Non-starter

One picture, two stories. First the on-going non-operation of the new footbridge, as you can see nothing has happened since I last reported in November [ 1 ]. The bridge is ready to rock as they say; both sides of the river have been landscaped and prepared but it just sits there like some beached whale. No-one has any idea when it will open or if they do they aren't saying. I suspect that like most things money or the lack thereof  lies at the bottom of this saga. Money lies at the bottom of the second story too. There have been calls to dredge the river to improve flood defenses. You can see how silted up it's becoming; where that mud is ships once berthed. A figure of £14.6 million was picked out of a hat (where else do they get these figures from?). Fortunately wiser counsels have said it would make little or no difference to water levels in Hull so that  scheme looks like a non-starter. Hull is very good at non-starting.

Pussy Willow

It appears that, at least on Snuff Mill Lane, Spring might be on its way.

More Gloom

A nice bit of gloom over Albert Dock. Those with good vision will be able to pick out the Humber Bridge stretching away in the distance. The small bridge in the centre carries the public footpath up and along the top of the buildings on the left as I mentioned in a previous post here.

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.

Winter trees

Here's East Park's fine tree lined avenue in January.

See the Weekend in Black & White here.

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 ...

Lighting-up Time

Half an hour after sunset the street lights come on and if you're lucky the pavements have a patent leather shine. This is the building on the corner of Pier Street and Nelson Street that I showed a detail of back in December [ 1 ].