Hull

Hull is massive.

I’ve spent a few years living in Hull and I can honestly say it’s not on my list of destinations to go back to. I still have friends living there, great for them, and Beverly is a lovely picturesque and friendly town just up the road. But there are far more bad points than good ones in the city, and if you’re not local they’re all the more obvious.

Hull, good for a weekend, but it soon out-stays it’s welcome.

“Perhaps the reason I remember Richmond with fondness is because, as I’ve already said on this site, I have only lived in one other place in Yorkshire: Hull. I won’t go into one about that place again, as it clearly has happy memories for other readers who have chosen to defend it (fair enough, there were lots of nice, reasonable people who thought Mr Hitler would be a good thing for Germany too) but compared to Hull, Richmond is a paradise.”

See Richmond

Lex writes:

CAN IT REALLY BE THIS BAD?

Apparently Betjemen once called it “a wonderful city of domes and spires” or something like that . All I can say is that he must have been on some seriously heavy hallucinogenics at the time.

In reality Hull is a sad story of unemployment, teenage preganancy, heroin addiction, crime, violence, and rampant self-neglect. I was born and brought up in this miserable shit arsed excuse for a city and could not wait to leave the place. Why? Because my memories of ‘home’ are of the flat and boring landscape, the seemingly endless housing estates, the architecture – which is most flatteringly described as ‘municipal’ in style – and the narrow minded, bigoted attitudes of the vast majority of the populace.

Dominic Forbes writes “A night on the town is second to none” I assume that he has either a) led a very sheltered existence, never having been out in Leeds, Newcastle , Manchester, London etc or b) never been a victim of the frequent random violence which is meted out on the city’s streets each and every Friday and Saturday night. And what’s all this ‘we’ business Dominic? You don’t live in Hull, you live in London – Why? Because you know in your heart of hearts that Hull is a shithole…

Iain Robertson

POSSIBLY

I left Hull ten years ago and now live in London. Even though London is far more expensive and I never have any money I’d never consider going back there.

Hull’s got innumerable problems: racism, sexism, and violence were the main ones I remembered. When I used to go back for visits I used to think, “What’s strange?” and I’d suddenly realised there’s not a black person on the streets. Admittedly it does seem to be getting more racially mixed when I went back this year but I’m not sure if the attitudes have changed.

And why do the men in the city centre think it’s okay to be lecherous wankers? The worst thing is half the women seem to accept it as if it’s a fantastic compliment. It’s not. They just like your tits.

Yes, lots of people say you can “have a great night out” but that’s totally dependant on staying out of the city centre (and most of Beverley Road, Newland Avenue, and the estates).
I think it could get better as I know they have a great digital network and there’s a lot of European grants pouring into the city. I do think it’s a shame that one of the Universities pulled out of the city as now big areas can’t be rented out easily, which is causing the landlords to rent to anyone (can’t be pleasant to live in a neighbourhood of drug addicts).

Admittedly, Hull does have its good points. You can speak to people at the bus stop without being thought of as a nutter like you would be in London. There is a great community spirit in some areas, at least you know who your neighbours are. I also think the women in Hull, are feisty with a great sense of humour (well the majority of them anyway). I miss the easy camaraderie of a group of Hull women on a night out.

But, has to be said, the best thing to come out of Hull are those people that leave it. You’ve got the northern dry wit and humour but you still have something in you that wants to escape from the narrow-mindedness of the city.

Maybe I’m being unfair as I haven’t live there for a while so last word goes to my boyfriend: “Well, I liked it when I went – but then I don’t have a posh name”.

Eleanor Tomms

YOB CHAOS

I drove down to Hull from Fort William to pick a son up at the end of his college term the same day England played Argentina, (Friday 8th June), arriving about 5:30pm.

Driving into Hull, the main road North from the city centre (Beverley Road) had some half-dozen police vans in less than one mile – including one fully-kitted out vanload of riot police, sauntering back from a visit to a bar heaving with Hull aborigines, some of whom had by way of celebrating England’s win dragged several “wheelie bins” out across the road and emptied them for the benefit of passers by.

I turned into a local park for my Hotel, passing another two “tooled up” Police vans.

My son tells me most Friday and Saturday nights, as well as for any other day warranting “celebration”, such events are common.

I quote from “The Times” of Saturday 9th June: “Yob Chaos. On the streets of Hull and Grimsby drunken yobs celebrating the England victory had caused chaos, Humberside Police said. About ten arrests had been made. Beverley Road in Hull was closed because a number of drunken people were lying in the middle of the street”

That Hull trip was the first since one three weeks earlier when my (purposefully tatty to avoid attention) car was broken into at 4:30am, rendered undriveable. The Policewoman who came to fingerprint me and the car told me there was a particular problem with car crime in Hull.

Highland Idler

MORE HULL ‘FACTS’

The whole of the Anlaby road area of west Hull has been boarded up and abandoned to the local teens who remind me of Kids Rule OK from Action Comic. Totally fearless, they can’t wait to go to prison as it’s the first step on their career ladder.

It is impossible to buy an edible piza or have an inedible one delivered in less than an hour.

They don’t have fish they have patties which are fish cakes with no fish.

There is an ample supply of cheap and hardcore drugs washed down with 10%white cider at �1 per litre.

Once a week The Hull Dailly Mail leads with an article about the latest great scheme for the town centre invariably accompanied by an artists impression which looks like it came from the Eagle in the 1950′s.

Sit in a cafe and everyone is reading the Hull Dailly Mail – not a Sun or Mirror in sight. Like London the occupants are unaware of a world beyond…

The schools have ‘schoolgirl mums project’ signs outside.

Runks

LAND OF GREEN GINGER

Hull Does have the most imaginative street name – The Land Of Green Ginger.

Phil Hearne

HULL HAS WELLY

I grew up in North / West Hull and most of the people
and places mentioned in the artical on your website are very familiar. My feelings about Hull are very mixed and based on memories of long days on the dole and some amazing nights out.

Hull is cheap, people talk to you, the smoke is fine and a pint of stella less then �2.50 . The town has a darkside (the town centre on a weekend ) but no real heavy guns n stuff. I agree with alot of the points the smell of the cocoa mills the drugs and the shocking lack of progress made by the now former Labour council who shitted on the people. But I also saw alot of good things come out of the city music, Pork and the
Adelphi some great clubs The Welly and the Lamp. There is a real do it yourself attitude people make music, people paint, people talk (a lot ). I learnt my skills up there in the local Graffiti scene and now work as an illustrator getting a lot of
work I would never of got up there. But you know its not a bad place and a lot of good people live there.

Pinky

AND FISH

I want to big up Hull. My sister lived in Hull while I was studying in Bradford and I noted when I visited how good the accommodation seemed, how pleasant the people were, how agreeable the town looked, how lovely it was that there were SO many fish/Aquarium type shops.

Andrew Jones

HIGHS AND LOWS

Hull highs: Liquorice tablets, Beverley Road baths, direct route to Amsterdam.

Low points: Being beaten up by teenage girls on the way to the newsagents.

Can’t say the good outweigh the bad enough to want to go back.

C. Chapman