Where I live ( exiles )

All Town Aren’t We

Approximately 10% of the RAF, lorry drivers and students at any one time are Town fans if you read this thread. When I was an exile at RAF Benson on my Flight of roughly 40 people there were four lads from Grimsby (One East Marsh, one Willows, one Littlefield and one Laceby) and three of us were either STHs or regulars at BP.

Quoted from newarkmariner

this is great reading, well heres my story


in 1998 i took over  the Cricketers pub were Les Brechin was my quiz master ,pool captain and footy club sec,hi buddy, big hello too Meza who i played with when we won div 4,good times mate(ive still got my end off season programme and often read it with a giggle.

Hi Chris. Good times back then Fatcat. I can't believe where the time goes mate. Hello to Meza too.

Fascinating thread.

Like many others on here, I was born in Nunsthorpe maternity hospital, 1985. Spent my entire childhood in Cleethorpes, and have great memories walking down Grimsby Road on the way to Blundell Park with my dad and grandad, who himself actually hailed from Suffolk but had adopted Town as his team having moved to the area in the 40s.

Briefly moved to Middlesbrough when I was 18 for no particular reason at all, and by complete fluke met my wife and mother of my two children within hours of arriving.

Have spent the last 14 years in Leeds, where we’re pretty settled as a family now. I can’t envisage ever moving back to the Grimsby area due to work and family reasons, but have previously turned away job opportunities in London and the States primarily because I don’t like the thought of being too far away from my home town.

My origin is sometimes the subject of pìsstakery from my colleagues, mostly hoity toity, privately educated London types who’ve never even been to the place, but I’ve always felt a tremendous sense of pride about where I’m from. The sight of the Dock Tower from the A180 is something that never fails to trigger a warm sense of nostalgia and familiarity, and I always point it out to my kids when we’re in the car, even if it’s just some old building to them.

I can’t wait to do that walk to BP once again. Hopefully it won’t be too long now.

I was born at Croft Baker (Cleethorpes) in 1967. Grew up in Brian Avenue and went to school at Thrunscoe and the Mathew Humberstone.
Moved around the town for a few years, Lovett st, Laceby and Humberston. Moved to Brisbane Australia in 2004 and returned to live in Gloucestershire in 2014. Moved back to Laceby in 2016 and now settled in Waltham.
I hope that we won't be moving again any time soon.

UTM

Quoted from LH

Approximately 10% of the RAF, lorry drivers and students at any one time are Town fans if you read this thread. When I was an exile at RAF Benson on my Flight of roughly 40 people there were four lads from Grimsby (One East Marsh, one Willows, one Littlefield and one Laceby) and three of us were either STHs or regulars at BP.

My cousin was in the RAF, and I went to visit him at RAF Benson.  We went for a few drinks in the Officers Mess, even though I was only a Corporal in the Army.

Well what a fantastic thread and one that has prompted me to finally post something rather than just read the fishy every day.

I was born 1960 in a council house in Bempton Grove just off Weelsby Road, just a few doors down from where Duncan McKenzie lived. Moved to Farebrother St when I was 2 and spent most of my childhood there. Went to Canon Ainslie Primary School and managed to fluke my way into Winteringham Grammar. Had a fantastic time there as I was lucky enough to be around the golden generation of local footballers. I played in the same house team as Dave Moore and we were unbeaten in the 5 years we played games, the original invincibles. The school team at the time included Dave and Kev Moore, Tony Ford, Paul Emson, and the best of the lot Brian Klug who went to Ipswich when they were playing in Europe but unfortunately had a career ending injury just as he was pushing for a first team slot.

My first game was in the late 60's against Burnley, with Doug Collins the stand out player. But my first full season was 71/72, not a bad time to start !!  Nobody in my family was particularly keen on sport, so much of the time I went on my own. I would walk from home and back with my little radio for company. Eventually a group of us at school would get together and go, my favorite spot would be to stand on the base of the floodlight between the pontoon and the Barrat as I wasn't very tall.

After A Levels I decided Uni wasn't for me and so joined a local Bank in 78. That meant I had money and time to watch probably the best Grimsby side of my lifetime, and it contained half of my school team. But to further my career it was obvious I would have to move away, so in in 84 I began my nomadic life and worked in Peterborough, London, Bedford. Always made regular trips back home though, and never for a moment thought about supporting anyone else. And then in 92 I was given a move to..........Grimsby !! So it was back home and as much football as I could manage with a ST in the Lower Findus.

But it couldn't last and in 97 I was moved to Dunstable. Couldn't afford to live there, so ended up in Northampton where I live now. I moved in a few months before the 98 playoff game, so I really enjoyed the drive home up the M1 and into my street that was was very quiet for some reason. My piece of the Bank was outsourced in 2002, and I ended up working for HP. I moved out of Banking and travelled all over the world, Thank god for iPlayer as I would listen to games in strange places and strange times. I had to listen to the Burton game in Buenos Aires and watched the Bristol Rovers playoff final in a hotel room in Bangalore India. Thankfully I managed to engineer my schedule to make sure I was in the UK for the Forest Green game a year later.

I'm semi-retired now and so hoping to have more time to go to games. I'm lucky that during my time in Northampton I have hooked up with ex London Mariner Mick (Wembley Double 9_ and his two boys Matt and Dan, and Tim (Mariner Timsky) who I forgive for forgetting my name. It means that we often have a car full to away games and we have had some cracking days out, I thank them for their friendship. There is nothing like going to an away game where you think you will be on your own, and then you walk into the pub or the ground and suddenly you are surrounded by other people who are just the same as you. The feeling of  togetherness, almost of family is something special. My Arsenal supporting ex-workmate who comes along sometimes has commented on how much he loves our fans, real football and real fans.

I am really pleased I put this thread up I did not know if many would be interested but it's gone well past what I expected.

It's amazing to see how many exiles where brought up close to other mariners but have widely travelled since.

I did not say too much about me so I will add my upbring.

Born in the Nunsthorpe maternity home 1948 the year the NHS  was formed
Moved from Riby to Wroxham Ave when they built a new estate dad got a job with his brother in Middlesbough but could not settle so returned to Cleethorpes aged seven. Went to St Peter's then Beacon Hill.
Scored loads of goals for the School and got picked for Grimsby Boys I scored in every game ending with four in our last win in the national cup and three when we went out in the last 16 by 6-3.
Then played for the Town juniors which we had a certain Harry Wainman in goal I was still only 14 and I think Harry was 16 he was brilliant hardly letting a goal in during the time I played.

I left school at 15 and my dad got me an interview for a apprentice anticipated with Wimpey and started work on the multi storey flats which had started earlier in the year.This made it difficult for me to get to training so after scoring 4 goals in 7 games for the juniors I played for the foremans team in the Grimsby local league .

Tom Johnson towns manager asked me to come back to training and made me sub for Town A team coming on just before half time. My first touch of the ball was when the fullback belted the ball right into my knackers from a few yards. George Higgins ran on and wanted to put a cold sponge down my shorts which I declined.

After that being a teenager with no idea what I wanted from life I just played local football and by the time I was 20 the speed I had which helped me scored plenty of goals disappeared and when I was 22 went bus driving and quickly put 2 stone on. I did make a comeback playing for them on a Sunday morning just to try and stay fit after sitting down all week.

This period was really good for Town ending up with the Exeter game with 22,000+ there and promotion, because most people went by bus to the game there were plenty of bus specials on and by doing them we got in for free to watch the games.When not working I paid to get in .

Had several jobs after bus driving ending with making a small fortune as a car salesman which helped my wife and I decide a move to Suffolk would be a good idea.
We have never regretted moving and we are now surrounded by our family of a daughter and two granddaughters who have given us four great grandchildren and counting.
All mini mariners !!!!!!

I've really enjoyed reading this thread, please keep it going.
As for me, I was brought in Springbank, went to Yarborough school then Hereford, now live on the Church Meadows Estate, never moved more than a mile away, so no travelling story. Although I've got a fish round in Leeds and have 2/3 customers who are keen Town fans, it would seem we get everywhere.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

Born in Croft Baker in 1968. Brought up in Scartho and left Grimsby at 18 to go to university in Nottingham. Met my wife in Nottingham (but she was a Cleethorpes girl!) and we lived in Nottingham before moving to the Manchester area for her job. We then moved south to Hertfordshire because of work and then got divorced. I stayed in the area for a while before getting a job in the US and then was moved to Tokyo by the company, who then made me redundant!
I moved back to the UK almost 2 years ago and live not far from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

It was always a little taste of home to check how Town had done on the BBC website when I was in the US or Japan. It was a bit surreal in Japan because you checked Saturday's result on Sunday morning, so looking at results and reading match reports was a Sunday breakfast thing.

Born in Croft Baker, moved to norwich after initial year near fiveways.moved to Bedgrove ,Aylesbury  in 1969., went to AGS as the only skinhead(and Grimsby fan) which didnt do me too many favours.lived in bierton for 25 years with my first wife(gy born and bred) .then lucky enough to meet Chris (born Dewsburyand lived Wycombe,  no worse combination surely?)
Courtship was weekends away spoilt by watching Town in the bad old days.last 10 years in the lovely, out of the way North Marston. Never been happier.

You must come over for a pint in the Pilgrim Bob Cummings Tackle!