Journalist & writer - PR
@untamedborders
- BBC for 9 years, year 4 a travelling nomad - Endurance athlete & nature enthusiast - Founder
@banksidegalhull
Another mock blue plaque has appeared in Hull - this time
@alternaheritage
have done one for John Venn next to the Drypool Bridge. The series of plaques celebrate local quirks & people.
East Yorkshire based Heron Foods is giving all its store and distribution staff a 10% pay rise - to recognise the essential work they're doing during this challenging time.
Didn’t quite expect a whole load of new Besiktas followers after last night’s post, but thank you lads & lasses. You’ll be glad to know I’ve adopted Besiktas as my Turkish club to keep an eye on✌️
Hull bakery Jackson’s has donated 800 loaves of bread to Hull Royal Infirmary & Castle Hill Hospital. It plans to do 3 more drops next week - 3,200 loaves in total for NHS staff to take home.
Besiktas - favourite footy experience & the best football I’ve seen in Turkey. Finished 1-0. Great club values - its fans have a manifesto which stands against discrimination of any sort & they actively fight social injustice. Slight St. Pauli vibe. Safe standing a delight too.
I’ve been in Hull for 6 years now. Observations - Hull has a special aura that many places lack. People look to help each other, rather than compete. The city feels like a team, rather than a group of individuals. It’s unique & should be cherished. I feel lucky to be part of it.
Ah, one stray cow hasn’t quite got the memo that they’re all off home. This is the cow equivalent of going to the bar & returning to the dance floor, with your mates no where to be seen.
Besiktas v Altay. It’s been a miserable 48 hours, but I’m glad I’ve made it here. 4th match in Istanbul in 7 days. Impressed with the set up here. Great atmosphere around the ground, good food options & safe standing sections across all the upper tiers. Looking forward to this.
The owner of The Whalebone pub, which is 50 yards from the Banksy art-work, says they've seen a huge upturn in business since the piece appeared. They've had customers in from Bristol & Manchester who came specially to see it. An early indication of the Banksy effect.
The Punch Hotel in Hull's Queen Victoria Square has had a lick of paint (to say the least). It was taken over by Forrest & Co. last year and has had a £140,000 refit. It's such an impressive building - it's good to see new life breathed into it.
Someone is certainly trying to send a message out of Hull’s Grafton Street. The “Drugs Drop Off Point Here” stencil was cleaned off, but it has been replaced by this.....
The River Hull looking unusually blue today, rather than the silty brown colour we're accustomed to. It looks healthier than I can ever remember it - possibly due to less industry going on at the moment & fewer boats travelling up it? (📸: Simon Pattern).
A big slice of life news - I’ve made the very difficult decision to step down from my role at Radio Humberside & leave the BBC (for now). The area means a heck of a lot to me & it wasn’t an easy decision. Here is a explanation why & thank you if you take time to read it…..
They’ve run out of grass on Woodlands Road, so they’re now having a jaunt up to Atkinson Way. Fewer lawns, but the lamp posts seem popular for a good scratch.
#Hull
very nearly lost its Banksy art-work last night. In the space of 12 hours someone sprayed over the original piece, before members of the public/council workers came to the rescue. The council needs to Perspex it over urgently before it's lost forever.
Today is my last day at work before my 12 month career break begins - leave UK on Sunday. Thank you to all who’ve helped with stories over the years. I love being Hull reporter & sharing the city’s story. There is a lot of good to shout about, challenge those who talk Hull down✌️
It looks like the new piece of street art on a bridge over River
#Hull
really is a genuine Banksy work. This was posted on Banksy's verified Instagram account half an hour ago. Great to have one in the city.
I always find it strange when Hull gets such a bad rap from some quarters. There are so many nothing places & average towns/cities in the south & elsewhere, which don’t come close to Hull in terms of their cultural richness, dining/drinking scenes, visitor offer/experiences etc.
Hull bakery, Jackson's, is to remove palm oil from its entire range. The company says it's the first British bread brand to make the step. It makes 250,000 bloomers & rolls each week - with the new palm oil free products going on sale this week.
Went into this lad’s shop in Erbil (Kurdistan, Northern Iraq) to buy a bottle of water. He asked where I was from & if I knew a city called Hull - his brother lived in the city for 7 years. Big thumbs up for Hull in this corner of Kurdistan.
These mock blue plaques are appearing on walls around Hull - celebrating local quirks. The one dedicated to the "croggy" appeared earlier today in the Orchard Park area, now one for "Chip Spice" has appeared on its old factory in East Hull. Love em.
The new Polish bakery on Hull’s Newland Av certainly seems popular. I’ve been queuing out the door for 10 minutes, but am now inside - I can see what the fuss is about.....
Don't use a photo of our fine city to push your hateful agenda. It's a genius idea by
#Hull
City Council & helps to reduce the anxiety some people may have following recent terror attacks.
Huge respect to the people of Hull today. The protest passed without incident. People were sensible, spaced out & respectful. Lots in masks & anti-bacterial hand gel was dispensed. I’ve covered lots of protests in Hull & never seen quite as many people as today.
The cows’ big day out looks like it might be coming to a close. After enjoying a munch around the Laurel Court play park, they’re now getting a stern telling off from Zowie, the Neatherd, who looks after the animals on Beverley Westwood. Now just the task of directing them back.
Here is the finished piece by
@DanKitchener
on a new
@Banksidegalhull
permission wall on the side of the new
@kingsofhull
venue in Old Town. It’s a coup to have brought him to the city. More big murals like this are planned in other locations around Hull.
Day 19/20 - An absolutely enormous 48 hours. I asked a wonder wonderful human a very big question. Mission complete ✅ Followed by a mega stay at Château Les Carrasses. (Now back to van life & living off tinned beans for a year.)
Eyewitnesses have praised the bravery of 4 young men who they say chased a man allegedly wielding a meat cleaver through Hull city centre to Paragon Station shouting for people to run - before then challenging him & hitting him with chairs. They say police then apprehended him.
Back on home turf. It’s a good job the Lawn Bandits only took a party of 7, there are 100s on Beverley Westwood. For non Bevelonians - the pastureland doesn’t have gates/cattle grids into the town. The cows regularly walk across roads & sometimes venture in, but not quite as far.
Really quite a moving scene outside Hull Mosque today. People from the local Muslim community left Friday prayers to find a row of people with banners saying “solidarity with the Muslim community”. People shook hands & shared food. Some were very visibly moved by what happened.
I’ve been sent these shots of the flooding situation in Laxey on the Isle of Man. It really doesn’t look good. I hope everyone gets to safety! (I’d like to know who filmed it to credit them properly, it has been forwarded on 10s of the times to end up with me).
@BBCIsleofMan
I am so sick of division in Hull & the UK in general - particularly on social media. We need to start loving each other more, working as one & looking out for each other. Here are some thoughts....
East Yorkshire food producer Cranwick PLC is to provide free meat hampers for over-70s in East Hull who are self-isolating (financially supported by Siemens Gamesa). It's also working with Jackson's Bakery to provide sandwiches for hospital staff & supporting local food banks.
I've heard some people say today that Hull has gone back to the same place it was in 2015, which I struggle to get my head round. I think it has changed massively for the better. I'm not attributing all these to the CoC effect, but I think it's easy to forget what has changed:
Smith & Nephew has been awarded a contract to make ventilators for the government at its site in Hull. The OxVent ventilator is a collaboration of work by teams from the University of Oxford, King's College London and Smith & Nephew. It's awaiting sign off from the MHRA.
Some life news for 2020 - I’m taking a career break in April & going travelling for a year with my partner Liz. We’ll spend part of the time based in the South of France & the rest adventuring in the campervan/a few flights here & there. Return to the BBC in Hull in April 2021.
A number of people have posted “but where were the protests for Lee Rigby etc”.
Lyn Rigby & the Lee Rigby Foundation have released this statement - saying they support the BLM protest & have urged people not to use Lee’s name as a counter argument.
This is abhorrent. Hull is a welcoming city & it’s shameful to see a small minority of thugs bringing hate to the streets. As we should always, but now more than ever, make your migrant communities & those of other faiths etc. feel safe, welcome & protected where they live.
Planned for months, today’s annual Hull International Carnival parade event has been reluctantly relocated at the last minute after the authorities told organisers safety could not be guaranteed because of an expected impromptu gathering of racist hatemongers.
The splash boat has returned to Hull’s East Park after its £250,000 refurbishment. It’s one of only 3 left in the UK & almost 100 years old. It’s due to reopen when COVID restrictions ease to allow visitors.
@FabrizioRomano
@footballdaily
What’s the dude doing trying to stop the cameraman? He’s signing for a football club, not off to court. Meanwhile he gladly leaves the reporter to have a recorded natter with Aubameyang. Odd behaviour.
#Hull
just about still has a Banksy. It's survived the defacing thanks to the effort of local people in the middle of the night. It's a little worn, but intact. People are arriving by the minute to take photos.
Electricity boxes in an area of Hull are being turned into mini street art installations. 10 are being transformed along Beverley Road. The council has commissioned artists to work on the pieces. If the project goes well it could be rolled out to more locations across the city.
Thinking of all my Hull City supporting pals & all the club’s supporters today. I remember the moment we got the Oystons out of Blackpool after years of boycotting & the scenes at the first match back. Unbelievable experience & atmosphere. Enjoy City lads & lasses 🍻
#hcafc
#utmp
I've never seen so many tourists in Hull. As I've wandered around the city centre this week I've heard all sorts of languages with people dragging suitcases behind them - I've been asked for directions multiple times a day too. Really encouraging to see.
The council has announced it will save & restore the Alan Boyson murals inside Hull’s former BHS store. They will be reinstated inside the £130m Albion Square development. The council also intends to retain the external Three Ships mural but still needs to do structural surveys.
Another mock blue plaque has appeared in Hull. This time
@alternaheritage
have done one for Ronnie Pickering - the man who went viral after a road rage incident in the city. It’s on a wall on Church Street, in Sutton-on-Hull. The plaques celebrate local quirks & people.
First night out in the campervan in a little while. A short trip over to the west coast of the Isle of Man - setting up camp at Niarbyl. Cooked dinner by sunset, star gazed and had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in quite a while.
The new £12m footbridge over the A63 in Hull is to be named after Hull's first female GP - Dr Mary Murdoch - who also founded Hull's Women’s Suffrage Society. 55,000 votes were cast in the competition. Highways England will work with local students to establish the final name.
Headscarf Revolutionary Yvonne Blenkinsop is to turn on the Christmas lights in Hull this year. The revolutionaries' campaign for improved safety legislation at sea has saved thousands of lives. The switch on will be on 15th November.
£4.7m plans have been revealed to modernise Hull’s Albert Avenue & Beverley Road Baths. The Lido will be properly reinstated at Albert Av for the first time since 1970s, along with new changing facilities & a new gym, changing rooms & sauna will be installed at Beverley Road.
The
@UniOfHull
has risen 17 places in the Complete University Guide 2021 rankings. It's now placed joint 64th in the country & the biggest riser in the north of England.
The organisers of Hull’s Humber Street Sesh are aiming to ditch single use plastics at this year’s festival. There will be reusable cups, a cup swap scheme & free water refill stations. One of the stages will also be powered by solar panels. 32,000 people attended last year.
Police officers in West Hull have today pulled over a vehicle with a tyre in this condition. The motorist told officers he’d been driving with it in this state for some time & believed it was only a puncture..... (📸:
@HP_NorthHull
)
Hull has been named as one of the most improved cities in the UK in a new quality of life report by
@PwC
/
@Demos
. The research into 42 cities - measured things like employment rates, pay, house prices, cost of living, transport, the local environment & work-life balance.
It's estimated 3.5 million people have visited City of Culture events in
@2017Hull
according to
#Hull
City Council. Major city centre projects have created 1,455 jobs. Hotel occupancy = 88% full (last quarter). Shop vacancies & unemployment have fallen. Not bad ey!
Hull has walked the World Cup of GB Cities, beating London & Edinburgh along the way (among others). It highlights how proud the people of Hull are of their city & how they rally behind it. I’ve never experienced city pride quite like it in the UK. Incredible quality to have.
I’ve had a little taste of the Turkish impact that Hull City must have experienced after
@acunilicali
took over. Since going to watch Beşiktaş I’ve had around 400 new Beşiktaş fan follows & loads of messages welcoming me, offering to go for pints, recommending restaurants etc. 🦅
“Cycle lanes will kill off the city centre”. Thursday at 1pm - main shopping streets busy, businesses with outside seating full, market busy, Humber Dock St busy, lots of people in the pubs etc. It isn’t a Help Out To Eat Out day. If there are nice things to do people will come.
Plans have been submitted today to create an artisan food hall on the ground floor of Hull’s former House of Fraser building - creating 40 full time & 80 part-time jobs. The artist impressions have a continental feel - like Lisbon’s Time Out Market or Madrid’s San Miguel Market.
Sun setting on a lovely weekend in Hull. I was on tour duty for some of my partner’s family (who hadn’t been to Hull before). I felt a real sense of pride to hear their glowing endorsement of the city as they left back for the south-east. They were blown away by our awesome city!
Huge crowds in Hull’s Queens Gardens for the city’s second Black Lives Matter protest. Far more than the approximate 500 who attended last week’s event. Crowds still streaming into the gardens half an hour in.
#BlackLivesMatter
With the hospitality sector set to reopen next month it would be a nice idea to have lots of outdoor seating/tables in Trinity Square. Both for
@TrinityMarket1
customers & the surrounding pubs, cafes & restaurants. It could have a continental piazza feel.
A Black Lives Matter protest is being held in Hull city centre tomorrow. People are meeting at 3pm outside the City Hall. People are urged to wear face masks, gloves & adhere to social distancing. The organisers want to show the city’s solidarity in the fight against racism.
Had a chippy in Beverley last week - small fish, chips & peas cost me £7.50. Yep really. Hate to think how much one costs in London. Hull knows the score - ��3.25 at the Friary on Whitefriargate - outstanding stuff. Chippy recommendations?
£130m plans have been submitted to transform the Albion Square site in Hull. The council plans include a new Ice Arena, 278 homes, 10 shops, 2 offices & 612 parking spaces - creating 539 full-time jobs. The complexities of keeping the BHS mural are still being investigated.
Great shots of a deer in the Southcoates area of Hull this afternoon. It was walking along the railway line near the docks. Incredible to see wildlife like this only a few miles from the city centre & in broad daylight. (📸: James Griffiths).