'Deep dive' on the untold story of the Humber Hovercraft

NEW BOOK ABOUT FUTURISTIC SERVICE THAT CONNECTED HULL TO GRIMSBY

- By DEBORAH HALL

A NORTH Lincolnshire man who was among the first to cross the Humber Bridge when it first opened - in his pram - has spent a year researching a very different and “hard to believe” method of crossing the river that continues to capture imaginations.

Paul Drury-Bradey has published a book about the futuristic Humber Hovercraft service that connected Hull with Grimsby at the end of the 1960s. It is one of those pieces of local history that has got lost to time but sparks interest when the subject pops up in conversation.

Paul said: “People can’t believe it. It’s one of those hidden bits of history and it’s so unusual - and it is hard to believe, really.”

The author's project to map the hidden heritage of the Humber Hovercraft brought people from both banks together as he worked to uncover material in the Hull and Grimsby areas for his newly published 80-page book.

Paul said: “As part of the project I've delivered creative heritage sessions around the region, capturing people's stories.

“I've worked with specialist archives and libraries around the country and several exhibitions and heritage talks have been organised, too. The finished publication is not a traditional history book. Instead, it is a deep dive on the untold story of the hovercraft that connected Grimsby and Hull at the end of the 1960s.