In a small port-town in Lincolnshire, there is something fishy happening to a popular museum called the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre – a multi-award winning attraction which will transport you back in time to the 1950s. The wokerati have carried out an inquiry into the museum. Why? They want to review its collection of material on decimated fishing fleets and the work of the trawlermen. It is not to recognise their hard work but to address possible connections to slavery, colonialism and racism. Presumably trigger warnings will be positioned by offending items, whilst some may be removed with the aim of promoting “decolonisation and people with protected characteristics”.

Portrayals of North Sea fishermen are set to be decolonised to come into line with what is increasingly common practice by ticking DEI boxes, ensuring the woke inspectors are satisfied. The museum will focus on gathering more information on individuals from diverse backgrounds and with protected characteristics, making the place more “diverse and welcoming”. A spokesperson from the museum stated:

We want to share how museum objects can represent stories of slavery, colonialism and racism, and are committed to addressing the legacy of these subjects through open and honest conversations with those we represent.

The museum has a fabulous display of preserved trawler interiors and carefully crafted recreations, with mannequins of women and trawlermen wearing typical yellow waterproofs working at different jobs within the industry. It also includes a pub and a mock British chippy. How are they going to make this inclusive? Perhaps a few Pride flags and only non-alcoholic drinks behind the bar?

The museum is a popular attraction, with a 4.6 star rating on Google from 807 reviews. It is a beloved museum for locals, who have also voiced their objections to the new plans, whilst showing their appreciation of the museum’s original format. One local review on TripAdvisor states: “It’s a moving tribute to the men who fed the nation – no need to rewrite that.”

Through investment and curation, the museum has won numerous awards, including inclusion in the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, Blue Peter’s Museum of the Year and Attraction of the Year in 1993. One wonders, with its fame and the admiration it has won over the years, why its management suddenly believes it is offensive to people. This is just one of many ‘solutions’ in search of a problem which does not exist and is a blatant attack on Britain’s history and heritage.

Trawlermen were vital to Britain. Historically, they played a crucial role in providing food, contributing to the economy and even serving as essential personnel during wartime. Their expertise in navigating and understanding the sea, combined with the efficiency of trawlers in catching large quantities of fish, made them crucial for supplying vital resources during wartime. Further, Grimsby once boasted the largest fishing port in the world during the mid-20th century. At its peak in the 1950s and 60s, Grimsby’s docks buzzed with activity, providing employment to thousands. Their reputation should not be tarnished.

Unfortunately, though, this attitude towards British culture is spreading. Roger Watson’s recent trip to Manchester’s Art Gallery found what used to be a fascinating exhibition of British art but which is now a journey down guilt-lane: a yellow wall was dedicated to “the theme of migration, with a focus on empire and colonisation, trade, gendered experience and feelings aroused by the comfort of home”. Towards that end, the prestigious Natural Maritime Museum has announced intentions to “interrogate Britain’s imperial past” by altering exhibits. Elsewhere, a 12 year-old schoolgirl was turned away from her school in Bilton, Warwickshire, because she wore a Union Jack dress to the school’s ‘Diversity Day’. She was ordered to change or go home because ‘diversity’ did not include her culture.

By erasing and altering aspects of British history, we risk erasing more than just facts – we slowly erode the foundations of what made Britain great. The story of British trawlermen and the sacrifices they made deserve to be preserved and praised, not politicised. If we suddenly have ‘issues’ over brave men who put their lives on the line and often lost them to provide food for their country, then we really have a problem. We ought to do better.

Jack Watson is a 16 year-old schoolboy in Year 11. You can read his Substack about following Hull City FC here. Follow him on X here.