Popular pub and restaurant The King’s Head re-opened to the public last week following an extensive renovation – boasting a refreshed bar, enhanced dining area, new soft furnishings and an array of modern and contemporary additions. Keen to see the new look for myself and give the food a try, I headed down to Waltham High Street with my family last Saturday, one day after the special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially unveil the pub’s makeover. We were greeted by the friendly staff and shown to our table, a lovely little booth in the corner of the dining room. The first thing I noticed was just how amazing the pub looks after its renovation, with its fresh carpet, contemporary new furnishings, dim and relaxed lighting and pops of colour in the form of neon word signs and modern pictures on the walls. After browsing the new menu, it’s safe to say I was absolutely starving, especially after I saw the Ultimate Plates that were on offer. These are essentially just huge plates of food that combine a range of different elements into one meal. For example, the Curry House Feast includes chicken tikka masala and a tandoori chicken skewer drizzled with cucumber yoghurt, naan bread, basmati rice, poppadoms, samosas, mango chutney and a mixed salad. The Chicken Feast, on the other hand, combines crispy chicken wings, salt and chilli chicken fries and crispy buttermilk chicken, stacked with bacon, American cheese and BBQ sauce, with grilled corn, coleslaw, baked beans, Southern States gravy and skin-on fries. The Short Rib Platter (Image: Grimsby Live) I was torn between these two and the Short Rib Platter, which is a succulent two-bone BBQ beef rib served with mac ‘n’ cheese, grilled corn, grilled tomato, onion rings, coleslaw and skin-on fries. In the end, I went for this one. Staff were more than happy to swap my grilled corn and tomato for a side salad. My other half went for the Mega Mixed Grill, and my little girl chose pasta, cheesy garlic bread and peas from the kid’s menu. Staff were really ‘on it’ and asked straight away if anyone had any allergies, and when I explained that my daughter has an egg allergy, they showed me a special menu with all the allergens in each element of her dish. I’m pretty clued-up on what she can and can’t have now, but it was lovely to have that extra reassurance. The pub was practically heaving, with it being just a day after it re-opened, but our meals were served in really good time. My Short Rib Platter was presented beautifully, with the ribs oozing with BBQ sauce and topped with spring onions and fresh chillies. Inside The King’s Head (Image: Dean Atkins Photography) The other elements were served in little bowls alongside the ribs, and I dug in. It was probably one of the best dishes of its kind I’ve ever had – the ribs were packed with rich and moreish flavour and the chilli just gave them that extra kick, which I love. Combined with the creamy and comforting taste of the mac ‘n’ cheese and generously dunked in coleslaw, they were just absolute heaven, and I’d order this dish again in a heartbeat. If you’re in the mood to treat yourself and put any healthy eating or diets aside for one lunch or dinner this week, I’d highly recommend the Short Rib Platter. The King’s Head is a lovely place to visit for a meal out with family, and has so many different options on its menu to choose from. Staff are pleasant and friendly, it’s an accommodating venue to bring kids, and the new look is just fantastic.

A young local entrepreneur is hoping to bring exciting nightlife to Cleethorpes. Liam Pungi, 21, is following in the footsteps of his father, former nightclub owner Kash Pungi. Liam has transformed Platform in Station Road and will shortly be opening Pool Bar in Sea Road, previously known as the Litehouse/Nokturnal nightclub. Platform has been under Liam’s management for the past few months. He said diverse acts, including circus performers, DJs, and themed nights, had brought fresh energy to the area, offering a much-needed departure from the repetitive club scene and turning the bar into a hotspot for 18-25-year-olds With events such as, “Ibiza Comes to Cleethorpes,” “Greatest Showman,” and “Ladies Night,” Liam has a mission to bring a city-style clubbing experience to Cleethorpes. Liam is now turning his attention to Pool Bar which he recently acquired. It’s undergone a £10,000 refurbishment and Liam plans to transform it back into a bustling nightclub. He said: “We want to have four really large, bigger than ever events and just fill it. I’ve set it up to be absolutely perfect for these events. I’m not looking at every weekend and I’m not looking to take anyone’s trade. “I just want to have these perfect put-together big nights, something people will remember forever.” Pool Bar’s opening night will take place with its first residency, Octave, on Saturday, October 12. With over 30 talented local DJs, both established and emerging, and a free entry policy, Liam said he aims to create an unforgettable experience. Below are pictures of Platform after its renovation. All photographs taken by Donna Clifford for Grimsby Live.

The iconic Chesney Hawkes is bringing his UK tour to Grimsby next year. With his era-defining smash hit ‘The One and Only’, film star good looks and boy next door charm, Chesney Hawkes was one of the UK’s biggest pop stars of the 90s. Three decades on, the national treasure kick-starts a new stage in his career with a show at Docks Academy on Friday, 4 April 2025. Tickets – priced £25 plus booking fees – go on sale on Friday at 10am. Chesney’s Grimsby show is part of a UK tour in support of new single ‘Get A Hold Of Yourself’ – his first all-new music in more than a decade which will be taken from his forthcoming album due in 2025. ‘Get A Hold Of Yourself’ finds Chesney applying that famous voice to a classic, high energy pop-rock sound – but with a bright modernist edge that brings him back up to date without losing the essence of what he’s best known for. Chesney started his career at the age of 19 when he appeared in the film Buddy’s Song , which featured his best-known single ‘The One and Only’ which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks and reached the top 10 in the United States. Follow-up single I’m a Man Not a Boy’ peaked at 27 in the UK, with subsequent singles including What’s Wrong with This Picture?Stay Away Baby Jane and Another Fine Mess also charting in the top 100. Tickets for this standing event go on sale from www.docksacademy.com and See Tickets from 10am on Friday. Join the FREE Grimsby Live WhatsApp Community Get all the latest stories, sent straight to your WhatsApp – all you need to do is click the link. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

A collectors fair is returning to Cleethorpes after a highly successful trial run. Cleethorpes and Grimsby Toy and Train Fair is coming to Cleethorpes Memorial Hall on Saturday, December 7 from 10am until 3pm. The larger venue will offer more traders and a greater variety of items on sale, with hot and cold refreshments available too. Christopher Johnson, one of the organisers, said: “We’ve got vintage toys across all subjects: trains, planes, cars, boats. We’ve got board games, Action Men, Star Wars, Pokemon, a bit of everything, all sorts of vintage and retro and new toys as well such as Lego. “We don’t charge an admission fee but we ask, if possible, that people folk make a donation to Lincolnshire Air Ambulance or The Lincolnshire Wolds Railway. We’re going to have a table by the door. “It’s only our second event, we did one in September in a much smaller venue to see what the call was for it in Grimsby and Cleethorpes because all of the model shops apart from one have closed over the years. Chris added: “There is one left in Grimsby but it doesn’t stock model railway and doesn’t stock pre-owned toys across the board. There’s a lot of demand for model railways especially so we thought we’d put the fair on ourselves.” A poster for the Cleethorpes and Grimsby Toy and Train Fair sponsored by DigiTrains The first event was held at The Crescent Community Hub and was so popular it became “swamped” which made the larger venue at Cleethorpes Memorial Hall a necessity. Chris said feedback was “completely positive” and visitors to the fair were “really happy and couldn’t wait for the next one” If you are interested in coming to the event, you can follow the Cleethorpes / Grimsby Toy & Tarin Collectors Fair on Facebook where updates are regularly posted about the traders who are attending. The event is sponsored by DigiTrains.

If you live in North East Lincolnshire and are looking for something fun to do that’s a bit different – I’ve got just the place. Situated within the Meridian Retail Park in Cleethorpes, Roll the Dice Café opened its doors to members of the public at the end of July following an extensive refurbishment of the building. Providing possibly every board game under the sun, the café is a unique place to visit for a range of occasions, whether you’re having a day out with the kids, a get-together with friends or a date night with your other half. It costs £2 per hour to play board games and provides food and refreshments. Speaking previously to Grimsby Live, owner Michelle Andrews said: “I think since lockdown, board games have become more popular because people were spending time at home together and needed things to do. “There’s something for everybody. I’ve got retro games from when we were growing up, like Kerplunk and Buckaroo, all the way up to games that are only just coming out. The outside of Roll the Dice (Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive) “Some of the new ones are really expensive but people have asked for them. There’s plenty of Monopoly games, chess, and card games for people who don’t want to play board games.” Looking for something a bit different to do before going out on a Friday night – me and my partner decided to go down and give the place a try. We arrived at around 6pm, and walking in, I was instantly struck with how bright and colourful the café is. It’s clear that so much work went into creating it and putting it all together. Brightly-coloured chairs and tables fill the main space, with a bar area in the corner offering an array of sweet treats and drinks options, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Across from the bar is a huge shelf area stacked full of board games, from classic favourites like Scrabble, Monopoly, Cluedo and Trivial Pursuit, to more modern options that I’d never even heard of. There’s also a section nearby featuring hilarious card games like Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme. It has an impressive library of board games (Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive) It’s pretty fair to say that no matter your age, tastes or preferences, you’re almost guaranteed to find a game here you’ll enjoy playing – even if you’ve never really been a big board game fan. I must admit, we do have a bit of a competitive streak between us when it comes to Scrabble and keep score (sadly, I’m currently losing), so after ordering our drinks and choosing a table, we had a game of that first. Embarrassingly, I lost by quite a lot. We do love a good quiz, so we figured we’d choose a trivia-themed board game to play next. We wanted to play one we’ve never played before, so we chose Smart Ass – a very aptly-named game that features an ass (the animal, that is) as its mascot. The game features four lots of card types, and on the back of each one are a set of clues The Who Am I cards relate to a well-known person or celebrity, the What Am I cards relate to things and objects, the Where Am I cards relate to places, and the Hard Ass questions are the tricky ones. A selection of funny card games are also available (Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive) Based on the colour you roll on the coloured dice, the other player asks you the questions on the card with the corresponding colour. If you guess what/who/where it is based on the clues given, you get to roll the numbered dice and move further along the board. It was such a fun game and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a bit of trivia. Whether you’re an avid board game fan or have never really played, this one-of-a-kind café that’s the first of its kind in Cleethorpes is a fun place to visit to try something a bit different, and really does have something for everyone to enjoy. Roll the Dice Café’s opening times are as follows: Tue 9am -10pm Wed 9am-9pm Thur 9am -9pm Fri 9am -9pm Sat 9am -11pm Sun 9am -11pm

Situated in a little country lane on the outskirts of Louth is a hugely popular pub and restaurant, The Royal Oak. Known by most people as ‘The Splash’ because of the gigantic puddle/ford – situated on the very aptly named Watery Lane – that you have to drive through to get to it, the eatery has long been a renowned spot for locals of Louth and those of us who live a bit further afield in good old Grimsby. After having spent a couple of hours in Louth one Sunday earlier this month, me and my family decided to make the short drive over to The Splash for our tea. One thing I absolutely love about this place is that it never seems to change, which I think is part of its appeal. It has a homely, cosy and comforting vibe that you can only find in those quaint little country pubs that have been around for generations. Or, in the case of The Splash, 400 years! We’d booked in for 5.30pm, but arrived about 45 minutes early so we could sit in the bar area and have a drink before being shown to our table. For my starter, I went for the Burrata Cheese (£7.50), which was absolutely amazing. The cheese was served atop a bed of fresh red and yellow vine tomatoes on a thick slice of bread and generously drizzled with olive oil, garlic and herbs. The Burrata Cheese starter (£7.50) (Image: Grimsby Live) It’s been a couple of weeks on and my mouth is still watering just thinking about it. The creaminess of the burrata cheese combined with the tangy taste explosion of all the tomatoes – and the delicious, indulgent combo of bread and olive oil – just worked so well together. It’s the sort of thing you’d eat for a light lunch in Italy, and I’m so here for it. For my main, I was spoilt for choice. Having looked on the Royal Oak website, I couldn’t see what I ordered on the online menu, so I’m not sure if it’s still on the physical menu at the restaurant or not. I went for the Chicken Satay Poke Bowl (£14.50) in the end, which sounded lovely (and very healthy) on paper – but, I’ll be honest, didn’t look the best when it was served. The whole dish combined satay chicken with rice, cucumber, edamame beans, avocado, carrot ribbons, seaweed strips, lettuce and more veg. The Satay Chicken main (£14.50) (Image: Grimsby Live) Sadly, I just felt the dish as a whole was a little lacking in flavour. I’ve had satay chicken quite a few times, but this one just didn’t quite hit the mark for me – I didn’t feel there was enough seasoning or sauces. Saying that, every other time I’ve been to The Splash I have never been disappointed – and I thoroughly enjoyed my starter. I’d never seen the poke bowls on the menu before, so whether it was a new or temporary addition that just didn’t quite work for me, I’m not sure. I’ll definitely be visiting The Splash again to try some of the items on the Winter menu. The food has always been top-notch here in my experience, staff are friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere of the place is entirely of its own.

The amazing festive department is one of the largest and most popular in the region It may still be September but Christmas has arrived in spectacular fashion at Brigg Garden Centre. The expansive festive department is always among the largest and most dazzling in the Humber region and this year is no exception. It offers hundreds of gifts and decorations, ensuring there’s everything you could possibly need to turn your home into a winter wonderland. Many of the products on sale are set up on display, including an eye-catching festive village featuring dozens of model buildings and funfair rides. You can also get inspiration and stock up for your home’s Christmas transformation with the store’s array of decorations, from classic and traditional reds, greens and golds to a more modern colour scheme of silvers, whites and pinks. British Garden Centres, the UK’s largest family-run garden centre group, says over this weekend (September 28 and 29) Family Card holders can also enjoy 20 per cent off on Christmas lights, cards, artificial trees and wrapping paper. Bookings are open for Brigg Garden Centre’s popular Christmas events that are on the horizon too, including Santa’s Grotto, Christmas dinner, Santa Paws Breakfast, and the baby and toddler grotto experience. Ahead of its grand opening today (Saturday, September 28), a special sneak-preview event was held on Friday evening. Our photographer Donna Clifford went along to capture the festive magic and see what was in store …

Young entrepreneurs and creatives aged between 12 and 21 will this weekend be showcasing and selling their incredible products at a new youth market in Cleethorpes. Held from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, September 29 at Cleethorpes Leisure Centre, the completely free-to-attend Cleethorpes Urban Youth Market has been in the making for several months through a series of business workshops aimed at empowering young people. Delivering the workshops was Lynsey Powles, a talented local artist and the organiser of Cleethorpes Urban Art Festival, Sandra Ritchie of the We Are FISH community interest group and the team at The Ticket Office, a new youth art hub and gallery where the workshops were held. The initiative was supported by Grimsby Creates, Arts Council England, the Heritage Fund and North East Lincolnshire Council, and allowed each participant to be awarded £100 to purchase supplies from 3D printing machines to canvases and paint, giving them full control over their creative process and business decisions. The market will include an array of different creations (Image: Submitted) The businesses at the youth market on Saturday will include: Charlie Crochets – Handcrafted crochet products Hooks and Dreams – Bespoke crocheted items Coco Mascots – Mascots and badge making Carbon Resins – 3D-printed products using resin Parkas 3D Print – Custom 3D-printed goods Bobby and Bell – two young artists creating original artwork, including one artist using canvas and another focusing on sublimation printing on garments and other products Visitors to the market can also enjoy free arts and crafts activities hosted by Lyns Urban Art, along with live performances by young local musicians, creating a lively and family-friendly atmosphere throughout the day. Lynsey told Grimsby Live: “We are incredibly proud of what these young people have achieved. They have learned the ins and outs of running a business, from product development to marketing with the help of many local businesses giving talks to the young people and local business women Lorna Saunders of Baba Roo teaching them basic business skills. They are now ready to share their amazing creations with the local community.” To find out more about the event, click here.

I may have just found one of my new favourite spots to eat out for a special occasion. I’ve driven past The Tilted Barrel on Kirk Gate in Waltham so many times, but had never had the opportunity to eat there before – and my only regret is that I didn’t visit sooner. Stepping inside, it’s clear to see that the longstanding venue has an abundance of character, with the feel of a cosy, country pub that I’m a massive fan of. It’s split into two sections – the pub and restaurant. We were shown to a table in the restaurant by a friendly member of staff and ordered our drinks before having a browse of the menu. As soon as I opened it, I knew I was in for a treat – everything on there just sounded delicious. And there was so much choice, too. One of the first things I noticed is just how many options there are on the vegetarian and vegan menu. I’m neither myself, but sometimes I just find myself more drawn to the meat-free options, and am trying to cut down in general on the amount of meat I eat. The Cauliflower Steak (Image: Grimsby Live) In so many places I find the veggie options to be a bit lacking – some places only have dishes like Mac ‘n Cheese or a meat-free burger – so it was lovely to see that there were an array of options on the menu. I was torn between the Asparagus, Spinach and Pine Nut Risotto, the Asparagus, Brie and Spinach Wellington and the Panko Cauliflower Steak (£14.50), described on the menu as being served on a super food salad and goji berries with chilli jam and herb oil. I know it’s not for everyone, but I absolutely adore cauliflower steak – there’s just something about it that really works for me. I’d never tried it with Panko breadcrumbs, so after a lot of umm’ing and ahh’ing I eventually chose this one. My partner went for the Lyon Style Surf & Turf (£20), described on the menu as tender strips of fillet steak in a creamy peppercorn sauce with wild mushrooms topped with succulent scallops, and served with basmati rice. The Lyon Style Surf & Turf (Image: Grimsby Live) I’m not going to lie, there was a part of me that started to wish I’d gone for that instead when he ordered it – but when the food came after 15 minutes or so, I was pleased I ordered what I did. It takes a lot of work to add bold flavours to a dish where the main ingredient is cauliflower, but flavour certainly wasn’t lacking at all in this dish. The cauliflower itself was cooked perfectly – not undercooked or overdone – and the chilli jam packed a delicious punch. The panko breadcrumbs were light and crispy and contrasted amazingly with the firm texture of the cauliflower. The only thing I will say is that I probably would’ve preferred it for the Cauliflower Steak to be served with a few potatoes or something starchy, rather than solely on a bed of salad – it was absolutely delicious as a whole, but not the most filling meal in the world. I’d definitely order it again, but probably with a side dish! The Tilted Barrel is a lovely place to eat with a character and charm entirely of its own. The menu is packed with a variety of options that all sound amazing – and I will definitely be visiting again.

A one-of-a-kind free event designed to bring people of all walks of life together to celebrate water is taking place this weekend in Cleethorpes – and it aims to bring back a Lincolnshire tradition dating back thousands of years. From 3pm, members of the public are invited to the ‘Water-Bodies: A Celebration’ event at La Cuna on Kingsway to view a unique exhibition created by a group of seven women through a three-part project that took place earlier this year, ‘Stories from the Water-Body’. Between 4pm and 5.30pm, a public workshop will take place at La Cuna, where guests will make small objects out of foraged and biodegradable materials to use as their “offering” to the sea. Natural materials will be provided, but people are encouraged to bring their own items such as shells, flowers, leaves, twigs, pebbles or rocks. From 6pm to 7pm, a Twilight Celebration will take place on Cleethorpes beach, where guests will be able to honour the connection between their bodies and water, and offer their object to the sea. A live performance and refreshments will then be available at La Cuna until 8pm. Organised as a joint collaboration between North Lincolnshire artist Louisa Chase and Hannah Green of Dance Free CIC, the event has also benefited from Create NE Lincs and Arts Council England funding. Speaking to Grimsby Live, Louisa said: “When we were doing some research we discovered that Lincolnshire has a really long history of giving offerings to water, going back to the Iron Age. The celebratory event follows a series of workshops for local women that took place earlier this year (Image: Submitted) “Archeologists at Thisketon in Lincolnshire discovered people had been putting objects into water as offerings through the Iron Age, Roman and Medieval times, so we’re reviving something that has happened here for a very long time and putting a modern take on it. “The exhibition tells the story of the workshops and how they came about. The whole point was not necessarily to produce something creative, but to spread the message that creativity is for everybody, whether they think they’re creative or not. You don’t have to think of yourself as an artist to be creative, and the exhibition shows that. “It’s being held at LaCuna which is a fantastic little community creative space. From 4pm, visitors can expect a drop-in workshop where they can make an item out of natural foraged objects with the intention of giving them to the sea as an offering later on. Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from Grimsby with our free newsletter “At 6pm there will be a ceremony on the beach and the idea is that we give these offerings to the sea. It’s not going to be anything too serious – the idea is to connect with the sea and think about the importance of water. It’s going to be quite a peaceful, calming and relaxing event where people can connect to the place and to each other.” People of all ages are welcome, but anyone under 16 is asked to be accompanied by an adult. Louisa continued: “The event is aimed at anyone who feels a connection with the sea and that could be for any reason – they might love swimming, fishing, boating or paddle boarding. Our waters are quite heavily polluted, so it’s an opportunity to come and appreciate water and give it a bit of love.” To book your place at this free event, click here.