Treasure House

Tucked away and slightly off the usual tourist paths is the East Riding Treasure House on Champney Road, Beverley. It contains the East Riding Archives and Local Studies, Beverley Library, a Museum and Beverley Art Gallery. There is also an observation platform at the top of this tower with views over the town some of which I'll show tomorrow.

That dead old tree

And while I was on Westwood I had another visit to that decaying tree that I posted in June. The tree itself didn't appear much changed, it's still hard and not crumbling in any way. I did, however, notice a large number of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) which weren't there last year. Now nettles like acidic soil but the Westwood sits on chalk which is alkaline, indeed this tree is near Newbegin Pits; the old chalk pits. So looking this up on the web I find, as I vaguely remembered from my student days, that the decay of the tree will produce acids that alter the soil around it. So some subtle changes are happening.

That old chestnut

As I was in the neighbourhood I  did what I always do and paid  a visit to this old chestnut which I've posted a couple of times before but only in Winter ( 1 2 ). It and the dozens of other chestnuts on this tree lined road seem to be doing well contrary to tales of a blight affecting them nationwide. 

The Westwood is common land and cattle are grazed on it throughout the Summer and Autumn. They're fairly harmless but you have to watch where you put you feet 'cos they're not house trained by any means.

A change in the weather

Beverley Westwood

The blues skies and fine weather of Summer seem for the moment to have left us. Some really dark clouds looming throughout most of the day brought some sharp showers (and had me sheltering under trees) but not the deluge that forecasters had promised. Indeed it brightened up by evening time.

The Weekend in Black & White is here.

Rubbish Idea

Bricknell Avenue

I don't know who had the idea of putting rubbish bins four or five foot above the ground but it strikes me as being a bit silly. I should think this is pretty much out of reach for young children and surely they are the ones who should be encouraged to put their rubbish in the bin.

Ten Year Plan

Roper Street, part of the Quay West plan.

As if to outshine even the founding fathers of the Soviet Union who had a mere five year plan Hull City Council have a grand ten year plan  This plan is different from other plans, we are told, this plan is not a Council plan, no sir, this plan belongs to you and me. Well not quite, rather "work to develop the plan so far has involved a whole range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary and community sectors". The plan is of course endorsed by that ultimate NEPman, Lord Mandelson.

Now part of this plan involves this area; the proposed Quay West. If you read the Council's webpage it promising an investment of between £165 million and £300 million will create between 1500 and 3000 jobs plus thousands more in construction, make up to 600,000 square feet of retail space, a new hotel and last but not least an injection of up to £40 million into the local economy. Except, of course, it won't. No mention is made of the main backer behind this scheme pulling out three years ago; funny that don't you think. Maybe it's not so funny after all.

So if the Council really are looking for ideas as to what to do with this area, here's one or two (totally uncosted, of course). Forget about a grand retail park. Hull is full of empty shops. Build lots of one and two bedroomed apartments or houses, this is social housing. There's an acute shortage of such accommodation as the recent bedroom tax shambles has shown. Renovate these old warehouses and that foul pub make them the focus of this neighbourhood. In short bring back people to the centre of the city and sit back and watch it grow.

Buddleia, the Butterfly Bush

Leave a building untended for a few years and it's almost guaranteed you'll get this plant growing in the cracks, crevices, gutters and chimneys. This one was ten or so feet up and appeared to be growing straight out of the wall. Now not everyone likes these plants and some go so far as to call them weeds which is just impolite in my opinion. Personally I like them so much I've got four or five of them flowering away in my garden all covered in dozens of butterflies, moths and bees. They almost make Summer tolerable.