Posted: 07/04/22

Sunset 5 March - Rob Bell

Overcast, grey and bleak; the sunset didn’t open up the City as much as I had expected.  Instead, I found myself looking hard at the footprint seeing Hull’s roots, heritage and – maybe – signs of its future. 

For both East and West I found myself thinking Docks and Fishing – how did this characterisation take root?  On the West I kept staring at Queen’s Gardens and it upset me!  It seemed like a pillow on a face. The City has always been a port and this first dock was long gone and the City suffers.  Why?  When you have movement from the sea you have people passing through; diversity and a constant flow of people and ideas – not just cargo.  Queen’s Gardens loses this dimension. 

The Guildhall, City Hall and Dock Offices hark back to a golden age.  In the two views I don’t ‘see’ architecture that opens up – like the Deep or the distant MKM Stadium.  From here I don’t see the Park so my eye looks for ‘ideas’ – Bonus Arena; the shopping mall; few high-rises. 

Turning East.  Tonight I can’t see the Ferry so the movement is not visible only the cranes suggest.  We lose a lot without the maritime and – despite the project for a Maritime city – these two ‘portholes’ East and West do not offer their dimension easily. 

People walking around; children playing in the street. I watch one guy and start to hum Waterloo Sunset to myself wondering if he was humming his ‘image’ of Hull today and, if he is, what would he be saying? 

So much for the footprint! 

I found myself looking at Bridges – Drypool and Humber.  Found their ‘connection’ really hopeful.  Allows people to move around freely. 

The Bridges and the footprint drew me to the unfolding sad story of Ukraine.  All those cities being reduced to rubble and what does this leave you with?  This brings me back to the essence of this place.  The wonderful estuary; the River Hull – which needs to be made more of – the huge skies.  This is something to build on. 

History is what you make of your geography – this place is blessed.  But, we need more in the built environment to point the way – more housing in the centre and from this more people moving around sharing and moving forward.