Lifeboats

Here's what is claimed to be the "finest dockside training facility in the UK" and who am I to argue? These colourful lifeboats are used to practice getting off offshore rigs and drilling platforms as quickly as possible. If you're interested in having a go the company has a website here.

Dockside Sculpture

I came across this the other day while I was wandering around the old docks. There's no little plaque to tell what it is or who made it; so if you know anything about do let me know.

Pop goes the weasel

In town the other day I noticed that not one but three pawnbrokers had sprung up on the same street within thirty yards of each other. On another street there were two more 'uncles'. They seem to be like vultures pecking at the rotting corpse of the economy.

Humber Barge

The Humber is a mile wide at this point but the navigable channel is tucked up near the foreshore which is handy if you want to see barges passing by. This barge is called the Seagull and for bargephiles there's more pictures here.

Up on the roof

There's been a path along the banks of the Humber for hundreds possibly thousands of years so when a warehouse was built on the foreshore at Albert Dock there was only place for the path to go: up on the roof. Whilst it can be a bit nerve wracking if you suffer from vertigo or if there's strong wind blowing the uninterrupted view of Hull and the Humber makes it all worthwhile.

Click to enlarge

Newland Avenue

The date on the bridge 1882 is when Hull incorporated the village of Newland and made the road passable to traffic, before then this was known as Mucky Peg Lane. Newland Avenue is a most interesting street whose activities attract people both day and night. There are greengrocers, butchers, a fishmonger, several bakers and other food shops, including Polish, Chinese and Asian ones, hairdressers, florists, various specialist shops, cafés and many charity shops. In the evenings the takeaways, café bars and late-opening convenience stores and the Piper continue to attract people. So you can get many things on Newland Avenue nowadays except mucky pegs.

Got the Blues

Taken from the top deck of a bus this is one of the busiest places in Hull. It's Britannia House, home of the Department for Work and Pensions, the dole office. Over a quarter of households in Hull have no one in employment and 30% of children are classified as living in poverty. There is no end in sight to this appalling state of affairs, if anything, it's going to get worse; a lot worse. Without this place and money flowing from it I shudder to think what a state we'd be in. 

On a lighter note the blue lumps and phallic pillar are testament to the folly (no other word will do, except perhaps, vanity) of a previous leader of the Council and who now happens to be Lord Mayor. He does like to dress up and make himself a laughing stock providing some comic relief in our dire straits.