Baron who of where-and-why-on-earth

Just about every city in this country has one. I'm talking about the "notable public figure" and Hull is no exception.

Behold Charles Henry Wilson, 1st Baron Nunburnholme. You've never heard of him and I can't see why you would. This man made his fortune by inheriting a shipping company, actually the largest private shipowning concern in the world. Not surprising given the democratic ethos of the times he was also MP for Hull (a Liberal, weren't they all!) and High Sheriff of Hull. Never one to let politics get in the way of profit he sent ships to the Boer War despite being opposed to it. Piling Ossa on Pelion, he was given the freedom  of the City of Kingston upon Hull and then a peerage as Baron Nunburnholme,. Having done so much he nevertheless failed to achieve immortality and died in 1907.

Hull History Centre

I showed you the other end of this building a few weeks back and frankly I hadn't given the place much thought 'til I took a little walk around the area and stumbled across this opportunity for a reflection shot. The building stands in a small garden and the trees are turning a delicious golden hue.
There's also a big yellow toad but you can see that here. 

Churchyard

St Mary's, Lowgate in Autumn sunshine.

The Fish Quay, Bridlington

Silhouette

There can't be many supermarkets with a view like this. Here's Morrison's car park, Holderness Road. I featured this mill before.

South Marine Drive, Bridlington

This impressive terrace looks out over the beach and boating lake that I showed in the last two days.There are hotels at each end but the middle section is apartments 

End of Season Bridlington

Martha, Laura and the rest will have a long wait before anyone comes calling. I also can't see many breaking the local bylaw against swimming in the boating lake.

The South Beach, Bridlington

 Bridlington in late October can be a cold and miserable place but when the sun shines through the clouds like this ....

Progress from Albert Dock, Hull

 Running along the Humber to the west of the River Hull is the Albert Dock. It was built between 1863 and 1869 and named after Prince Albert; Victoria Dock was built earlier on the east side of the Hull (sickening the sycophancy of our ancestors). It was extended in 1880 by the addition of the William Wright Dock (he was chairman of the Dock Company). It's the best part of a mile long. Surprisingly (well it's a surprise to me) the dock is still in use for general cargo and a few fishing boats. There's also a training place for the North Sea oil rigs. Far off in the background you can just make out the Humber Bridge.

Below is the view eastwards through the dock gates showing (just) the P&O ferry to  Zeebrugge and Rotterdam in King George dock (another dock, another royal).

 Finally here's the wide brown Humber that the dock leads into. The name Humber might come from an ancient , pre-celtic word meaning river, or it might be, as  Geoffrey of Monmouth has it, named after Humber the Hun. Whatever the history, it's a wide old stream and now a very important waterway with the modern docks of Hull and North Lincolnshire being some of the busiest in Europe.

Tidal Barrier, Hull

The Tidal Barrier has recently been overhauled and improved so we should be safe from destruction by flood at least for the next couple of decades.

Heaven & Hell

 Heaven and Hell on Anne Street is, you will be delighted to learn, available for hire. Entrance is free but you can never leave ....

'merican golf

A little splash of colour (should that be color?) on Castle Street. Those aren't parked cars just part of the continuous stream down this busy road.

Ye Olde White Harte, Silver Street, Hull

I mentioned before that King Charles tried to enter Hull in 1642 and was told go away. As with most things English a pub has to be involved somewhere and this is no exception. Apparently the men  involved met beforehand in "ye plotting parlour" of this fair establishment before deciding to deny the king his munitions and so putting Parliament and monarch at odds. This is a seriously fine old building and well worth hunting down; it's lies down an alley off Silver Street, watch out for the skull in the saloon bar!

Red Boat, Bridlington

Hull Fair

The second week in October brings Hull Fair. One of the largest travelling fairs in Europe. It lasts a week and brings with it attendant problems of traffic and petty crime and fun. Many hundreds of thousands of visitors are take in the delights. I'm told it looks good at night with all the rides and lights and so on; but that's past my bedtime so I'm not allowed to go.
Usually Hull Fair brings with it bad weather, rain and winds; known locally as Hull Fair weather, I think it's a pun ....

  

Industry in Hull

This is the Croda chemical works a mile or so upstream from the mouth of the Hull. It was from a lab on this site that Lorenzo's Oil was developed. The plant is essential a massive distillation unit separating oils from crushed seeds. A couple of years ago they put up a massive wind turbine which I showed you here.

These pictures were taken by Margot Juby which explains why they're better than I usually post. 

Killer Kitchens

Sadly this enterprise failed to make a killing.

The end of Hull ...

...is hereabouts.

Decomposed on Myton Bridge

 

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
  A sight so touching in its majesty...

 

Well, maybe not.

In June I showed you the construction of the bridge across the river; since when very little seems to have been done so we await developments here.The buildings on the left form part of the Museum Quarter which I admit I haven't been to in all the years I've lived here. The trawler parked up on the mud is the Arctic Corsair which is also a museum piece. There's more about that here. Towards the centre the dark brown tower is, or was until recently, a flour mill, the Clarence Flour Mill. There are some stunning shots of the mill here. This building is due to be demolished to make way for something or other, a hotel, I believe, but I'm not really that interested. Poking out from behind the mill is the Shotwell factory. If you've fired a shotgun chances are the cartridge came from here, they trade under the name Gamebore. The right bank is due for development but kindly don't hold your breath.

As you can see not much is going on here, I know it's low tide but there's only one barge tied up and no activity at all, the river as a working entity seems to have pretty much died. The only thing moving is the river and the only business now seems to be gazing at our collective past with far too many museums to be healthy.

...The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Market Place, Hull

A visitor to Hull might justifiably be confused that this is called Market Place when there hasn't been a market here for many, many years. This picture shows one of Hull's most visited buildings; no it's not the big church nor yet the pub selling real ale; it's the undistinguished building in the middle: the Jobcentre. The gilded item in the foreground I featured earlier here. This picture taken at 3pm on a Monday shows what a thriving metropolis downtown Hull really is; you can barely move for all the ghosts ....

Two Big Balls and a Gull

If a gull could talk, we could not understand him. 

Beverley Minster from Beckside

Old Crane, Driffield

Took a little trip out to Driffield the other day. It was an unseasonably warm day; as you can see Autumn has barely affected these trees. I've posted some more photos here.

All Stuck Up

 

The sticking place near Beverley station. 

St Mary's from the Westwood

Pasture Terrace, Beverley

Snuff Mill Lane, Cottingham

A tobacconist used to run a snuff making factory close by this building hence the name of the lane. The lane also provides a short cut from my house to Cottingham village shops so I often go by here.

Snakebite

Strange, I thought, no-one was bothered that a snake was twisted round a street light in the centre of town. They just got on with their business as if it were perfectly normal to have a serpent in their midst.... But then they knew it was part of the Beverley Town Trail depicting the various Guilds and trades of Mediaeval Beverley. Snakes apparently were the symbol of the barbers who had to perform surgery since the clergy were banned from making cuts, this job is now performed by Conservative ministers.

City Hall, Hull

 

English Heritage has a detailed record of this building; a sample of the lengths to which they go is as follows: "Above the dentillated cornice, a copper dome with an open domed cupola and finial. Below, a Doric porte-cochere with pair of square columns at the corners and a balustraded balcony. Central revolving door flanked by panelled square columns, and beyond, pairs of glazed doors, all with overlights. On either side, a round-headed niche with a life-size figure sculpture." They say a picture paints a thousand words .... 

Best Park?

East Park has been named the best park in Yorkshire. It is the first time a park in Hull has won the award, which is given out by Yorkshire In Bloom. East Park is now a desert given over to "recreations", I hope they are all so happy with the "award"

 

Swanboats or swans;  ...you can't have both.

 

Community washing in East Park ....

Green shadows

 

It's been a really horrible day for the start of October so I thought a bit of Summerish sunshine on Beverley Westwood might cheer things up a little. 

Bridge over Barmston Drain, Sculcoates Lane,

This "art work" has been here so long it's faded.

The drain is so choked with weeds that even ducks cannot swim in it which is a bit worrying when you think that this is part of Hull's flood defenses. The new housing in the background is on the site of the Needler's sweet factory; when it was working the smells around here were fantastic.

The theme day topic for City Daily Photo is graffiti. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.