Thin red line

A few years back, when they were digging the Hull hole and generally tidying up the area around Princes Dock someone had the bright idea of outlining the old city walls (see the blog's title picture for an idea of what these looked like) in red bricks which explains these lines, squares and circular markings by the dockside.

Posterngate

That big old "Thank You, Hull" party

They seemed to be packing a whole year's worth of 'culture' into one afternoon in Hull yesterday. The day started with the Lord mayor's parade complete with a fly past of some WW2 planes which I saw from two miles away while getting my newspapers, those three planes made one hell of a racket, no stealth bombers back then.

I wouldn't normally attend things like this but I had to go into town for stuff anyway so I had a little look-see. I only stayed for an hour and missed most of the goodies on offer including a "Larkin Toads performance" (I bet that was fun). Here in no particular order are some of the goings-on that I witnessed. 

Synchronised Lindy Hopping!

Where's the next act gone?

A robot that prints on the pavement

If you're wondering what the "thank you" is for it's a  City of Culture thing and if you're still wondering what a City of Culture thing is I suggest lying down in a cool dark room with soothing music. If these images aren't sufficient the local rag has more pictures here.

Old Tracks

There are still bits of the old narrow gauge rail that used to run around the old Humber dock that is now the Marina. (I've been told it's standard gauge, clearly I know nothing of rail tracks)

The weekend in black and white is here.

10:10 pm

You all know that old saying "red sky at night, shepherd's delight ..." bunkum! It's pouring down ...

Cultur'ull

You might have heard that Hull is to be the City of Culture in 2017 and I may have mentioned that Humber Street with its old greengrocers' warehouses was becoming a centre for the arts ...yada yada. Well the reality is that not much is actually going on there and many of the warehouses and buildings remain unused and in parts in a frankly disgusting state (see yesterday's post). Sure over the years I've read of countless plans to do the place up but in fact proposals to re-use these buildings are only just now going before the Council. 

If you're in Hull on Saturday there's a big 'Thank You' party being put on to thank the people of Hull for, well I don't quite know what, not chucking rotten eggs the 2017 C of C zealots I suppose, it's not as if they had any say in the matter. Only another 900 or so more days of this ... 

Old town delights

Tourists and other assorted visitors to Hull are often told to stroll around the old town and take in the wonderful ambience of the place. Well come with me as I lead you down Martin's Alley, a 'must see' attraction, gasp at the razor wire, taste the culinary delight left out for any passer-by, marvell at the up-to-date refuse collection and gaze in awe at  the strange signs left lying around to trip up the unwary ... I'm sure you'll feel truly uplifted by this experience, do come and visit again.

On the huh

Flemingate, Beverley

This old house is not quite jizzicked but it's definitely on the huh.

I spy with my little eye something beginning with M ...

Well here's a pleasant enough old wall on Eastgate with an ancient gateway and all, must have been there for hundreds of years. Well no, not quite, maybe fifty or so. This was part of Beverley Priory situated behind where I took this photo and it was all cleared away to make room for housing. The gateway, from the 16^th century, was moved across the street in 1964 to "ensure permanent preservation" in the words of a nearby green plaque. The keen eyed amongst you might have noticed the Minster poking up in the background I don't think that has been moved recently.

Madder

OK I admit it's slightly perverse to post a monochrome picture of a plant that produces a deep red colouring for the dyers of this world. This is yet another part of Beverley's history trail (it's difficult to avoid) and it's on, appropriately, Dyer Lane. From what I've read it's the roots that are used and hard water, rich in calcium carbonate, produces the best results. Well, Beverley and all the East Riding sits on a chalky bedrock, so that really must have helped those medieval dyers.

The weekend in black and white is here.

One side of Beverley Beck

Been a while since I've had a walk by Beverley beck. Hasn't changed much.

My plan to cross over at this bridge and come back on the other side was thwarted by Balfour Beatty's  security fencing, something to do with repairs to the bridge.

More weekend reflections here.

The Creeler

Part of Beverley's history trail this bronze statue of a creeler is at the top end of the beck. Creeler is an old local term for someone who, in medieval times, did the hard work of shifting cargo to and from boats and without which the merchants of Beverley would have been up the beck without a paddle. This was sculpted by Chris Wormald and unveiled in 2010.

Can we have our bees back, please?

Someone armed with a stencil and a can of yellow paint is decorating the neighbourhood with these bees which is all well and good except there seems to more of these than the real buzzing little critters. OK maybe I exaggerate but I'm seeing far fewer than in past years. Anyhow there's a survey going on over at the Great British Bee Count to find out what's going on. Right I'll buzz off and leave you with that...

The White House

It's coming to something when a conversion of a pair of old railway cottages to a taxi office is looked on as some sort of 'good' thing. This newly painted up pair were destined to be converted into yet another restaurant to go along with the dozen or so others on Princes Avenue. A steel and glass extension was to have been clagged onto the side to "combine the best features of the period dwellings with high quality, sustainable design" (judge for yourself  here). The owners now feel there is "an over-provision of restaurants in the area" oh really? Surely not ...

Silly Cow

On Princes Avenue

Probably best to say as little as possible about this ...

Unfortunate

For twenty years or so (1840-1860) Hull had a zoo and in that zoo for a few weeks in 1860 there was a White Nile hippopotamus by the name of Bucheet, the first hippo in England outside of London. Now Bucheet means 'fortunate' in Arabic but I reckon this poor chap's life was far from that, being captured as a calf, transported in poor conditions half way round the world, exhibited in zoos in England before being shipped off to America and ending his days in Canada as a circus show piece, "G. C. Quick's Colossal Hippopotamus."! Even after death he was stuffed and exhibited. What we have here at the end of Albany Street is a marble statue of poor old Bucheet. It's part of a small zoological trail in the neighbourhood, there are bears at the other end of the street.

If hippos are your thing then Virtual Hippo World might be of interest to you.

A Taste of Full Flava

Out for a walk on Saturday when the sound of amplified voices drifted out of Pearson Park; it was the the Full Flava Festival transforming the small park into an arena of music and dancing and general good fun. The volume near the stage was such as to set your mesentery vibrating but if you didn't stand too close it was tolerable and there were plenty of other attractions as well.

Queenie was sure to do a mean hip-hop when no-one was looking.

Sunny Reflections

Quite what anyone working behind this office window thought of me as I lined up this shot I can only imagine. Maybe they get quite a few eejits attracted by the grand reflections and I'm just latest in a long line ... ideally this picture needs to be taken by a pencil slim person and not one with an ever thickening girth but what can you do?

Weekend Reflections are at the end of this link, here.

Take a pew

While in Holy Trinity the other day I took the opportunity to photograph some of the carved pew ends for which the place is well known. These may look medieval but were actually carved in the 1840's during restoration work on the church. They are the work of George Henry Peck a man, seemingly, of many talents, painter, carver, art dealer, art entrepreneur and musician who is possibly better known (if at all) in Australia than in Hull.