Hull, one hell of a place?! (Hull (Kingston-upon-Hull) in General)

Member Name: theblackstar

Product:	Hull (Kingston-upon-Hull) in General
Date:	26/10/04 (1229 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An undiscovered city waiting to be discovered., A main route to the continent.

Disadvantages: A little off the beaten track., People still tink of it as a little fishing village.

Hull, Hell or Halifax?! Was the famous war-time phrase. Which doesn't place Hull in the most illustrious company, but hey that was 50 odd years ago. Also the reason Hull was referred to in such terms was the vast amount of bombing it got during World War II. Hull grew from the ashes, and is now a thriving metropolitan city with a lot to offer. Over time I hope to give the users of dooyoo an insight into what a worthwhile destination Hull is to visit.

So question is, what does Hull have to offer the average visitor then? Let's start at the top then shall we...

The Deep, which is the world's only Submarium. What's a submarium? An absolutely huge fish tank! That's what. So huge it will truly take your breath away. Imagine that they took a sizable piece of a tropical ocean and moved it indoors, and installed a lift that runs up the side of it. Well then you are getting close to the scale of this visitors attraction. Not just a fish tank though, The Deep is a massive educational and conservaion centre, and one of Hull's most recent and proudest additions.

Then there's the new KC Stadium. In the west of the city the stadium houses both the local football team (Hull City) and one of the two local rugby teams (Hull FC). Here they aloso hold many large scale gigs and concerts. From elton John, Westlife, Bryan Adams and many more have graced the stage of the stadium, with many more planning to play there. In beautiful park-land the stadium has fast becoem the one of the jewels in the crown of the city.

Hull has many parks. The one already mentioned attached to the stadium (West Park) has all the facilities expected in any city park. (Childrens play areas, large expanses of grass, tree lined walkways and sporting facilities.) East Park is a massive piece of parkland with all the same facilities as West Park, but on a grander scale. With a cross between a small game reserve and a zoo, and a huge boating lake, East Park is going through a multi-million pound revamp. In the centre of the city there is the Queens Gardens, and large sunken garden and open park, where during the summer months they hold many open air concerts. My favourite by far though is Pearson Park, in the bohemian quarter of the city. A true Victorian style city park that compares to any park in London or any other large metropolitan city for that matter. With its Victorian Conservatory and eclectic mix of people from all over the world, Pearson Park is a wonerful place to chill-out on a sunny afternoon.

Hull has a fantastic museum quarter, in which all the places of interest are close at hand, and even better are free. The local history muesum, the transport muesum have all been recently revamped and extended into fun interactive centres for all the family. Also close at hand is the Wilberforce Muesum, once the home of William Wilberforce who was instrumental in abolishing slavery, and a local hero.

Other features within short walking distance of the Muesum Quarter is the Holy Trinity church, the largest parish church in the country. The Ferens Art Gallery and the Town Dock Muesum. All FREE!!! You can spend a full day looking around these attractions and never spend a penny. A rare thing these days.

Let us move on the Hull nightlife. Many bars and clubs right across Hull, for every taste and budget. From the packed out banging music fun bars, to quite period pubs filled with history. In fact one of the oldest pubs in Hull (if not the country), Ye Olde White Harte has the Plotting Room, famous as being the place where city merchants and alike plotted to stop King Charles the 1st coming into the city, and was instrumental in the beginnings of the English Civil War.

I could go on and on... And will, but not now. I aim to write about Hull in each of the sections that there are on cities in the UK & Ireland. Sorry if you were getting into my piece on my fair city, but I do not want to repeat myself, and will fully expand in the relevent sections. If you want to get a flavour of what is going on in Hull then I suggest you visit what is probably the best local community website in the country... www.thisisull.com

P.S. Hey! Hull must be up and coming... The BBC have moved their BBCi section to Hull. Hull is becoming the centre for interactive TV with its own communication network and digital TV channels. Like the strap line for the city goes... It's Never Dull In Hull.

Summary: