I have some visitors form Australia this week, one a friend who was born here and left when he was 14 to live in Brisbane. Today, trying to find things for them to do on a Monday, we went to Wilberforce House. Now, I know they try to put on a show, but I was beyond disappointed. There were many parents with children there but what the kids could learn was beyond me. Display cases with lights out etc etc. Surely, it would be more impactual to have someone dressed in period costume taking children around. How can they just stand and read placards next to display items (what little display items there were) and with respect to the parents, their knowledge perhaps doesn't stretch to explaining what happened. Window sills outside a disgrace too. We then went to the Street Life museum. It could be so good but falls so far short its untrue. The shop displays with no lights on, no one again explaining what used to happen. It just looked so half hearted. Why can't they ask for donations to make it more engaging. My friend then asked where the trawler exhibition was as his Dad like mine had been a trawler man and I had to explain we didn't have one but there was one in Grimsby. He was so annoyed about it, that I took him down to the Corsair only to see it filthy wrapped in a mud bank. He couldn't believe that his Dad left Britain as a trawler man to go to Brisbane like many others and that the city or those responsible have seemed fit to eliminate this industry from the record books. I took him down Hessle Road past Rayners and Subway Club of course which he remembered clearly waiting for his Dad outside. Why is there no recognition for those amazing men who lost their lives over the years and made Hull our city? If I was a visitor for COC next year I would want to go and see an exhibition on the fishing industry, the ships lost, the Gaul etc and the life these great men led. Maybe people in touch will know if anything is being done to create something relevant to our city our heritage and ancestors. Apologies for the rant.
Everyone's been slagging off Wilberforce House since the 'refurb', it was much better before. I think the Streetlife Museum's really good. Not much you can do about the Corsair being sat in mud, it's a muddy river, it you go when the tide is in it's obviously sat in water.
Mud in Rivers 'shocker'!! I can't wait for them to get those bloody barriers down in the town centre, looks awful. Heard Burns on the radio saying they should have a 'celebration' of the barriers when the work is over, maybe they should put them right round his house so he cant get to his radio show and see how he likes that
Not been to wilberforce house in a few decades , I remember it vividly tho and for what should be the right reasons . Got to say on a wet Monday afternoon there really isn't anything to do in Hull that you can't do in any other city or small town really .maybe the same can be said for Coventry ,Nottingham and York :/
Not been to Wilberforce house in years, since I was at school, but have taken my kids to streetlife and think its very good considering its free. The similar Castle Street museum in York costs a tenner. The other place across from streetlife with the mammoth is ok too. Agree about the trawler, I think it would be better if put next to the spurn light boat.
