Not so pretty

When East Park was rejigged a few years ago a new animal enclosure was built with this particularly ugly fence surrounding it. It's not improved by the electric topping that accompanies it.

East Park Lake

It's been a while since I've been to East Park and in the meanwhile there have been developments, some welcome and one completely incomprehensible. Let's start with this welcome addition; a  path over the water allowing you this rather pleasant view along the length of the lake. All very nice and would be improved only by removing the accumulated rubbish that has gathered by the shore but that's a quibble.

Now for something that makes no sense to me at all: a new low level fence erected around the lake shore at the most popular spot in the park. Is it to keep people out of the lake?  I've never heard of anyone falling in here, the odd rogue dog has jumped in so I've been told but so what. Or is it, as I suspect and knowing the mindset of Hull City Council, to stop birds from coming out of the lake to be fed by passers-by, heaven forfend that people should feed the ducks as they have done for over a hundred years: this has to be stopped. 

More Winter Trees

East Park, Hull

Winter trees

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

See the Weekend in Black & White here.

Old School

At the north-east corner of Kingston Square stands this impressive building. It was once a school belonging to Christ Church which stood where the car park is on the left.  Nikolaus Pevsner in his architectural survey described the building and stated that "it should be saved" and so it was; though now it houses flats and not school children eager to learn.

Below a picture of Christ Church that I 'borrowed' from Hull Council's site. As you can see it was no small affair and came complete with full Gothic revival nonsense. The building, like much of Hull, was a victim of bombing during the war and put out of its misery in the early 60's. The space has since become dedicated to the new god: Car. 

East Park Sunset

Bit of birdwatching

This time of year East Park lake becomes the home for about twenty or so goosanders and every year I go along to take some pictures. And every year they stay just too far away for anything you might like to call a decent shot. (Yeah, I know, invest in a bigger lens ...) So I turn to the never knowingly shy black-headed gulls for my picture of the day. Below the best I could manage of those darn ducks.

The Khyber Pass

I mentioned before that Hull had a large garrison protecting the entrance to the river Hull and when it was demolished parts of it went to make a feature called the Khyber Pass in East Park. Until the other day I hadn't been over the bridge that crosses this odd folly nor had I realised quite how large it is.

Park bridge

After yesterday's colourful display here's the East Park bridge which I've shown several times before but never in black and white.

See the Weekend in Black & White here.

Star Gardens

East Park's floral displays in the Star Gardens are at their peak right now with hosts of dahlias and gladioli making a spectacular show.

Not forgetting the ornamental grasses.

Chimney

This is East Park and in the distance stands the 450 ft Reckitt's chimney. This is now defunct since the plant it served has closed. Can't think why but I've just remembered that Reckitt's bought out the Durex company a while back ...

Protecting the East

 

 So to east Hull and a remnant of 16th & 17th century defense spending. This is nearly all that remains of a massive citadel that protected the approaches to Hull from attack by whoever the English government had annoyed at the time (probably most of Europe). There is a blue plaque to tell the passing stranger all about it; unfortunately it's so high up that it's almost unreadable. I had to take a photo just to find out what it said. This stump sits in the middle of a large modern housing estate.

Some of the citadel's demolition material was used to create the charmingly named Khyber Pass feature ( from a futile intrusion by Victorian Britain into Afghanistan, all part of the never ending great game )  in East Park. It's just a glorified rockery really. Sic transit, as they often say in these parts.

Peacock Blues

Looking for animals to photograph for today's theme picture I came across these colourful peacocks stoically sitting out the wintry chill in East Park's animal enclosure.

Click here to see what other participants have posted.

Swan Song

 

Here's a mute swan quietly drifting on East Park's boating lake. Mute swans are supposed to be silent until just before they die when they make a beautiful song. I don't know how true that is but someone has composed a tune based on the DNA of a swan! Isn't the internet a wonderful thing?

Water Play Area

Ok, you've got to use a little imagination here. This device is part of an area in East Park recently given over as a 'Water Play Area' and ordinarily there'd be water gushing through this thing and filling a large shallow pool. In the words of a nearby notice it's "a wonderful area for children to have fun and create new memories"; just so long as they don't break the numerous rules that are also posted nearby.   The area is drained in Autumn, you can't have all year round fun; that would be against the rules.  

East Park Gates

A further testament to the concrete pourer's art is to be found adorning the entrance to East Park. They are so horrible that I could find nothing on the net to indicate who designed them, shame is a powerful motive for reticence. So here they stand to welcome the visitor; after this the actual park couldn't be any worse.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat ....

A sunny Autumn day brought some rowers onto East Park lake. The chilly wind (that the camera does not show) didn't seem to affect these hardy souls tough. 

But is it art?

No, not some modernist sculpture on display in Hull's East Park, this is an outdoor gym. At a cost of £40,000 the NHS has provided those who wish to make fools of themselves in public a generous gift.  There are many obese people in Hull and this was intended to provide them with free facilities for exercise. Maybe they are shy as I have yet to see anybody actually use it.
Amazingly the equipment is still unvandalised after 6 months.

When the wind is in the East...

...'tis neither good for man nor beast.

This weather vane  is atop the Victorian Conservatory in Pearson Park.

Autumn Colour

I may have moaned about the changes to East Park in previous postings but this avenue has thankfully been spared. The park was looking splendid yesterday as most of the trees were now at their Autumn best. You can see some more photos here.