Dancing in the street

Not having TV or social media folk had to make their own entertainment in the old days. In Yorkshire and North East England they came up with this, it's called rapper sword dancing. It involves five dancers, five double handed steel blades and a guy on the pipes or maybe an accordion playing a catchy rhythm. They whirl around, leap over one another and weave to and fro never leaving go of the handles and trying not to decapitate themselves as they go. The dance ends with the blades intertwined in a star-like figure which is then held aloft as if the solution to all life's problems has been found. It is profoundly pointless and that I suppose is the point as, having made the star, they start all over again, always twirling, twirling, twirling ...

These guys were part of the three day Hull Folk and Maritime Festival which this year I managed to get to see part. There was folk singing on several stages. Not really my scene. I don't mind a bit of the Irish pipes, (Planxty and so on) but modern "folk songs" make me want to reach for the mute button. But then there were lots of folk dance groups doing their thing in various spots across town. Now somehow this appealed; the often bizarre costumes, the music: all good stuff. Below is a sample. 

And last but by no means least ...

Now this being Hull the city of culture as well as all these delights the BBC Proms was being broadcast from the stage in the dock and the UK Pride festival was being held in Queen's Gardens.  I could post about them now but I think I've gone on too long as it is...

Do as the Doukhobors Do ...

If you wanted to take off all your clothes, paint yourself tourquoise and strut around Queen's Gardens in the name of 'culture' then you should have gotten your applications in by yesterday. Mr Tunick may be an "internationally renowned New York based artist" (many dispute this) but his repetitious displays of flesh are tedious in the extreme. (Oh look there's another pile of boobs and bottoms neatly arranged on the sidewalk, bridge, city hall, park, mountainside, glacier ... you name it, he's done it) Thankfully I'm not in charge of the Ferens Trust and I don't have to justify spending (no doubt large) sums of money on commissioning this kind of non-Art sensationalist event that is otherwise known as boring crap.

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.

A few flags and stuff

A low pressure system over the North Sea was bringing down cloudy Polar Bear breath from Svarlbard or so it seemed on Saturday as I took in a few of the Freedom Festival's goings-on in and around Queen's Gardens. It seemed to involve lots of flags, tying up children in rubber bands (an excellent idea), strange signs, yet more flags and eating cooked pig. The BBC had a big display here as well but you don't want to see that....This is but a mere fraction of the 'attractions' that last for three days (and nights) and take in the old town as well. Just think, in 2017 every day will be a festival day ..... how frabjous!

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.

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 ...

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.

Selective Austerity

Behold the replacement for Queen's Gardens police station. In a farce that could have come from the pages of Sjöwall and Wahlöö  the new divisional headquarters and custody suite is rising from the once poisonous soils of Clough Road. You've got to admit they've treated themselves well on the public purse, the top brass will be able to settle in nicely here and with 50 cells there's more than twice the capacity to lock up the naughty scalliwags. There'll be artwork costing £25,000; that's only fitting for a building that cost £32 million upfront but after interest and other charges comes in at an eyewatering £60 million! Austerity clearly is very selective .... 

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.

Fountain by night

Here's the fountain in Queen's Gardens all lit up.  

Here it is during daylight.

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.

Under Threat

 

Ah so there's our old friend Mankind Under Threat squatting in the belated May sunshine all safe and sound now betwixt the City Treasury and the Guildhall. I wondered where he'd gone to. I suppose, technically, he's on public display but so far off any beaten track no visitor to Hull would come across him by accident. Unlike the old place in Queen's Gardens this site is hardly conducive to the contemplation of mankind being under threat. The threat to our friend here is clear: pointlessness and obscurity. He has already become a mere decoration. There are plans to secure this area with gates (the slim to non-existent terrorist threat to Councillors and council staff must be taken seriously ... and a quarter million pounds is the serious money that must be spent to take it seriously). Anyhow once the gates are built our caged friend will be even more secure and even more out of reach.

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?

"92) Spot the koi carp in the old dock next to Princes Quay"

Pictures by Margot K Juby

Last year the local paper ran a piece labelled: "The ultimate Hull bucket list: 101 things to do in the city before you die"; the sort of cut and paste job they do when there's no news in June. Anyhow, apart from finding that I'm now quite ready to kick that bucket having done nigh on all the things on this list, lurking down there at number 92 is "Spot the koi carp in the old dock next to Princes Quay"... no picture accompanied this just a reassurance that "They are in there. Honest." ... like there is any difficulty getting a photo of these beasts, easy peasy you'd think. Except I've tried over the years with different cameras, different times of day, polarising filter, you name it... getting nothing that was anywhere near good enough. So when Margot said she'd have a go with our new Lumix I was not hopeful, "It'll never work", I said, "You're wasting your time ....", I said ...

So how did so many big, prize carp end up in Princes Dock? Well I've heard two stories: one was that they were taken from Queen's Gardens pond to give them more room to roam (seems unlikely). The other was to control the algal growth and flies next the to Princes Quay shopping centre (seems a bit more likely) ... what ever the reason the Council did put over 1000 fish into the old dock back in 2010 and they seem to be thriving on algae, flies and bits of naughty children thrown in by desperate parents ...

¡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...

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.

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. 

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.