Building schools for the future

Hull's Trinity House school is moving out of these old buildings on Princes Dock Street into  new buildings on the former University of Lincoln site. The school is also doubling in size to 600 pupils. This is all part of a concerted effort by local and central government to improve the school buildings in Hull. Hundreds of millions are being spent on the largest regeneration project in Hull and nineteen "new, world-class schools" should open by the end of 2014. All this is very laudable but if a similar investment isn't made on the teaching side Hull's unenviable record of poor educational performance will continue.

Old news and a pink bicycle

Taken by Margot K Juby

Another woeful story of lack of safety in the workplace. This involves a worker inside a pressing machine that was turned on with disastrous consequences. The picture was taken in April and though the matter has gone to Court and the company admits breaches of Health and Safety it does not accept the full extent of its culpability. It has now been passed to a higher Court and will not be heard until next year. Meanwhile the Government wants to reduce the number of health and safety inspections to boost growth (for undertakers, I'm thinking) ...

Meat, Veg and Elvis

This is the indoor market and as you can see it's not exactly crowded. The Trinity Market, to give it its formal name, was opened in 1904 and sells a range of stuff from meat and vegetables to clothing, books to tropical fish and records to musical instruments. Competition from the large shopping malls has dramatically reduced the trade in the market so much so that half of it has been converted into a wine bar. Nevertheless it's still worth visiting for value for money.
I think the flags are something to do with this country having had sixty years of the same unelected head of state or maybe it's an outbreak of contagious patriotism. Who knows what goes on in the minds of flag wavers?

Elvis apparently has not left the building.

Ever so nearly not quite finished

Six months after I last posted about the new bridge across the river and, well, it's sort of nearly ready. Here they're busy putting the finishing touches to the approach route. Rumour has it that it will be opened next month but there's no hurry as there's nothing on the other side of the river worth crossing over for.

If you haven't got a clue what I'm talking about catch up here, here and here.

Purple

If you're looking for Hull's premier restaurant here it is. Ranked #1 of 156 or 188 restaurants (depending on which review you read) Port-Side is on Princes Dock and has a website here. I don't know what the food is like I just liked the purple.

Now with less

This picture, taken from the bus on my way home, shows a little piece of 20th century history. The building on the right is the remains of the National Picture Theatre on Beverley Road. It was destroyed in an air raid on the night of the 17^th March 1941 during a showing of The Great Dictator. One hundred and fifty people sheltering in the foyer escaped with their lives. Since that day the ruins have just been left and now it is the last blitz damaged civilian building in the country.

So what to do with the site? Well there were plans to turn it into restaurants and flats but the great bankster driven recession has put paid to that. There's now a plan to turn it into a ‘tribute to the home front’ whatever that means. As far as I know they are still seeking funding for this so it may be another seventy years before anything happens.

Now I've only ever passed the front of this ruin and was unaware of what lies behind until I came across this little web page while researching this post. All I can say is what a mess!

As for the building on the left that was a pub called the Swan. I only ever went in there once many, many years ago. I recall it was full of big tall Kerry men drinking a strange black liquid and singing Country & Western songs. I did not stay long.

Canned Laughter

Here's an odd little shop in the Hepworth Arcade. Dinsdale's has been selling laughter for seventy years or so, they stock everything from itching powder and whoopee cushions to fancy dress costumes and harmonicas.