23rd. July, 2018 Public Parks Week.

Apparently last week was the national celebration of Public Parks Week (may not be the exact title), although the only sign I saw about it was at Central Park, Scunthorpe, and didn’t catch anything about it on the media. The issue of public parks is one close to my heart and, it seems to me that, many people have resorted to their public parks during this prolonged (now dangerously prolonged) hot dry spell. Indeed have noticed a resurgence of that almost extinct, old fashioned habit of having a picnic (even including sandwiches made at home).

The picture above shows a view in People’s Park, Grimsby looking south across the lake to the refreshment building in the middle distance.

My research on history of Hull’s public parks (and cemeteries and open spaces) continues, slowly. Am up to 1894 in my study of the Corporation Minute Books, only available to view on site in the ‘search room’ of Hull History Centre. I could expand on some points that have come to light so far, but for the moment to relate that it is fascinating reading of the exotic and semi-exotic plants, animals and birds donated by then members of the public for display in the recently created West and East Parks and to the then 30 years old Pearson Park.

Many of them are recorded as being donated by ‘captains’. Presumably obtained from foreign ports, having been captured in the wild and sold at the ports. Such a trade would be frowned on today for a number of reasons, and who knows what the physical and mental state of the creatures was then. However, they were invariably accepted by the Parks Committee and, as yet, there is no record of heavy loses of the donations, maybe some were semi-domesticated. The Parks Committee then had to finance suitable (by the standards of the time) ‘accommodation’.