A bit of a mess

I'm afraid this post is a bit of a mess, basically just a pile of snaps of the ongoing demolition of the Clarence Mills. There's not a lot to add to what I've already said about this. So just excuse the mess and make of it what you will.

The weekend in black and white is here, all being well.

Top notch!

Sudden Closure

There has been a rash of sudden closures of restaurants in the town centre. This one, a fish bar on King Edward Street, opened last October and closed in September. Starbucks and Pizza Hut have already left town. There's news today of yet another closure in the old town. The local rag carries tales of woe from restaurant owners demanding that 'something must be done' as if the public purse should remedy their poor business choices. At this rate of attrition there won't be any left by the year of Kultur.  But, you ask, don't the good folk of Hull like to dine out of an evening? Sure they do, just not in the moribund centre of town but in places such as Princes Avenue which is crammed with restaurants and bars. I think it's called market forces or some such ...

The House on Salthouse Lane

... and while we're on Salthouse Lane I must show you this grade 2 listed Georgian dolls' house that completely dominates what's left of the lane. This was built in the 1780's as a merchant's home, later became a branch of the Bank of England then a home for sailors. It's now part of a housing association. Although facing onto Salthouse Lane for some reason this is officially 105 Alfred Gelder Street. Ah well ... Someone with a lot of time on their hands has researched the whole history of this place and put their findings online here, so, many thanks to that person.

The White Hart Hotel, again

I've shown this pub/hotel a couple of times now. The last time was back in March last year with a hopeful note that the place would reopen in Spring. Well two Springs have passed and a Summer and now Autumn and it's still not open. The economic climate has clearly not changed much, at least not for the better. This is a rear view, as it were, from Salthouse Lane and shows the full extent of this really quite large establishment. I guessing from the cosy way it agrees with the streets that at some point this was rebuilt to fit in with the 'new' layout of Alfred Gelder Street.

The Hull plinth

In the manner of Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth I offer you the scaled down, rough and ready Hull version which features that aid to modern living, without which no public space would be complete, the damaged runaway shopping trolley... oh, have we got culture for you! Anyhow Queen's garden's trees are nicely doing that thing they do at this time of year.

Hogweed

This is your common hogweed not the giant stuff that's poisonous and illegal to grow. In fact I've read that Heracleum sphondylium is "the finest tasting vegetable in the UK" but I suspect these dried up old seeds lack gastronomic appeal. This picture was taken by Margot because I didn't want to dawdle on Snuff Mill Lane.

The bonny rowan tree

This year's bumper crop means the local blackbirds won't be going hungry for a few weeks.