Always look on the bright side of life ...

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow ....

Humber Quays Plaza

Taken on Tuesday, a particularly wet and windy old day when not a soul apart from one man and his (very large) dog was to be met down by the Humber Quays. Though I got a bit wet and my hands turned purple with the chill I'd still much rather be out and about than stuck in one of these places.

You might like to visit these sites:
The Weekend in Black and White
Weekend Reflections
TR-black and White challenge

Lift that gloom

Ring out the bells, strike up the band, etc etc. The news today is filled with facts and figure showing this scepter’d isle, this earth of majesty, is the fastest growing economy in Europe if not the whole world ... Difficult to believe as I shuffle round the deserted streets with boarded up shops and see the young folks going to sign on for their pittance; if this is the best then god help the rest.

This is looking across the marina entrance towards Holy Trinity on a day of driving showers and unremitting clouds.

Dockside buildings

As the evening descends on the old dockside buildings the place looks almost attractive.

The Weekend in Black and White is upon us again, here.

And Weekend Reflections is here.

Windows and mud

Here's the view across the entrance to Humber Dock or the Marina as it's now called. This the old Steam Packet Wharf that I mentioned in a previous post. As you can see it's just a little bit silted up.

Ship No 275

So finally I have clambered aboard the Spurn lightship that has been moored in the Marina for years. I didn't go below decks as I'm allergic to screaming young brats seemingly unsupervised and running amok. Some other time maybe.

The guests are met, the feast is set ...

I came across this wedding reception by the Marina. They had not one but two photographers, stills and video, so not one precious moment would go unrecorded. I don't know who the loving couple were but I wish them good luck they're going to need it. I hope I don't appear in the background of their photos; grey-beard loons and wedding guests, now where have I heard that before?

Cold, Wet and Windy

I took this picture on Friday when it was blowing a gale. The noise from the rigging and other sundry items on these boats was just tremendous. Later, while waiting for my transport home, a Polish woman asked me why it was so cold (did she think I was responsible?), she had on a thick coat and hat and looked truly nithered! Since then it's turned even colder and temperatures are a good 5-6^oC below average. Add to that a good overnight soaking. These are all clear signs that Summer is on its way.

Good old fashioned fog

Spurn Lightship from Castle Street

A strange sort of day yesterday; one minute I was taking pictures in clear blue sunny conditions then I walked a few yards towards Castle Street and into one of the thickest fogs I've seen for a long time. With visibility down to around twenty yards thankfully there was no air pollution to turn it into a pea souper. Undeterred by the lack of light or indeed subject I managed a handful of shots of the gloom.

Marina

Victoria pier from the Horse Wash

Cannon

This old weapon stands by the entrance to the marina. Like the rest of Hull's 'big guns' it has no real fire power.

Yawling, Quid and Blenny

Yawling, quid and blenny are not a firm of solicitors but part of yet another in the seemingly unending series of fishy plaques that lie hidden on Hull's pavements [ 1 ]. This one close by the entrance to the Marina has not one but three fishes on it. Blenny I'd heard off but yawling and quid were new to me. A bit of judicious searching tells me that yawling is a young herring whilst quid is a relative of the salmon. I've also found that there are about forty such plaques awaiting discovery, oh joy ...

Wellington Street Rail Track

Wellington Street runs from Queen Street parallel to the Humber all the way down to the Albert Dock. It would at one time have had many warehouses and been busy with the trade from the Humber Dock A dockside railway ran along this street and around the docks. Now the line and the street are blocked at this point and you have to cross via the marina's lock gates. On the left in the distance is Number Two Humber Quays.

Below is a dated view eastwards from the same spot showing the rail tracks. The building on the left has since been demolished and was mentioned in a previous post.

Below more tracks this time from the western side of Wellington Street. The brick wall is clearly a recent thing.

Marina Sunset

Reflecting

OK let's get this new year started. No looking back, just onwards and uppards! I've shown this warehouse/apartment block before (here and here) but I thought these reflections in the marina's murky waters were worth an airing.

Developer gets the hump

Some more images of the redevelopment of the Humber dock area, both taken some time ago (3 years! the old tempus has certainly fugited). The brown building on the right used to be a pub or club called, I think, Pepi's, anyhow it's since been demolished with a view to putting up some new 'attraction' or other. Well that was until the developer fell out with the Council calling one particular councillor the "rudest man" he'd ever met. Having seen the plans for this area I think rudeness was probably justified.

Billy Blue

Here's a nice speed boat because I've got nothing better to show as I've not been able to get out and about for a while for reasons which I won't bore you with. Good job I've got loads of unposted pictures. You might say this particular Billy is a bit blue.

Red Fred

The lock-keeper's cottage at Hull Marina has been taken over by a design and marketing consultancy, well, ok, a PR firm called Fred, it's as good a name as any I suppose.

Stone Head

Here's a stoney head outside a hotel near the Marina. I can't find anything about what it's meant to represent or who made it. With its rugged features and flowing locks it's clearly been modeled on my good self ....

The other side of 13

Here's a view of the other side of the converted warehouse 13 that I showed you here. The black object in the foreground must remain one of life's mysteries, that is to say, I don't know what it is. 

Leaving

A yacht leaves the marina. I wonder where they could be going that's so good they'd want to leave Hull.