in relation to the legend.  The novel was written in 1899, and was first published in 1900, but owing to the fact that Charles Whistler's death occurred in 1913, the novel had  remained  out of print  since the last  editions  printed in 1912. Mr Gracie began deep research into the legend, contacted the original publishers and the Whistler family and eventually discovered vital exciting new overlooked evidence validating the historical authenticity of the legend, which had been one of the most popular yet controversial British legends of all time.

In December 1999, Kevin Gracie founded The Grim and Havelock Association which was established in order to research the legend and raise renewed worldwide awareness of this half-forgotten once famous popular legend. The Association were also hoping and planning initially that by way of a lottery grant, Charles Whistler's novel could once again be made available freely for schools, colleges and libraries within Grimsby, Lincoln, and the people of the region formerly generally known as Lincolnshire. The legend is, along with Hereward the Wake, one of particular importance and significance for the former county of Lindsey and Lincolnshire. The Grim and Havelock Association attempted to ensure that a centenary millennium special reprint of the novel would be made which would include the new evidence.

In May 2000, the Grim and Havelock Association went public and conceding somewhat to the wishes of the Grimsby College, sought to attempt to administer public support for having the statue of Grim and Havelock fully restored and re-sited once again in renewed splendour at its site on the open lawns of Grimsby College at Nuns Corner. A 'Save the Statue' campaign and fund was launched. The initial plan would be that the Association would support the College attempt to see the statue remain on their site. The group would go public and spearhead the 'Save the Statue' campaign and act as a representative group by which to make the appeal and manage the project and funds that might then manifest. The campaign was announced through the Grimsby Telegraph newspaper, Humberside Radio, and Yorkshire Television.

In response, the Association received a £20 donation from a lady voluntary archivist worker from Welholme Galleries plus an offer of free transport and haulage to and from any workshop facility site within the United Kingdom generously offered by a local firm within the town. Although there were letters of support for the idea of seeing its restoration appearing from ex-principals and heads of the board of the governors within the local newspaper, no further support was forthcoming. Frank Vivian, the ex-principal of the Grimsby College had contacted the Association and advised that it contact the Grimsby Rotary Club who had sought to see the statue floodlit as a millennium project, although it had not known or been informed of the full state of disrepair and damage. However, the Rotary Club later informed the group that since the Grimsby College had stated that they were in no position to meet 50% of the funding for floodlighting the statue, they had re-allocated their funding.

The Grim and Havelock Association have managed to produce centenary millennium special reprints of Charles Whistler's novel of 'Havelok the Dane.' After failing to get lottery support for the project, they had the offer by the Lincoln publishers, Tucann Design and Print of capital investment in order to achieve the final reprint of the book. The Association have stated publicly that they intend to allow all their free profits from this reprinted classic piece of literature to go towards establishing initial funding for the Grim statue restoration. A full re-casting would be required after remedial work. Statue restoration experts, Alec Ryman & Sons of High Wycombe have indicated a 3 month project costing around £11, 000.

In April 2001 the Association were sadly informed by Dr Timothy Wain -Hobson that his father, the original sculptor, of the Grim and Havelock statue, had died in March of that year. A new edition gift of the novel had been sent to him from the Association and people of Grimsby. The Association have been in contact with his daughter, an artist living in York about the ongoing mission to see the statue restored. The Wain-Hobson family members and the original commissioners of the statue as well as representatives of the Art for Grimsby movement are all fully in accord with the Grim Report's original recommendations. Although it has taken almost a year to complete full investigations and consultations with all parties as to finally prove the case and issue of provenance e.t.c. the Association feel that it must now go to the people of Grimsby with the matter and make the final recommendations and proposals based on the fact that this statue was a gift to the people of Grimsby and that the final decision lies with them.

1. The Grim and Havelock Association wish to let the people of Grimsby know that the statue of Grim and Havelock belongs to them.

2. Whilst it was a noble gift to the people by the 'Art for Grimsby' movement, and Douglas Wain-Hobson, the decision was not theirs.

[ The sculptor had advised against having a Michaelangelo styled nude Grim figure ]

3. The Grim and Havelock Association recommend that the statue is taken down and placed into safe storage for reasons of safety and respect, pending its funding solution. They also recommend that a new indoors site is eventually found for the statue when funding and recasting is secured.

4. The Grim and Havelock Association also highly recommend and propose that the people of Grimsby make certain that for the 21st century, a new and authentic folk-heroic phoenix statue of Grim replaces the old one.

We suggest that we all really have a real need for a new rugged Grim for Grimsby founding statue figure in period dress similar to the authentic statuary depictions of Robin Hood, King Alfred, e.t.c. The decision on these matters is yours ultimately. Please consider these matters and decide. We essentially respectfully need your full consent and support for these proposals and recommendations before anything further can be done.