Like water off a ...

Lately I've been reading up a bit on quantum physics and what 'reality' might be. I thought it about time I caught up on all this; the theory is nearly a hundred years old after all and besides it makes a refreshing change from Thomas Carlyle and his delightful but seemingly interminable French Revolution. I can appreciate that there's no analogy suitable for the behaviour of an electron or photon and how you can't know anything about it until you look and how looking changes everything, I can grasp all this... (and pace Neils Bohr I do not find it shocking at all but maybe I really  don't understand it ...) Anyhoo, it got me to thinking that perhaps, there is an analogy from quantum physics for the current election, how once it's over, and we sneak-a-peek inside Schrödinger's election box to see whose cat has died in there; the psephological wave function collapses, as it were, and all other probabilities become zero ... or maybe I should just get out more.

I can't help thinking that all the huff and all the puff of all the political classes flows so rapidly off the electorate's back that it has no effect at all. None but the most obtuse or gullible are going to be convinced by the performance of any of the parties or the not-so-subtle bias of the media. I'm guessing the vast majority made their minds up over the last three and a half years, since the Brexit Referendum and have seen what the Opposition has to offer (the Opposition, to stretch my analogy possibly to breaking point, seems to obey the Uncertainty Principle: you can know what its policy is right now but you cannot possibly know what its policy will be at any time in the future and, much like that old electron in the "only mystery of quantum mechanics", it 'seems' to want to go through the Leave and Remain doors simultaneously) and well, well we'll see. When Friday comes, and "democracy has democked" and the result is out who, I wonder, will be saying "I don't like it, and I'm sorry I had anything to do with it".

Verdant, crumbling and in need of repair

Queen's Gardens pond looking really quite nice in the early September sunshine, almost picture postcard perfect, the only fly in the ointment being the big white streak of stupid imposed on the good folk of this town by the tasteless town council. Just don't look behind you as the walls are fenced off (well supposedly fenced off) and in danger of collapse and officially in need of urgent repair.

Never heard of him

John Enderby Jackson was apparently someone of note (or notes even) and has a small plaque in Queen's Gardens which I came across today. I won't sit here and pretend I know who he was or what he did but I will link to something that Google popped up so you can amaze your friends with your knowledge of the arcane ways of musical band competitions and the history there of. Here's the little link.

Yum!

On a very breezy, overcast but not especially cool day that threatened much forecast heavy rain but turned out dry I took me walk around town and was led by the faintly unpleasant smell of burnt onions and sausages to Queen's Gardens where a "Festival of Food and Drink" was ongoing. There were plenty of stalls and plenty of customers stuffing their faces with produce from around the world. I didn't have much of an appetite so I just passed through.

Algal Pride

The Rosebowl fountain in Queens Gardens I've shown before. The recent weather being averagely warm and sunny meant it was spouting forth a stream of smelly green algal broth the other day, a sight that might turn a many queasy stomach. The sunlight caught the nauseating spray and created this little spectrum ... making it a colourful vile thing.

Ambitious Plans for Civic Vandalism

A few weeks ago Hull Council announced what it called "ambitious plans" to capitalise on the city's maritime heritage, you know the kind of thing a museum here, a dry dock with an old trawler there so far so yada yada ... the plan was to put in for some cash from the National Lottery heritage funding ... and all seems pretty harmless but then for some godforsaken reason, they propose the ruination of this road by Queen's Gardens, Guildhall Road I believe is its name. Yes this delightful grass verge with its dozens of mature flowering trees and shrubs has somehow caught the eye of developers and so inflamed their ire that it must be ripped up and replaced by a brick paved desert just like the rest of the City of Dull. Quite how this goes with the maritime thing is beyond me ... but this is the one-horse-town that gave permission for the extension to Burnett House so I guess the abomination will get the nod from the asses who decide these things. I can only hope the National Lottery people reject the begging bowl from these idiots.

You think I exaggerate? ... well go feast your eyes on this illustration of  civic vandalism and tell me I'm wrong.

Willow Pattern

 

Staying in Queen's Gardens for no other reason than that it is greening up nicely and the first summer visiting birds were singing madly  in the treetops despite the typically chilly (quasi nithering) April easterly breezes. 

I came across a plaque that either I'd never seen before or had completely forgotten that informs the stranger that this place was once a dock built on the outer limits of the town. In my defence I have to say this plaque is in a very silly place on a wall over a pond, almost as if it was not meant to be seen

The place looks fine from a distance but is actually falling to pieces and bits of it are now fenced off for safety. This is the inevitable and unsurprising result of the Council's lack of care and incompetent management ( I moaned about it two years ago here.)

Safety fencing on left of picture

But enough of moaning. Queen's Gardens is still a grand little park .

A welcome improvement

Almost exactly two years ago I posted that the empty police station by Queen's Gardens was for sale. Well someone bought it (for £1.4 million) and wasted little time (for Hull that is) in turning it into something clad in glass and steel. Two extra storeys make the building look less squat. These new apartments will be a  welcome transformation of the depressing 1950's brick and concrete building that marred the neighbourhood of the gardens.

Knife Angel

Freshly arrived in town today, the Knife Angel or National Monument Against Violence and Aggression, made from thousands of knives surrendered to police forces across the country (“Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife” ) , is a memorial to those whose lives have been affected by knife crime.

The statue will be in Hull for a few weeks before going off on its Round Britain journey. There's a lot about how it was made and so on here.

 

Icicles

A lengthy bit of cold weather does wonders to the Rosebowl fountain in Queen's Gardens. These are the best icicles I've seen here since 2010 and the last big freeze. It's turning a tad milder now so I guess these will be gone soon.

The Weekend in Black and White is here.

¡Venceremos!

Queen's Gardens was no peaceful place on Saturday. Tucked away under the shadow of the Wilberforce Memorial a small would-be jamboree was taking place with attendant amplified noise otherwise known as a band. I learned later it was a "Collective Youth Festival" and that it was "challenging oppression through collective action" (again). There were stalls of various unions, even a Socialist Party stall (I say 'even' I didn't think they could organise a stall) and, of course supporters of the bearded loon of the Labour Party. There were more toilets than security staff and more security staff than attendees (I exaggerate a little but this looked an event for the few and not the many; maybe they all turned up later.)  I've seen other posts showing folk raising their fists and reportedly singing that favourite of doomed causes ¡No pasarán! ( Ah but they did pass and seventy years ago my dear, do keep up ...) For a youth event many seemed aged and miserable looking, maybe it was the music, the ancient clichéd slogans that meant little even when new or the dire speeches from international guests which gained nothing in translation. It certainly couldn't have been the weather which was nicely cool and blustery with showers, perfect! Venceremos, comrade, sin duda venceremos, pero no hoy...

Sudden Elegancies

Hull has its own sudden elegancies.

Philip Larkin 

The fiddling around by the Council with Queen's Gardens does mean that there is this view of the Maritime Museum, the fountain and City Hall in the distance.

Ceci n'est pas une râpe au fromage

So as promised the thing that Hull Council bought but couldn't find a place to put has been plonked in Queen's Gardens where is sticks out like a proverbial sore thumb. I was wrong, I now admit, to say this looks like a cheese grater, it's not as useful as that. No it puts me in mind of childish origami using a crumpled doily. I look forward to seeing selfies from atop the structure and how quickly it turns a sooty black and green with mould. I believe that when finished it is supposed to do tricks with sunlight and other whimsical things, can't wait. No really ...

A skyline of sorts

This is the view from Queen's Gardens towards Savile Street. The buildings have featured before in this cheery little post. I am happy to note the abandoned shop now has occupants selling skates and related gear, I hope they took care of the doll. All the other shops remain unused. Lurking in the back is the flat dome of the empty BHS store which is hard to see from street level and can only really be appreciated from a distance, I suspect most folk are unaware of its existence.

And speaking of BHS I see no reason not to post another view of the three ships mosaic and mention again the petition to have it listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Even the 'expert' whose advice led to the application being rejected has said he hopes it can be saved. So go sign it; you know you want to.

I'll have more about listed things in Hull tomorrow all being well.

Rosebowl Fountain one more time

I've shown this fountain several times before. I like it, that's a good enough reason for me to post it again

The weekend in black and white is here.

Reflections of Queen's Gardens

The continuing works to titivate this town are now reaching out to Queen's Gardens. The result is that the two duck ponds are fenced off and the fountains are also out of action. As a result for once the surface of these ponds is absolutely mirror-like. I don't know what the renovations to this place entail but I did hear that in the original plans those trees were due to meet their maker and the horrible cheese-grater that was refused elsewhere is to be installed right next to this spot. It'll be awful, on that you can rely. Hull is very good at awful.

The weekend in black and white is here.

Weekend Reflections are here.

O tidings of comfort and joy!

For the past fortnight or so a few dozen homeless folks have been camping around the fountain in Queen's Gardens. It was a protest at what was perceived to be the uncaring attitude of the Council towards rough sleepers; they wanted to be put in houses or flats rather than put in hostels. I don't know the rights and wrongs of this issue and I'm coming here with less than half a story as by the time I got round to going to town the camp had been evicted leaving only this colourful tent which was pulled down just after I took this on Thursday. The next day the Council planted four big Xmas trees on the site, well we can't have the poor and  homeless ruining the season of good will to all men now, can we?

Police Station For Sale

Having put all their eggs in one basket by moving to Clough Road, Humberside Police now find themselves with surplus empty police stations. One in East Hull went for £300,000 just the other week and this one on Queen's Gardens is also up for grabs. The council had an idea of joining the sale of the station with redevelopment of the multi storey car park behind. A bigger site would attract a higher premium being their thought (for once it's not a bad idea). Now you'd think public services like the police and the council could at least get along well enough to come to some mutually beneficial arrangement. But, as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside plod is of one political persuasion and the council is run by a different party, no agreement has been reached between the two idiotic parties over the future of this place. The PCC is also up for re-election next month so probably wants to get some Brownie points for independence though during his tenure the force has seen the highest burglary rates and been declared 'inadequate' by those who declare these things. He's not all heartless bureaucrat though, recognising that the place will attract vandals and so be unappealing during the year of culture he has promised to have the place demolished if it's not sold by then; leaving an empty brick filled demo site instead to greet visitors to Queen's Gardens. As I say, a thoughtful sort of guy.

No iron bars, no cage, no worries

Have I mentioned how they'll nick anything in this one horse town? Even if it's cemented into the ground. Here's the old Mankind Under Threat feature of  Queen's Gardens under threat once again. Most of the iron bars, as you can see, have been stolen for want of a better word. The Council are now said to be preparing to move the whole thing to a site nearer the City Treasury where they can keep an eye on it (ha ha). That's if they can scrape up enough pennies from the back of their collective sofa. It's present site acts as a down-to-earth (literally) counterpoint to the outrageous, grandiose memorial to Wilberforce directly across the road; a stark reminder that the work started by Wilberforce et al is by no means complete. To move it would lose that poignancy and rob it of  meaning.

A story for another day

You'll be aware from a casual reading of this blog that the town is undergoing a make-over, a renovation , a transformation from ugly duckling to, well, we'd better wait and see. A large wodge of cash has been found to pay for all this. Included in the first stage plans was a facelift for Queen's Gardens which involved taking the place back to its 1950's redesign (down come those trees), a central performance stage (for what?), a removable stage over the above pond (again why two stages?) and more space to play 'sport' (just plain why?) and a memorial to some guitarist, Mick Ronson (who he?), from the 1970's whose appeal was and remains limited in the extreme. All of these bizarre ideas are, thankfully, now on hold, and officially won't start until 2018; that is to say after the year of the City of Culture (if ever). I don't know the reason for the delay but the suspicion that the Council bit off more than it could chew seems a reasonable one.

In the meanwhile, this place, which on a pleasant day should be an enjoyable peaceful haven in the centre of town, is suffering from neglect and decay by contractual cock-up. Being a park you'd think it would be looked after by the park services company, wouldn't you? Well the contract with that company mysteriously does not cover Queen's Gardens, so it is left to the overstretched street cleaners (or possibly the Council secretaries, dog wardens or whoever is free that day) to maintain this place and that is failing. The paths are cracked, litter is accumulating and anti-social elements, drunks and druggies, roam the place making it not as welcoming as it should be. The Council continues with its unrealistic, unnecessary pipe-dreams while the place is falling apart around it; nothing new there then.

More tales of woe from this lovely place tomorrow.

Weekend reflections are here.