By the Canal

The Drayman

When I first came to Hull 30 years ago most of the local pubs were supplied by the Hull Brewery Company and I recall that the beers so supplied were of the highest quality; I should know I supped enough of it. However it seems that others did not share my tastes and sales gradually dropped off (despite my best efforts). The brewery was sold and then in 1985 the sad and  fateful day arrived when the brewing stopped and the poor souls of Hull had to drink beer from Mansfield! 

But what to do with the old brewery itself? It stood empty for a while but in the early 90s they converted the place into offices and renamed it 'The Maltings' . This sculpture by Kevin Storch and is called 'The Drayman' and stands in the courtyard of the old brewery. It's cast in bronze and I think it's meant to be a fountain but it was turned off when I was there.

The Earl de Grey

No blog about Hull could  fail to mention the infamous Earl de Grey. This now closed drinking establishment is situated close to the docks. It had a reputation for a certain type of clientele; that is to say sailors with money and women who were all too willing to make them part with it. It was, in short, a knocking shop. Its renown was worldwide among the sailing fraternity.
A flavour of the place can be gleaned from the following story printed in the local paper when the pub closed. "Until 15 years ago, two parrots lived in the pub mimicking the drunken revellers who propped up the bar. Cha Cha and Ringo were popular regulars until the pub was burgled in 1985. The thieves, fearing the chatty parrots would reveal their identities, stabbed Cha Cha to death. Legend has it the bird was later buried under Castle Street during the road's construction. Lonely Ringo pined for his mate and never spoke again."

Now the building is Grade2 listed but boarded up with only this fading sign to remind us of its interesting if insalubrious past.

Man, if you gotta ask you'll never know.

Ok I'll tell you; it's a restaurant in a converted warehouse by Princes Quay. It's part of a chain of Italian restaurants and if you want to know more ask someone else. Over a year ago I showed one of the windows on the other side of the building here; by next year I might show the whole building.

Lights, Camera, Action ....

With these lights and cameras your car will be safely looked after in the Albion Street car park.

Fenced in

City Daily Photo's theme this month was fences and I wish now that I had remembered this shot that I took in June last year; still better late than never. This footbridge carries you over a main rail line and Clive Sullivan Way, actually the A63. Clive Sullivan was a famous rugby league player who played for both Hull teams and died at the age of 42.

Gazebo

The British weather is known to be fickle and the need for a some protection from the elements led to the building of this ornate shelter that looks out on to Bridlington's Harbour and bay. The view in this direction gives no clue to the tower block lurking directly behind; the views from those windows must be spectacular.

More tea, anyone?

Here on Bridlington's South Marine Drive is a device whereby parents can spin their little darlings round and round in a giant teacup. I'm told the mental scars from this wear off over time so grin and bear it; it's meant to be fun! 

Spurn

Many moons ago I posted a picture of this lightship from the other side of the dock. Here it is again a bit closer.

The ship helped mariners enter the Humber for nearly fifty years until it was decommissioned and turned into a museum by the council. If you're thinking of visiting you will have to wait till March and go on a weekend on the other hand it is free like all our museums and art galleries. There are a few links to the ship the best in my opinion are here and here.

View from the top

Perhaps I should take more photos from the top deck of the bus; the main drawbacks are the dirty windows and thr reflections. Still, with a little practice, it might be worth the effort. Here's Princes Avenue where yesterday's shot was also taken on the way into town.

Pave

Pave is one of the many cafés and bars that have opened in the Avenues area. It's name is an abbreviation of P(rinces) Ave(nue). It's website claims "By day, this is the place to meet, chat and enjoy the papers. By night, Pave buzzes."

Water Play Area

Ok, you've got to use a little imagination here. This device is part of an area in East Park recently given over as a 'Water Play Area' and ordinarily there'd be water gushing through this thing and filling a large shallow pool. In the words of a nearby notice it's "a wonderful area for children to have fun and create new memories"; just so long as they don't break the numerous rules that are also posted nearby.   The area is drained in Autumn, you can't have all year round fun; that would be against the rules.  

East Park Gates

A further testament to the concrete pourer's art is to be found adorning the entrance to East Park. They are so horrible that I could find nothing on the net to indicate who designed them, shame is a powerful motive for reticence. So here they stand to welcome the visitor; after this the actual park couldn't be any worse.

Le Quartier Latin

In Beverley there are two market places, Saturday Market and this one Wednesday Market (no prizes for guessing what day the market is held). Until a couple of years ago Wednesday Market was just an ugly little car park for most of the week then it got given a remodelling into a 'continental style' eating place with outdoor tables and so on; you can imagine. I've seen it descibed as "Beverley's very own Latin Quarter" (do try not to smirk). I don't think it's been a successful transformation and I've never seen anyone sitting out enjoying the ambience. At the heart of this sits the Queen's Head which looks old but I am reliably informed it has been modernised.

Market Cross, Beverley

Paragon Station

Years ago some soulless  bureaucrat came upon the name 'Hull Paragon'  and dropped the 'Paragon'. Now timetables refer only to Hull and life is a little duller for that I feel.

Round the bend

Just a jest

I've mentioned that Beverley has a trail of the ancient guilds and crafts of the town designed to attract tourists; as if the charms of the place weren't magnetic in themselves. Anyhow one of the old trades was hat making so here's jester's cap a top a street sign. Clearly they're still as mad as hatters in this town.

The train leaving platform one ...

Thoughtful of the train company to leave gaps in the fence so we can see our train departing ...

The theme for today in City Daily Photos is 'fences'.Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

The Rex

There was a time when every neighbourhood in Hull would have its Rex; the launderette of the unwashed masses. This one is on Anlaby Road. Now washing machines are cheaper launderettes are slowly going out out of fashion. I spent many an hour watching my washing go round and round, then carried it all home in a big plastic bag that invariably ripped a bit ... no, I don't miss it all.

Creating a greener city

Hull City Council's well chosen sponsors are experts at recycling.

Bus nut heaven

It wasn't until I had seen them several times standing outside the back entrance to the new bus station that I realised there were people who liked to 'spot' buses. There they would be with their little notebooks and cameras noting and photographing every bus as it passed. A harmless pastime I suppose; certainly no worse than taking a picture of your city and posting it on a blog every day.

St Stephens Shopping Centre

Here's the backdoor to St Stephens. After four years all the shops are now let out and the place is attracting 10 million visitors a year ( if you believe Wikipedia). If you go to the very first posting in this fine blog you will see the other side of this shopping mall.

Maritime Museum

Ok, I've shown this building before but I think this is a particularly fine shot. Go ahead click to enlarge.

Red Car

Please drive carefully

Get your eyes tested

A Hull optician's shop that has seen better days.

Mr Hull

The latest statue to appear in Hull is this larger-than-life-size imitation of  Chairman Mao, oops, sorry, no; that's Sir Leo Schultz. The statue stands in a niche on the Guildhall where Sir Leo was a councillor for 50 years or so and leader of the council from 1945 to 1979. Not surprisingly he was known as Mr Hull. Many people in Hull owe their lives to his urging the building of public air-raid shelters before the last war. A school was named after him but that has recently closed. I have taken the liberty of shifting the hue slightly to reflect Sir Leo's political views.

There's more about the making of this statue and the life of this man here.

Rank

Here's one of Hull's notables being honoured by a blue plaque. J Arthur Rank was a flour miller's son whose move into film making and distribution came about through because the Methodist church complained of the negative influence that British and American films shown in Britain were having on family life. He was inspired to set up the British National Films Company. Later he set up a distribution company to promote his films in cinemas and also developed Pinewood studios where the Bond movies are made. Rank's films always started with the distinctive gong being struck. Rank was a very wealthy man and gave much to Methodist causes and is rightly remembered by this plaque; it is a shame, then, that the house to which it is attached has not been quite so well looked after.

Fall into monochrome

For some reason the usual Autumnal change in leaf colour has been very disappointing. Leaves are going from green to a dirty grey/brown and then dropping off. Maybe we'll have some colour later on.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat ....

A sunny Autumn day brought some rowers onto East Park lake. The chilly wind (that the camera does not show) didn't seem to affect these hardy souls tough. 

A poor life this if, full of care,

...We have no time to stand and stare?

These beauties were by the Driffield canal the other day; not once did they let me out of their sight. 

Closed for demolition

This row of shuttered shops on Ferensway is not a victim of the banksters greed, at least not directly. In a way they are a surprising success story that has had come to close. These buildings were put up as temporary shops just after the war to replace bomb damaged property. They had a life expectancy of ten years but have been here over sixty years. They were due to be demolished a few years ago but there's no money so here they stay. On a personal note I bought my first 'serious' camera , a Practika, I believe, from Hilton's (the third shop down) nearly thirty years ago.

Rust Park

There's a wise saying that if a thing ain't broken you don't fix it; it goes without saying that Hull Council lacks even this basic savvy. Behold the solution to a problem that did not exist. The new entrance to West Park, dandy ain't it! Yes that's real rust, genuine 100% iron oxide. Now Hull folk may not know much about art but they know what they like and they really hate this. "Looks like parts from an old trawler", “dirty”, “dull” and “The change looks tacky, like it was designed by schoolchildren.” are some of the comments made to the local paper. Not content with this, roads, lined, of course, with rusting curved lamp posts, were built through this quaint old Victorian park splitting it in two.

Now I'm not one to criticise just for the sake of it but this 'statement' is meant to impress visitors to Hull especially those going to the football stadium through the park. This heap of rusting junk says, accurately, that Hull is falling apart.

Oh, I forgot, the bill for all this ... a mere £7 million.

Flying

Ex libris

What do you do with a library that the Council have decided is "surplus to requirements"? This is or was the Carnegie Library on Anlaby Road. It opened in 1905 with funds from the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and was closed in 2001 when the books were moved to a nearby 'learning centre' (?). It then stood more or less empty until 2007 when the Carnegie Heritage Action Team took it over. It now houses the East Yorkshire Family History Society and a book binding service.

Ivy

The trackside near my local station was cleared earlier this year making space for the ivy to take over. It's now flowering with masses of these clumps of florets. This is good news for pollen seeking insects and for the birds who eat the berries in Winter.

Hull Fair

It's the week of Hull Fair again. Never seems to change, stalls selling boiled sugary treats, rides to spin you round and up and down and bright lights; oh and loud, very loud music. Thousands come every year so it must be doing something right.

 Galloping Horses, a vintage roundabout built by Frederick Savage of King's Lynn.

 A modern roundabout on hyperdrive!

Back to Front

 Here are both sides of Kingston House on Bond Street, a testament to the concrete pourer's art.

Victims of the recessions

Even when times were good Hull has always had its pockets of economic failure. Somehow the benefits of growth never seemed to trickle down this far, mysteriously drying up on the way. Bond Street is one particular island of gloom. I showed you one side of the street a while back. The building across the street is a victim of the recession. Not the present one nor yet the last one; no, this building has been empty for  years. It once was a department store built just after WW2 to replace a bombed out store.  In the 30 years or so that I've lived in Hull I've only known this building open for a few months as an amusement arcade. In 2008 plans were drawn up to convert to flats but we all know happened in 2008 ...

Next door is the old Co-operative store, this has been shut for almost as long as the other building. The front half of this building is the BHS store I showed you sometime back and that seems to be doing fine. I really can't see much of a future for these buildings, not as stores anyway, given that there is a brand new glass and steel shopping centre just around the corner and if they failed in the good times how are they going to make in the bad?  

Orb

Call me an old cynic if you like but when a construction firm donates a 'sculpture' to the council I smell that old rotten haddock odour gently wafting through the corridors of power. To avoid litigaton I will draw no conclusions from the coincidence of the erection of this thing and the construction in 1984 of the new Freetown Way alongside. I know not who made this but it does make an excellent ramp for skateboarders. It has the name 'Orb'; I suppose 'Backhander' was too hard to spell.