History Hull

This article in its  present form appeared on the City of Culture 2017 Volunteers Hub in June 2017, and also on Twitter on @HistoryHull also in June 2017. I've published here as I think it is easier to read and does the subject more justice.  Flectchers Corner Fountain Fletcher's Corner Fountain in Happier Times Photo: Hull Daily Mail With the opening of the new fountain in Queen Victoria Square recently, I would like to reminisce about one of Hull’s lost fountains, popular with old and young alike that stood for over 50 years in the city centre. The fountain in question stood in front of Fletchers bakery which was situated in King Edward Street and Jameson Street, opposite McDonalds and the former BHS. Fletchers was a bakery and delicatessen chain based in Hull and, what in today’s terminology would be called their flag ship store. The fountain was built in the 1950’s and the centre piece was a mermaid statue from the former Botanical Gardens, which w...

A Breath of Sculcoates Those of a certain age will remember that for most of us the highlight of the week (or Christmas Day!) would be watching Morecambe & Wise, and will also recall that 'Little Ern' was a budding playwright, so more often than not, the episode would feature the said play, with hilarious (and disastrous!) consequences caused by Eric!  Eric, Glenda Jackson and 'Little Ern' Photo:BBC With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the members of the group in 2007 published "A Breath of Sculcoates" looks at the history of the area that goes from Queens Gardens, along Ferensway, Spring Bank, along Princes Avenue, and right along Sculcoates Avenue, north along the River Hull and back to Queens Gardens. Below is a map from 1906, taken from the book, which shows the Sculcoates area. For the sharp eyed among you, you will see that there is no Ferensway yet, and Queens Gardens is still a Dock! Follow the red Line! Bacon's Map ...

The National Picture Theatre: One of Hulls Last WWII Bombsites Over seventy years after the end of World War Two, there still remains a remnant of the conflict down Beverley Road, still untouched and awaiting it's future. The National Picture Theatre, just past Fountain Road as you travel into Hull City Centre, opened in December 1914, just after the outbreak of World War One. It had room for an orchestra, instead of a piano to accompany the silent films of the era, and plush seats that were compared to "being sat in your father's comfy armchair at home". The National Picture Theatre circa 1960s Photo: ArthurLloyd.co.uk On the evening of the 18th March 1941, Fate would decide it's final film which was Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator", a satire of Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Obviously it wasn't to the Luftwaffe's taste, as they dropped a bomb in the car park behind the theatre at 9.50pm, just before the wartime cine...

New Historical City of Culture Leaflets One of the perks of  being a City of Culture volunteer is that you get to work on the Tourist Information Point at the Interchange, meeting and greeting visitors and advising them on what to do in the city. Also we get to see the new leaflets that come in, and some of them are a fantastic way for historians to explore the city for free! Here are two new leaflets that I think are worth a place in your collection, though I haven't had the chance to do them yet! 'The Hull Tile Trail', published for the City of  Culture by the Tiles and Architectural Society, it covers mainly the city centre, with a fold out map at the front. Included are the former BHS mural, whose future at the time of writing is still uncertain; the Punch Hotel, which is situated in between Princes Quay Shopping Centre and Ferens Art Gallery, and even the Roman mosaics in the East Riding Museum. It ventures out from the city centre by looking at Beverley Road ...

I've mentioned many times on the Twitter feed that history can be found in the most unexpected places, and none more so than a House of Fraser carrier bag. I've seen them thousands of times, and own a couple myself, but for the first time did I notice it had the Queen's Coat of Arms on it. The Black Version of the House of Fraser Carrier bag  A few clicks on the computer told me that House of Fraser holds the Royal Warrant as Outfitters and Household Suppliers. Technically, the Warrant holder is an actual person, and also the House of Fraser is registered in London, but the store in Hull dates back to W.H. Hammond opening a drapery store in 1821, was was situated on North Bridge, before moving to Osbourne Street. As Mr Hammond had no heirs, the business was sold to James Powell and his sons in 1889. The move to the present location happened in 1916, though it was bombed in 1941, and the present building wasn't built until 1952. The Powell family sold the busi...