Hull; City of Culture 2017

It has been a long time since I last visited Hull so, as it is this year’s City of Culture, I decided pay it a visit.

First stop was to see the installation Weeping Window by Paul Cummins (artist) an Tom Piper (designer).  Using thousands of handmade, ceramic poppies, the stunning art work is on the Maritime Museum, formerly Hull’s Dock Offices.  Many ‘Pals’ battalions joined up in Hull in World War I and Hull suffered many raids in World War II.

Inside the museum, many interesting exhibits were to be found from Hull’s maritime history.

Opposite the museum in Queen Victoria Square is the Ferens Art Gallery, which has recently been refurbished.  It has an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures, including works by European Old Masters and various exhibitions have been scheduled throughout the year.

 Old and new Hull

 Humber Dock

 Top of the range leisure crafts

 Old warehouses are now upmarket bars and bistros

 The Deep is in the background

The Docks area has certainly changed since Dockside, Hull was painted by John Atkinson Grimshaw in 1882.  Hull may have lost most of its fishing and shipping industries, but the area is vibrant with its impressive shopping centres, bistros and bars.

The old features of Hull are still to be seen too

 Paragon Arcade

 

It was a wonderful visit – all for free - and it won’t be my last this year.

Libraries

From receiving my first lending library ticket as a young child, supposedly revising for A Levels at the city’s reference library, researching at the university library and right up to the present day, I’ve always loved libraries.

Before the age of Google and Youtube, libraries were essential for completing essays and dissertations and allowing us to pursue hobbies.  Also, the cost of novels, poetry books and biographies would have been prohibitive were it not for the council lending libraries.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a talk at the Leeds Library, now the oldest surviving example of a ‘private’ library in the UK.  It was founded in 1768 with just 104 members from the middle classes, by people like merchants and lawyers.  There were no public libraries at that time and books were very expensive so for the ordinary person, a book was an unaffordable luxury.  This subscription only library with its imposing spiral staircase and rooms lined with floor to ceiling with shelves full of books, became a charity in 2008.  The majority of the residents of Leeds are completely unaware of its existence although it is in the centre of the city.  The oldest book in the collection is from 1494 and I was particularly interested in the personal columns of the Leeds Mercury newspaper which was published between 1807 and 1920.

http://www.independentleeds.co.uk/the-leeds-library/

In these days of cost cutting of public services, it is heartening to know that some libraries are thriving.  One such library in the nearby village of Shadwell is run by a pool of about 60 volunteers and is open for the lending of books for 4 x 2 hour sessions each week.  Shadwell Library Community and Arts Centre took a lease from Leeds City Council 4 years ago under the Community Asset transfer Scheme when the library was threatened with closure.  The facility is open to all, not just residents of Shadwell.  They have a cafe, have regular talks, often by their flourishing History Society as well as activities for people of all ages.  To provide additional income, the Library is hired out to organisations  such as Weight Watchers and Education Classes. 

The building may be 200 years old, but the concept is a very modern one and they have plans for play readings and musical concerts.  Such an inspirational project.

 

The season begins

We count down from the end of October to mid-March to when the season begins at our caravan site.  We have a static caravan, which we sometimes refer to as a holiday home when we want to impress.  It is sited near a pretty, quiet village and it has its own beach.

 

We have been going here for a decade, although we upgraded the caravan which used to belong to my aunt and uncle who used theirs for thirty years.  Some of the daffodils which greet us each Spring were planted by my uncle.  

 

To arrive at the coast, there is no waiting around for flights or worrying if we have forgotten anything as the caravan is fully stocked.  Granted, the North Sea and the weather on the East Coast of Yorkshire doesn’t always compare with the Med, but it has a charm all of its own.  The landscapes and skyscapes are stunning and the seaside has a certain fascination.

En route we pass through the lovely Yorkshire Wolds.  Sometimes we feel we are travelling through a  Hockney painting, especially his work  portraying Warter, Sledmere and Garrowby Hill.

It isn’t like staying in a hotel, but cooking , cleaning and especially gardening are not onerous tasks.  We have time to read and write, spend time with family and friends and look for shells and fossils.

Where is your special place?

Signs of Spring

I am desperately seeking signs of Spring.  The mornings and evenings are definitely lighter of late and, after this week, the forecast looks a little warmer.
So, here are some cheerful specimens currently to be found in the gardens of the members of my gardening club:

 I have some snowdrops and polyanthus brightening up my garden with many bulbs presenting.

This is what RHS Harlow Carr was displaying on a recent visit.

I am now pouring over my packets of seeds and mood boards for my 2017 garden ......... one can but dream!

Farewell to 2016

I like to review the year which has ended before making plans for 2017so here are some experiences from 2016:

 

Family and friends play a significant part in my life and I think it important to mark occasions with a celebration whether it be a birthday, holiday or just a time we can get together.  Proud of them all but particularly my brother for receiving a doctorate from Leeds Beckett University and a OBE in the Queen's New Year's honours list

Gardening brings me much enjoyment.  I managed to visit some inspirational gardens and, as a judge for Yorkshire in Bloom, met some wonderful gardeners of all ages at schools, care homes, railway stations and allotments and saw the amazing results of their labour.

Writing also brings enjoyment and despair!

Not many acceptances this year but, to be fair, not many submissions either.  However I did write a piece each month for the programme we present on local radio and also a radio play which was read by actors.

 

Out and about:  Walking through stunning countryside and visiting new places both here and abroad is always a joy.  We spend much of the summer at the Yorkshire coast and never tire of the scenery.

The social enterprise in which I am involved, Yorkshire MORE, supports mental health.  We make 8 flavours of jams and chutneys at a community kitchen and sell to local retailers and at various food fairs, including the BBC Good Food Fair at Harrogate.

There are still many items left on my “to do” list which I wish to fulfill.
I would be interested to know what new and exciting things you have done during this year and your hopes and dreams for 2017.