Another day, another plan, another slogan

This is a slogan of the  property development company, Wykeland, eager to make a buck out of redeveloping the old Fruit Market and its surroundings. It is part of a slick marketing operation to sell the (£80 million) plans for not just a hundred or so new homes but a whole 'urban village' lifestyle whatever that may be. Well, judging by the company video, what it appears to be is people of a certain age (no older than 27, I'd guess) giggling, drinking coffee, giggling, drinking more coffee, giggling more  (presumably all that coffee sets off a giggle reflex) and so on as they live, work and play and their money pours into the coffers of Wykeland.

The video, so I'm informed, was shot in Shoreditch and Southwark in London as well as in Hull. Those places may well be able to support an 'urban village' lifestyle being situated in the middle of one of the greatest and richest urban populations in the world. The old Fruit Market is surrounded by water on three sides and the hell that is Castle Street on the other and is a crusty pimple on the bottom of one of the poorest cities in Britain. It will be interesting to see if the project gets off the ground. 

On a lighter note, if you are into meaningless slogans such as the one above, check out the mind blowing one below. Well D'oh!

 

Ceci n'est pas un tardis

OK I don't know why I haven't shown this antique telephone booth before. It sits in the indoor market and serves no purpose other than ornamentation. I think I can remember it working many years ago as a phone box but that may be one of those false memories you read about in the papers. Something about a row when it was proposed to do away it also surfaces now I come to think about it. There's really not a lot you can say about an old empty phone box that doesn't even do time travel any more ...

Central Fire Station

The Central Fire Station on Worship Street is, like the Central Police Station on Queen's Gardens, no longer in use having been replaced by a new place on Clough Road. I'm posting these because pretty soon the place will be no more. It's being demolished to make way for an extension to the New Theatre and a new £10 million University Technical College. I had to look up what a UTC was; as far as I can make out it's a type of grammar or elite school for the twenty first century with business sponsorships and links the the University. The New Theatre works were going to be held up due the the Council lacking funds (that old sofa trick no longing working). Step in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, no less, with £5 million spare change to save the day. ("He's a very nice man, a very, very nice man" *tugs forelock*)

The place was originally run by Hull City Council hence the city crest.

Then it was run by the now defunct Humberside County Council but it remains a Humberside service, serving both sides of the Humber.

This faded plaque informs that the place was opened on 6th April 1927 by a Mr Crook J.P!

Finally a not very good picture of the front.

Perch

The weekend in black and white is here

Contortionist

I know you all appreciate the lengths that I go to in order to bring you photographs of this precious town. I do however draw the line at lying on my side with my feet in the air. I know, I know; I'm such a party pooper. This young athletic chap was quite determined to photograph his model on Victoria Pier from what can only be described as an awkward angle. I do wonder what the model thought of all these callisthenics. 

Blue Violet

What else can an aspiring university do with a football pitch that was only used on Wednesdays and as a short cut to the exit other than build a set of halls of residence? There'll soon be 560 students living in accommodation that will be "among the best in the country". When you've spent £30 million you might expect it to a bit classy. I'm disappointed that the stunning pale violet colour is to be covered up with boring cladding and the whole thing will eventually look like this. Dull, almost boring

Any colour you like as long as it's orange

A veritable fleet of gas platform supply vessels was filling up the usually empty Albert Dock the other day. These belong to a company called Sealion Shipping and clearly they have a favourite colour and they're sticking to it. It's like a hi-vis jacket for boats.