#LOVEGRIMSBY #LOVECLEETHORPES #LOVEIMMINGHAM – A LITTLE LOVE IS COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU!

LOVE YOUR TOWN

LOVE GRIMSBY – Saturday 12 Feb 2022

LOVE CLEETHORPES – Friday 18 Feb 2022

LOVE IMMINGHAM – Saturday 19 Feb 2022

10am – 4pm

Free

Just when you thought you were destined for nothing other than dark and gloomy days until Spring, North East Lincolnshire Council in partnership with arts organisation The Culture House is going to be sending lots of love your way, starting this weekend!

Love Your Town is an initiative supported by ERDF and the Welcome Back Fund, which will see local shopping streets gloriously come to life in mid-February, offering colourful performance, live music, art installations and more.

LOVE GRIMSBY takes place first on Saturday 12 February, when national and regional street theatre acts on a love-theme will enliven St James’ Square and Victoria Street areas.

During this love-ly day out, residents and visitors can enjoy live music in Top Town market and both of the Riverhead Coffee shops, fabulous family guided tours of Grimsby by Emma Lingard, children’s crafts, silent discos, family mindfulness and meditation, as well as ‘A Little Love Parade’! 

In Freshney Place, there will be a very special PRE-LOVED event at the St Andrew’s Hospice outlet (near Costa Coffee), where you can grab an absolute bargain (10 items for £5!) while listening to the sounds of a funk and soul DJ.

Also in the shopping centre there will be a Loved-Up family silent disco plus the craft activities, where children can make drop-in Grimsby-themed crafts and also choose to become a King or Queen of Hearts for the day, making their own crown ready to take part in A Little Love Parade at 2pm around St James’ Square.

On top of all this, a captivating sculptural heart (LOVE IRL) by artist Stuart Langley will be unveiled on the day in St James’ Square too. This touring art installation is perfect for ‘love your selfies’. Who will you capture with the IRL heart? 

In addition, families are invited to take part in the Grimsby Love Trail. Local businesses have got on board too, with a Love Grimsby heart trail to follow and wonderful love-themed window displays.

Unscramble the letters collected on the trail to enter the free prize draw with some great prizes to be won, including a £50 voucher, family entry to the Fishing Heritage Centre and a family swim courtesy of Lincs Inspire. There’s a fantastic overall prize of a private party or screening at the Parkway Cinema too! 

In terms of street acts, come and follow The Lips by Puppets with Guts along Victoria Street.

This is a chorus of ‘delightfully deviant divas’ whose mouths have broken free from their bodies. They will roam around town and reanimate our favourite songs, celebrating our shared love of popular music.

You can also pull up your socks and be enthused by the Girl Guides ‘Val Keen’ and ‘Babs Eager’ who with their PMA (positive mental attitude) will guide you to all of the best places around town, while helping you to achieve your LOVE badge!
Watch out for ‘Elton Wrong’ on his glitzy portable piano, as he brings an instant stadium gig to town, with songs you’ll know and plenty of comedy too. Are you ready for love?

After that, it’s Immingham’s turn for the ‘feels’

LOVE IMMINGHAM on Friday 18 February, invites you to uncover the town’s “hidden treasures” when it takes place around Kennedy Way and the Civic Centre.

Love-themed street theatre acts and live music will appear and cause a loved-up riot outside while within the Civic Centre there will be a craft fair hosting Lincolnshire crafters as well as story-telling for children.

Immingham’s Taiko group, Hidden Treasures will perform in the afternoon and Immingham Museum will be open, when children can dress up and learn more about the town’s Pilgrim Fathers. 

Again children’s crafts will be on offer, where children can make crafts inspired by the town, as well as jewelled crown for the parade, ready to take part in the Little Love Parade at 2.20pm in Kennedy Way.

There will also be a silent disco for families to love letting loose with and the LOVE IMMINGHAM trail will invite children and families to ‘see our hearts’, with local kids having made their own hanging decoration for display.

A large-scale poem celebrating Immingham by James Hall, will be displayed in a shop window, unveiled on the day.

Finally, our Love Your Town Week culminates in love in the sea air! 

LOVE CLEETHORPES takes place on Saturday 19 February. 

Down by the beach at Brighton Slipway, families can take part in relaxing beach yoga in the morning, followed by beach crafts and live music from Dick Appleton at ‘Lacuna’ in the afternoon.

Stilt walkers and live musicians will enliven St Peter’s Avenue, Market Place, Cambridge Street and Seaview Street.

What’s more at Cleethorpes Memorial Hall, the Original Emporium will host a fabulous maker’s market –  highlighting local creative talent – as well as outdoor street food and this is where children’s creative activities will be based, on a Cleethorpes theme, again offering the chance to make a crown for the parade at 2pm along St Peter’s Avenue.

The LOVE CLEETHORPES trail again will allow people to chance to check out a fantastic range of retailers, with LOVEly window displays again offering a chance to win prizes.

At the heart of all three events, will be a brand new temporary public art installation, LOVE IRL (In Real Life). Commissioned by The Culture House and North East Lincolnshire Council, artist Stuart Langley has created a ‘captivating sculptural heart’, encouraging enjoyment of real world moments and visualising what love in real life feels life – colourful fragmented pieces that form a whole – while playfully inviting audiences to pose, snap and share their interaction with it.

Delighted that events are happening for all the family on either side of Valentine’s Day, North East Lincolnshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Housing and Tourism Cllr Callum Procter said: 

“We must all play our part in bringing life back into our town centres. After two extremely challenging years we are asking people to enjoy free fun for all ages, whilst enjoying browsing our shops and markets, or perhaps enjoying a bite to eat, a drink and a chat. Let’s show our shops and businesses that we LOVE them.”

To keep up to date with LOVE YOUR TOWN and to find out more about the trail and prizes as well as book for the walks, relaxation activities and silent disco, visit 

www.discovernortheastlincolnshire.co.uk/loveyourtown and www.theculturehouse.co.uk and follow @theculturehousegy on social media

Please do use the following hashtags when sharing your experiences!

#LoveGrimsby

#LoveImmingham 

#LoveCleethorpes