ASDA, Hessle Road

If you look at old maps of Hessle Road you'll find the area between it and the docks along the Humber crammed with housing, every inch taken up with dwellings for the families of fishermen, rail workers and so on. The 60's and 70's saw much of this quasi-slum demolished and people shipped out to the sunlit uplands of Bransholme and Orchard Park. This left a large open space on the edge of town and as nature abhors a vacuum so in rushed a superstore, ASDA. It's a large, bland and inhuman space (now owned by Walmart) but at least does have windows to reflect the mural I showed the other day.

Weekend Reflections are here.

Cup Final Fever

OK fever may be an bit over the top but the local rugby league team's second trip to Wembley in two years (it seems they won last year, who knew?) is sure to clear the streets around Hessle Road this Saturday.  This guy didn't seem to be having much trade with his flags and so on but that was on Tuesday. I'm sure excitement will be at boiling point by now ... or maybe not. I don't even know who they are playing ... (*goes off and Googles for a minute*) ... Wigan Warriors, there you go... hope it's a nice day for them.

King Cod

Right, let's get these monsters out of the way. Hull has recently put up several memorials to trawlermen lost at sea and there's something of fishing heritage thing developing on Hessle Road. As there's no money in fishing any more maybe there's a bob to made out of tourism ... So for whatever reason money from the City of Culture paid for these murals on Hessle Road. Local artists worked with the guys from Northern Ireland who did Big Lil to produce what are monumental images. ("Cor ain't it big" says I, "It's the size of  houses" says Margot, who notices these things.) Being about fishing there's a King Cod motif which is clear on the triptych below but you have to peer at the fisherman's hand to see his tattoo is the self same Cod. I think what they lack in artistic merit they more than make up with imposing size and they are clearly much loved by the folks around here; one of whom was walking along and found his granny was on the wall, must have been a nice surprise.

More murals are planned I suspect this little fellow will reappear.

Mural Monday is here.

152 & 154 Hessle Road

In the late 19^th century a businessman by the name of William Henry Franklin seeing the need for shoes and boots in the boom town of Hull set up the fabulously named Public Benefit Boot and Shoe Company to go with this glorious moniker the company's logo was a horse drawn boot. This building designed by our old friend Alfred Gelder's company in 1896 was one of several stores in Hull in what had become a national chain. For what was effectively just a shoe shop it is a tad grand in the Flemish Renaissance Revival style. I note the ornate decoration above the first floor windows is only on one side which I find rather pleasing, can't be having too much frippery. It is, of course, grade 2 listed. It still sells boots though not for the public benefit needless to say.

I took me a walk down Hessle Road and along the way took a shed load of pictures so the next few days, possibly weeks, will feature this  part of town which was the centre of the fishing community in Hull, unless something better crops up or I get bored.

Burnett's Buddleia

I've mentioned before how buddleia can grow in unexpected nooks and crannies. This one has taken root half way up the gable end of Burnett House and very nice it looks too.

Billy's Old Nag

At the risk of being trampled under hoof I bring you this unusual angle on the King William statue in Market Place. The poor old thing looks in need of another coat of gold leaf.

Lowgate Lion

Victorian and Edwardian buildings often have decorations that are frowned upon by the modern steel, glass and concrete builders of today. This fine lion is on the Old Custom House on Lowgate.

The weekend in black and white just finishing here.