Big Hidden Treasures

When they came to build on the farm known as West Bulls just to the west of the Hull/Cottingham boundary they arranged to leave a triangular patch of land about 500 sq yards between the houses to allow for service roads or ten foots as they are known in these parts. In so doing they left behind a pair  trees one much older than the other. I think they are beech trees but don't rely on me. Old maps from 1830s show a big tree at this position, the girth of the larger tree puts it at over three hundred years old ... And for the last ninety years or so they continued to grow, out of sight out of mind, giving home to countless generations of crows until one day not so very long ago some stupid oik(s) with a box of matches and no sense of the fine things in life set a fire to the younger of the pair doing considerable damage to the base. That tree was due to be cut down last year but somehow it has survived and is now putting out new leaves into the chilly April air. If this had been in Hull (which it ain't by a few yards) it would have been long gone. We'll see what East Riding of Yorkshire Council do about it. The trees are according to ERYC under tree protection orders.

C is for ... Carbuncle

C is for Capitalism,  

The bosses' reactionary creed,

                                                                                   Alex Glasgow Socialist ABC

Some may recall Burnett House, how it was restored from dereliction only to stand empty for years and then found not just tenants but a home for a lonely buddleia. It has come to pass that Burnett House now feels it needs to spread its wings with an extension. Fine you might say, the land adjacent has been empty for 40 years or more so build something in keeping with the old building and the low rise Georgian/Victorian neighbourhood, something that respects the area and the view of the medieval church behind. You might say that but the stupid Cs in Hull City Council only went and passed plans for the most hideous, oversized, out of proportion, disfiguring monstrosity. Well see for yourself ...

Image "borrowed" from the Hull Daily Mail

In times past I might have hinted that silver had crossed palms to enable this to go through but after being told, by a Councillor, that such an idea is preposterous I have to conclude the current Council planning numpties are dumb enough to think this is a good thing all by themselves and pat themselves on the back and cannot understand how they might be wrong. Consider how a planning officer, employed by the Council, could say, in advice to Councillors, that the proposal would "preserve the character and appearance of the Old Town Conservation Area and would not substantially harm the setting of Hull Minster".  Clearly such a person is not living  by the same aesthetic standards as mere taxpaying mortals. For the sake of the future appearance of this backwater might it not be a good idea to put the said planning officer out to pasture where he/she will not harm the setting of the town any further.

 

B is for B*****ks!

B's for the Boss who's a Bastard,
A Bourgeois who don't give a damn.

                                                                                              Alex Glasgow Socialist ABC

Today, April12, 2019 might have been (well, it was never really going to be since the bloody Commons took away the only bargaining weapon left; to leave without a deal.)  Brexit Day (Mk2). After a whole two years and more of bungtwaddle from our elected bellends the UK remains as firmly locked onto the Brussels' boobies as ever. We've had bilious backspang and bafflegab from those who treat the majority as something smelly on their boots. All this has left sensible folk somewhat bamsquabbled or bamblustercated if you prefer. It's all a load of buggery-boos, as my old dad would sometimes exclaim.

B-Day Mk3 is pencilled in for Hallowe'en ... no, seriously it is ... Booo!

82 Shades of ....

Just keeping up to date with the latest colour scheme of this bar/restaurant (Bar 82) on Princes Dock Side. You've seen it purple, white and now it can't seem to make up its mind.

Flying the black flag of himself.

A town crow, blacker than ever, treats the Saturday afternoon shoppers and carousers with utter disdain before swooping down on a discarded morsel.

Willow Pattern

 

Staying in Queen's Gardens for no other reason than that it is greening up nicely and the first summer visiting birds were singing madly  in the treetops despite the typically chilly (quasi nithering) April easterly breezes. 

I came across a plaque that either I'd never seen before or had completely forgotten that informs the stranger that this place was once a dock built on the outer limits of the town. In my defence I have to say this plaque is in a very silly place on a wall over a pond, almost as if it was not meant to be seen

The place looks fine from a distance but is actually falling to pieces and bits of it are now fenced off for safety. This is the inevitable and unsurprising result of the Council's lack of care and incompetent management ( I moaned about it two years ago here.)

Safety fencing on left of picture

But enough of moaning. Queen's Gardens is still a grand little park .

A welcome improvement

Almost exactly two years ago I posted that the empty police station by Queen's Gardens was for sale. Well someone bought it (for £1.4 million) and wasted little time (for Hull that is) in turning it into something clad in glass and steel. Two extra storeys make the building look less squat. These new apartments will be a  welcome transformation of the depressing 1950's brick and concrete building that marred the neighbourhood of the gardens.