Delight as 'heart of the community' Freeman Street Market overcomes obstacles to reach its milestone 150th birthday

The market first opened to the people of Grimsby in 1873 and has adapted to the changing world around it, staying afloat through everything from World Wars to a pandemic

An iconic Grimsby shopping venue which has been described as the "heart of the community" and "the pride of Freeman Street" is officially celebrating its milestone 150th birthday.

Welcoming hundreds of visitors for a jam-packed day of family fun, Freeman Street Market had an array of activities on offer to celebrate being here for an incredible 150 years.

With a Ferris wheel, bouncy castle, face painting, an exotic animal petting zoo, as well as live music and interactive displays, there was something for all the family to enjoy at the special event.

Sean McGarel, general manager of the Enrolled Freemen of Grimsby, who operate Freeman Street Market, told Grimsby Live he is "proud" of how resilient the market has been over the years, adapting to the changing world around it since it first opened in 1873.

He said: "Today is a celebration of the market being in existence for 150 years, albeit through several World Wars, a fishing crisis, Brexit and a pandemic, but we're still here.

"We're getting a lot of our friends in who have been here over the years and contributed to the success of the market, and it's a big, happy, family fun day."

When asked how it feels to be celebrating an incredible 150 years, Sean said: "We're very proud. One thing Freeman Street Market has managed to do over the years is show resilience and adapt to the conditions around it.

"We're not what we were 150 years ago, clearly - we're not trading chickens and goats and things anymore - but we've adapted over the years to meet the needs of the local people, and we are very much about local people. The staff here are all local, the traders are local, the businesses and acts who come in and help us are all local.

"We've tried to promote local businesses as much as we possibly can and we try to nurture new businesses and invite new start-ups in, and try and take the burden of starting a new business away from them so they can concentrate on what they do.

"We've had some tough times but we seem to be coming out the other end of it - we're coming out pretty strong."

Nobody was prouder to celebrate the longevity of Freeman Street Market than Steve Wakefield. A fourth generation Freeman, he is the longest serving member of the Enrolled Freemen of Grimsby’s Pastures Committee, responsible for the market.

“Freeman Street was always the heart of the town,” the 75-year-old said. “There was everything you wanted down here. The market remains a thriving hub and has a friendly, community feel.”

Brendan Dyson, business development manager at the National Market Traders Federation, said: "For an indoor market, celebrating its 150th birthday is one hell of an achievement. This is the pride of Freeman Street.

"It's a great venue, and today it's absolutely buzzing - a credit to Sean and the team for making the market the heart of the community."

By Lauren Davidson Senior Reporter - Grimsby Live

14:58, 2 SEP 2023