Friday 6 January 2017

Hull City of Culture.

Hello and good morning. I enjoyed my visit to the Hull City of Culture light show yesterday. Even with a huge hoody parka jacket on it was bloomin cold. I drove to the next village where I caught the bus, easiest way to get there, no looking for car parks and no Humber Bridge toll to pay. There seemed to be more passengers than normal, so the journey took a bit longer with all the stopping and starting. Everyone had the same idea, lots of people from the South Bank, using their bus passes to have a free couple of hours entertainment. 
At the bus station there were volunteers in their distinctive blue uniforms to hand out leaflets with maps, showing where all the attractions were. I set off crossing the busy Ferensway and went down Jameson Street to Queen Victoria Square. This is where the big light shows take place. I was too early as it was still light, so I carried on down Whitefriargate. There were a few shop windows to look at which had been filled with relics from the past, a trip down memory lane. 
Along the route I came across some people left over from the Sea of Hull a blue art instillation which was photographed last year. You may remember I wrote about hundreds of volunteers who had stripped off and were painted blue. 

Along the way I walked across the new Footbridge. I quite liked this cloud formation which reflected a red sun going down.

Arriving at The Deep I was lucky enough to get a shot of this amazing sky just as the sun was dropping down below the horizon.

Opposite The Deep was a building loaded up with a bank of high powered projectors waiting for the sky to darken enough to allow the show to begin. All around were Lots of speakers which would tell the story of how people from all over the world  made the journey to Hull.  
This is The Deep, my picture from a previous visit. It's one of Britain's biggest aquariums. As you can see a perfect canvas for a light show. At the top of the pointy bit were spotlights reaching up into the dark sky.

I took lots of snaps, but discarded a lot of them. Here are a few of the best.

The story starts in 1800 and goes through to the present day, depicting who came to Hull, how they arrived here, and where they came from. It was fascinating. It was on a loop, I watched it twice. It's a shame that the tide was out and there wasn't very much water in the channel below. The reflections would have been a whole lot better.




I looked to the side and got this pic of the tidal barrier. Love the light reflections in the deep mud.

Now to cheat. Adam Reeve has done a very good video, it's on yooooyooob. It's 13 minutes long, with sound, well worth a look, and the tide is in.



There are too many photo's for one post, so I'll put more on tomorrow. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

22 comments:

  1. One of my sons and dil went to see the Hull lights last night. Not heard from him yet, but I have to say, I, and several other friends from the East Yorkshire are not impressed with the huge amount of money thrown at the project, and feel it could have been used in other ways.

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  2. Haven't been to Hull for 35 years..jeepera. The sky looks like a tornado! Happy days.

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  3. The colors (and the reflections of light on mud) are amazing. Well done! ;-)

    lg

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  4. i hope they have got the litter under control. it was still a real mess when we cycled through last summer.

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  5. Ilona - Thank you for the nice write-up about my home city. I'm glad you enjoyed your day/night here and sharing some great photo's. I just thought I'd mention that the 'footbridge' you mentioned was purpose built for that spot and cost a lot of money, being the only one in the world designed for people to stay on when, the bridge swings open to let river traffic through. Jenny was a 'blueie' last year and after posing and walking naked through the streets they ended up at that bridge for the last photo shot. They also made a video with them all on it as it turned open - their feet hurt as the flooring was very spiky, to stop people slipping! One last mention, The Deep is the world's only Submarium :)

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  6. I'm rather surprised that you seemed to think it's ok to keep marine animals in captivity. Aquariums such as this are on a par with zoos. I know they all talk about conservation but it doesn't detract from the fact that they still have animals in captivity.

    Even if it would mean that some animals would become extinct I think that's preferable to them being held captive unable to roam/swim for miles where and when they want, eat when they need to, mate when they choose to, as animals in their normal habitat do, instead of these being dictated and controlled by humans. It has been proven that zoos and aquariums are an extremely stressful environment.

    I'd appreciate your views on this.

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    1. Hi. This is a post about Hull City of Culture 2017. I think you are reading the wrong blog if you want to talk about animal welfare.

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    2. Your post actually included a link to The Deep and you said it's one of Britain's biggest aquariums. Following your link The Deep's opening page shows their captive penguins!

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    3. So what! I put links in so people can find additional information if they wish to.

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    4. Rather odd that you are so defensive when I merely asked for your views. Assuming then that you posted the link as you approve of the content this is where I exit your blog.

      Reply not required as I won't return to read it.

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    5. Well I am going to reply whether you read it or not. Who are you to tell me what to put on my blog. It isn't rather odd that I choose not to answer your questions. Merely asking for my views on a topic which has nothing to do with the blog post was you attempting to get me into a debate I have no wish to be involved with. You are miffed because I am not biting.

      You assume too much, stop reading things which aren't there. I didn't say I approve of the contents of the Deep web site. Did I say that I think it's ok to keep marine animals in captivity? No.

      Thank you for not coming back, I won't miss you.
      Ilona

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  7. Thanks for the review. We're planning a few visits to Hull this year and I'm very excited. I love Hull anyway, so all the events are just a brilliant bonus.

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  8. I won't be able to travel up to visit this so thank you for the post. I wish Hull a very successful year and hope lots of people visit to enjoy it. Amanda

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  9. Love your photos and narrative. Always interesting to see part of the world I'll not likely get a chance to visit. Greetings from Florida.

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  10. Thanks for this post Ilona. We are visiting relations in Hull in just over a week's time. This time though we are staying at the Ibis which is in town. So we will be taking a look around. Not been to the Deep since the week it opened. We lived there then. The light show was a good " potted history".Nicely finished off with the hymn "for those in peril on the sea". Vince's grandad was often in Icelandic waters on the trawlers ,only came home every few weeks. Both his uncles worked on the docks. Thanks again.

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    1. Hi. Yes the Ibis is in the thick of it, hope you get a room high up with good views over the marina.

      Get a map, free museums to visit, no doubt your relatives will show you the interesting history of it. The Maritime Museum and the Street Life Museum are my favourites.

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    2. They are my favourites too. I like Feren's art gallery . I hear its been decorated as well.

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  11. I like Hull. And one of the third best Universities ....(sorry Blackadder joke). My son loves the deep. Your pics are good.

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  12. I am very impressed by your photography, you really do have an eye for detail. These are again great photos, along with some other great ones on your blog. Have you had some training in photography?

    I hope Hull being the city of culture brings some much needed revenue to that part of the country. I was there myself last year break and loved it. We went across the Humber bridge for the experience.

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    1. Hi. No training. I always liked photography but was limited due to the cost of it, buying film and developing etc. It's so much easier with digital. I dump quite a lot of pictures, like to set my standards quite high.

      There are plans to build a glass lift up to the top of the Bridge. It has been refused, but I expect another application to go in at some point. I think it should be marketed as a tourist attraction, more could be made of it rather than just a river crossing.

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  13. It just amazes me how you have so much going on in your corner of the world. Our corner is DULL compared to yours.
    It's cold here, too, 10*F. I walked the dog and got the mail; otherwise, i stayed inside!

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  14. Very interesting post Ilona. Many years ago when visiting my Aunt in Grimsby she took me over the Humber Bridge to visit Hull and
    the surrounding area. I think it's about time I went back particularly this year. Your pictures have certainly prompted me! SueM

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