Licensed for the sale of spirits

The Manchester Arms on Scale Lane in the old town was recently in the news (local news for local people) as being haunted. The landlady claims a spirit by the name of Beryl (you couldn't make this stuff up) is causing mischief by flickering lights, turning off machines causing floods and "playing with her hair". She, the landlady that is, even claims to have captured the ghost on CCTV. Well, whatever the truth of all this, it certainly got some publicity for the place.

This being the last post of the year I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year. I'd like also to think that next year will be better than the this but then I never learn from experience.  Cheers and all the best as they say round here.

Oompah! Oompah! Stick it up your jumper!

When you look back it was obvious that what Hull lacked was a really good bandstand. No self-respecting city can hold its head up without a place for the delightful oompah of collective brass instruments gently wafting in the afternoon air while gentlemen in boaters escort ladies in their long Summer dresses across the green lawns of Queens Gardens .... Well now that shortfall has been met with this glorious edifice. Installed exactly a year ago by apprentices from Hull Training and Point Engineering and opened by the Mayor in his fancy regalia (any excuse to dress up) it is supposed to "enhance the musical life of the city". The first band to play was the Humberside Police Concert Band celebrating their 150^th anniversary. The cost of £70-80,000 was met by a levy developers in the city pay towards community projects. Now far be it from me to rain on anyone's parade, least of all Humberside Police Band, but I seem to recall that when nearby streets were pedestrianised in the mid 80's a similar bandstand was erected then and lay idle for 10-15 years before being pulled down. 

Deep diving bell

Not really in the mood for posting today. Anyway here's what I assume is a diving bell parked up behind the Deep. This was taken early this year when they were installing the Tidal Power gizmo that you can see in the background. Right that's your lot, until tomorrow ...

Frosty afternoon

This was taken a couple of weeks back when we had some cold weather. Those young trees are part of the new cemetery's natural burial plot; a new twist to the saying dust to dust ashes to Ash.

On its head

This hairdressers on Chanterlands Avenue has a tradition of displaying a black upside down tree in its window at this time of year.

Flash Car

I rarely use flash but when I came across this police car with its special reflective surfaces I just couldn't resist.

Cottingham Lights

Regular readers of this blog might expect me to be the sort of guy to say "Bah, humbug!" to all this festive nonsense. Not so. To all you Christians out there celebrating the birth of your saviour I say "Merry Christmas". To the rest of you I say "Bah, humbug!"