Portland Hotel: "one of Hull's most iconic buildings"

It's almost always fatal to be described by the local press as iconic. So it was with the Portland Hotel which went into administration last year and was sold to a 'developer' who has announced plans to turn it into student accommodation. It's on Paragon Street, a street which must hold some kind of record for business failures. As for the building itself it has few redeeming features being a seven storey brick and glass block, it's not ugly it's just boring and certainly not iconic. I've shown you the best bit here. So Hull loses a hotel but never mind there's plans for an eighteen (or was it twenty, I forget) storey monster elsewhere in town when the Council can be 'persuaded' and when pigs learn to fly.

Just by the by I saw the first swifts of Summer today, a bit late but then everything is late this year. Good to know the globe's still working.

Ornaments

Clearly someone who takes a pride in their garden.

Green door, what's that secret you're keepin'?

Haven't heard any old pianos being played hot round here in fact I've never seen any activity going on round here. This is or was and might still be a paint factory on Sculcoates Lane.

Here's some more green doors and  an old song  (well it's older then me).

Shelter

This is the other end of the snicket named Scott's Square. As I walked down I noticed what I thought was a some rubbish had been left in a black plastic bin liner that was just flapping in the wind that was funnelling down the passage. It occurred to me, because I read too many detective stories, that this would be a fine place to dump a body. Imagine my surprise when I came up close to find that there was indeed a body in the bag, a live one! I asked if he was OK and apologised for waking him up, he grunted something and I left him to his slumbers. I guess a man has a right to be left in peace.

You can find more monochrome images at the Weekend in Black & White here.

Old Town Blues

The latest piece of irritating frivolity from Hull City Council is to change the street signs in the old town to a blue background with white lettering, Quite what was wrong with the old black and white signs I don't know.  No doubt a highly paid consultant has come up with this wizard wheeze. Can you hear the stampede of visitors to see this latest attraction? No? Me neither.

Going, going, and soon to be gone

Oh dear, I read the just other day that the charity that runs the Arc design centre [ 1 ] otherwise known as (take a deep breath) the Humber Centre for Excellence in the Built Environment has been forced to close due to lack of funding. Practically before you could blink the 'building', which consists of five upturned caravans (see below), was up for sale by auction and sold off for £21,000. Given that it originally cost £750,000 that's no small amount of money gone down the proverbial. The buyer now has to dismantle all this and find somewhere to put it all back together again. 

The sparkling toad that used to sit outside here has already hopped it but then it is Spring and it probably has others things on its mind.... 

Molly

Whenever we pass the pet and garden shop on Beverley Road we have to stop and say hello to Molly. Molly is a Moluccan cockatoo and usually sits in her cage but is allowed out now and then to meet and greet customers with her seductive "Helloooow".

Pictures taken by Margot K Juby.