Sudden Drop

This sign on the old dry dock near the mouth of the River Hull made me smile I don't know why. I posted about this dry dock some time ago when I mentioned that there were plans for a tourist attraction. Well now there are plans for something completely different but more about that in the next post.

Do you believe in Hull?

When I first saw these adverts I wondered if perhaps it was some silly campaign to drum up support for the City of Culture nonsense then I pondered the possibility that Hull was suffering from ontological insecurity? (After all Hull is no longer even in the worst 50 cities in the UK. If Hull's not crap then what is it?) Truth is neither of these was the case as it happens; this is just the latest gimmick dreamt up by the God-botherers desperate to rustle up some trade by saying Hull is a wonderful place (truly God works in a mysterious way).
Anyhow on a more serious note (am I ever frivolous?) it is reported that the Government is being urged to forget about failing towns like Hull (where I live) and Hartlepool (where I was born) and a host of others. Instead of pouring money into these places (did I miss out on this somehow?) the Government should help people to in effect abandon them or rather move to places where there is employment (the clever ones are doing this already, it's been going on for years). This help involves improving regional transport infrastructure instead of building the grand projects such as High Speed Rail.  In a thought provoking article that has got the Hull-lovers snarling and spitting obscenities The Economist magazine states some rather brutal opinions and some equally forthright solutions to perceived problems of high unemployment, poor education and a dependency on benefits. The Economist, of course, does not have to stand for election so it is free to posit politically suicidal solutions. I did, however, take to the idea that these empty cities would become like the Cotswolds in a few hundred years time because of the people fleeing them, now there's something to believe in.

Morning Glory

Well actually mid-afternooon glory. This little delight was blooming away just outside my front door yesterday afternoon enjoying the warmth of the October sunshine. Today it's turned pink and curled up as they do. Oh and the warmth has gone as well with a biting northerly wind setting in.

Poor little sods

Sometimes it's best not to think about how things got the way they are. So finding a palette of grass turfs on a patch of waste ground raises no eyebrows.

National Poetry Day

I've just found out that the first Thursday in October is National Poetry Day. And since I also just happen to have a piccy of  Laughing Boy Larkin's old place complete with slate plaque and glass fibre toad I thought the two would go nicely together. Now Larkin when he first came to this place thought Hull was "a frightful dump" "smelling of fish" but as the years rolled by and there was clearly no money left in running down the place Hull became "… a city that is in the world yet sufficiently on the edge of it to have a different resonance’. Personally it's still a dump but both Larkin and the smelly fish have gone so it's not all that bad.

Gory details

Quite possibly the remains of a peregrine falcon's dinner dumped unceremoniously outside the Crown Court earlier this year.

More detailed posts at City Daily Photo's theme page here.

Do we not need to light lanterns in the morning?

Seems we do in Cottingham at least.

Taken by Margot K Juby

Rubbish

Rubbish is how I've been feeling lately and when you feel that you are surrounded by a city full of trash it's probably not a good time to try to post 'nice' things on a daily photoblog. So until cheerier times this blog is going part-time.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be

Regular visitors might recognise this as the pub formerly known as the Fishbowl, Hockney's and also Aussie Beach. Seems it was also once called Nostalgia, I missed that. Anyhow it's being disemboweled with a view to who knows what.

Green Light

I wondered how this relic has managed to survive the purge on old lights that the Council carried out some years back. Then I remembered that this is on Newland Park. Let's just say that this is not the poorest area in town, many of the houses are best described as mansions. It's the sort of area where potholes in the road are simply not allowed to exist (I'm sure you could play billiards on the road!) while the rest of the town suffers a rough ride and broken suspensions. I'm sure you know the sort of area ...

Football crazy

Somebody obviously was feeling a tad homesick (possibly drunk, who could say?) and simply had to tell the world of their affection for Zagłębie Sosnowiec, a football team. I somehow doubt that in the fair city of Sosnowiec there's a wall celebrating Hull City Association Football Club but you never know. Speaking of HCAFC the owner wants to change the name of the club to Hull Tigers on the grounds that 'city' is such an "common" word. As you know Hull is a idyllic place with no real great issues to worry about so this has caused uproar and dismay among those who follow this 'club' and pay good money to watch a ball being kicked from one end of a grassy field to the other.

For those of you into 1980's popular music combos this is on Grafton Street home to the Housemartins and later the Beautiful South. 

A little bit of fungi

Came across this rather large fungus sprouting from a what looked like a tree stump near Victoria Avenue.

More monochrome fun over at the Weekend in Black and White here.

Ella Street

Ella Street is the kind of street where they paint trees with crows on the pavement and adorn the bollards with little birds. Where plants grow in drums and in little raised beds with birds painted on them. Where trees have ribbons wrapped round them and birds are fed from cast iron bird tables. And a black and white cat sits on a wheelie bin. It's a real nice street ...

More From the Treasure House

Last couple of shots from the Treasure House. On top we have a distant view of St Mary's and below County Hall, the red brick Victorian offices of East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 

From the Treasure House

 

No, not a cathedral but a mere parish church, Beverley Minster is surely a gothic masterpiece. This is the north side. I think I've shown it from all sides now.

For other posts on this building try here, here, and here.

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.

Nowt much changes

It would be not entirely true to say that no new building has gone on in this wasteland at the back of Princes Quay. Here we have the new £7 million Osborne Street police station. Strange how there's money to house the police but no money to house those being policed. It was officially opened by Lord Peter Mandelson (see below) in June. It's to shelter those weary constables who formerly got their tea and butties at Queen's Gardens station which is soon to be closed. 

The Queen (you know, the unelected head of state appointed because her father was the last unelected head of state and so on) acting on a request from Hull Council, recently restored the positions of High Steward of Hull and Sheriff of Hull. The High Steward apparently has to be a member of the House of Lords (you know, the unelected legislative chamber of the Mother of all Parliaments). Hull Council appointed the twice disgraced former minister, now styling himself as Lord Peter Mandelson to High Steward for no better reason than that his grandfather held the same post sixty or so years ago. Well that's good enough for me, I mean come on, he's an obvious candidate. His connection with Hull? Well none as far as I can see, though he was MP for my old home town of Hartlepool and that's at least in the same country, though some doubt it. He's meant to promote Hull around the world (he has 'friends' in high places and is doing it for 'free') and show it as a progressive place in a progressive country, good for business and not at all the sort of place that resurrects mediaeval positions and appoints people by nepotism. 

Ye Olde Ambulance Station

Here's the neatly boarded-up old ambulance station on Osborne Street. In case you were wondering Hull got two new stations when this closed down a few years ago. Of course all this dereliction is not all bad news. If you're in the boarding up business it's a boom time. If your windows are a lost cause then Mr Jude can sort them.

Peeling Pink Paint

At the corner of Roper Street and Waterhouse Lane stands the Music Man or what's left of it. Old maps show this as the Victoria Tavern. I was looking for any interesting facts or features about this place but could find only one comment which mentioned warm beer in cans, indescribable toilets and walls covered in a blue fungal growth! There's a school of thought that if you can't think of anything nice to say then you should say nothing ....

City Daily Photo are having their monthly do with a family friendly 'pink' theme here.

Ernest W. Steele & Co Ltd

Another unsafe empty property in the slough of despond that is the rancid centre of Hull. This one on Osborne Street, a broad thoroughfare running as fast as it can away from Princes Quay and yet another victim of the blight caused by the failure of redevelopment. Clearly there has been a name board removed to reveal Ernest W. Steele. At least I hope there has been since E W. Steele, according to records, went into liquidation in 1968 and surely this building hasn't been standing empty since then, though anything is possible in this squalid little town.

Hull Boys' Club

Across the road from the Hull Braves' building on Roper Street is the Hull Boys' Club. As the sign says it was founded in 1903 as one of the pioneer boys' clubs in the country to "Train the boys and youths of Hull & district to become good and useful citizens. Organise instructional, recreational and athletic classes. Promote and foster the spirit of amateur sportsmanship and to encourage and develop a high physical and moral standard". To achieve this they offer a variety of sports and physical training and weight training. I'm not going to pretend that sports and training is my thing (nor that I'm a good and useful citizen) so I'll just wish them good luck They are going to need it if the developers ever come back with plans for 'improvement'. They have a neat little website here.

Waterhouse Lane

Waterhouse Lane now runs from Castle Street and joins on to Osborne Street but formerly it ran on to the waterworks situated roughly where the City Hall now stands. As it ran alongside Princes Dock with that mix of sailors and alcohol it rightly had a reputation that lasted well after the dock had closed (just search 'Hull red light district' and you'll see what I mean). Now it's a sorry sight with planning blight hanging over it and only ugly depressing buildings serving little purpose remaining and that's the bit they're going to keep.

Old warehouse

Staying in the same area as yesterday's post there's this old warehouse with a sign saying it's unsafe and do not enter. At first sight I couldn't see anything untoward until I noticed this impressive crack on the end wall (You'll have to click on the picture to see it enlarged). Don't think they'll have to knock very hard for this to fall down.
More from this zone of doom tomorrow.

The Hull Braves' Guild

I can't see anyone nowadays setting up a charity to help disabled people giving it the title of Hull Guild of Brave Poor Things but back in 1898 you could get away with that kind of patronising attitude. The guild was abbreviated to Hull Braves and acquired this rare cast iron framed Victorian warehouse on Roper Street in 1925; it was a refuge for children affected by polio. Thanks to Jonas Salk and his vaccine polio is all but eliminated from the world and I suppose inevitably the Hull Braves disbanded in 2010. But not before selling this building in 2004 for over £100,000. If J P Morgan et al. hadn't stolen all the world's money this place would have been demolished to make way for the Quay West redevelopment. I suppose every cloud has a silver lining. 

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men

Over the past few days I've posted from various points on Castle Street today I've reached the end with the junction of Waterhouse Lane and this scaffold clad remains known as Castle Buildings or Castle Street Chambers depending on where you look. It's a Grade 2 listed former office block probably connected with the foundry that used to operate from Princes Dock in the mid 19^th century. Anyhow it's under protection and was, I think, being restored and so was wrapped up under plastic sheeting as you see in the top photo taken about three years ago. That is until a mighty storm ripped up the sheeting and completely destroyed it leaving it to thole the winter's sleety dribble, an' cranreuch cauld as it were. 

And, looking forward at the prospect dreary, if I've read the plans for Castle Street's 'improvement' correctly then this place and the Earl de Grey which is close by are both due for demolition. Some might say not before time.