Mrs C and I went to a family gathering up in Hull recently, and of course, I took a few snaps to share.

Hull is one of those places that is much maligned, but it has a lot to offer.

There’s an old saying, “From Hell, Hull, and Halifax, may the Good Lord deliver us.” A quick search reveals that this dates from the 17th century and may have originated as a thieves’ litany: a type of prayer or incantation used by thieves as they parted ways. It’s easy to see why thieves wanted to avoid hell, but you may not know that Hull had a notorious jail, although it would’ve been spelled gaol, and Halifax had a gibbet, which was an early type of guillotine.

Once a fantastically busy and important port, Hull has some fine buildings. I don’t know enough of the city’s history to comment on where that wealth came from, but these days Hull is a mixture of ancient and modern. It was awarded the city of culture status a while back, and I believe that entails some investment. Certainly the old part of the city is very nice, with waterside bars and cafes and independent shops selling vintage clothing and the like.

I hope you find some interest in the photos. 

A theatre, and in the foreground, Queen Victoria looking down from on high.

A lightship.

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A steampunk looking case for an actual steam engine – a horizontal one.

A modernistic bridge that looks pretty space age.

The put something in the water to keep the algae down. There were also some rather large carp.

Philip Larkin worked in Hull, and parts of his poems are displayed around the city.

Hull Minster is rather grand. A local told me that It was once the largest parish church in the UK and was later upgraded to minster status.  

A record fair inside the minster.

Decades ago Hull had its own phone network, and the phone boxes were painted white to reflect this.

A proper Victorian (I think) shopping arcade.

At the record fair I had to buy this iconic album by The Housemartins.

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