Borough of Grimsby – People’s Park Opening Plaque Date: 17 August 1883

This original brass plaque commemorates the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught to Grimsby on 17 August 1883 to open People’s Park, presented to the town by Edward Heneage MP. It names William Jackson as Mayor and records the borough’s aldermen, councillors and senior officials.

The park was created on land offered by Edward Heneage in 1881 and formally opened in 1883. The plaque is an important surviving record of the opening and of Grimsby’s civic life in the late nineteenth century.

For the park’s 140th-anniversary celebrations in 2023, the plaque was installed in its new display location inside the park café, Coffee on the Park, and officially unveiled by Ann Turner. A founder and long-standing member of the Grimsby & Cleethorpes District Civic Society, Ann chaired the Friends of People’s Park for ten years.

Images: The original photograph shows the plaque in the café, where reflections from the lighting and windows make it difficult to photograph clearly. A digitally enhanced version is also included, with reduced glare and improved lighting to make the inscription and decorative details easier to see.