In an earlier column, I mentioned how much fun I had during my year living in the fishing town of Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire, England.
One of the major attractions was a wonderful restaurant called Steels CornerHouse restaurant in Cleethorpes.
Grimsby and Cleethorpes are two separate towns but they seem to be interwoven and as you drive about during the day, you will find yourself going in and out of the two towns.
Grimsby was an important fishing dock in its day while Cleethorpes hosts the pier and amusements arcades.
Now back to Steels. As soon as my friend first took me to the restaurant, I was hooked.
It is so welcoming, friendly and so British. You sit in a booth and are immediately given a cup of tea, which is then constantly kept refilled. Just a side note — refills are not automatic in British restaurants so I was impressed with this feature.
Then they bring you some buttered bread cut into triangles — and all before you order.
Even though they obviously offer more than just fish and chips, you would be crazy not to order this delicacy. It’s all fresh fish and delicious.
And don’t forget a side order of mushy peas and plenty of vinegar.
The other great place to eat fish and chips is sitting on the wall by the beach in Cleethorpes. It might be a bit windy but watching the waves crashing against the shore is a brilliant way to spend an afternoon.
Last week, I received a lovely letter from a former Grimsby resident, who now lives in Moose Jaw.
She told me how much she misses the “good old fish and chips” while walking on the promenade with the wind blowing off the north sea.
When she was a little girl, Grimsby was a thriving fishing town. At its peak in the 1950s, it was the busiest fishing port in the world.
Sadly now the industry has declined but the history can still be felt as you walk down Freeman Street, which leads to the docks.
When I worked at the Grimsby Telegraph, I remember an elderly lady I spoke to telling me how thriving and bustling Freeman Street used to be with couples ‘stepping out’ together.
She told me she even met her future husband while walking down the busy street.
When I was there, Freeman Street was rather dilapidated, as a result of a couple of fires, but it was still an important part of the town.
One day one of my assignments was to go down to the docks because one fishing company had caught a huge halibut.
As the smallest reporter, I had to stand next to the huge fish, which was estimated to be 60-years-old, and was far taller than I when it was hoisted up with a crane.
The Grimsby Telegraph offices were right next to the docks and the Grimsby dock tower, which I saw every day. With the sun setting behind it, it looked rather beautiful.
If the wind were blowing the wrong way, there could be a rather unpleasant smell of fish as you arrived at work in the morning but living right by the sea and seeing it every day is something I will never forget.
Rebecca Lawrence can be reached
at 691-1258.
