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).
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