The original ‘Boy with the Leaking Boot’, Cleethorpes 1965.

From the original slide which is dated January 1965.

The original statue is said to have been given to Cleethorpes in 1918 by Johan Olof (known as John) Carlbom (1870-1953), a Swedish ship broker, who had lived at 2 Sea Bank Road (now Kingsway), Cleethorpes in 1901. John Carlbom was also the Swedish vice-consul for Great Grimsby. His business address was Royal Dock Chambers, Grimsby.

By 1911, John Carlbom was living at 7 Abbey Drive West, Grimsby. He had a son at Winteringham Secondary School. As well as in Grimsby, had business premises in Hull, and later, in London. Johan Olof, otherwise John, Carlbom died in Helsingborg, Sweden on 8th September 1953. His will was executed from Lincoln.

The original ‘Boy with the Leaking Boot’ statue shown in the photo was stolen and replaced in 2002 and 2008, vandalised in 2011 and destroyed in 2012. A modern, locally produced, replica is now in its place with an unappealing, but necessary, barrier encircling it. An older replica, or the repaired original, is in Cleethorpes Town Hall.