On behalf of the Council of the City of Hamilton, it is my pleasure to welcome you to…Dudley Eve Park.
This is the first time I’ve been able to say that officially, and it brings me great pleasure to do so.
And for several reasons. As some of you may be aware virtually all of my commercial life has been spent a hundred yards down the road. I have had my frog’s backs and fish sandwiches from round here and stumbled through the vegetable carts every Saturday on upper Parliament Street. I have seen this intersection irretrievably changed. However each night while canvassing in 2009’s election I would walk past by this plot and think what could be done here. I made enquiries as to who owned the property and found out it was one of the banks but it was promised to Government. That transaction never took place and when the opportunity arose I presented to Council and we seized the day.
And so it has been a public space, belonging to the Corporation, since 2012 and currently functions under the care of the City’s Parks team.
The naming of this park has been in the works for some time. In 2021 the Corporation’s Board collectively resolved to formally name this property, which rests on the corner of Dundonald Street and Court Street.
The Board thought it most appropriate to name the park after a deserving Bermudian who had made significant social contributions to Bermuda and had a direct connection to this community. A special committee was formed to look into the matter. Various individuals were considered but ultimately the committee chose Alfred ‘Dudley’ Tucker Eve Sr. who best fit the committee’s selection criteria. The committee then brought their recommendation to the Board for unanimous approval.
Alfred ‘Dudley’ Tucker Eve Sr. was a distinguished Bermudian sports administrator who lived on this property with his family from 1942 to 1962, during which time it functioned as an informal community playground.
Dudley Eve facilitated the sporting careers of some of Bermuda’s top athletes and was instrumental in organizing the amalgamation of the island’s black and white football leagues into one body – The Bermuda Football Union (now called The Bermuda Football Association), which, of course, is the governing body of football in Bermuda.
The father of three was a prominent respected citizen in the community who was heavily involved in sports, both football and cricket. He played cricket and was an administrator for both sports. He was affectionately dubbed ‘the Gentle Giant’ and was known for his exceptional organizational skills, particularly with regards to football.
As a testament to his involvement and dedication to the sport, he was honoured in 1978 by having a competition named after him, The Dudley Eve Cup. He was later inducted into the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
The naming of the park today coincides with the completion of works which includes the addition of a further staircase at the Court Street side of the park to improve access and security for park goers.
A plaque has been installed bearing the park’s new name as well as a brief description to honour the legacy of Dudley Eve, which we will unveil shortly. A QR Code has also been installed which links to a brief video detailing Dudley Eve’s contribution to Bermuda.
We will also shortly be unveiling a beautiful mural by artist Alshante Foggo which pays tribute to Mr. Eve’s legacy. I understand Ms Foggo worked with the Eve family to truly capture the essence of Mr. Eve through this artistic expression. I look forward to sharing this mural with you shortly, which is part of the City’s VIVID: Public Art Initiative. VIVID aims to enliven various areas in the City of Hamilton by facilitating new public art installations that connect visitors and the local community to Bermuda art and culture.
This project speaks to two of the main goals listed in the City’s Strategic Plan:
Goal 5: To celebrate our unique heritage and culture and
Goal 6: To create beautiful spaces and places
This is an asset to North Hamilton. We hope it will be used to act as a magnet attracting commercial and cultural activities which in turn will bring local and overseas visitors to enjoy some of the delights in this area. We encourage all interested parties to contact our Events and Marketing Department to see what can be done.
I invite you all to attend the latest event in the Made in Bermuda Nights series, organized by PinkSand Entertainment LLC. and sponsored by The City of Hamilton which will take place tonight from 7:30pm until 10pm along Court and Dundonald Street to celebrate today’s official dedication of Dudley Eve Park.
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