Grantham volunteer’s colouring book raises money for town museum
A volunteer has created a unique colouring book celebrating a town’s history, with proceeds helping to support the town’s museum.
Bob McGuffie, 41, a Grantham Museum volunteer, was inspired by a survey calling for more Grantham-themed gifts and souvenirs.
“A colouring book was one of the ideas that came out of that, but nobody knew how to do it, so I put my hand up and said, ‘I can look into that – arts and crafts is my life, it’s what soothes me,’” he said.
What began as a suggestion during a visitor survey became a year-long passion project.
His response was to develop The Grantham Colouring Book, a mix of illustrations featuring cartoon-style depictions of local landmarks and historical figures including Margaret Thatcher, Sir Isaac Newton, Edith Smith and Richard Hornsby.
Bob said he created the book to celebrate Grantham’s overlooked achievements and figures.
He also wanted to provide tourists with a souvenir that showcases the town’s identity — something he says has been lacking.
“Grantham has so many things to be proud of — but we don’t seem to shout about them.
“People like Thatcher, Smith, Hornsby and my cousin Ross Edgley, who swam around the UK and broke world records.
“These are amazing achievements, yet they’re not celebrated enough, considering they’re from Grantham.
“And when tourists come, they often say there’s nothing to take home. No postcards, no gifts, nothing with ‘Grantham’ on it. I wanted to change that.
“I felt this colouring book could help fill those gaps and celebrate everything Grantham has to offer. I think it ticks a lot of boxes.”
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Bob worked independently to research publishing options and used graphic software to bring the project to life.
Bob, who is autistic and has ADHD, said art and colouring have always been therapeutic for him.
“I call it my ‘creative bubble’ — a space where I feel most comfortable. When I’m doing arts and crafts or colouring, it’s like the only time my brain focuses, but in a relaxed way. My mind becomes a bit more free.
“It’s definitely meditative — like a calming escape. It really centres me.
“Because I mask a lot, it can be very tiring and mentally draining.
“Arts and crafts, and colouring especially, give me that chance to reset. It’s escapism, but also a way to recharge and have some proper ‘me time’. It’s hard to explain fully, but it gives me space.”
The book also includes nostalgic scenes like the Wyndham Park steamroller and a Grantham-themed gingerbread family.
Most images are hand-drawn, though Bob used AI to help refine difficult details and fit them with his originals.
He chose a cartoon style because it makes images easier to draw and recognise. He explained that cartoonising something takes the pressure off creating a perfect artistic representation and instead focuses on making the image recognisable.
The cartoon style also allows him to create images that are accessible for different ages, with some pages having more detail and others being simpler to colour.
“I’ve tried to do a mixture — some pages that are very easy to colour, and some that have a lot more detail.
“I wanted it to be like when me and my mum used to colour together. So it’s good if one person can have one page and one can have another page, and you’re both colouring at the same time.”
“I never imagined I’d publish a book,” he added. “But I wanted to give something back to Grantham and promote the people and history we should be proud of.”
The book is available online, but Bob urges people to buy it at the museum, where nearly half the proceeds support its work.
A museum spokesperson said it’s been ‘well received’.