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Pride in Hull Bids for EuroPride 2023

Pride in Hull reveals bid to become EuroPride hosts in 2023

Pride in Hull has launched its bid to bring EuroPride – the biggest LGBTI celebration in Europe – to the city in 2023.

EuroPride takes place in a different host city every year, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees from across the continent – and world – to celebrate all things LGBTI. In addition to the traditional Pride festival event and parade you might expect, EuroPride also incorporates an opening and closing ceremony, an HIV vigil, and a human rights conference along with an expanded programme of LGBTI events and activities.

And if Hull is successful in its bid, the organisers are planning a year of activity to take place across the city in a rainbow-strewn echo of the Hull UK City of Culture 2017 – the year which also saw Hull named as the first ever UK Pride.

Pride in Hull has hosted events in the city to celebrate the LGBTI community since 2001, growing from initially a small crowd in Queen’s Gardens to a major festival, drawing in tens of thousands of people from across the UK, with more than 50,000 celebrating in 2019.

The chosen host city is one that has a proven track record in holding LGBTI events, and after the runaway success of Pride in Hull being UK Pride in 2017, there is a quiet confidence that Hull could be the city of choice come 2023.

Matt Walton, chair of Pride in Hull, believes there’s never been a better time to stand up and throw a hat into the ring to host EuroPride in 2023. He said: “EuroPride is such a huge event, bringing thousands of people to its host cities, and we believe that Hull is ready to shine as the hosts of EuroPride.

“The volunteer team behind Pride in Hull have proven time and again that we know how to put on a safe, fun and spectacular celebration, and we’ve learned a huge amount over the past few years.

“We’ve faced huge changes as a city and a nation – from Brexit to the current situation with the coronavirus lockdown – but the Pride in Hull committee absolutely believe in the city’s passion to build bridges and reconnect people.

“We’ve seen the power of the rainbow to bring hope in the past couple of weeks, and we know that EuroPride in Hull would be such a source of joy and hope for all.”

A huge planning effort has already begun behind the scenes, and will continue to raise support and create concepts ahead of the full bid submission in early summer, with a decision expected at the European Pride Organisers Association AGM in Oslo this October.

The planning team are now hoping to capture the imagination of the people of Hull to make this huge opportunity a reality.

Matt added: “What we saw in the UK City of Culture year in 2017 was a huge coming together of people from all walks of life – from arts lovers to sceptics – and we know the city can do it again.

“We were devastated to have to cancel this year’s Pride in Hull event due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but it was for the best reasons. Hopefully us revealing this great big and frankly audacious bid will help raise some smiles to everyone who’s currently isolated.”

Pride in Hull’s official letter of intent to bid to host EuroPride 2023 was submitted on March 31 and full bid will be submitted in June ahead of the AGM in October.

Soon, the Pride in Hull team will be unveiling more about how people can get involved and get behind the bid, from writing letters of support to recording messages and submitting ideas for events and venues.

Pet Shop Boys - Bonus Arena

Pet Shop Boys to play Hull’s Connexin Live

The iconic Pet Shop Boys will be visiting Hull’s Connexin Live this summer.

The band – currently at number three in the album chart with new record ‘Hotspot’ – will visit the Arena on Wednesday, 24 June.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am this Friday.

Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo, formed in London in 1981 and consisting of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and are listed as the most successful duo in UK music history by The Guinness Book of Records.

Three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees, since 1985 they have achieved 42 Top 30 singles, 22 of them Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart, including four UK number ones: “West End Girls“, “It’s a Sin“, a synthpop version of “Always on My Mind“, and “Heart“. Other hit songs include a cover of “Go West“, “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” and “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” in a duet with Dusty Springfield.

At the 2009 Brit Awards in London, Pet Shop Boys received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and have a host of other accolades in a glittering career.

New album ‘Hotspot’ is the band’s 17th top 10 record.

Standing and seated tickets will be available for this gig. Tickets go on general sale on Friday at 10am. Max six tickets per person.

They will be available from Entertainment Events & Venue Details | Connexin Live Hull or call 0844 8440444. Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

Accessible tickets are available from 0800 9884440.

Social Venue Launch

Exciting new era for Humber Street venue

The venue formerly known as Fruit will open its doors soon, operated by the team behind the Humber Street Sesh. “Social” on Humber Street in Hull’s Fruit Market will reflect the eclectic, spontaneous programming of its predecessor, with live and visual performance at its core. It will be operated by Sesh Events UK, which runs the hugely popular annual Humber
Street Sesh grassroots music festival, as well as The Sesh weekly music nights and Made in Hull, Trinity Live and Hull City Sesh events. A licence application has been submitted for the newly refurbished music and arts venue and planning is now underway for it to re-open with an exciting programme by April.

The opening of Social will complete the vibrant, creative enterprises housed within 61-63 Humber Street, which has undergone a £1.2m revamp by the Fruit Market LLP, the joint venture between Wykeland Beal and Hull City Council, to create a thriving cultural hub. The building is also now home to Juice Studios, a co-working community of artists’ studios located on the first floor; Label Worx on the second floor, providing digital music services for independent record labels; and indie art shop, Form Shop & Studio, next to the new venue on the ground floor. The Sesh Events UK team says the venue will be “a modern take on the old social club. It will embrace all, with a wide programme of entertainment and be a great place to hang out and socialise”. It marks a return to the venue for Sesh Events UK Director Dave Mays, who founded Fruit nine years ago and operated it until the venue closed to allow the revamp to take place. He said: “I know better than anyone how much loved Fruit was and I’m really excited to be part of the Sesh team bringing the venue back to life.“We’re looking forward to welcoming back Fruit fans as well as people who may not
have been before. We’ve got some great plans – watch this space!”

Humber Street Sesh founder and Festival Director Mak Page, who is also a Director of Sesh Events UK, said: “The venue is the heartbeat of Humber Street. We’ve worked really closely with the building’s owners to ensure it will be beating again very soon.”

Maritime Project

Hull awarded £255,000 to support major maritime project

The team behind Hull’s ambitious maritime project has secured more than £255,000 to care and conserve many of the city’s priceless artefacts and enable deeper understanding and in-depth research of Hull’s maritime collections.

Successful bids to the John Ellerman Foundation for £170,000 and Arts Council England Designation Development Fund for £88,113 will now contribute to the £2.6m funding shortfall to support the wider £27.4m Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City project.

Sir John Ellerman was a Hull-born son of a German immigrant. He is widely acknowledged to have once been the richest man in Britain and just one of his hugely successful businesses was the Hull-based, shipping business, Ellerman’s Wilson Line. And now, thanks to the Foundation that was subsequently set up in his family’s name some of Hull’s most important maritime objects and artefacts will be in the best ever condition. The three year grant will support the conservation and redisplay of some of Hull’s important maritime collections, as part of the refurbishment and redevelopment of its Maritime Museum.

Work to document, restore and conserve some of the museum’s objects has already been completed and has not only improved the collection but also helped prepare for the re-display of the refurbished galleries. There have also been some rewarding audience engagement opportunities and it is intended that these will continue throughout the life of the project, assisted by these grants. Over the next three years, £1.8m – from various funding streams, will be invested in the care of the collection as well as the creation of a new collections’ store at Dock Office Chambers.

Individual grants were available from the Arts Council England Designation Development Fund for between £20,000 and £90,000. The fund recognises the importance of excellent collections and provides funding for projects that ensure their long-term sustainability, maximise their public value and encourage the sharing of best practice across the sector. The funding awarded to the council will support the ‘Diving Deeper’ project which will enable increased understanding of Hull’s maritime collections.

Through research with source communities, collating existing academic research and exploring/making accessible archival holdings, there will be greater insight into Hull’s 800 years of maritime history and the collections that tell the city’s story. The most significant element of ‘Diving Deeper’ is the research to inform content and activities linked to our Inuit collection which will reveal hidden stories and improve our knowledge of this important part of Hull’s maritime history.

Councillor Daren Hale, Portfolio Holder for Economic Investment, Regeneration, Planning, Land and Property, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this funding from both the Arts Council England Designation Development Fund and the John Ellerman Foundation. It will now support us in making our collections more accessible to more audiences, increasing the understanding of our collections in more exciting and engaging ways.

“It will enable people to delve deeper into the stories of a maritime city so visitors, both local or from further afield, can discover more about our nationally significant collections.

“This will in turn create a more authentic experience for those visiting the museum, following its extensive refurbishment.”

Robin Diaper, Curator of Maritime and Social History at Hull Maritime Museum, said: “We are delighted to receive this significant funding. This substantial investment in the museum’s collection will help us deliver our vision for excellence at Hull Maritime Museum. It will enable us to care for the collections and improve access to the many untold stories of Hull’s rich maritime past, in turn improving the visitor experience further.”

Pete Massey, Director, North, Arts Council England, said: “Congratulations to Hull City Council on its successful application to our Designation Development fund for investment in their Diving Deeper project. It is an exciting time to be in Hull and it is fantastic to see the legacy of Hull 2017 being realised with projects like this.

“Hull is a city built on its maritime past and so it is brilliant to see that this project revealing more of the city’s history through its maritime collections. I look forward to seeing where the project takes those researching the collection and what new stories they can tell us about Hull.”

John Ellerman Foundation, said: “We are delighted to support the curatorial and conservation strand of work in the redevelopment of this important museum, as a significant part of an ambitious major project.”

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hull City Council, five key maritime treasures will be transformed, these include – the Arctic Corsair, North End Shipyard, Spurn Lightship, Dock Office Chambers and the Hull Maritime Museum.

For more information on the major maritime project, visit maritimeHull.co.uk

The Deep 8 Million Visitors

The Deep welcomes 8 millionth visitor

Today, Tuesday 29 October, has seen the 8 millionth visitor enter Hull’s award-winning aquarium The Deep.

The Silburn family from Hull, made up of mum Karina, Grandma Sue and children Tilly and Daniel were the lucky ones to be presented with an exciting behind the scenes penguin experience by The Deep’s mascot Pebbles. This money can’t buy experience will allow the family to go inside the penguin exhibit, carry out a scatter feed, learn all about our loveable VIP’s from our experts and get up close to them.

We were delighted to hear that the penguins are one of the children’s favourite animals with Tilly exclaiming “I can’t wait for them to come up to me when I’m in there.”

Mum Karina said: “I’m just super excited – we can’t wait to meet the penguins. I can’t believe we’re the 8 millionth visitors.”

Grandma Sue also commented: “We were born and bred in Hull, and we think The Deep is a fabulous place to come. We’ve been lots of times over the years, in fact we visited within the first few weeks of it opening. We’re going to celebrate in the café with a coffee and a cake!”

Katy Duke, CEO at The Deep said: “We are thrilled to have reached our 8 millionth visitor. It’s a real milestone for us after 18 years of operation to have attracted so many visitors to the area. It is a testament to the fantastic team we have in place, many of whom have been here since day one and offer our customers a fantastic experience every day.

“We are constantly developing our exhibits for people to enjoy and finding new ways to engage our visitors with important environmental messages. Our visitors play a huge part in helping us achieve our conservation outputs so a really big thank you to everyone whose visit has supported our charitable work. We look forward to welcoming the next 8 million and seeing what we can achieve together for the conservation of the marine environment.”

Deep facts (since The Deep opened):
• The total volume of water in The Deep is 3,243,192 litres – that’s equivalent to 40,500 bath tubs
• Our Marine Red List Officer has assessed over 1,600 species for the IUCN Red List globally
• We have supported 67 BSc/MSc student projects through our Husbandry department
• Since opening we have used 2,500 tonnes of salt in our tanks
• Our guiding team have delivered 27,450 hours of presentations including dive shows, penguin feeds, scatter feeds and interactive shows
• Over 540,000 children have taken part in educational visits
• We have put on over 10,200 dive shows
• Donated over 9,000 family tickets to good causes
• We have sold 61,000 kilos of pick and mix – that’s the equivalent to two humpback whales!
• On our busiest day, we welcomed 5,484 visitors – that’s like filling Hull City Hall more than 4 times
• 47,561 children have slept over at The Deep – that’s 100,000 pieces of toast served
• Each of our divers has spent the equivalent of a month and a half underwater, that’s 24 hours a day!

North End Shipyard - Artist's impression

£27.4m boost for heritage-led regeneration in Hull

A huge maritime project to protect and promote Hull’s rich maritime history is set to become a reality following the approval of a £13.6m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Following on from the success of UK City of Culture 2017, the project is the next major milestone in the delivery of Hull’s City Plan and 10-year Cultural Strategy, which set out how Hull will achieve its ambition to become a world-class visitor destination. 

As well as celebrating every element of its maritime past, present and future, the project represents the next major phase in the regeneration of this historic maritime city and is pivotal to Hull’s plans to continue to develop as a unique and exciting cultural destination, ensuring a lasting legacy from UK City of Culture 2017.

The grant of £13.6m from the National Lottery, means that Hull will secure pride of place on the maritime map and showcase its seafaring heritage on a global scale. Hull City Council’s commitment to the project means they are putting forward £10m of match funding, along with a further £4.3m for the redevelopment of Queens Gardens, once the world’s largest dock, which will connect the three important sites involved in the project.

The project will see Hull Maritime Museum; Dock Office Chambers and the North End Shipyard regenerated and two historic vessels, the Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship, preserved. Creating a new experience and maritime trail, visitors will be able to discover Hull’s global links and how its heritage has led to shaping the city into the cultural icon it has become today.

The awarding of The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and the match funding of the City Council has been bolstered by a fundraising campaign, which is on the way to achieving its £2.6m funding target with £250,000 already secured. The success of the fundraising campaign embodies the support and passion of the people of Hull for the project, ensuring that their city remains at the forefront of arts, culture and heritage following its triumphant reign as the UK City of Culture since 2017.

Over the last two years, more than 100 heritage and community organisations, 40 schools and 15,000 people have helped to shape the exciting plans, making this project the people’s project.

Work is due to start in the coming months once permission to start has been granted from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project will be completed in a phased approach, the full visitor experience is expected to be completed by 2024.

For more information on the plans visit maritimehull.co.uk

Hull Minster archaeology

Exciting archaeology paves way for Hull Minsters future

Archaeology work has begun as the prelude to an exciting new extension to house a visitor and heritage centre at Hull’s historic Minster.

A £3.9m grant from Highways England is enabling Hull Minster to realise its ambitions to build the glass, bronze and stone extension on the 700-year-old church.

The extension will include exhibition spaces, a café and other new visitor facilities and will lead into a “heritage corridor” within the Minster, creating a home for carefully-curated exhibits about the history of Hull and the central role the church has played in it.

Now, a team from Humber Field Archaeology has started work to carefully excavate, record and reinter human remains into the Minster’s crypt, ensuring they are respectfully moved and not affected by any construction work for the new centre.

Over the coming months, the archaeology team is also planning to establish the extent of early structural remains on the site, including brick-built foundations, which were first discovered on the south side of the church in 2015 and could date back to the early 14th century.

The structural findings will also be meticulously recorded before construction of the centre begins, ensuring piling work does not affect the early foundations.

It is hoped the visitor and heritage centre will be complete and open to the public by mid-2021.

Bishop Frank White, Interim Minister at Hull Minster, said: “We are thrilled the archaeological work has now started and we are going to find out all kinds of things we didn’t know about the foundations of the Minster.

“I will be interested to see what the latest discoveries are and how they feature in the story of faith and life in the city. We are dealing with the history of people and we do that with respect and gratitude for everything we have inherited from the past.

“Everyone is very positive about the generosity of the grant from Highways England and the work we are able to do as a result of that, and there is a real buzz of anticipation around the change in this part of the city.

“The visitor and heritage centre will be a place for people to come and meet, view history and artefacts, and enjoy a fabulous space in the centre of Hull where people have been worshipping for 700 years.

“We believe people will be thrilled when they see what will be built here and how well it will blend with the Minster, as a contemporary space which is absolutely appropriate for the needs of the time we are living in.

“We want to do the best we can to enhance the community and reflect the glory of God.”

Announced earlier this year, the grant from the Highways England Environment Designated Fund is linked to the proposed A63 Castle Street scheme, which passes just 100 metres from the Minster. This major project is designed to improve access between the Port of Hull and the national road network via the city centre.

The grant has been awarded to the Hull Minster Development Trust, which has led the transformation of the Minster over recent years to enable it to host flexible and inclusive forms of worship and a wide range of social, cultural and community events.

The fund is designed to protect historic features in areas near to major roads, helping them to be harmonious with their surroundings, and will enable the completion of the Minster’s £4.5m development project and much more.

As well as the visitor and heritage centre, the improvements will include an education and learning centre, disabled access ramps and accessible toilets, a modern electrical system, and a community garden providing homegrown fruit and vegetables for the café. The changes will safeguard the Minster’s heritage for future generations, creating a sustainable future for the church as a place of worship, focal point for the community and magnet for visitors.

Ken Steedman, Project Manager at Humber Field Archaeology, said the team was expected to be on site for 16 weeks.

He said trial excavations carried out on the south side of the church in 2015 had encountered a number of substantial brick-built foundations representing an early and previously unknown phase of the church, probably dating to the early 14th century. Archaeologists also recorded fragments of a grave marker from the 13th or 14th centuries.

He added: “The present work provides an extraordinary opportunity to further examine these early structures and to more fully establish their date, survival and extent, with the potential to contribute a great deal to knowledge of the history and development of this important church, a Grade I listed building of national significance.”

Matthew Armitage, Highways England Project Manager, said he hoped the grant would help the Minster build on its growing success as hub for the community, venue for cultural and social events and visitor destination.

He said: “The great thing about our Designated Fund programme is that we can grant money for projects outside of our traditional schemes, helping protect historic features in areas near to our major roads.

“It’s now been around year since we were first got involved in the Minster’s development project and it’s really exciting to see archaeological work underway.

“The grant for Hull Minster will transform the church and I think people will be very excited by what they see at the church in the future.”

Hotham's Gin School

Book a Gin making weekend in Hull

The teams at Hotham Gin School and the boutique Hideout Apartment Hotel have joined force to offer an wonderful weekend break in the city, complete with gin making class.

Learn the process of gin distilling from the friendly team at Hotham Gin School before you and a partner choose how you would like to flavour your gin, add the indgrediants and distill your bespoke bottle of spirits.

After adding the finishing touches and with a few tasters along the way you only have a short walk to the boutique accommodation for the night.

the perfect Summer weekend experience in Hull !!

The offer includes

  • Two tickets to award winning Hotham’s Gin School
    (£125 for two, usually £150)
  • 10% off your stay at Hideout Boutique Hotel

Current gin school dates are every Saturday in April, May, June 2019
Class runs from 4PM – 7:30PM

Click here for more information and to book 

 

Hull Minster © Mike Bartlett

EXPLORE EVERY ANGLE…

Have you even *been* to Hull if you haven’t shown it off on your Insta?! We think our city looks pretty good and we love seeing it through your lenses, too. Use the hashtag #VisitHull and tag us @visithulluk

Here’s a little tour of some of our favourite photography locations:

1: Queen Victoria Square – home to some truly impressive architecture in the shape of the Maritime Museum, Ferens Art Gallery and Hull City Hall. The fountains complete the look. HU1 3RA.

2: Paragon Arcade – a beautiful Victorian independent shopping arcade that has recently had a sympathetic revamp. HU1 3PQ.

3: Solar Gate, Queen’s Gardens – this public artwork by artist Tonkin Lui acts as an enormous sun dial to mark significant dates in Hull’s history. HU1 3DJ.

4: Land Of Green Ginger – home of Hull’s most-photographed street sign, the country’s smallest window and one of Hull’s greatest unsolved mysteries – how did this street get its unusual name? HU1 2EA.

5: Hepworth’s Arcade – a rare, L-shaped Grade II-listed Victorian shopping arcade with a gorgeous glass roof and great independent shops. HU1 1JU.

6: Prince Street – this unusually curved colourful Georgian street always attracts attention. You’ll find it between Princes Dock Street and Trinity Square. HU1 2LJ.

7: Hull Minster and reflection pools, Trinity Square – get the angle right and you’ll capture the Minster and its reflection in the mesmerising ripple pools in one shot. HU1 2JJ.

8: The marina – the Hull riviera. There are no bad shots on a sunny day, if the weather’s not cooperating, take your snap from one of many nearby cafes and restaurants. HU1 2DQ.

9: Humber Street – the beating heart of Hull’s revitalised Fruit Market. Full of independent shops, galleries, bars and restaurants, and a key location of Hull’s festival summers, it takes a great photo. HU1 1UU.

10: Voyage by Steinunn Thorasrinsdottir – this striking statue faces out to sea in the direction Hull’s travwlermen travelled. It has a counterpart, For, in the Icelandic village of Vik, which faces Hull, HU1 1UU

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

Tour Guide Paul Schofield

LET US SHOW YOU AROUND…ONLY IN HULL

We’re ever so slightly biased, of course, but we’re with Larkin on this one. Hull’s “sudden elegancies” catch the eye when you least expect them, revealing sides of Yorkshire’s only maritime city that are truly unique.

Here are just a few reasons why:

Only in Hull…  can you visit the spot where the Governor of Hull Sir John Hotham and pals decided to rebel against King Charles I by refusing to allow him into the city at Beverley Gate in 1642 – thereby triggering the English Civil War. It’s upstairs in the “Plotting Parlour” of Ye Olde White Harte pub in Silver Street.

Only in Hull… can you pay tribute to another independent spirit, Amy Johnson, a pioneering Hull pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia in 1930. Look out for her statue in Prospect Street, a mock-up of her Gipsy Moth plane Jason in St Stephen’s shopping centre and some of the colourful wall-mounted moth sculptures inspired by her plane across the city.

Only in Hull… can you find cream telephone boxes. Even our phone boxes like to be different.

 

 TOP TIP: Psst! Want to take an unique shortcut between Scale Lane/High Street in the Old Town to The Deep and Fruit Market? Scale Lane footbridge is the world’s first to allow foot passengers to ride on the bridge as it swings open. Listen carefully, and you should hear birdsong as you glide over the River Hull.

 

DID YOU KNOW? A whopping 40% of our city-centre businesses are independents helping to provide a shopping experience that you really won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Only in Hull… can you stock up on whoopee cushions and trick chewing gum at the favourite joke shop of comedian Reese Shearsmith and mind master Derren Brown. Visit the wonder of the world that is Dinsdale’s Joke and Trick Shop in Hepworth Arcade and discover why it’s been going strong since the 1930s. All the stylish and quirky shops in the glorious Hepworth and Paragon arcades are worth checking out, from Fanthorpe’s for music gear, to Beasley’s for vintage clothing, Bierhaus craft beer shop, White Rabbit chocolatiers, Two Gingers coffee shop and Marla’s for food.

Only in Hull… can you peer into England’s smallest window. See if you can spot it at The George pub in The Land of Green Ginger. In fact, only in Hull is there a street called the Land of Green Ginger.

Only in Hull… can you play air guitar on the Mick Ronson memorial stage in Queens Gardens, where David Bowie’s most celebrated  guitarist used to work as a groundsman; or at the spot in Whitefriargate where Paul Heaton and Stan Cullimore used to busk before they hit the big time with The Housemartins.

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

 

The Deep

WE KNOW A PLACE…THAT THE KIDS WILL LOVE

If the kids are happy, the adults are happy, right? Take the strain out of family days out with our top tips to entertain families with children of all ages (yep, even those tricky toddlers and teens!).

Let’s start with our fabulous free museums and galleries. In Queen Victoria Square, Ferens Art Gallery has a permanent dedicated children’s space where younger visitors can play, and is welcoming to everyone. On the other side of the square, the Maritime Museum tells the fascinating tale of the city’s seafaring heritage… plus the slightly fishier tale of our own little mermaid!

Speaking of fish, keep your eyes peeled as you walk through the city centre from this point to see if you can spot the 41 fish inlaid in the pavements.

TOP TIP: Take a towel and a change of clothes if Queen Victoria Square is on your itinerary – it doesn’t matter how old or cool your kids are, these fountains are irresistible on a sunny day!

In the Old Town, there’s a dedicated, free Museums Quarter in High Street. At the Hull and East Riding Museum you can whizz through 250,000 years of Hull’s history, starting with Mortimer – a life-sized recreation of an East Yorkshire woolly mammoth. The Streetlife Museum is another big hit with families, with plenty of ways to get on board with the sight, sounds and smells of transport through the ages. Next door at Wilberforce House, you can explore the birthplace and legacy of Hull’s famous anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.

All ages are welcome at Humber Street Gallery in the vibrant Fruit Market area near Hull’s stunning marina. If you have any dinosaur fans in the family, you won’t be able to miss independent dinosaur museum Dinostar and, just over the footbridge, you’ll find the iconic aquarium The Deep, home to 3,500 sharks, fish and penguins… and some spectacular viewing areas. Both Dinostar and The Deep offer great-value annual passes.

There’s a jam-packed summer of family-friendly events ahead. Highlights include:

• The Lord Mayor’s Hanse Day in Queen Victoria Square and Trinity Square on 8 June, 10am-4pm – a tribute to Hull’s medieval trading past that this year is going to be bigger and better than ever, across two sites, with jousting, fire-breathing jesters, roaming musicians, dancers, children’s activities and musical workshops, crafts and a chance for all ages to show off your handiwork in parades around Queen Victoria Square and Trinity Square. Allow at least half a day. Suitable for all ages.
• The Big Malarkey in East Park on 29-30 June. This children’s literature festival has grown into a firm annual favourite since its launch during Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017. Special guests this year include celebrated children’s book illustrator and author Nick Sharratt, Oi Dog! author Kes Gray, the creator of the hilarious Barry Loser series Jim Smith, and MG Leonard who wrote the fantastical Beetle Boy adventures. Tickets to the weekend festival, which takes place a short drive east of the city centre, are due to go on sale on 20 April, from www.thebigmalarkeyfestival.com. Great for families with babies, children and young people aged 0-16.
• National Play Day in Queens Gardens on 7 August – get there early for free fun and frolics. All welcome, but best suited to those aged 0-11.

TOP TIP: Hop on and off a land train at Queen Victoria Square, the Museums Quarter, or The Deep for a fun and irreverent look at some of the city centre’s most popular attractions.

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for personal recommendations for your family, Hull’s blue-jacketed cultural volunteers are happy to help. You’ll find them at the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange, and at attractions all over the city centre.

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

LET US SHOW YOU AROUND…Hull’s great outdoors

You can find trails around public squares, shopping streets, parkland, the Old Town, the free Museums’ Quarter and the former dock, from post-industrial riverside areas to the swanky marina and  Fruit Market.

En route, you’ll be able to find out all about Hull’s impressive maritime heritage, inspirational stories and our city’s rebellious history at the exact spot on Beverley Gate where we allegedly sparked the English Civil War by refusing to allow King Charles I entry to the city in 1642.

Pick up a City Walking Trail leaflet from the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange. It includes:

  • The Fish Trail (follow the 41 fish in the pavements, from the weird – we’re looking at you, Warty Doris and Lumpsucker – to the wonderful – or to be precise – the Brill).
  • The Blue Plaque Trail.
  • The Ale Trail (always inexplicably popular, this one).
  • The Wilberforce Trail, a chance to follow in the footsteps of William Wilberforce.
  • The Statue Trail.
  • The Museums and Galleries Trail.
  • The Lord Mayor’s Centenary Plaque Trail.
  • The Larkin Trail, for an insight into the “different resonance” that one of the 20th-century’s best-known poets saw in Hull, and the settings that inspired him to write some of his most famous poems.

If a guided walk’s more your thing, our English Heritage accredited, highly recommended and extremely knowledgeable guide runs daily tours from Hull City Hall every day from 2pm from 1st April to 3rd November. Tickets are £4 per person, no need to book, just turn up!

TOP TIP: Looking for a good picnic spot? The lush central parkland of Queen’s Gardens is the obvious choice – you can’t miss it in between the BBC’s Hull HQ and the towering monument to William Wilberforce. The Peace Gardens in the Museums Quarter, the hidden garden behind Wilberforce House and the stepped seating of Stage @The Dock in the Fruit Market are also perfect for picnics.

DON’T MISS

Queens Gardens: A 9.75-acre former dock that until 1930 was filled with the water of Queens Dock. It’s now a series of gardens, and hosts touring and permanent public artworks, and large-scale events, from cultural extravaganzas to festivals such as Pride In Hull, Yum! Food Festival, children’s National Play Day and Freedom Festival.

Riverside views: To get an authentic feel for Hull’s maritime past, a stroll around the riverside and marina is a must. Follow the River Hull, past the tidal barrier to the The Deep aquarium where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary, and walk along Victoria Pier, where passenger ferries used to cross the Humber before the Humber Bridge was built in 1981. Be sure to pause to take in the relaxing sights and sounds of Hull Marina – we get a great sunset

DID YOU KNOW? Wondering what the old Oss Wash near Victoria Pier is all about? Oss Wash is simply ’ull speak for Horse Wash, where the city’s traders used to scrub their horses clean. The name is now used by a gelateria and café on the pier.

The street art scene: Bankside Gallery is the name of a growing legal graffiti and street art movement that sprung up to celebrate Hull’s existing graffiti scene. Bankside Gallery was triggered by the overnight appearance of an authentic Banksy artwork on the disused Scott Street Bridge in early 2018. New pieces now appear every week, adding bursts of legal colour from the central Old Town, to Clough Road, north of the centre. Although the Banksy is temporarily out of public view due to safety issues with the bridge, the Bankside Gallery volunteers have put together a map of the legal walls, available from the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange.

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

I Feel Love © Tom Arran

LOVE A WEEKEND IN HULL

Hideout Hotel

Looking for a chic and contemporary hideout in the heart of the city? Wake up in the romantic old town oozing charm and and huge selection of fantastic cafes, bars and restaurants.

Prices from £99

Hallmark Hotel

Take advantage of an exclusive offer at the beautiful Hallmark Hotel Hull. From £99.00 per couple including overnight stay, chocolates on arrival, dinner, bed and breakfast, glass of fizz at dinner and 20% off pre-booked beauty treatments.

Prices from £99

Village Hotel and Spa

Book a romantic night away this Valentine’s with a delicious 3 course sharing dinner and cocktail for 2 from just £89 per couple. Plus why not make it extra special and upgrade to a Club room from £10 and enjoy FREE access to the gym and pool, sky movies and sports on your big TV, Tassimo coffee machine and ESPA toiletries in your room. Book to stay on selected dates from 7th February – 17th February 2019.

Prices from £89

Kingston Theatre Hotel

 

Taphouse Brewpub

New Tap Room will add to Hull’s incredible pub offer

The Taphouse Brewpub will combine a working brewery with a high-quality bar offering an ever-changing choice of more than 30 draught real ales, craft lagers and ciders, as well as an extensive range of bottled and canned beers, quality wines and artisan spirits.

The venue will stage a series of drinks festivals and also bring an innovative approach to its food offering. During the week the menu will focus on platters while, at the weekend, street food operators will bring their own unique tastes to the venue’s kitchen.

The Taphouse Brewpub will also host a regular entertainment programme featuring music and spoken word performances, with an emphasis on supporting local artists and contributing to the Fruit Market’s unique cultural vibe.

It will also have a dedicated function room which will be available for corporate and social events, product launches, private parties and wedding receptions.

The opening capitalises on the growing popularity of brewpubs that offer discerning drinkers a wide selection of craft beers brewed on the premises in a high-quality environment.

The new business has grown out of one of the waterside community’s pioneering ventures, the Yorkshire Brewing Company micro-brewery, which has been hand-crafting quality beers in Humber Street in the heart of the Fruit Market for more than six years.

Work is well under way transforming Yorkshire Brewing Company’s premises in Humber Street to create the new venue and breathe new life into yet another of the Fruit Market’s former fruit and veg warehouses.

The concept is inspired by destination brewpubs in major UK cities and abroad such as Howling Hops and The Bohemia in London, The Gas Works Brew Bar in Manchester, and Warpigs brewpub in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Roll on the opening in December!

Wold Top Cookery School Highfield Farm

Top foodie courses in Hull & East Yorkshire

Love food? Course you do. How would you like to learn a few specialist culinary skills at a homely farmhouse kitchen table, get your bake on surrounded by the scent of freshly risen bread, master the art of the chocolatier, or go back to basics on an organic vegetable plot?

Hull and East Yorkshire’s food producers and providers are tapping into our increasing demands to know where our food comes from, how it’s grown and how it’s made. And there’s an impressive range of experts offering a mouth-watering range of truly memorable foodie experiences in our region, from classes that make an unusual gift idea to children’s parties and even hen and stag events.

East Yorkshire Local Food Network brings producers, makers, cafes and restaurateurs together to help spread the word about great East Yorkshire produce. Spokesperson for the network Julia Soukup says: “For generations, the wonderful and varied landscape of East Yorkshire and the surrounding area has produced some of the finest foods in England. This is still true today and it reflects the passion and skills of the people and businesses that produce it. Our members are small businesses driven by a passion to create superb food and drink to be enjoyed by others – whether that’s in the city, villages or historic market towns set in wonderful countryside, or along our stunning heritage coast.”

On the edge of the stunning Yorkshire Wolds, Side Oven Bakery at Carr House Farm, near Driffield, offers baking classes for all occasions – and all ages – using flour that’s been grown on the organic farm, milled on site and finished in the bakery.

If you take a Side Oven class, there’s a good chance you’ll get a bespoke tour of the flour mill while you’re waiting for your bread to rise, or spend a little time wildlife spotting on the riverside farm, which works closely with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to preserve the natural environment. You’re your eyes peeled – herons, brown owls, otters, trout, egrets and cormorants have all been spotted here.

Jess Sellers, of Side Oven Bakery says: “We run classes, open days and nature trails all year round, it’s all very relaxed, friendly and fun … It’s all about getting members of the public to farms to see how it all works. We run breadmaking classes for all occasions – children’s make-your-own pizza parties, hen or stag dos, breadmaking for beginners and seasonal bakes. In December, our bakers can come and learn how to make stolen, croissants and sweet buns – we can also run this course in conjunction with another local business, Rosebud Flowers, so people can choose to bake stollen in the morning and make Christmas wreaths in the afternoon. In summer, we run a picnic breads course. At lunchtime we all eat together and, of course, our bakers get to take home a big basket full of breads home with them.

“Everything we do is rooted on our farm and rooted in our products, so we have seasonal open days for apples in October, a blackcurrant-picking day in July and an elderflower festival – what we’re trying to demonstrate is how to make best use of what’s out there.”

For more details of foodie experiences and cooking courses, check out the businesses in the East Yorkshire Local Food Network. In the meantime, here are a few more to tickle your tastebuds:

COOK, EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT

Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School has the largest range of cookery courses in the region and it’s the go-to place to learn everything from street food cookery to classic patisserie; Lebanese or Thai to a Yorkshire Born and Bred course. It’s also unusual in offering B&B accommodation – either as a package alongside cookery courses, or separately. Basically, pick a skill, learn it, eat it and, if you fancy, stay over in a beautiful setting that’s surrounded by beautiful private farmland. Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School has four resident chefs leading classes, and also brings in guest chefs such as James McKenzie from nearby Michelin-starred restaurant, or Great British Menu chef Stephanie Moon.

Yorkshire produce reigns here, with typical ingredients including Staal Smokehouse smoked salmon, dairy from St Quintin’s Creamery, Lowna Dairy for goat’s cheese, Pocklington butchers Burton’s and Skipsea-based fishmonger Frank Powell.

Business development manager for the school Alison Johnson says: “People come from far and wide, simply because they can stay over – we can take up to 18 people for a cook-and-dine experience. We also offer private dining, as well as children’s and family classes such as junior baking and young masterchef.”

 

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

 

Cocoa Chocolatier in Humber Street at the heart of Hull’s attractive Fruit Market area offers the chance to learn the basics of chocolate making with this fun, informative, one-hour class. You’ll learn how to temper chocolate to get that perfect sheen, make your own ganache filling and, best of all, get to take your creations – a dozen filled chocolates, a chocolate bar, chocolate thins and a lollipop home with you. Caters for parties for chocoholics of all ages.

DEAR DAIRY…

Does milk get any fresher than this? Help yourself to a pinta from Cherry View Milk’s unusual milk vending machine and show the kids exactly where their milk comes from with a trip to this small, but busy, dairy farm. The Milk Shed in Cherry Burton is open from 7am to 7pm daily – just pop up the farm’s driveway and fill up your milk bottles. Becky Waring, of Cherry View Milk, says: “As we are a working dairy farm, customers get to experience the activities on the farm when they are here filling their milk bottles from the specialist milk vending machine. On a daily basis this can include watching calves being fed, seeing the cows queueing in the field to come in for milking time and this week customers even looked on as a cow gave birth to a baby calf in the field. Our youngest customers also love to see the tractors working around the farmyard.”

 

 

VISIT A VEG GROWER

If you’re prepared to get stuck in, Arthur’s Organics in Rise, near Hornsea, welcomes visitors to its walled garden every Monday and Wednesday. Find out where your food comes from by having a go at planting, harvesting, weeding or similar in exchange for fresh, organic veg. The organisers say: “It’s a tranquil, lovely space. We are Soil Association certified and we don’t use chemical pesticides – it’s all totally natural and healthy. As well as being a wonderful exchange of energy, the work is calming, friendly and fun.”

Similarly, Frith Farm in Molescroft, near Beverley, welcomes all-comers for seasonal volunteering opportunities on Wednesdays, between 10am and 1pm. Get in touch with the farm to check details before setting off.

 

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Hull Trails to add interest to your daily walk

Looking to combine your daily exercise with seeing interesting sights in the city? Learn something along the way with one of our great city trails.

Hull is a city so packed with interesting history, quirky facts and funny tales around every corner that it can be tough deciding where to start. Just walking through the medieval streets you might spot a stray fish in the pavement or a statue peeking over a wall, how many historic pubs line the cobbled streets and what makes them so historic? In the train station you will find a statue of Phillip Larkin dashing for a train but where has he come from and what other statues are to be found around the city? The answer to all of these questions and more are in our Tours and Trails guide. You can download a copy here or pick of one from the museums and galleries or the information pod in the transport interchange and start your tour of the city today!

Download the Trail Guide here

There is more information on all of our tours and trails here