Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull

 

 You won't hear from me that this is the library that Philip Larkin used to run, no sir, no way.

 I will say that when I was employed by the University, eons ago, this was a great place to pretend to be working and the views from the upper stories are not bad either.

Choices, choices

  

Hull History Centre, Worship Street

 

This air conditioned little delight holds all Hull's historical archives in one place for the first time.

From their website "The History Centre brings together the material held by the City Archives and Local studies Library with those held by the University of Hull. These include the City’s borough archives, dating back to 1299 and amongst the best in the country; records relating to the port and docks of Hull; papers of companies and organisations reflecting Hull’s maritime history; papers of noteable individuals including Andrew Marvell, Philip Larkin, Amy Johnson and William Wilberforce; records relating to local and national politics and pressure groups; and over 100,000 photographs, illustrations; maps and plans, newspapers, special collections and reference sources relating to Hull and the East Riding." 

The Old Post Office Building

Standing opposite the Guildhall is this imposing building. It was built in 1904 with later additions in the '30s and '50s. The monumental renaissance style apparently compares well to the Opera House in Paris; but this was the central post office and Royal Mail sorting office until quite recently. The grand facade hid a hive of activity with dozens of delivery vans coming and going, the mail sorted and prepared for local delivery or for forwarding to the rail station. Now mail is sorted in a large shed on Malmo Road industrial estate, out of sight and more importantly out of reach of human beings who might need to pick up their undelivered parcels.

It has now been converted into town dwellings for city folks, ie. flats.

Queen's Gardens, Hull

A nice bit of greenery in the centre of town. The gardens are much used by students and workers to take their lunch breaks and so on. 

The Guildhall, Hull

 

When Hull became a city in 1897 obviously it would have a new town hall, so the old one was pulled down and this cathedral to municipal might was erected in 1913 or thereabouts. It's a massive edifice stretching all the way down Alfred Gelder street (see below). The law courts used to be at the far end with Council business being carried out at the front. Now there's two new courts and the Council has little to do except collect the bins and do what central government tells it to do. Local democratic control simply doesn't exist in this country anymore.

You can tell what a busy place it is by the milling crowds thronging its doors. 

 

Gulls just wanna have fun ....