De La Pole Memorial, Holy Trinity Church, Hull

In 14th century England few people were as rich as the de la Pole family. They made their money as wool and wine merchants and held important offices of state culminating in Michael de la Pole becoming Earl of Suffolk in 1385. However, as many have found before and since, riches are no cure for life's passing and they lie now in Hull's Holy Trinity church with this memorial.

The  de la Pole name crops up in de la Pole Avenue, Hull , where the poet Stevie Smith was born and the now closed local mental asylum, de la Pole Hospital.

Welcome to Cottingham

With a population of over 17,000 Cottingham claims to be the largest village in England; indeed this population is bigger than some cities in other countries. It's reckoned that the name means homestead of Cotta's people, Cotta being some 5th century Anglo-Saxon chief. There's an old church, several pubs and shops and a village green that is now a car park.
The village's main industry, if it can be called that, is looking after thousands of students who live in Halls of Residence to the north of the village and who commute to Hull University. There was until recently an important caravan industry; the recession sent that sideways. I hear that the caravan trade is slowly picking up so good luck to them.
This sign is a few yards from one I posted earlier. Its lazy but nice to be able to post things that are just outside your front door.

Destruction of the Temple

The City Temple, Hessle Road, formerly a Primitive methodist church then Elim Pentacostal, was in use for a hundred years before it closed in 1984 since when time and idle hands for whom the devil has found a use have taken their toll. It now stands derelict and in danger of complete collapse, there were plans to make flats but the economy fell upon hard times as you're all too aware.

Arc, Blanket Row, Hull

Arc claims to be "the architecture and built environment centre for Hull and the Humber region" and "part of a national network of architecture centres across the UK". Quite what all that means , who is paying for it and  why such a place should exist at all I don't know.
The building is full of the latest do-no-harm technology, including "a mechanical garden of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels" and claims to be only connected to the ground via the services of waste, water and electricity. They run exhibitions and lectures and such like events and you can go visit the place should you have a desire.
As usual there's a website where you can get their side of things here. 

Beverley

Here's Beverley Minster just visible through the trees of the Westwood.

The Old White's Sugar Mill, Driffield

This old building is gradually falling in decay. I believe there are plans to demolish and build flats.

Skidby Mill, near Cottingham

Yorkshire's last working windmill, built in 1821 and recent renovated. There's a museum of East Riding Rural Life and it's a popular tourist attraction though when I went it was deserted.

There's a website here, panoramic photos of the mill exterior here and similar of the interior here. 

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.

Norwood House, Beverley

This is Norwood House, a most impressive Grade 1 listed Georgian building. After a many years as a residence it became a high school for girls until 2000. It was sold recently by the East Riding Council after years of dithering and against the wishes of many who wished to restore it and make it open to the public. I believe it has planning permission for development as offices. As we all know there is a shortage of offices and far too many Grade1 listed buildings. 

November showers

Lowering clouds and late afternoon sunshine produce this strange lighting effect. Of course sunshine and rain made a nice rainbow which you can see below.
This is Butcher Row in Beverley.

The eleventh twelfth of a weariness....

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, - November!

Thomas Hood

Ladygate, Beverley

The Mission

First a seaman's mission then church now Hull's No1 Student Pub ... not a great deal of change really.

Hull New Theatre

Hull New Theatre is probably the oldest theatre in Hull. It opened in 1939 replacing a  theatre on the same site. The Central Hull Fire Station is situated just to the rear of this building so shows may be interrupted by the sound of sirens.
The theatre's website claims "Hull New Theatre continues to be one of the UK's premier touring venues and features the best in musical, opera, ballet, drama, children's shows and one night performances, with a highlight of the year being the annual spectacular Christmas pantomime."

Currently we have Scrooge featuring Tommy Steele ( a 1950s pop star! ), this is described as "The perfect winter treat, Scrooge is a heartwarming family story with stunning sets and costumes ...." What are you waiting for? Book now.

Empty plot

I have criticised in previous postings the policy of "Build it and they'll come" that seems to govern Hull's planning for the future. Well, I think for once they might be on a winner with this scheme. It's the new Priory Road Cemetery; a sure fire success unless we all achieve immortality.

This brand new plot is actually just outside Hull in Cottingham and caused a furore when it was proposed. There were all sorts of planning enquiries and appeals and a great deal of public money wasted. Seems all Hull's boneyards are full and they needed to spill out here. After nearly four years of digging and draining the new graveyard opened earlier this year.

It's a strange to wander through a cemetery without graves, usually there are headstones and memorials and so on and a feeling that you're in the presence of death. This is like a new housing estate, it doesn't have that "lived in" feeling if that makes any sense.

 Being an up-to-date place you get a choice of how you spend eternity: in the straight terraces (as above) or in decadent Nature with a woodland burial or perhaps a Muslim burial is your choice or any which way you choose. The only condition is your demise, it seems a small price to pay for a spot in this new necropolis.

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.

Old Records Office, Hull

This is the where, I'm guessing, most of  the archives of Hull were kept before the Hull History Centre came about. It was built in 1881 and must have been a dockside building (it's on the side of the old Queen's Dock and has a sailing ship weather vane atop that conical structure) before the archive was placed here. The monogram above the door says TMC  or CMT but I don't know what that means. Anyhow it's a fine old Victorian building waiting for someone to put it it to some use. I like the different window styles; it's like the architect had a palette and said I'll have arches here and circles there with squares up on top; oh yes and a conical tower to top it all off. Wonderful!

Keeping Hull Moving

The owner of this car is in for a shock when he/she returns. A civil enforcement officer has spotted an alleged infringement and is issuing a penalty charge notice. I think it must be the uniform that attracts this kind of officious person, before this he'd taken 3 or 4 photos as evidence of the alleged offence. I bet he enjoys his work and the uniform that goes with it.

According to Hull City Council civil parking enforcement will "encourage correct, sensible and safe parking in Hull" and "keep Hull moving". "CPE will improve parking by ensuring that parking bays are not abused ..."
As you will have noticed this car is clearly abusing the parking bay (simply by being in it?) and hindering traffic ( it's tyre is a whole inch over the line!) and is parked so badly as to cause Hull to grind to a halt (allegedly).

I'm not a driver and so the parking regulations do not affect me personally but I cannot see how jumping on each and every minor infringement is going to achieve improved parking. It just becomes a money making scheme (up to £70 for an offence) and brings the whole scheme nothing but disrepute.

Hull Train

Here's Bridlington Station in all its glory. It says platforms 5/6 for the Hull train but there are only three platforms. Nowadays the trains are just two carriage push-me-pull-you affairs and look quite small on the platform designed to take ten or more carriages.
I can't show you Bridlington Station without also showing the Buffet Bar, which regularly wins prizes for its floral displays. It's one of the last few remaining buffets which used to be on every station providing refreshments. It even has its own website.

 

This month's Theme day topic is  Public Transportation.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Baron who of where-and-why-on-earth

Just about every city in this country has one. I'm talking about the "notable public figure" and Hull is no exception.

Behold Charles Henry Wilson, 1st Baron Nunburnholme. You've never heard of him and I can't see why you would. This man made his fortune by inheriting a shipping company, actually the largest private shipowning concern in the world. Not surprising given the democratic ethos of the times he was also MP for Hull (a Liberal, weren't they all!) and High Sheriff of Hull. Never one to let politics get in the way of profit he sent ships to the Boer War despite being opposed to it. Piling Ossa on Pelion, he was given the freedom  of the City of Kingston upon Hull and then a peerage as Baron Nunburnholme,. Having done so much he nevertheless failed to achieve immortality and died in 1907.

Hull History Centre

I showed you the other end of this building a few weeks back and frankly I hadn't given the place much thought 'til I took a little walk around the area and stumbled across this opportunity for a reflection shot. The building stands in a small garden and the trees are turning a delicious golden hue.
There's also a big yellow toad but you can see that here. 

Churchyard

St Mary's, Lowgate in Autumn sunshine.

The Fish Quay, Bridlington

Silhouette

There can't be many supermarkets with a view like this. Here's Morrison's car park, Holderness Road. I featured this mill before.

South Marine Drive, Bridlington

This impressive terrace looks out over the beach and boating lake that I showed in the last two days.There are hotels at each end but the middle section is apartments 

End of Season Bridlington

Martha, Laura and the rest will have a long wait before anyone comes calling. I also can't see many breaking the local bylaw against swimming in the boating lake.

The South Beach, Bridlington

 Bridlington in late October can be a cold and miserable place but when the sun shines through the clouds like this ....

Progress from Albert Dock, Hull

 Running along the Humber to the west of the River Hull is the Albert Dock. It was built between 1863 and 1869 and named after Prince Albert; Victoria Dock was built earlier on the east side of the Hull (sickening the sycophancy of our ancestors). It was extended in 1880 by the addition of the William Wright Dock (he was chairman of the Dock Company). It's the best part of a mile long. Surprisingly (well it's a surprise to me) the dock is still in use for general cargo and a few fishing boats. There's also a training place for the North Sea oil rigs. Far off in the background you can just make out the Humber Bridge.

Below is the view eastwards through the dock gates showing (just) the P&O ferry to  Zeebrugge and Rotterdam in King George dock (another dock, another royal).

 Finally here's the wide brown Humber that the dock leads into. The name Humber might come from an ancient , pre-celtic word meaning river, or it might be, as  Geoffrey of Monmouth has it, named after Humber the Hun. Whatever the history, it's a wide old stream and now a very important waterway with the modern docks of Hull and North Lincolnshire being some of the busiest in Europe.

Tidal Barrier, Hull

The Tidal Barrier has recently been overhauled and improved so we should be safe from destruction by flood at least for the next couple of decades.

Heaven & Hell

 Heaven and Hell on Anne Street is, you will be delighted to learn, available for hire. Entrance is free but you can never leave ....

'merican golf

A little splash of colour (should that be color?) on Castle Street. Those aren't parked cars just part of the continuous stream down this busy road.

Ye Olde White Harte, Silver Street, Hull

I mentioned before that King Charles tried to enter Hull in 1642 and was told go away. As with most things English a pub has to be involved somewhere and this is no exception. Apparently the men  involved met beforehand in "ye plotting parlour" of this fair establishment before deciding to deny the king his munitions and so putting Parliament and monarch at odds. This is a seriously fine old building and well worth hunting down; it's lies down an alley off Silver Street, watch out for the skull in the saloon bar!

Red Boat, Bridlington

Hull Fair

The second week in October brings Hull Fair. One of the largest travelling fairs in Europe. It lasts a week and brings with it attendant problems of traffic and petty crime and fun. Many hundreds of thousands of visitors are take in the delights. I'm told it looks good at night with all the rides and lights and so on; but that's past my bedtime so I'm not allowed to go.
Usually Hull Fair brings with it bad weather, rain and winds; known locally as Hull Fair weather, I think it's a pun ....