Still here

Taken by Margot K Juby

The lengthy cold spell has meant the snowdrops have lasted much longer than they usually do; these are are still going strong.

Taken by Margot K Juby

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

Sold

This former Victoria Wines off licence has finally been sold after standing empty for over three years. I wonder if they paid cash.

Debout! les forçats de la faim

Here in Hull, in one of the richest countries on the planet, people are going hungry for want of money to buy food. While politicians vie, in the vilest manner, to condemn the so-called generosity of the welfare system, and rich men pay themselves bonuses for their failures and we plough on through the never ending depression, it is difficult, I think, not to want the Earth to rise on new foundations.

Woollen Warehouse

At one time English wool was keeping half of Europe warm. The export of fleeces through Hull was started by monks who farmed sheep on the Wolds, chalk hills to the north of the city, and became a major source of income during the middles ages and later. This building on South Church Side was once a wool exchange during the late 19^th century; above the door there's a sheep being weighed. Nowadays the wool trade has gone and the building houses a printing business.

Barrel Vaults

The train station was built in the 1840s and later extended in 1904 to have five of these barrel vaults. One of them now forms the bus station that I showed yesterday, three are in use as train platforms and this one seems to be little more than a covered car park.

Bus-Passenger Interface Experience

This is Hull's bus station, it's a replacement bus station for the one they knocked down to build a shopping mall a few years ago. You can see for yourself that it's a miracle of modern design. See how, if your bus goes from say door 27 and it's rush hour and the place is full, well, just how easy it will be to push your way through 20 or so different queues while carrying your shopping. Oh yes sir, a lot of thought went into the lay out of this place. 

Vacant

Across the street from yesterday's building, which you can see reflected in the window, sits the old Radio Humberside offices and studios. They were situated above the now closed Post Office. If I was to say the building was empty and 'to let' you would not be at all surprised. Radio Humberside now broadcasts from the BBC buildings near Queens Gardens. 

I just realised that I've posted another shot from Chapel Street in March last year and that, too, was of an empty building, a bank. It's still empty.