Carr Lane

The word 'carr' is derived from old Norse kjarr, meaning swamp, and is a waterlogged wooded terrain, a stage in the transformation of wetland to forest. Carr Lane runs west from Queen Victoria Square and its name is a reminder that Hull was once surrounded by boggy marsh land. What you see here is the main entrance to Princes Quay shopping centre and, to the right, a fine example of 1970's brutalist architecture. Such is the fickle nature of fashion that I can imagine some blogger in the future lamenting its loss. 

Grey skies are gonna clear up .....ain't they?

As I've said before a walk around the city centre these days can be a really depressing experience. There are so many empty shops and the prospect of more to come. It's been a really grim week for job losses. The closures of HMV, Blockbusters (even Gwenap!) and many more mean that nationwide 17,000  jobs have gone or are under threat in the past week with only 2500 jobs created [ 1 ]. Still not to worry the Government, busy spreading sunshine all over the place, tells us that the economy is on the mend and they wouldn't lie to us, would they?

The Polar Bear

There is a legend on this ship
That taking down the head he keeps
Displayed above the fruit machine,
At times of need the Polar Bear
Will pass among us with a hat,
And taking the only course open, set sail
For the land of the takeout, that serves after time.
(From Those in Peril, Sean O'Brien The Indoor Park, Bloodaxe 1983)

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be or so the saying goes. The Polar Bear on Spring Bank used to be my watering hole. Five minutes walk from my rather dreadful bedsit I'd spend many hours in here supping the delicious Hull Brewery bitter, encountering, amid the smoke filled fug, some seriously daft people from Hull poets (Margot Virago, red hot from Chicago!) to delivery drivers, separatist feminists and a very strange man who departed for a commune in Angelsey... and not forgetting, as if I could, A.L the stereotypical Glaswegian drunk who would bore on loudly in the snug about Rabbie Burns and the meaning of 'Comin' Thro' the Rye' ("It's aall aboot feckin!") ...and when Martin Bormann (aka the landlord) called 'Time' there was often a bottle of cider to take out to keep the party going.

And then, well, then they had to go and 'do it up'. Take out all the old wooden panelling, remove the snug, rearrange the doors and, peccatum mortale, change the beer. They even sold off the polar bear head that used to be in the back room. They banned Staggering Ken, a man who would drink pints of Barley Wine and sway from side to side but never quite fall over while swearing and muttering abuse. No, it was never the same again. Now I've moved on and  I don't go into pubs any more I just take pictures of them.

You can, if you're interested, read the history of this pub which dates back to about 1850 here (scroll down a bit). Inside they've kept the ceramic semi-circular bar and the domed ceiling under which I played many a game of nine spot dominoes. Thanks to a campaign by CAMRA  the building is now Grade 2 listed.

From a sedentary position

Whilst sitting on a bench waiting for someone to turn up the other day I decided to take a few lucky shots; just set the timer on,  plonk the camera down on the bench, point it up the street, press the shutter button and see what happens. This was the best of the bunch. We're looking here along Jameson Street. I'd like to thank the guy with the green hat for his perfect timing.

The naughty knicker shop

Pause and sigh at the passing of Gwenap; Britain's (possibly the World's) longest established 'adult' store on Princes Avenue. Gwenap opened in 1903 selling dresses and hats but with the advent of the 70's it specialised in selling titillating underwear and, erm, other items. It was then run, I'm told, by a pair of elderly ladies who would shout, in quavering voices, questions such as "Where are the crotchless panties, dear?". It was famous for it's cheeky messages and signs. When local MP and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was found to be in a relationship with his secretary a sign appeared saying "Politicians Welcome!" Well, times change and fashions as well and the shop is now a boutique but not for much longer, for today it closes. You can, of course, still get your frills  and thrills on-line.

Then and Now

King Edward Street, January 2013

I've been asked to consider how has my photography changed over the life of this blog? Well there are  fewer 'touristy' shots although they still appear from time to time. I think my composition has improved and my pictures are more vibrant. I take far fewer pictures now than I used to (better fewer but better, as somebody once said). I don't worry too much about the photography to be honest, I think that the picture is only half the blog, the writing is often more interesting to me than the image. Anyhow, above a recent photo of some street furniture and below the very first image in the blog. There's a difference but is it an improvement?

This post is part of City Daily Photo's Festival of  the Belly Button, a possibly pointless exercise in navel gazing.

St Stephen's Shopping Mall, April 2010

A little splash of colour

A shop wall off Spring Bank has been given a graffiti makeover.

"You has eaten some Hull cheese"

There's been an inn on this site since the late 18th century, this is the former Paragon Hotel now named the Hull Cheese. The Paragon Hotel gave its name to Paragon Street and Hull's Paragon Station. Hull cheese is not made from milk, oh no sir. It's described by a poet in 1622 as "... composed of two simples, mault and water, in one compound, and is cousin-germane to the mightest ale in England". This gave rise to an old saying "You has eaten some Hull cheese" meaning you're drunk. Hull was famous for its brewing of strong ales. The Corporation would send the town's MP a barrel or two when the House was sitting which may explain the actions of Parliament at this time. Peregrine Pelham, M.P., for Hull, in 1640, writing to the Corporation says : - " I am much importuned for Hull ale, both by Lords and Commons, who are willing to further me in anything that concerns your towne. . . .If it please you to send me a tonne of Hull ale, and leave it to my disposeing, it will not be lost," and in another letter he tells them that the Speaker had asked for "some Hull ale." ( 1 )

Scroll forward a few centuries and this Hull Cheese has a troubled reputation. It was the scene of  a drunken brawl a few years back that saw five men jailed and a man in hospital. It was renovated last year so let's hope that's all in the past.

For more monochrome posts go to The Weekend in Black & White.

Grand Buildings

Across the street from yesterday's offering are these three survivors of the planner's ball and chain and Hitler's bombs. To begin with the middle building since that's the oldest; this was once the White House Hotel built in 1891 but the front was built in 1909. It was a Temperance Hotel, strictly no alcohol. To the right another former hotel, the Waverley Hotel built in 1903, this now houses the Masters Bar pub. Off to the left and featuring splendid stepped gables King Albert Chambers built in 1923 (so that's Albert 1^st of Belgium). So three buildings with differing styles from the exuberant (over-the-top perhaps) Edwardian red brick and cream of the Waverley, the more restrained temperance hotel and finally the Flemish renaissance revival style of the KAC. Contrast that with the modern, no frills, cheap and nasty box across the street.
All buildings now house businesses and apartments and all three are of course Grade 2 listed.

Bland Buildings

Here, stitched together from several shots, is the inappropriately named Grand Buildings on Jameson Street. This block replaced a building that housed the Hull Daily Mail and a few other shops. That old building wasn't much to look at but it was a lot more attractive than this in my humble opinion (see a picture taken just before demolition here). Tomorrow I'll show some grand buildings that still remain on Jameson Street.

The Tannenbaum is deepest red

In town yesterday I came across this. Well now I have no time for superstitions and the follies of Xmas leave me cold but this is just plain wrong. A bright red Xmas tree for heavens sake! And still on display after 12^th night well now that's just so much bad luck, donchaknow. But as this is Barclay's they're probably too busy fixing the financial indices to notice.

One law for them and another law for us

How long do you think this building has been allowed to be like this? 6 months? A year? Two? Nope for over fourteen years this atrocious eyesore and blight to the amenity of the area has stood empty, vandalised and damaged by fire. Strange then that the Council have done nothing to make the owners tidy it up, clear out the weeds and properly board it up. Stranger still that the same Council have pressured a disabled woman whose property is nearby with threats of legal action because she is unable to clear her garden.

This was once Blundell Street Board School opened in 1878. Blundell Street is long gone but the building remains. Twenty-five  or more years ago this building it was a School of Architecture; then it became the University of Humberside Student Union with the fancy name of the Strand (there's a Strand Close nearby). Then that closed in the late nineties and the the fun and games started. The vandals (educated no doubt in Hull's schools) got in and ripped the place apart, there were numerous fires, the back of the building has no roof. Now it's just a festering sore and the people who live nearby have just got put up with it because the Council say "No!" to plans to demolish and build accommodation. One can only hope that one day Hull City Council get what is coming to it.

Silver Street

Here with its seasonal decoration dimly glittering in the late afternoon light is Silver Street. It continues eastwards from Whitefriargate to Lowgate in the distance. It has a mixture of businesses mainly connected with the legal and financial side of life. At each end there are former clearing banks, splendid buildings, that now are taken over with coffee bars and similar. Running off the street is Hepworth's Arcade on the right and a mediaeval passage way to Ye Olde White Hart pub on the left.

All fur coat and no knickers

Taken by Margot K Juby

A few  years ago, (was it really in 1999?) well any way, before the present bankers induced financial mess, Hull City Council decided to sell off half its stake in the local telephone company, Kingston Communications. The sale gave the council a windfall which was spent on various things including sprucing up the city. Everything got a new coat of paint and where possible some gold paint as well which is why even this rubbish bin has gold trimming. 

I was going to make some clever remark about there being eyes peering out of the bin but you're all too grown up to be taken in by that.

Goodfellowship and a little gripe

The Goodfellowship pub is just along the road from my house so would probably classify as my local were I ever to partake of beverages of an alcoholic nature. As pubs go this is big, verging on enormous with an extension off to the left that's out of shot. It's really not my scene.

It seems to be the norm now to ride your bicycle on the pavement. It's illegal, of course, but nothing is ever done about it. When I was young only little kiddies rode on the pavement and we couldn't wait to grow up and ride on the road like proper grown ups. Needless to say there is a proper marked out cycle lane but, hey, it's not cool to use that.

Who's Next?

Joseph Hepworth set up shop as a tailor with his brother-in-law in Leeds in 1864, twenty-five years later they employed 2000 people who sold their stock through over 100 shops. The firm went on to be the largest UK clothing manufacturer and is now known as Next. This old sign in Hepworth's Arcade possibly dates back to  the 1890's. It's a bit of a puzzle, what is that empty shield in the middle? And was obesity a problem back then that there was a demand for XL tailors?

Old School

At the north-east corner of Kingston Square stands this impressive building. It was once a school belonging to Christ Church which stood where the car park is on the left.  Nikolaus Pevsner in his architectural survey described the building and stated that "it should be saved" and so it was; though now it houses flats and not school children eager to learn.

Below a picture of Christ Church that I 'borrowed' from Hull Council's site. As you can see it was no small affair and came complete with full Gothic revival nonsense. The building, like much of Hull, was a victim of bombing during the war and put out of its misery in the early 60's. The space has since become dedicated to the new god: Car. 

Never mind the quality feel the width

Diagonally opposite the New Theatre on Kingston Square this hotel was built in the early 1800s restored in the 1980s and claims to be Hull's leading independent hotel. It's abuts the New Clarence that I posted about a few months back. In my search to find something (ok, anything) interesting to say about in this post I found that this was once the workshop of a Madam Clapham, described in the hotel's rather badly written website  as "Dressmaker and courtier to Royalty and nobility" (sic). I think they meant couturier but who can tell? Emily Clapham made glad rags for the rich and royal from the late 1800's 'til  she died in 1952. She's described as "Hull's Celebrated Dressmaker" though as dressmaking in Hull is something with which I'm  not overly familiar I feel unqualified to comment and will shut up right now ...

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.

Licensed for the sale of spirits

The Manchester Arms on Scale Lane in the old town was recently in the news (local news for local people) as being haunted. The landlady claims a spirit by the name of Beryl (you couldn't make this stuff up) is causing mischief by flickering lights, turning off machines causing floods and "playing with her hair". She, the landlady that is, even claims to have captured the ghost on CCTV. Well, whatever the truth of all this, it certainly got some publicity for the place.

This being the last post of the year I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year. I'd like also to think that next year will be better than the this but then I never learn from experience.  Cheers and all the best as they say round here.

Oompah! Oompah! Stick it up your jumper!

When you look back it was obvious that what Hull lacked was a really good bandstand. No self-respecting city can hold its head up without a place for the delightful oompah of collective brass instruments gently wafting in the afternoon air while gentlemen in boaters escort ladies in their long Summer dresses across the green lawns of Queens Gardens .... Well now that shortfall has been met with this glorious edifice. Installed exactly a year ago by apprentices from Hull Training and Point Engineering and opened by the Mayor in his fancy regalia (any excuse to dress up) it is supposed to "enhance the musical life of the city". The first band to play was the Humberside Police Concert Band celebrating their 150^th anniversary. The cost of £70-80,000 was met by a levy developers in the city pay towards community projects. Now far be it from me to rain on anyone's parade, least of all Humberside Police Band, but I seem to recall that when nearby streets were pedestrianised in the mid 80's a similar bandstand was erected then and lay idle for 10-15 years before being pulled down. 

Deep diving bell

Not really in the mood for posting today. Anyway here's what I assume is a diving bell parked up behind the Deep. This was taken early this year when they were installing the Tidal Power gizmo that you can see in the background. Right that's your lot, until tomorrow ...

Frosty afternoon

This was taken a couple of weeks back when we had some cold weather. Those young trees are part of the new cemetery's natural burial plot; a new twist to the saying dust to dust ashes to Ash.

On its head

This hairdressers on Chanterlands Avenue has a tradition of displaying a black upside down tree in its window at this time of year.

Flash Car

I rarely use flash but when I came across this police car with its special reflective surfaces I just couldn't resist.

Cottingham Lights

Regular readers of this blog might expect me to be the sort of guy to say "Bah, humbug!" to all this festive nonsense. Not so. To all you Christians out there celebrating the birth of your saviour I say "Merry Christmas". To the rest of you I say "Bah, humbug!"

Red Lion

Although Red Lion is the commonest name for a pub in England this particular specimen, one of a pair, adorns a gate post on the Boulevard close to the mermaid fountain.

Rise and slow decline of Albion Street

Albion Street was built as Hull expanded in the early 19th century and could be said to have been the intellectual hub of the city at that time. It had at one end Hull General Infirmary, a Church Institute built "to promote the study of literature and science ...in subordination to religion", the Royal Institution Hull's first museum finally finishing with the Assembly Rooms on Kingston Square. Hull Central Library was built at the western end in 1900. Since then the ravages of time, war and city planners have taken their toll. The Hospital was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by the Prospect Centre shopping mall, The Church Institute is now a hotel, the Royal Institute was destroyed by bombs in 1943 and is now a car park and health centre, and the Assembly Rooms are now the New Theatre. 

When I first came to Hull 30 or so years ago these houses in a once fine early Victorian terrace were pretty run down and neglected but over the years they've been done up and converted to apartments or flats as we call them over here. So much so that supply now appears to be exceeding demand.

What? Who? When?

Try as I might I can find no information on this piece of pavement art. I can however tell you it's on High Street near the Olde Black Boy. The four whales are a reference to Hull's whaling past after that I'm at a loss. Clearly the the three crowns and a bird have some meaning but what I don't know. Personally I think it's a fairly ghastly item that has quite rightly been ignored by history.

The things people get up to ...

I know you all think of Hull as a place of wonder and amazement and I do nothing to dispel you from that notion but today unfortunately I have to show you a less salubrious side of this magnificent city. Here on George Street is a lap dancing club that goes by the name of Fantasy. Now purely for research purposes, you  understand, I have looked this place up on the internet and it appears to operate on the principle of a fool and his money soon being parted.

Rose Villa

Rose Villa stands at the entrance to Pearson Park on Beverley Road. It's now a care home for the elderly but must have been some rich man's fantasy back in the early 1900's when Beverley Road looked like the picture below taken from almost the exact spot as the above.

Finishing touch

Up above the shoppers on Whitefriargate this neat little boat and dolphins nicely finishes off the Marks and Spencer's building. M&S are the last remaining major chain on Whitefriargate which is rapidly declining into a mix of pawnbrokers, betting shops and charity shops. It used to be the main shopping area in the city and with competition from the glass and steel monsters down the road it looks doomed.

Past and present

Or more properly present and past. Above we have the entrance to Princes Quay shopping mall viewed across the Hull hole. Below how it used to be many years back, well before I came to Hull and before pedestrianisation. Yep, that's a ship parked up against a shop.

I don't know who took this photograph, I 'borrowed' it from a Facebook group and where it came from before then is anyone's guess. Isn't sharing awesome?

From Scott Street Bridge

In April I posted about Scott street bridge and its plight here. It appears there is little or no hope of restoration, it's too far gone and besides there's no money. Anyhow here is the view upstream, regular readers will recognise Reckitt's chimney lurking in the background.

View across the river

I had to poke my camera through a security fence on Tower Street to take this view of the Arctic Corsair moored up by the Transport Museum. One of the effects of the current financial depression is that the redevelopment of the east bank of the Hull has been put on hold (possibly indefinitely) so it remains fenced off and inaccessible.

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.

First frosts

The first hard frosts of this Winter have turned this flooded field on Snuff Mill Lane to ice. Contrast this then to the raging fire I posted of the same field in April here. Rain and lots of it have returned this field to its natural state, it really should be like this in Winter. The cold snap is set to end on Friday with lots more lovely rain coming in. Here's a couple of extra shots I took.

East Park Sunset

Another Bloody Church ...

So the lights turn green and we advance a few yards and wouldn't you know there's another church, Hull's Community Church. This one is brand new and is somewhat different from other places of worship. This one has funding from the Adventure Capital Fund for all kinds of community works and so on. In their words  "it’s a faith-based organisation working to improve lives in a deprived part of Hull". Hull Council and other groups rent space in the building providing a range of services from IT training to support for refugees, sports groups, and health charities. Now I'd prefer a secular approach to this sort of thing but in reality there was nothing like this going on before so I suppose it's welcome in a way.