Grimethorpe is known for its past as a mining village, its brass band, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and was used as the location for the film Brassed Off - a black comedy which tells the plight of the village and the effect on its band.
His legacy continues today as the River City Brass Band (now River City Brass) plays nationally and internationally under the direction of conductor and artistic director, James Gourlay, an internationally renowned tuba player and former conductor of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.