Either 2017 has been an unusually good year for music or I had just taken my finger off the pulse until recently. Whichever is true, I've had a hard time squeezing my favourite albums of the year into an arbitrary list of 10 (which, it seems to me, we only do because then we can count them on our hands for some reason). So I've picked 12, should anybody care what I think, and I've added honourable mentions at the bottom for those that have missed out. In true clickbait list style, here they are in reverse order.
12) Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
Father John Misty is the pseudonym of American musician Josh Tillman. Reading this, it's easy to assume that this is some kind of parody of religious music but instead, his music is touching, serious and funny, often all at the same time. The themes are as diverse as fame, technology, politics and the environment, and often sounds as if an early Elton John has taken up residency at Speakers' Corner. It's bold, but it's catchy.
11) Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark?
If you're a fan of the first album, there's nothing not to like here, something that I'd suspect Royal Blood can only get away with this time and they may have to try some new ideas on their third offering. But none of that matters when they've produced a rousing set of strong choruses, memorable lyrics and bluesy riffs to satisfy your inner air guitarist.
10) Laura Marling - Semper Femina
The hard-working 27-year-old is already on her sixth album and it's her best for some years. The title is Latin for "always woman" but is part of a longer quote by Virgil: "a woman is always fickle and changeable". Marling uses her lyrics to challenge this view but this doesn't mean that the album is super-intellectual and hard-going; quite the opposite. At times, the sound is slinky and smooth, and after nine tracks, you're left wondering where the time went.
9) Lindstrøm - It's Alright Between Us As It Is
This is Norwegian music producer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm's fourth solo studio album but he is much busier with collaborations, remixes and singles. His music is described as downbeat space disco and he didn't grow up listening to dance music. He just started making what he thought it should sound like. Each track feels like he's gone back to basics to make the perfect sound but they all gel together. There are electronic bleeps and cyclical hooks aplenty making it feel familiar, yet unique.
8) Loyle Carner - Yesterday's Gone
Listening to the Mercury-nominated debut album from UK rapper Loyle Carner is like eavesdropping on a guy rehearsing in his bedroom while his mate records it. There are raw and honest lyrics, voices in the background, even text messages coming through. At the end, you feel as though you've just spent 42 minutes chilling with a new friend as he tells you all about his life, loves and loss. The penultimate track Sun of Jean features a poem about the artist read out by his mum and a sample of his late stepfather playing piano. The single, NO CD is the closest to being a chart crowd-pleaser but the whole album is nothing like how the US would have you believe rap should be.
7) The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful
After the slightly dodgy Day & Age, Brandon Flowers got a few experiments out of his system with his two solo albums. The band meanwhile tried to re-find their feet with Battle Born and by Wonderful Wonderful, their fifth album, The Killers sound like a band hitting their stride. The Man is a raucous sideswipe at the dangers of masculinity, whilst Run For Cover is a confident 80s synth rock powerhouse. Their lyrics have always been interesting and ambiguous but here they sound politically engaged, personally honest and sure of their intent. If there's one criticism, it's that there are one too many ballads but when they're this good, it's hard to complain.
6) Jessie Ware - Glasshouse
Glasshouse is that rare thing: each track on the album is both completely different and yet completely Jessie Ware. Whether it's the chart-friendliness of Midnight, the sultry romance of Alone, the bossa nova of Selfish Love or the poignancy of the excitement at her new pregnancy in Sam (co-written by Ed Sheeran), Ware proves she knows both how to write a good song, and whom to collaborate with.
5) Susanne Sundfør - Music For People In Trouble
A massive hit in her native Norway, I found this whilst trawling the Norwegian charts for something completely different and I wasn't disappointed. If you could imagine seeing Laura Marling performing in a contemporary art gallery among the installations, you'd be somewhere close to this. Sundfør's recent albums have been more electronic but this, her fifth, was written whilst travelling the world and sees her return to her folky roots. The arrangements are often sparse and intimate but with experimental elements. A babbling brook opens The Sound of War before a dystopian hum takes over halfway through. The lyrics are similarly bonkers in places, opening with "I'm as lucky as the moon" on Mantra, but on Undercover, Sundfør is heartbreakingly honest about trying not to fall in love whilst simultaneously aching for it. The album closes with a collaboration with US musician and fan of all things Scandinavian John Grant which begins like a Gregorian chant but ends as an epic Euro ballad. Even if you're not a fan, you won't hear anything like it this year.
4) Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine
The cliche goes that second albums are difficult and at times this follow-up to the band's self-titled debut doesn't sound like it came easy. Despite that, Amsterdam is the anthemic stand-out track and the tender Sorry is just as accomplished. It's still a rock album but there are lots of ideas being tried out. The next few tracks seem to make attempts at a reggae beat, rapped verses and political lyrics before returning to more familiar territory halfway through. But whatever the band attempt to master, each track guarantees slick guitar hooks, anthemic choruses and Conor Mason's outstanding, classically trained voice which is showcased perfectly on the piano version of the emotional Particles on the deluxe version of the album. They've got the time and the skill to experiment.
3) Alt-J - RELAXER
It may only be 8 tracks but at 39 minutes in length, it's a fully fledged album. Every track is like a piece of art put together to represent the best of an artist's work. There are interweaving vocals, garage rock, Spanish guitar, sweary vocal hooks, acoustic lullabies ending in a bassoon solo, even a church choir. There's even space for a re-imagining of House of the Rising Sun which is certainly not just there as a cheap cover version to fill space. The band's third album was nominated for the Mercury Prize and was unlucky not to win but having already scooped the prize for their debut in 2012, I doubt they will be too disheartened even though RELAXER may even be an improvement.
2) Arcade Fire - Everything Now
Five albums in, Everything Now represents either a step-up or a change in direction. I guess all will become clear one day, but for now we can revel in this album's inventiveness which started with its viral online marketing campaign. For weeks in advance, there were cryptic tweets, fake reviews and an Everything Now Corp purporting to manufacture commercial goods. Yes, there were claims that Arcade Fire had jumped the shark and the record sounded manufactured but wasn't that the point? In making this album, the band has produced their most accessible to date whilst sticking with thought-provoking lyrics, sing-along choruses and clap-along beats. Yes, the title track sounds like an indie Abba. Yes, there's some weird interlude tracks. Yes, one or two ideas are a bit too bold to work fully. But they've thrown everything at it. They even got Daft Punk's Thomas Bengalter on production duties. There is very little here not to like and not a lot that could beat it...
1) The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
On the band's fourth album, there are still reflective lyrics, breathy vocals and distorted guitars and pianos, but there's a demand to look outwards and the music understandably sounds much greater and more expansive. There's more than a nod to 80s synth-rock added to the Americana, roots and Dylanesque vocals but it all holds together like the most exciting dream you've ever had. The irresistible melancholy on Pain draws you in and then, straight after, Holding On gets your foot tapping. There's more introspection on Strangest Thing and Knocked Down until you're dancing around like an idiot to the greatest song Dire Straits never wrote, Nothing To Find, before the epic, symphony-like Thinking of a Place lets you take a breath. In short, it's an album that begs you to play again and will improve on every listen.
And those that nearly made it, in no particular order...
Glass Animals - How To Be A Human Being, Bastien Keb - 22.02.85, Tom Williams - All Change, Maxïmo Park - A Risk To Exist, Ryan Adams - Prisoner, The National - Sleep Well Beast, Queens of the Stone Age - Villains, Ed Sheeran - ÷
If you don't have time to listen to all of these albums, try my 2017 Spotify playlist instead https://open.spotify.com/user/littlemuddyfunkster/playlist/55eiMzWrcUN5AtAseGItVI
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
Tuesday, 30 May 2017
So Hull doesn't have enough culture?
A few months ago I wrote this summary of culture in Hull to prove to those doubters that Hull does deserve its 2017 moniker. It seemed to make a few people very happy (mainly those who already loved Hull - but that's great too). Naturally, many Hullensians helped me out in identifying what I'd left out, so I made another list. If you haven't read part 1, it spells out my criteria for making this list and has already covered most of the major points so I'd recommend doing that before letting me know if I've missed anything else. Despite that, comments and, of course, shares are most welcome. Links are all clickable for more information.
Architecture
Some of the less well-known gems of Hull's buildings include:
St Charles Borromeo (Grade I, 1829) - the oldest post-reformation Catholic church in the city, tucked away from the main shopping districts of the city centre and hiding a stunning interior behind an inauspicious frontage.
Maister House (1743) - a former merchant's house owned by the National Trust, unfortunately currently closed for visitors. Hopefully this will re-open soon.
Blaydes House (Grade II*, c. 1740) - another former merchant's house and now the home of the University of Hull's Maritime Historical Studies Centre.
Haltemprice Priory (Grade II* and ancient scheduled monument, 1326) - an Augustinian monastery located on the edge of the city between Willerby and Cottingham. After its dissolution, the stonework was incorporated into a farmhouse in 1584, which still exists on the site albeit in a derelict condition and supported by concrete breeze blocks in places.
Hull was also home to the celebrated architect Sir Alfred Gelder who was instrumental in transforming many parts of the city centre in the early 20th Century and who now has a street named after him next to the Guildhall.
Art
Since writing part one of this culture summary, Humber Street Gallery, a brand new facility, has opened in the newly revamped Fruit Market area of the old town, complementing existing galleries in the area such as Studio Eleven and the Museum of Club Culture (temporarily rehoused in High Street due to renovations to their Fruit Market base). As well as hosting many temporary exhibitions, Humber Street will also be the permanent new home for Dead Bod, a famous work of art that was originally an example of graffiti on Hull's docks but soon became a landmark for ships returning to the city. It's now so ubiquitous that you can buy Dead Bod T-shirts, mugs and even beer.
Other famous works of Hull art include:
Sea of Hull (2016) - Spencer Tunick's project which included painting naked people blue and photographing them in locations throughout the city centre
Co-Op Mosaic (1963) - a huge glass mural by artist Alan Boyson on the front of the former Co-op building which was subsequently the city's branch of BHS. The artwork now faces an uncertain future after the collapse of the high-street chain.
Hull Hall of Fame - a gallery of who's who from the city of Hull situated in Trinity Market near the Hepworth's Arcade entrance. You'd be hard pushed to find someone famous from Hull who isn't on the list and it handily acts as a fallback for me if any reader thinks I've missed someone worthy from my list.
Business
Several Hull businesses have had a large impact on the wider world.
Smith & Nephew - the global healthcare conglomerate was started in Hull as a family pharmacy by Thomas James Smith in 1856.
Fenner - an international manufacturer of conveyor belt systems founded in Hull in 1861 by Joseph Fenner who has a blue plaque dedicated to him in Bishop Lane where the original factory stood.
World Trade Centre - in 2007, Hull gained a World Trade Centre on its newly redeveloped waterfront to help improve its business links as a busy port.
Pease Family Bank - the first bank to be founded in Yorkshire, subsequently part of Barclay's.
Other, less global but well-loved local businesses include:
Dinsdale's Joke Shop - a landmark retailer in the Victorian Hepworth's Arcade, reportedly the inspiration for the joke shop in the TV show, League of Gentlemen.
Humber Street Market - a vibrant place to shop, eat and drink on the third Sunday of every month in the Fruit Market area, featuring local traders, producers and musicians.
C4Di - a brand new business hub in the Fruit Market for digital businesses.
Comedy
Hull's most famous comedy export is probably Norman Collier, known in the 1970s for surreal monologues, faulty microphones and chicken impressions. But the comedy scene in the city is alive and well today with several comedians doing the circuit at local events such as LOL Comedy Club at Hull City Hall and Comedy Mash at Union Mash Up.
Media & Publishing
The city is well-served for local media, both in terms of broadcast and print.
The BBC has a presence in the city at Queens Gardens which serves as the home of the BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire TV region and BBC Radio Humberside. Commercial radio is covered by Viking FM, KCFM, West Hull FM and Hull Kingston Radio.
Hull's main newspaper is the Hull Daily Mail, now owned by Trinity Mirror. But there are several locally produced magazines and publications such as Browse Magazine, Tenfootcity and the Hull City AFC fanzine, City Independent.
Music
In part one, I touched on the big names to have come from the city in the past and mentioned some current hopes for the future. It's fair to say that there is so much musical talent in Hull at the moment that it is impossible to mention them all. To try and get a flavour of the breadth of styles that the city currently hosts, you could listen to the likes of Emily Moulton, LIFE, endoflevelbaddie, Crooked Weather and Kristian Eastwood. Or you could just attend any of the events and festivals mentioned in part one (Humber Street Sesh in August would be a great start).
Philanthropy
Over the years, Hull has seen the benefit of many a rich philanthropist. The likes of William Wilberforce and James Reckitt have already been mentioned in part one but the city was also home to politician and industrialist Thomas Ferens (for whom Ferensway and Ferens Art Gallery are named) and Brian Rix, the actor and activist who tirelessly campaigned for disability rights.
These days, however, there is one woman that stands out among the rest in terms of selfless dedication to others. She calls herself Jean Bishop. although to most people she is known as the Bee Lady. Jean is well-known throughout the city for trudging the streets, dressed as a bee and raising money for charity despite being 94 herself.
Science & Technology
A little known fact is that Hull was the site of the first public hydraulic power network in England. A blue plaque commemorates the site, just off Wincolmlee.
Other firsts for Hull include the development of Dettol, one of the world's most important antiseptics, by Reckitt and Sons (now RB) in 1932, and the invention of the bone density scanner, an early detection system for osteoporosis, at the University of Hull.
Sport
Football and rugby league may grab the headlines but there is much more to sport in Hull. Athletics has a large profile in the city with the Hull 10K, Humber Bridge Half Marathon and Hull Marathon all being major events, as well Costello Stadium being used for athletics meets.
Minority sports are also well catered for with roller derby, lacrosse and cycle speedway all having a presence in the city. Even quidditch is being brought to Hull for the first time in a professional stadium. In the past, Hull has been the location of the start of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and has even been named as the fourth best city in the UK for cycling.
World champions from Hull that maybe don't see as much coverage as they deserve include Barbara Buttrick, who won the first world title for women's boxing in 1957 at a time when this was very controversial. Hull is also the home of Karen Briggs, a four-time world judo champion.
Theatre & Performance
Hull is currently something of a hot-bed of grassroots theatre companies who produce a wide variety performances throughout the city. Some of the most active include Middle Child, Silent Uproar, Hull Playgoers and, of course, Penny Duck (although I may be biased here).
Architecture
Some of the less well-known gems of Hull's buildings include:
St Charles Borromeo (Grade I, 1829) - the oldest post-reformation Catholic church in the city, tucked away from the main shopping districts of the city centre and hiding a stunning interior behind an inauspicious frontage.
Maister House (1743) - a former merchant's house owned by the National Trust, unfortunately currently closed for visitors. Hopefully this will re-open soon.
Blaydes House (Grade II*, c. 1740) - another former merchant's house and now the home of the University of Hull's Maritime Historical Studies Centre.
Haltemprice Priory (Grade II* and ancient scheduled monument, 1326) - an Augustinian monastery located on the edge of the city between Willerby and Cottingham. After its dissolution, the stonework was incorporated into a farmhouse in 1584, which still exists on the site albeit in a derelict condition and supported by concrete breeze blocks in places.
Hull was also home to the celebrated architect Sir Alfred Gelder who was instrumental in transforming many parts of the city centre in the early 20th Century and who now has a street named after him next to the Guildhall.
Art
Since writing part one of this culture summary, Humber Street Gallery, a brand new facility, has opened in the newly revamped Fruit Market area of the old town, complementing existing galleries in the area such as Studio Eleven and the Museum of Club Culture (temporarily rehoused in High Street due to renovations to their Fruit Market base). As well as hosting many temporary exhibitions, Humber Street will also be the permanent new home for Dead Bod, a famous work of art that was originally an example of graffiti on Hull's docks but soon became a landmark for ships returning to the city. It's now so ubiquitous that you can buy Dead Bod T-shirts, mugs and even beer.
Other famous works of Hull art include:
Sea of Hull (2016) - Spencer Tunick's project which included painting naked people blue and photographing them in locations throughout the city centre
Co-Op Mosaic (1963) - a huge glass mural by artist Alan Boyson on the front of the former Co-op building which was subsequently the city's branch of BHS. The artwork now faces an uncertain future after the collapse of the high-street chain.
Hull Hall of Fame - a gallery of who's who from the city of Hull situated in Trinity Market near the Hepworth's Arcade entrance. You'd be hard pushed to find someone famous from Hull who isn't on the list and it handily acts as a fallback for me if any reader thinks I've missed someone worthy from my list.
Business
Several Hull businesses have had a large impact on the wider world.
Smith & Nephew - the global healthcare conglomerate was started in Hull as a family pharmacy by Thomas James Smith in 1856.
Fenner - an international manufacturer of conveyor belt systems founded in Hull in 1861 by Joseph Fenner who has a blue plaque dedicated to him in Bishop Lane where the original factory stood.
World Trade Centre - in 2007, Hull gained a World Trade Centre on its newly redeveloped waterfront to help improve its business links as a busy port.
Pease Family Bank - the first bank to be founded in Yorkshire, subsequently part of Barclay's.
Other, less global but well-loved local businesses include:
Dinsdale's Joke Shop - a landmark retailer in the Victorian Hepworth's Arcade, reportedly the inspiration for the joke shop in the TV show, League of Gentlemen.
Humber Street Market - a vibrant place to shop, eat and drink on the third Sunday of every month in the Fruit Market area, featuring local traders, producers and musicians.
C4Di - a brand new business hub in the Fruit Market for digital businesses.
Comedy
Hull's most famous comedy export is probably Norman Collier, known in the 1970s for surreal monologues, faulty microphones and chicken impressions. But the comedy scene in the city is alive and well today with several comedians doing the circuit at local events such as LOL Comedy Club at Hull City Hall and Comedy Mash at Union Mash Up.
Media & Publishing
The city is well-served for local media, both in terms of broadcast and print.
The BBC has a presence in the city at Queens Gardens which serves as the home of the BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire TV region and BBC Radio Humberside. Commercial radio is covered by Viking FM, KCFM, West Hull FM and Hull Kingston Radio.
Hull's main newspaper is the Hull Daily Mail, now owned by Trinity Mirror. But there are several locally produced magazines and publications such as Browse Magazine, Tenfootcity and the Hull City AFC fanzine, City Independent.
Music
In part one, I touched on the big names to have come from the city in the past and mentioned some current hopes for the future. It's fair to say that there is so much musical talent in Hull at the moment that it is impossible to mention them all. To try and get a flavour of the breadth of styles that the city currently hosts, you could listen to the likes of Emily Moulton, LIFE, endoflevelbaddie, Crooked Weather and Kristian Eastwood. Or you could just attend any of the events and festivals mentioned in part one (Humber Street Sesh in August would be a great start).
Philanthropy
Over the years, Hull has seen the benefit of many a rich philanthropist. The likes of William Wilberforce and James Reckitt have already been mentioned in part one but the city was also home to politician and industrialist Thomas Ferens (for whom Ferensway and Ferens Art Gallery are named) and Brian Rix, the actor and activist who tirelessly campaigned for disability rights.
These days, however, there is one woman that stands out among the rest in terms of selfless dedication to others. She calls herself Jean Bishop. although to most people she is known as the Bee Lady. Jean is well-known throughout the city for trudging the streets, dressed as a bee and raising money for charity despite being 94 herself.
Science & Technology
A little known fact is that Hull was the site of the first public hydraulic power network in England. A blue plaque commemorates the site, just off Wincolmlee.
Other firsts for Hull include the development of Dettol, one of the world's most important antiseptics, by Reckitt and Sons (now RB) in 1932, and the invention of the bone density scanner, an early detection system for osteoporosis, at the University of Hull.
Sport
Football and rugby league may grab the headlines but there is much more to sport in Hull. Athletics has a large profile in the city with the Hull 10K, Humber Bridge Half Marathon and Hull Marathon all being major events, as well Costello Stadium being used for athletics meets.
Minority sports are also well catered for with roller derby, lacrosse and cycle speedway all having a presence in the city. Even quidditch is being brought to Hull for the first time in a professional stadium. In the past, Hull has been the location of the start of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and has even been named as the fourth best city in the UK for cycling.
World champions from Hull that maybe don't see as much coverage as they deserve include Barbara Buttrick, who won the first world title for women's boxing in 1957 at a time when this was very controversial. Hull is also the home of Karen Briggs, a four-time world judo champion.
Theatre & Performance
Hull is currently something of a hot-bed of grassroots theatre companies who produce a wide variety performances throughout the city. Some of the most active include Middle Child, Silent Uproar, Hull Playgoers and, of course, Penny Duck (although I may be biased here).
Saturday, 21 January 2017
So you think Hull has no culture?
If, like me, you've heard the words "City of Culture? There's no culture in Hull, pal", hopefully this list will help you prove otherwise. (Links are all clickable for more info or proof for the non-believers. Also please note that this is not intended to be a definitive list of people from Hull, but rather an overview of all aspects of culture in our quirky, independent city. Where I have listed names, I've tried to keep it to a few examples.)
Edit: there's now a part two to this here.
Architecture
Hull (or Kingston upon Hull to give it its official name) has many impressive buildings and structures including:
Art
Hull's galleries include Ferens Art Gallery (1927), the host of the Turner Prize in 2017, Red Contemporary Arts, Artlink and Kingston Art Group.
For many years, Hull was the second largest port in the country and was part of the Hanseatic League trading with other northern European ports. Nowadays, Hull has a very independent attitude to business with a lack of chains relative to other cities and a tradition of business start-ups. Famous names from the city include:
The big name on the city's comedy circuit is Hull Comedy Festival which began in 2007 and attracts many big names every year.
Hull also has homegrown comedy acts, both established and up-and-coming, including:
Important educational institutions in the city include:
Hull's most famous native dishes seem to be the pattie, a deep-fried mashed potato and herbs, chip spice, a seasoning automatically added at all of the city's takeaways, and the boiled sweet, invented by Hull confectionery manufacturer, Needlers.
Literature
Hull hosts the Humber Mouth Literature Festival annually in November attracting many big-name talks.
Having once been referred to as "the most poetic city in England" by Australian poet, Peter Porter, Hull has its fair share of writers including:
Whether it's big names from the past or up-and-coming stars, music is a huge part of Hull's heritage.
The city has several links to scientific and technological feats and discoveries. Some of the best of these are:
Sport
Ebenezer Cobb Morley is quite possibly one of the most important men in English sport and yet one of the most un-celebrated Hull natives. In 1863, he helped found the Football Association at a pub in London, became the FA's first secretary and drafted the first laws of the game. Without him, we wouldn't have football as it is today.
Other famous sporting names from the city include:
Theatre & Performance
The city has a strong tradition of theatre with important venues including:
The city is home to the Hull Independent Cinema showing many art-house films at various venues and which organises the annual Hull Film Festival.
Hull was the birthplace of J Arthur Rank, an industrialist born into the Rank Hovis dynasty who went on to found Pinewood Studios in order to rival Hollywood's dominance of the film industry. Other famous names include Maureen Lipman, Tom Courtenay and Reece Shearsmith.
So tell me, what aspect of culture do you think Hull is missing?
Edit: there's now a part two to this here.
Architecture
Hull (or Kingston upon Hull to give it its official name) has many impressive buildings and structures including:
- Holy Trinity Church (Grade I, c. 1300) - largest parish church in England by floor area and soon to be renamed Hull Minster.
- Hull City Hall (Grade II*, 1903-09) - Baroque revival concert and events venue.
- Guildhall (Grade II*, 1913-16) - administrative building for Hull City Council.
- The Charterhouse (Grade II*, c. 1780) - still-functioning almshouse.
- Humber Bridge (1981) - just outside the city boundary, once the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world, now the eighth-longest.
- Scale Lane Swing Bridge (2013) - award-winning bridge which the public can ride as it opens.
- Garden Village (c. 1908) - area of East Hull built as a model village by Sir James Reckitt for his workers at Reckitt & Sons (see also business below).
The city has a novel way of reusing its old docks:
- Queen's Gardens (c. 1930) - Queen's Dock was filled in and turned into a city-centre park.
- Hull Marina (1983) - reusing the old Humber and Railway Docks, now lined with independent bars and restaurants, and home to several summer festivals.
- Princes Quay (c. 1991) - a glass shopping centre constructed over the former Prince's Dock.
- Stage @The Dock (2016) - making use of the old Central Dry Dock to house a new outdoor performance stage.
Hull is also famous for:
- Cream telephone boxes - the city's telephone service is run locally by KCOM instead of BT and consequently its telephone boxes are cream, not red like the rest of the country.
- Cuthbert Brodrick - the architect famous for designing Leeds Town Hall and Scarborough's Grand Hotel was born in Hull.
- Land of Green Ginger - the most unusual street name in Hull (and possibly the UK) which is home to the smallest window in England and a residential address called "2nd Star On The Right & Straight On ‘Til Morning".
Hull's galleries include Ferens Art Gallery (1927), the host of the Turner Prize in 2017, Red Contemporary Arts, Artlink and Kingston Art Group.
Around the city, there are many statues of famous names and events, and there are often instances of public art forming trails of statues around the city:
Business- Fish Trail - a permanent walking trail around the old town, following fish in the pavement.
- Larkin with Toads - a 2010 trail of large fibreglass toads, some of which are still in place around the city, to celebrate the poet, Philip Larkin.
- A Moth for Amy - a current temporary trail of giant moths to commemorate the life of aviator, Amy Johnson.
For many years, Hull was the second largest port in the country and was part of the Hanseatic League trading with other northern European ports. Nowadays, Hull has a very independent attitude to business with a lack of chains relative to other cities and a tradition of business start-ups. Famous names from the city include:
- Isaac Reckitt and his son, James - founders of Reckitt & Sons and now known as Reckitt Benckiser (RB), the multinational pharmaceutical company.
- Comet - electrical retailer, sadly now defunct but originally started in Hull in 1933.
- Red5 - gadget retailer (and its predecessor The Gadget Shop).
- Sir Alfred James Newton - first chairman of Harrods.
The big name on the city's comedy circuit is Hull Comedy Festival which began in 2007 and attracts many big names every year.
Hull also has homegrown comedy acts, both established and up-and-coming, including:
- Isy Suttie - stand-up and star of Peep Show.
- Debra Stephenson - actor and impressionist.
- Lucy Beaumont - writer and stand-up.
Important educational institutions in the city include:
- University of Hull (1927) - former alumni include John Prescott, Jenni Murray, Anthony Minghella and Roger McGough.
- Hull York Medical School (2003)
- Hull College (1950s)
- Hull School of Art and Design (1861)
- Hymers College - independent school rated in the top 100 nationally.
Hull's most famous native dishes seem to be the pattie, a deep-fried mashed potato and herbs, chip spice, a seasoning automatically added at all of the city's takeaways, and the boiled sweet, invented by Hull confectionery manufacturer, Needlers.
But its food and drink scene is much more cosmopolitan than this. The highlights include:
- 1884 Dock Street Kitchen - culinary experience in a former dock warehouse on the edge of the marina.
- Tapasya - Indian restaurant with two sites in the city.
- Bars and restaurants along Hull's cafe culture heartland, Newland and Princes Avenues including Marrakech Ave, Pave and Larkins.
- Several festivals such as Hull Real Ale & Cider Festival, Yum! Food Festival and Minerva Gin Festival.
- Several excellent local breweries such as: Atom Beers, Yorkshire Brewing Co and Bricknell Brewery.
- Various traditional and historical alehouses in the Old Town including Ye Olde White Harte allegedly where the decision was made that started the English Civil War. For many others try the Hull Ale Trail or check Hull CAMRA.
History
Hull has been at the forefront of several pivotal moments of national and international historical importance.
- In 1642, at Beverley Gate, Sir John Hotham denied King Charles I access to the city's arsenal, leading to the first siege of Hull, the first major action of the English Civil War. The ruins of Beverley Gate are still visible at the top of Whitefriargate and the decision to refuse the king was taken at Sir John Hotham's home which is now Ye Olde White Harte (see food & drink above).
- William Wilberforce was an MP for Hull and a social reformer. In 1807, he managed to pass an act in the Houses of Parliament which abolished the slave trade in the UK. His house is now a museum (see below).
- In the 1940s, Hull was one of the country's leading ports and its location on the Humber estuary made it easy to find for German bombers. These two facts ensured that the city became the most bombed city in the country outside of London during World War II with 95% of houses damaged during the Hull Blitz.
- Over the years, Hull has thrived as a proud fishing port, but in 1968 the city was shocked by the Triple Trawler Tragedy, three disasters in which 58 fishermen lost their lives and which led to many changes to health and safety laws thanks to tireless campaigning by Lillian Bilocca and her Headscarf Revolutionaries. A huge mural of 'Big Lil' can now be seen on Anlaby Road.
The many venues charting Hull's history include:
- Several free, council-owned museums including Wilberforce House, Hull and East Riding Museum, Hands on History, Maritime Museum, Spurn Lightship and Arctic Corsair.
- Fort Paull - Yorkshire's only remaining Napoleonic fortress.
- Hull Fair - Europe's largest travelling funfair, convening on Hull every year since 1278.
Hull hosts the Humber Mouth Literature Festival annually in November attracting many big-name talks.
Having once been referred to as "the most poetic city in England" by Australian poet, Peter Porter, Hull has its fair share of writers including:
- Phillip Larkin (1922 - 1985) - poet who was the librarian at University of Hull for 30 years.
- Andrew Marvell (1621 - 1678) - metaphysical poet and politician with a Hull school named after him.
- Andrew Motion (1952 - ) - former poet laureate and University of Hull lecturer.
Whether it's big names from the past or up-and-coming stars, music is a huge part of Hull's heritage.
- Big names over the years comprise The Beautiful South, Everything But The Girl, The Housemartins, Sade, David Whitfield, Roland Gift of The Fine Young Cannibals and Spiders from Mars.
- There are also many current acts creating a buzz inside and outside of the city such as Affairs, Bud Sugar, Counting Coins, Nineties Boy and Calum Scott.
- As for legendary music venues how about The New Adelphi Club, Welly, Spiders and The Sesh?
- Over the summer, festivals form a big part of Hull's culture including Humber Street Sesh, Hull Jazz Festival, Hull Folk and Maritime Festival, Trinity Festival and Springboard Festival in nearby Cottingham.
- Classical music fans are catered for by Hull Sinfonia and the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra.
The city has several links to scientific and technological feats and discoveries. Some of the best of these are:
- The liquid crystal display (LCD) was invented at the University of Hull allowing the development of digital watches, calculators and TV screens.
- John Venn - a mathematician who invented the eponymous Venn diagram.
- Amy Johnson - an aviator who became the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia.
Hull also has several attractions celebrating the best of science and technology of today and yesteryear:
- The Deep - one of the country's leading public aquariums and also an important centre for marine research.
- Dinostar - a hands-on, interactive dinosaur exhibition for children
- Streetlife - a free museum displaying 200 years' worth of transport innovations and street scenes from bygone eras.
Ebenezer Cobb Morley is quite possibly one of the most important men in English sport and yet one of the most un-celebrated Hull natives. In 1863, he helped found the Football Association at a pub in London, became the FA's first secretary and drafted the first laws of the game. Without him, we wouldn't have football as it is today.
Other famous sporting names from the city include:
- Luke Campbell - gold-medal-winning boxer from the London 2012 Olympics who not only has a golden post-box in his home city but also a golden phone box too thanks to Hull's locally owned telephone network.
- Dean Windass - footballer who scored the goal which took Hull City into the Premier League for the first time ever.
- Clive Sullivan - rugby league player who played for both Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers and became the first black player to captain any national British team in a major sport.
Today, sport fans are well catered for in Hull.
- Hull City - football club currently playing in the Premier League.
- Hull FC - rugby league club currently playing in Super League, six-time national champions, and four-time winners and current holders of the Challenge Cup.
- Hull Kingston Rovers - unfortunately relegated to the rugby league championship last season but nonetheless, five titles and one challenge cup are among their honours.
- British Open Squash Championship - the "Wimbledon of squash" currently held at the Airco Arena.
- Hull Pirates - Hull's current semi-professional ice hockey team playing in the second tier.
Theatre & Performance
The city has a strong tradition of theatre with important venues including:
- Hull Truck Theatre - theatre and touring production company founded in 1971.
- Hull New Theatre - Hull's main commercial theatre, opened in 1939 and featuring musicals, opera, ballet, drama and pantomime.
- Fruit - a multi-purpose arts and events space in the revitalised Fruit Market area of the city, home of theatre, music, comedy, markets and craft beer.
- Kardomah 94 - part-restaurant, part-theatre space for music, comedy and more.
- NAPA - the Northern Academy of Performing Arts.
- Heads Up Festival - an eclectic array of performers and performances at various venues across the city.
- Assemblefest - performances in unusual locations in the city's bohemian Newland area, close to the university.
There are also many theatrical names associated with Hull, such as John Godber (1956 - ), Alan Plater (1935-2010) and Richard Bean (1956 - ).
TV & Film
TV & Film
The city is home to the Hull Independent Cinema showing many art-house films at various venues and which organises the annual Hull Film Festival.
Hull was the birthplace of J Arthur Rank, an industrialist born into the Rank Hovis dynasty who went on to found Pinewood Studios in order to rival Hollywood's dominance of the film industry. Other famous names include Maureen Lipman, Tom Courtenay and Reece Shearsmith.
So tell me, what aspect of culture do you think Hull is missing?
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