Pageant of Grimsby

Pageant type

Notes

Additional information drawn from 'Survey of Historical Pageants' by Mick Wallis; with thanks to John Wilson of North East Lincolnshire Archives and Dot Huckin of Grimsby Central Library.

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Performances

Place: People's Park (Grimsby) (Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England)

Year: 1951

Indoors/outdoors: Outdoors

Number of performances: 3

Notes

28–30 June 1951

Name of pageant master and other named staff

  • Pageant Mistress [Pageant Master]: Bartholomew, Miss E.
  • Costume Designer: G.T. James

Names of executive committee or equivalent

Executive Committee

  • Mrs L.A. Ford
  • Miss E. Bartholomew
  • Miss D. Barcroft
  • Miss K.G. Waldram
  • Mr A.E. Wade

Names of script-writer(s) and other credited author(s)

  • Johnson, Richard
  • Greenfield, Lillian

Notes

Richard Johnson was responsible for the main script of the pageant; notes were provided by Lilian Greenfield, a local historian.

Names of composers

n/a

Numbers of performers

n/a

Financial information

n/a

Object of any funds raised

n/a

Linked occasion

1951 Festival of Britain

Audience information

Prices of admission and seats: highest–lowest

n/a

Associated events

  • Drum and Bugle Band Contest
  • Swimming Gala
  • Exhibition of Children’s Art
  • Youth Display at Westward Ho Barracks
  • A Mannequin Parade

Pageant outline

Grim and Havelock

Grim and Havelock were the legendary founders of Grimsby.

First Charter 1201

May Day Festival 1531

Coming of Methodism 1742

Royal Dutch Foundation Stone 1849

First Woman Mayor 1949

Key historical figures mentioned

n/a

Musical production

n/a

Newspaper coverage of pageant

n/a

Book of words

n/a

Other primary published materials

  • Pageant of Grimsby, People's Park, 28-30 Jun 1951 [Grimsby, 1951]

References in secondary literature

  • ‘The Festival Of Britain in 1951 was the festival for the future’, Grimsby Telegraph, 5 May 2014, accessed 13 December 2016, http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/festival-britain-1951-festival-future/story-21058266-detail/story.html#WLPzjbOO8yzLBvi3.99

Archival holdings connected to pageant

  • North East Lincolnshire Archives, Grimsby. Copy of the Script, Reference 282/151; 311/45 and Copy of Programme, Reference 1160/4
  • Grimsby Central Library holds a copy of the souvenir programme (9727:791.624 PRO).

Sources used in preparation of pageant

n/a

Summary

The Pageant was one of hundreds held to commemorate the 1951 Festival of Britain across the country (see also Boston (1951)) and was a major part of the Lincolnshire’s Festival celebrations, such as the Pageant at Boston. Other events associated with the Grimsby Pageant included a drama festival, a chrysanthemum show and a service of dedication of St James’ Church’s new organ,1 as well as a football match with the German club Saarbrücken, which Grimsby FC lost 2-1.2

Footnotes

1. ^ ‘The Festival Of Britain in 1951 was the festival for the future’, Grimsby Telegraph, 5 May 2014, accessed 13 December 2016, http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/festival-britain-1951-festival-future/story-21058266-detail/story.html#WLPzjbOO8yzLBvi3.99
2. ^ Accessed 13 December 2016, http://www.rch-voetbal.nl/historie-museum/93-festival-of-britain-1951

How to cite this entry

Angela Bartie, Linda Fleming, Mark Freeman, Tom Hulme, Alex Hutton, Paul Readman, ‘Pageant of Grimsby’, The Redress of the Past, http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/pageants/1360/