Nostalgia ain't what it used to be

Regular visitors might recognise this as the pub formerly known as the Fishbowl, Hockney's and also Aussie Beach. Seems it was also once called Nostalgia, I missed that. Anyhow it's being disemboweled with a view to who knows what.

Green Light

I wondered how this relic has managed to survive the purge on old lights that the Council carried out some years back. Then I remembered that this is on Newland Park. Let's just say that this is not the poorest area in town, many of the houses are best described as mansions. It's the sort of area where potholes in the road are simply not allowed to exist (I'm sure you could play billiards on the road!) while the rest of the town suffers a rough ride and broken suspensions. I'm sure you know the sort of area ...

Football crazy

Somebody obviously was feeling a tad homesick (possibly drunk, who could say?) and simply had to tell the world of their affection for Zagłębie Sosnowiec, a football team. I somehow doubt that in the fair city of Sosnowiec there's a wall celebrating Hull City Association Football Club but you never know. Speaking of HCAFC the owner wants to change the name of the club to Hull Tigers on the grounds that 'city' is such an "common" word. As you know Hull is a idyllic place with no real great issues to worry about so this has caused uproar and dismay among those who follow this 'club' and pay good money to watch a ball being kicked from one end of a grassy field to the other.

For those of you into 1980's popular music combos this is on Grafton Street home to the Housemartins and later the Beautiful South. 

A little bit of fungi

Came across this rather large fungus sprouting from a what looked like a tree stump near Victoria Avenue.

More monochrome fun over at the Weekend in Black and White here.

Ella Street

Ella Street is the kind of street where they paint trees with crows on the pavement and adorn the bollards with little birds. Where plants grow in drums and in little raised beds with birds painted on them. Where trees have ribbons wrapped round them and birds are fed from cast iron bird tables. And a black and white cat sits on a wheelie bin. It's a real nice street ...

More From the Treasure House

Last couple of shots from the Treasure House. On top we have a distant view of St Mary's and below County Hall, the red brick Victorian offices of East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 

From the Treasure House

 

No, not a cathedral but a mere parish church, Beverley Minster is surely a gothic masterpiece. This is the north side. I think I've shown it from all sides now.

For other posts on this building try here, here, and here.

Treasure House

Tucked away and slightly off the usual tourist paths is the East Riding Treasure House on Champney Road, Beverley. It contains the East Riding Archives and Local Studies, Beverley Library, a Museum and Beverley Art Gallery. There is also an observation platform at the top of this tower with views over the town some of which I'll show tomorrow.

That dead old tree

And while I was on Westwood I had another visit to that decaying tree that I posted in June. The tree itself didn't appear much changed, it's still hard and not crumbling in any way. I did, however, notice a large number of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) which weren't there last year. Now nettles like acidic soil but the Westwood sits on chalk which is alkaline, indeed this tree is near Newbegin Pits; the old chalk pits. So looking this up on the web I find, as I vaguely remembered from my student days, that the decay of the tree will produce acids that alter the soil around it. So some subtle changes are happening.

That old chestnut

As I was in the neighbourhood I  did what I always do and paid  a visit to this old chestnut which I've posted a couple of times before but only in Winter ( 1 2 ). It and the dozens of other chestnuts on this tree lined road seem to be doing well contrary to tales of a blight affecting them nationwide. 

The Westwood is common land and cattle are grazed on it throughout the Summer and Autumn. They're fairly harmless but you have to watch where you put you feet 'cos they're not house trained by any means.

A change in the weather

Beverley Westwood

The blues skies and fine weather of Summer seem for the moment to have left us. Some really dark clouds looming throughout most of the day brought some sharp showers (and had me sheltering under trees) but not the deluge that forecasters had promised. Indeed it brightened up by evening time.

The Weekend in Black & White is here.

Rubbish Idea

Bricknell Avenue

I don't know who had the idea of putting rubbish bins four or five foot above the ground but it strikes me as being a bit silly. I should think this is pretty much out of reach for young children and surely they are the ones who should be encouraged to put their rubbish in the bin.

Ten Year Plan

Roper Street, part of the Quay West plan.

As if to outshine even the founding fathers of the Soviet Union who had a mere five year plan Hull City Council have a grand ten year plan  This plan is different from other plans, we are told, this plan is not a Council plan, no sir, this plan belongs to you and me. Well not quite, rather "work to develop the plan so far has involved a whole range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary and community sectors". The plan is of course endorsed by that ultimate NEPman, Lord Mandelson.

Now part of this plan involves this area; the proposed Quay West. If you read the Council's webpage it promising an investment of between £165 million and £300 million will create between 1500 and 3000 jobs plus thousands more in construction, make up to 600,000 square feet of retail space, a new hotel and last but not least an injection of up to £40 million into the local economy. Except, of course, it won't. No mention is made of the main backer behind this scheme pulling out three years ago; funny that don't you think. Maybe it's not so funny after all.

So if the Council really are looking for ideas as to what to do with this area, here's one or two (totally uncosted, of course). Forget about a grand retail park. Hull is full of empty shops. Build lots of one and two bedroomed apartments or houses, this is social housing. There's an acute shortage of such accommodation as the recent bedroom tax shambles has shown. Renovate these old warehouses and that foul pub make them the focus of this neighbourhood. In short bring back people to the centre of the city and sit back and watch it grow.

Buddleia, the Butterfly Bush

Leave a building untended for a few years and it's almost guaranteed you'll get this plant growing in the cracks, crevices, gutters and chimneys. This one was ten or so feet up and appeared to be growing straight out of the wall. Now not everyone likes these plants and some go so far as to call them weeds which is just impolite in my opinion. Personally I like them so much I've got four or five of them flowering away in my garden all covered in dozens of butterflies, moths and bees. They almost make Summer tolerable.

Nowt much changes

It would be not entirely true to say that no new building has gone on in this wasteland at the back of Princes Quay. Here we have the new £7 million Osborne Street police station. Strange how there's money to house the police but no money to house those being policed. It was officially opened by Lord Peter Mandelson (see below) in June. It's to shelter those weary constables who formerly got their tea and butties at Queen's Gardens station which is soon to be closed. 

The Queen (you know, the unelected head of state appointed because her father was the last unelected head of state and so on) acting on a request from Hull Council, recently restored the positions of High Steward of Hull and Sheriff of Hull. The High Steward apparently has to be a member of the House of Lords (you know, the unelected legislative chamber of the Mother of all Parliaments). Hull Council appointed the twice disgraced former minister, now styling himself as Lord Peter Mandelson to High Steward for no better reason than that his grandfather held the same post sixty or so years ago. Well that's good enough for me, I mean come on, he's an obvious candidate. His connection with Hull? Well none as far as I can see, though he was MP for my old home town of Hartlepool and that's at least in the same country, though some doubt it. He's meant to promote Hull around the world (he has 'friends' in high places and is doing it for 'free') and show it as a progressive place in a progressive country, good for business and not at all the sort of place that resurrects mediaeval positions and appoints people by nepotism. 

Ye Olde Ambulance Station

Here's the neatly boarded-up old ambulance station on Osborne Street. In case you were wondering Hull got two new stations when this closed down a few years ago. Of course all this dereliction is not all bad news. If you're in the boarding up business it's a boom time. If your windows are a lost cause then Mr Jude can sort them.

Peeling Pink Paint

At the corner of Roper Street and Waterhouse Lane stands the Music Man or what's left of it. Old maps show this as the Victoria Tavern. I was looking for any interesting facts or features about this place but could find only one comment which mentioned warm beer in cans, indescribable toilets and walls covered in a blue fungal growth! There's a school of thought that if you can't think of anything nice to say then you should say nothing ....

City Daily Photo are having their monthly do with a family friendly 'pink' theme here.

Ernest W. Steele & Co Ltd

Another unsafe empty property in the slough of despond that is the rancid centre of Hull. This one on Osborne Street, a broad thoroughfare running as fast as it can away from Princes Quay and yet another victim of the blight caused by the failure of redevelopment. Clearly there has been a name board removed to reveal Ernest W. Steele. At least I hope there has been since E W. Steele, according to records, went into liquidation in 1968 and surely this building hasn't been standing empty since then, though anything is possible in this squalid little town.

Hull Boys' Club

Across the road from the Hull Braves' building on Roper Street is the Hull Boys' Club. As the sign says it was founded in 1903 as one of the pioneer boys' clubs in the country to "Train the boys and youths of Hull & district to become good and useful citizens. Organise instructional, recreational and athletic classes. Promote and foster the spirit of amateur sportsmanship and to encourage and develop a high physical and moral standard". To achieve this they offer a variety of sports and physical training and weight training. I'm not going to pretend that sports and training is my thing (nor that I'm a good and useful citizen) so I'll just wish them good luck They are going to need it if the developers ever come back with plans for 'improvement'. They have a neat little website here.

Waterhouse Lane

Waterhouse Lane now runs from Castle Street and joins on to Osborne Street but formerly it ran on to the waterworks situated roughly where the City Hall now stands. As it ran alongside Princes Dock with that mix of sailors and alcohol it rightly had a reputation that lasted well after the dock had closed (just search 'Hull red light district' and you'll see what I mean). Now it's a sorry sight with planning blight hanging over it and only ugly depressing buildings serving little purpose remaining and that's the bit they're going to keep.

Old warehouse

Staying in the same area as yesterday's post there's this old warehouse with a sign saying it's unsafe and do not enter. At first sight I couldn't see anything untoward until I noticed this impressive crack on the end wall (You'll have to click on the picture to see it enlarged). Don't think they'll have to knock very hard for this to fall down.
More from this zone of doom tomorrow.

The Hull Braves' Guild

I can't see anyone nowadays setting up a charity to help disabled people giving it the title of Hull Guild of Brave Poor Things but back in 1898 you could get away with that kind of patronising attitude. The guild was abbreviated to Hull Braves and acquired this rare cast iron framed Victorian warehouse on Roper Street in 1925; it was a refuge for children affected by polio. Thanks to Jonas Salk and his vaccine polio is all but eliminated from the world and I suppose inevitably the Hull Braves disbanded in 2010. But not before selling this building in 2004 for over £100,000. If J P Morgan et al. hadn't stolen all the world's money this place would have been demolished to make way for the Quay West redevelopment. I suppose every cloud has a silver lining. 

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men

Over the past few days I've posted from various points on Castle Street today I've reached the end with the junction of Waterhouse Lane and this scaffold clad remains known as Castle Buildings or Castle Street Chambers depending on where you look. It's a Grade 2 listed former office block probably connected with the foundry that used to operate from Princes Dock in the mid 19^th century. Anyhow it's under protection and was, I think, being restored and so was wrapped up under plastic sheeting as you see in the top photo taken about three years ago. That is until a mighty storm ripped up the sheeting and completely destroyed it leaving it to thole the winter's sleety dribble, an' cranreuch cauld as it were. 

And, looking forward at the prospect dreary, if I've read the plans for Castle Street's 'improvement' correctly then this place and the Earl de Grey which is close by are both due for demolition. Some might say not before time.

Myton Gate

In 1322 the city of Hull was granted the right to collect murage, a tax to build and repair the city walls. Within thirty or so years the city was surrounded by walls on all sides except on the river Hull. There were five main entrances through which traffic could pass, North Gate, Beverley Gate, Myton Gate, Hessle Gate and Watergate. (I know the plaque says four but just because a gate leads to the city dump doesn't mean you can ignore it). You can get an idea of how the walls looked from the title picture at the top of this blog. The walls and gates were maintained up until the establishment of the Hull Dock Company in 1774, the next few years saw the demolition of all these medieval defences. I couldn't find any accurate contemporary images of Myton Gate, the image below comes from a series drawn in 1951 by somebody called T Armstrong and is on display in the robing room of the Guildhall. I cannot vouch for its accuracy.

This plaque is on a converted warehouse at the Castle Street end of Princes Dock. I've posted bits of this building before here and here.

From Hull Museums Collection

Fish Street: now and then

Fish Street runs south from Holy Trinity church to Castle Street. Local artist Frederick Schultz Smith in 1889 must have been standing in more or less the same spot as me when he drew the picture below. I focused on the large Victorian former warehouse at the end as the street itself is just two monotonous rows of rabbit hutch social housing put up in the 1990s (modern houses are nearly half the size of houses built in the early 20th century). Back in 1889 this was a street of varied houses, hotels and even a church and many different trades operated from the street though even then the expansion of the city westward meant this area had started to decline. Nothing stands still and if the plans for Castle Street go ahead Fish Street will be blocked off at the southern end making it a cul-de-sac.

From Hull Museum Collections

One bridge or three?

Well it had to happen I suppose. After years of delays and moans and groans from all who have any contact at all  with Castle Street the Government have finally said that money (esti­mated cost of the project is £129 mil­lion to £192 mil­lion!) will definitely be spent on improving this road. The plans, as I understand it, are to lower the level of the road and build pedestrian bridges across. But work won't start 'til at least 2015 and as the saying goes there's many a slip twixt cup and lip. Speaking of slips, the question has arisen as to whether to have one big extra wide 'land bridge' or three smaller ones. The Council are pushing for the former (they are calling it 'iconic', which is always a worry) and a 'developer's tax' (aka community infrastructure levy) might be imposed by Hull Council to pay for some of this. That sounds to me like well if not exactly killing the goose that lays the golden eggs then at least taking a bucket of the auriferous corn.

5 Scale Lane

This small and rather unimpressive building is Hull's oldest domestic building according to the blue plaque and this website. Despite, or perhaps due to, having an awful punning name this business seems to have failed as did the "Hurry Curry" enterprise that preceded it.

Ultimate Shopping Experience

Try as I might I cannot understand what an "ultimate shopping experience" might be. Is it, I ask myself, when you go to the shop and it actually has in stock all the items you require and all prices have been reduced by 50%? No? Well then enlighten me ....

Red

Many years ago I had a short stay in Paris. I thought I'd go to the Louvre. But it was Tuesday and it was shut. Today I finally found this small art gallery on Osborne Street. But it was Tuesday and it was shut. Hmmmm

There's a website for this place here.

Time's up

Some may not appreciate an undertaker's clock ticking away the minutes of their life. Doesn't bother me that much.

Taken by Margot K Juby

Beckside

Not having anything new to offer I've raided my archives for this view of the head of Beverley Beck with the minster peeking out at the back. It was taken in early January 2009 so it's almost antique.