All very good points. We have an oversupply of shop units. Lots of people dont even go into the city centre at all just sit at home and order off the internet. Getting on for 70 % of all beer n wine consumed is done at home nowadays. This obviously hits the pubs. Theres no wonder we have a big obesity problem when you factor this in. You also dont have weekly pay like you did before so a lot have done their wages in after a couple of weeks
If you really believe this and see Hull as a nowhere place, then it is hardly surprising that those who want to promote it, create pride in it (I think some pride is already there to be built upon) and invite folk to share and enjoy it, are struggling to do so. It might seem fine, indeed, even clever, to list negatives, but I'm really not sure what that achieves, put the energy into building positives. I've lived in the north east since 1989, both north and south of the Tyne, and the transformation has been superb, slow, but meaningful and superb. Newcastle is a real lesson of inward investment, Gateshead, along with Sunderland are well on their way to keeping up the dream of a region to have pride in. Even Durham, always with so much to offer, is gently, but positively moving forwards - this against real historic building prohibitions. Of course there are issues to be overcome, but drowning in lost causes will never achieve anything; especially if lost is just a state of mind.
The phrase 'from nowhere to nowhere' was used by people in the press, and elsewhere, to disparage the bridge and the area in which it was built from the early days of its construction, it is not my phrase, so maybe your history of the bridge and the polotics surrounding it in the 60's and 70's, is a little rusty. Many, on both banks of the Humber, didn't want the bridge at all and deffinately not a county of Humberside. But all this creating positives bulls*** has never washed with me its just PR crap spoken by people in suits, but when there are cranes in the area and construction is ongoing then that to me is positive not fancy words with no sustance to back them up.
Nothing rusty about my knowledge of the bridge, I simply read what you wrote, but see you are now using apostrophes to indicate paraphrasing, which might have helped make your point in the first place; as it was it was read as your opinion, not someone else's, so can you make it clear - do you share that opinion, if not, then do you see a reason for the bridge, if it were supported correctly? If you think talking of positives is bullshit then I can only think you are a local, long established councillor. Try looking at the positives and why they are perceived as that and you just might start finding a way to unravel and reverse the negatives.
Fez, I wholeheartedly supported the bridge and watched it being built from the first instance from a hole on Hessle Foreshore to its completion, I also like the idea of a County of Humberside of which I was a minority, a tiny minority, but I thought it was a good idea to support a Humber region. I can only go on personal experiences and the Humberside idea was dead a long time before it was actually crushed when I worked in Bridlington, the locals did not want to be associated 'with a muddy river near Hull' or words to that effect, it was a valid point, the local folk felt remote from the Humberside ideal. Nope I'm nothing to do with polotics only that after a lifetime of seeing Hull slipping down the desireablity scale when the likes of Leeds, which in the 50's was a sh*thole, prosper, I am, as I have stated, more saddened than anything. I love the whole area but I can't turn a blind eye to what I see before me, even on the outskirts of Hull, well Hessle, new buildings are going up near the Humber Bridge, that is great don't get me wrong, but for the exception of Kingswood I see nothing for central Hull. There has been meshing around that huge building opposite the former Edwin Davis's store which itself has been derelict for goodness how long, what is going on? More to the point how can you make such an eyesore a 'positive'? Of course other places have problems as OLM points out, I was in Chester myself not so long back so I know what he is talking about, but I have also seen the likes of Birmingham, Nottingham and other city centres which don't seem to have a problem as much as Hull, and in some Southern counties, Brentwood for instance, I hardly seen any boarded up shops. I am perceived as a moaning old git, so be it, but I would like nothing better than to see Hull have massive investment and although welcome, I cannot see this C.O.C. thing being the catalyst it is perceived as, I just hope I'm wrong, massively so.
Leicester is surrounded by Nottingham, Derby, Coventry, Birmingham and it's doing all right. Excellent shopping and leisure facilities which are always kept busy, no boarded up shops. Hull is a bit more cut off. If the facilities are there they will definitely get used by locals. The problem is, who would risk ploughing cash investing into a dead city nobody uses? Catch 22. You've got St. Stephens but let's be honest, it's a waste of time. There are small towns with better shopping centres than that.
This is a rather ironic post to go up now, considering that the entire city centre is currently being dug to be re-landscaped as part of £25m revamp.
Which considering what it replaced it was a great improvement but like the Humber Bridge mentioned it was not without its critics. The sad demise of Princes Quay is partly blamed on St Stephens drawing people away from that area of town and if I remember it was also blamed for so many boarded up shops as well. Also the actual design came in for criticism especially when piles of snow came tumbling down off the roof at the back of the building. To me its an innovating design, the roof resembling a wave I believe and of course being quite handy for the interchange, which you may have read has its own critics. Again I watched the development from start to finish, I also have a look around the 'Fruit' area to see how that is developing, as for your original quote I'm glad this scheme eventually got off the ground but it was touch and go for quite a while before a brick was laid. Its just a shame that hardly anything else has happened since, L.A.'s spot is being developed and there is a nice picture of what Circus Cirus (Spenser's Arms) could be stuck on the wall.
Good job as well OLM as so many of the sets got replaced by tarmac especially the bus route through the city centre, and others physically moved when you stepped on them, if you didn't trip over them first that is.
I know, it's almost as if the awarding of the City Of Culture has been the catalyst to get all these things sorted...
As I have said OLM I hope so, if the C.O.C. does something to reverse some of the decline, it can't cure all ills, then I will be highly delighted, Ferens Art Gallery is being revamped, Holy Trinity is getting spruced up, long may it continue, we can do things well, Sesh, Freedom Festival, Hull Fair still draws thousands but its not investment on a grand scale to arrest years of decline. Blimey even you have posted pictures of Hull in a bygone age and many still remember a vibrant musical culture in the city, nightclubs and the such, and comments have often been posted about some of the demolition of fine buildings that were undertaken and which are now regretted. Still I hope to look forward to a better Hull one can only hope.
Can't say I fully agree about St Stephens Mr Hat but the rest is spot on, I have been to those places you mention over the last year, city centre shopping centre's like Birmingham's Bull Ring and Nottingham/Derby's Intu Shopping Centre leave St Stephens looking a bit limp to say the least but St Stephens was a limited development due to what you said, the amount of money being invested was limited by those who put up the money.
Anybody got any idea when that disgraceful tarmac is getting ripped up and replaced with the sets down Bowlalley lane??
That one's not part of the city centre works, the contractors that did the work down there have to replace the sets once they've finished, but I've no idea when. Whitefriargate is getting all the concrete poured next week, ahead of the new paving going down, apparently the city centre works are currently still on track to be finished in November (though I'm not sure if the Beverley Gate works will run later now).
It's far too small and next to a whopping great big Tesco. Absolutely zero potential, walking through it seems like walking through a little arcade, not like walking through the cities premium shopping centre. What Hull needs is to attract the big department stores such as John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser, M&S etc. They draw people in and provide a foundation for other shops and restaurants to pop up around them. Prinny Quay is big enough to accomodate them, the money should have been spent on revamping that, along with those big bloody streets that look like death with dole scrounger shops like poundland or home bargains filling them.
