Friends, Foes and
Good Companions
A Journey Through the Cod Wars
WHAT IS ‘FRIENDS, FOES AND GOOD COMPANIONS’?
Announcing our exhibition: projected onto the side of Grimsby’s award-winning Fishing Heritage Centre.
The Exhibition
The exhibition featured some 30 artworks by award-winning illustrator Olivier Kugler and writer Andrew Humphreys. The works were developed from extensive interviews with former Grimsby fishermen, fishmongers, processors and Icelandic fishing industry representatives. This fusion of art and oral history ensures that the voices of those who lived through the era are heard, understood and preserved for future generations.
The works interwove drawings and text to depict the voices of Grimsby’s fishing community, Icelandic fishermen, and diplomats, reflecting on the camaraderie and tensions of this maritime conflict.
exhibition visitors
The art trail
Initially based at Grimsby’s award-winning Fishing Heritage Centre, the exhibition then expanded into the community – forming a town-wide art trail, comprising eight locations like Freeman Street Market and Docks Beers.
These installations celebrated local heritage and encouraged public engagement with history and art, blending conflict with themes of reconciliation and mutual respect. This initiative also formed part of a broader investigation into Britain’s cultural identity, migration and sustainability through the symbolism of fish and chips.
The Workshops
Our Big Picture worked collaboratively with the artists, funders, community organisations and, most importantly, the trawlermen themselves, to develop a programme of school workshops and drop-in events, as well as young people and family workshops.
These included a Reportage workshop at Ormiston South Parade Academy with fishermen Cyril Cole & Martin Grant.
Martin & Cyril told the children from years 5 & 6 vivid stories from their time at sea, including tales of giant jellyfish, falling overboard, and North Sea traffic jams created by whales and submarines!
We asked the children to draw our Sea Dogs and anything from their stories that inspired or excited them, and the results were just fantastic
Friends, Foes and Good Companions Soundscape
THE SOUNDSCAPE
We invited children from year 5 at Ormiston South Parade Academy to join a creative writing and soundscape workshop focusing on the stories and sounds from the sea. Here is the soundscape they created!
children
participated in
workshops
“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua..”
A person, Exhibition visitor
Sea Dogs by Oli Kugler
From L-R: Martin, Cyril, Arty and Jeff
The Voices of the Fishing Community
This exhibition was not just about the Cod Wars – it was about people who worked the north waters and who lived through the wars and who are still with us to bear witness.
At the heart of the project are the voices of Grimsby’s fishermen, many of whom were at sea during the Cod Wars. Their stories capture the times perfectly!
(ex-fisherman)
Cyril “Squirrel” Cole
Audio Clip
“I was in the Cod Wars, and they fired on us. You heard a bang, ducked behind the winch, and this shell went right across our bow – a warning shot. We turned around and got out of there.”
(ex-skipper)
Martin Grant
“We used to stand on deck with eggs, bags of flour and potatoes to fend off the Icelandic boarders. They flew at us and we laughed.”
(ex-skipper)
Martin Grant
“We used to stand on deck with eggs, bags of flour and potatoes to fend off the Icelandic boarders. They flew at us and we laughed.”
Tribute to
‘Shuffles’
We were deeply sorry to hear about the passing of fisherman, friend and ‘Sea Dog’, Arty ‘Shuffles’, who made such an important contribution to this project.
Our sympathy goes out to his family and dear friends.
Shuffles’ lasting legacy will remain within the Friends, Foes and Good Companions project as we continue to tell his story, and our other Grimsby Fishermen’s stories, far and wide!
The Artists
Oliver Kugler
Olivier Kugler is an award-winning illustrator and visual journalist based in London. Renowned for his graphic reportage, Kugler has traveled extensively to document compelling human stories in places like Iran, Laos, and Iraqi Kurdistan. His work has appeared in prestigious outlets such as The New Yorker and The Guardian.
Kugler’s distinctive style merges vivid visuals with personal narratives, making complex stories accessible and emotionally resonant.
Andrew Humphreys
Andrew Humphreys is a seasoned writer and publisher with a rich background in travel journalism. Having lived and worked across cities like Cairo, Mumbai and Beijing, he has authored over 20 guidebooks for Lonely Planet and National Geographic.
Now based in the UK, Humphreys runs Paradise Road, an independent publishing house specializing in non-fiction books. With an eye for storytelling, Humphreys brings historical depth and cultural nuance to his collaborations.
Andrew Humphreys
Andrew Humphreys is a seasoned writer and publisher with a rich background in travel journalism. Having lived and worked across cities like Cairo, Mumbai and Beijing, he has authored over 20 guidebooks for Lonely Planet and National Geographic.
Now based in the UK, Humphreys runs Paradise Road, an independent publishing house specializing in non-fiction books. With an eye for storytelling, Humphreys brings historical depth and cultural nuance to his collaborations.
From Grimsby to Iceland and back - via the Faroes
As part of the early development of ‘Friends, Foes and Good Companions’, artist Olivier Kugler and writer Andrew Humphreys undertook a remarkable research journey that shaped the heart of the project. The duo travelled to Iceland to meet with fishing crews, company representatives and coastguard officials, capturing first-hand stories and imagery that would inform their visual reportage.
On their return, they opted to travel not by plane but by container ship via the Faroe Islands, retracing the maritime routes used by the Grimsby trawlermen. This immersive approach helped them experience the scale, isolation and atmosphere of life at sea – offering a deeper understanding of the environment that both connected and divided Grimsby and Iceland during the Cod Wars.
This journey formed just one part of nearly a year of intensive research, grounding the exhibition in lived experience and cross-cultural connection.
You can see many of the drawings Oliver created during this trip on his own website, here.
The Cod Wars:
A Timeline
ICGV Óðinn: an offshore patrol vessel operated by the Icelandic Coast Guard.
Image © Crown copyright reproduced under delegated authority from The Keeper of Public Records. (CT 230)
Cod War I
1 September 1958: Iceland extends a fishing limit from 4 nautical miles to 12 miles around its coast, to protect its territorial waters and its fishing industry.
1958-’61: Royal Navy vessels protect UK fishing fleets during confrontations at sea.
11 March 1961: Temporary agreement allows UK vessels limited access to the 12 mile zone for 3 years.
Cod War II
September 1972: Iceland extends ‘Exclusive Economic Zone’ to 50 miles.
1972–’73: Icelandic Coast Guard vessels enforce EEZ during confrontations with UK trawlers and Royal Navy escorts.
5 September 1972: The Icelandic Coast Guard deployed a net cutter for the first time – to cut the warps of the UK trawler, Peter Scott.
26 May 1973: Icelandic Coast Guard fired on the Grimsby trawler, Everton and almost sank it. Everton managed to escape.
June 1973: Icelandic vessels collide with five UK vessels.
29 August 1973: The only confirmed fatality of the conflict occurred when an Icelandic Coast Guard Vehicle Ægir collided with HMS Apollo and an Icelandic crewman was later accidentally killed while making repairs.
8 November 1973: Temporary agreement limits British fishing activities within the 50 mile zone.
Cod War III
November 1975: Iceland extends its EEZ to 200 nautical miles.
1975–’76: Escalating confrontations include ramming incidents between Icelandic patrol boats and UK vessels.
11 December 1975: Icelandic vessel Þór was struck by the UK oceangoing tug, Lloydsman and the oil rig supply vessel, Star Aquarius. The Þór fired on and hit Star Aquarius.
June 1976: The UK accepts Iceland’s 200 nautical mile exclusive zone, significantly reducing British fishing activities.
The Icelandic gunboat ICGV Týr makes a cutting run at a British fishing trawler off Iceland.
Image © Crown copyright reproduced under delegated authority from The Keeper of Public Records. (CT 229)
The Icelandic gunboat ICGV Óðinn passes within feet of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Scylla.
Image © Crown copyright reproduced under delegated authority from The Keeper of Public Records. (CT 236)
“We’ve made new friends from the wider fishing community and have enabled unheard voices to be heard.”
Paula Denton, CEO, Our Big Picture