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.