The Hull Hub Issue 22

Always

FREE

the

Hull Hub

Issue 22

Inside: The people of Hull & surrounding areas share their story, news, history and much more

BELIEVE YOU CAN

and you’re halfway there

BRINGING THE

COMMUNITY

TOGETHER

THROUGH POSITIVE NEWS.

“Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.”- Anne Frank

Community

Join us in celebrating the good works of the every

day people of Hull. These Heroes of Hull are making

a huge difference in our city every day

Achievement

Catch up with the achievements of our kids! See

how they’re excelling, and letting their talents

shine across the nation

Business

The cold weather is here and there;s a chill in the

air! See what’s new, who’s open for business, and

what’s going in and around our city

/thehullhub

WIssue 22elcome

@thehullhub

Whether young, old, or inbetween The Hull

Hub strives to offer something for everyone. Our

dedicated and expert Editorial Team hold family values

and community issues close to our hearts and believe

that The Hull Hub is the perfect way to incorporate not

just news that matters to our community, but to bring

a sense of community through our inspirational, feelgood

stories.

What’s

Inside

??

this edition

•

•

Community News

Stories from the

people of Hull

Know your City

The School Scoop

Health & Fitness

•

and SO MUCH

MORE!

meet the team

Peter & Paul

Uncle

FUN WITH

with Special Guests

CUTS and TRIMS

Collars and Cuffs

Discreet and Complete

Massage

It’s our pleasure

PRICES ON THE RISE

Hotta Coffee

Delicious coffee only hotter

50% INCREASE

AXES, SHRUBS & Screws

Everything under one shed roof

CUTTING HAIR - NOT PRICES!

NO SPECIAL OFFERS

COST OF LIVING

PEDESTAL

MADE BY

MY

Follow us for more silly stuff

@peter_and_paul_

It’s only a bit of fun

you’ll also find us on facebook and Instagram

peterandpaulcartoons

PRICE INCREASE

Splat de la Cremé

Sticky, messy, tasty!

NEWSREADER’S EXCHANGE

Prewritten Scripts for less

The cost of living was going up and everything was costing a lot more. A

coffee November from was Hotta Paul Coffee, Hudson’s a pancake favourite from month Splat of de the la year. Cremé It was and the even only the

massage month of services the year at he Discreet was pretty and confident Complete, of no getting matter his which weather way forecasts you

turned, correct. prices Rain on were Monday, going through rain on Tuesday, the roof. rain It just on Wednesday didn’t seem fair and though so the

that week no went matter on. how The best many thing times was Uncle knowing Peter tried that to his explain good friend to people Uncle that Peter the

government’s hated the rain, 'Levy which charges' meant had that nothing Paul could to do with go round him, he for was a coffee still the any one day of

taking

the week

most

knowing

of the flak

that

for

Uncle

the region's

Peter couldn’t

chaotic financial

use the excuse

situation.

that he wouldn’t

be in because he was going out to have his hair cut.

P

PEDESTAL

It’s Training CATS AND DOGS

Obedience comes as standard

PRICE INCREASE

PRICE INCREASE

BOOKS FOR COOKS

Stories to read while cooking

PRICE INCREASE

Goddess Genius In

Charge - Jayne Bentley

Chief Walnut Whip -

Lyn Davies

Queen of Marketing -

Lyn Tribe

GRAB IT

KEEP IT

LOVE IT

SHARE IT

Design Rockstar -

Olivia Walz

Network Magician -

Nevenka Fenwick

Artistic Ninja -

Kurt Hoyle

Advertising

Did you know we reach up to 105,000 people with

each edition. Want to boost your business or advertise

with us? Don’t miss out, get in touch today!

email: advertising@thehullhub.co.uk

Contact Us

Do you have a story, photo, or act of kindess that you’d

like to share? Contact us today:

call: 07900 265 283

email: info@thehullhub.co.uk

web: www.thehullhub.co.uk

Where to pick up your own copy

Please go to our Facebook page, or website where you will see the full list of where you can find

copies of The Hull Hub. At a glance, you can collect them at all Aldi stores • Castlehill Hospital • Hull Royal

Hospital • Red Sails • Elliott Chappelle Medical Centre • Wilberforce Medical Centre • Jean Bishop

Integrated Care Centre • The Orchard Medical Centre • Bransholme North Medical Centre • Village Hotel

• Hallmark Hotel • Hilton Doubletree • Cheval • Warners Gym • Craven Park Training & Enterprise

Centre • Haltenprice Leisure Library • Welcome Information Centre Paragon Station • Trinity Minster •

Hull History Centre • BBC Studios • Central Library • Woodmansey Garden Centre • East Park Library

Central Pavilion • Pavilion Cafe • Freedom Centre • Iceland Warehouse • Costa Coffee • Ignition Cafe •

Carnegie Heritage Centre • Lidl

The Hull Hub and any of its associated companies accept no liability for any image or artwork supplied by you to us, or any dispute arising

there from. It is understood that any image or artwork sent to The Hull Hub has full copyright approval of either the photographer, artist or

originator. This includes both advertising, editorial images and artwork. We do not accept any liability arising in respect of material used by

websites, social media, and/or any third party that may be intentionally or unintentionally linked to The Hull Hub.

Operation Seabird – protecting our marine birds and wildlife

The dramatic and rugged coastline of North

East Yorkshire has for decades been the

home to hundreds of thousands of nesting

birds, choosing the chalk cliffs at Flamborough

and Bempton as their summer breeding

destination.

On these 100 feet high sheer chalk cliffs,

fulmars, gannets, herring gulls, kittiwakes,

guillemots, razorbills and puffins lay eggs

and raise their young between March and

September, each year.

Flamborough and Bempton are rare and

precious places not only for birds but increasingly

we are seeing dolphins offshore as

well as growing seal populations and in partnership

with North Yorkshire Police, ERYC,

SBC, RSPB, RSPCA, the Flamborough Head

European Marine Site Management Scheme

and with the support of the Yorkshire Wildlife

Trust and RNLI, Humberside Police are

taking part in Operation Seabird. An operation

to raise awareness about the importance

of our coastline and reduce water-borne

disturbance to the sensitive wildlife between

Scarborough and Bridlington.

The award-winning Operation Seabird is

now in its third year and launches again Today,

Thursday 14 April 2022. Our local officers

will be on hand along the East Yorkshire

coastline to support the initiative.

Wildlife and Heritage Crime Officer Richard

Fussey said, “The Yorkshire coastline is a

fantastic landscape that’s an important feeding

and breeding ground for a variety of seabirds

and marine mammals.

“This valuable asset not only attracts visitors

to explore the beaches and cliffs, but also attracts

those wishing to explore the coastal

waters themselves.

“Unfortunately we have a number of reports

each year of members of the public on the

water, approaching too closely to the wildlife

that live the area including the nesting seabirds

and marine mammals.

“The disturbance of these important species

can impact on the success of their breeding

and also cause cetaceans* in particular, high

levels of stress, which could lead to future issues

such as stranding and injuries through

impact with water craft.

“The key focus of the operation is to ensure

that members of the public, who are using

the waters along the Yorkshire coast, do so

in a responsible way. We want to ensure

they keep their distance from the wildlife

to prevent intentional disturbance and to

safeguard this stretch of coastline, allowing

future generations to enjoy the spectacle we

see today.”

Victory Leisure Homes raises over £7,000 for its charity

of the year, Downright Special

Victory Leisure Homes, luxury holiday home

manufacturer, has raised over £7,000 for its

charity of the year, Downright Special – an organisation

close to the heart of one long serving

member of staff.

Downright Special supports children with

Down Syndrome in Hull and the East Riding,

assisting families and professionals in all aspects

of the care and education of children

with the condition. Its aim is to build a brighter

future for children with Down Syndrome, supporting

them to achieve their full potential and

promoting successful inclusion in all aspects of

life.

One of Victory’s team leaders, Chris Rooks, became

a dad to daughter Millie four years ago,

who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome before

she was born, and the family regularly use

the facilities at Downright Special.

Victory kicked the year off on a high with its

first official fundraising event in March. Taking

place just before Down Syndrome Awareness

Week, its sponsored five-aside football match

saw up to 10 other companies taking part with

Victory.

Shirin Kemp, director of marketing and PR at

Victory, said: “Giving back to the local community,

especially to one that’s close to the heart

of one of our team members, has always been

core to our values and ethos as a company. So,

the team at Victory are over the moon with the

amount raised this year for Downright Special!

“Staff particularly enjoyed getting involved in

the bake sales and raffles, with a range of prizes

up for grabs, including the ultimate Cadbury’s

Easter hamper and the latest-generation Apple

watch.”

Victory also successfully completed the Yorkshire

Three Peaks Challenge in just 10 hours

in July, as well as taking part in the Edinburgh

Marathon in May.

Charlie Carruthers, marketing assistant at Victory,

said: “The Yorkshire Three Peaks was incredibly

challenging - physically and mentally.

We faced all sorts of weather, but we finished

with a great time, and we’d do it all over again.

We’re incredibly proud to have supported

Downright Special this year - all funds raised

have gone to a fantastic cause.”

Gillian Bowlas, charity manager at Downright

Special, added: “The generosity from everyone

at Victory has been unbelievable, and we

can’t thank them enough for their continued

support. The money raised will go towards our

facilities, sessions we hold for the children and

their families, and ultimately this will help to

build a brighter future for children with Down

Syndrome.”

Business book generates cash boost for

animal charity

A book which has been hailed by

MP turned author Alan Johnson

as a fascinating social history and

an essential guide to business has

now raised more than £16,000

for a charity dedicated to animals.

“Half a Lettuce”, written by the

chair of Sewell Group Paul Sewell,

charts his life growing up in Hull

and his career journey to the top

of one of the region’s most successful

companies.

It’s unlikely to exercise the filmmakers

who specialise in family

favourite tear-jerkers, but they

could do worse than switch on

to another miracle of Christmas

from the stories of the remarkable

Hull Animal Welfare Trust.

Sue Sewell, Chair of the Trust,

said: “It was Christmas 1985 when

we found a dog abandoned with

her puppies on the streets of

Hull. There was absolutely nowhere

we could find a home for

her so we advertised and asked

around and a market gardener

said we could use the two sheds

at his smallholding.

“We came for a look. He was

glad of the company and he said

we could stay. Suddenly we had

enough room for six or seven

dogs but the facilities were very

basic with only one water standpipe,

which froze in winter, and a

hole in the ground which we dug

to dispose of the animal waste.

“When he died, he left everything

to the Trust. Owning our own

land gave us security and over

the years we have worked hard to

raise the money we needed to invest

in the site, building new accommodation

gradually and create

a facility where the animals

are warm, safe and have outdoor

areas for exercise and play.”

Paul – Sue’s husband – published

Half a Lettuce just after the nation

headed into a series of lockdowns

in 2020. He decided from the

outset that instead of charging a

set price for the book he would

invite donations to the charity

Advertise with us advertising@thehullhub.co.uk • Share your story with us info@thehullhub.co.uk

co-founded by his wife in 1982 as

a club finding foster homes for

abandoned dogs and cats.

Plans to launch the book at a

joint event with Alan in Paul and

Sue’s home village of Cottingham

were abandoned because of the

pandemic but the endorsement

by the former MP, who has now

written six acclaimed books, ensured

a brisk start to sales.

Paul doubled the print run to

1,000 and admits to being blown

away by the book’s success.

He said: “I can’t say it flew off the

shelves because it wasn’t in any

shops, but the big stack of books

that was in my garage is now

much smaller. We’re down to

about the last hundred, which is a

very pleasant surprise given that

we couldn’t have a launch event.

“Alan described it as being two

books in one – a social history

of the area and a business book

– and the result is it’s been random,

curious people from all

over the world. Some are current

contacts and some are friends

from years ago, even from my

football days with Hull City and

Bridlington Town, people from

my days working with my Dad in

the fruit trade.

The club was launched in Hull

in 1982 and became a registered

charity 10 years later under Sue

and the Treasurer, Jane Harper. It

built its first kennels at the smallholding

in South Cave in 1997 and

celebrated its 40th anniversary

this year. Sue, who with her CEO

Holly Barker leads a team of 10

staff and about 40 volunteers,

said the revenue from the book

helped the Trust survive the pandemic

and build a platform for

further investment and expansion.

To order a copy of Half a Lettuce

please email jo.taylor-standley@

sewell-group.co.uk

To find out more about Hull Animal

Welfare Trust please visit

https://hullanimalwelfare.co.uk/

3

HELLO AGAIN,

ONLY ME.

with Darren Lethem - Freelance Radio & Stage Host

Hello there, hope everything is well with you and yours. Well it has been some time since we last

spoke but if you can cast your mind back I mentioned about this walk I was doing. I was walking the

length of GB from Lands End to John O’Groats, virtually. What that means is you cover the distance

between the two landmarks without actually having to get a train back from the northernmost

point of Scotland. Well, I have done it. I reached the 874th mile in September and I am mightily

pleased to do so. I was doing it in aid of Cancer Research UK and it raised a fair few quid so I am

pretty chuffed about that. Through the summer I hosted a few Race For Life and Pretty Muddy

events for Cancer Research and I can really see how much raising funds means to the team. And

well done to everybody who came down to Costello to take part in the Race For Life, the event was

a huge success.

So, what else have I been up to since I last

put pen to paper…. Well finger to keyboard?

I was fortunate enough to host

the two days spectacular that the council

hosted for the Queens Platinum Jubilee,

what a great weekend that was. The sun

shone on the Saturday, the crowds came

out and we had a great time. The stage

in Queen Victoria Square was packed

with many enjoying the fantastic acts

that performed for us. They really did a

great job keeping everyone entertained

and up and dancing. There were some

wonderful street performers and artists walking around the town centre as well

as workshops and stalls to keep all the family happy. We had a giant screen in the

square which showed the England match followed by the huge Jubilee Concert

from Buckingham Palace. Then on the Sunday we rounded off the weekend with

a few more musicians to keep everyone smiling. A lovely weekend indeed.

Of course one of my annual highlights is Tribfest; it is the World’s largest tribute

band music festival and takes place up at Sledmere House every year. This was

our 14th year and I am proud to say I have hosted this event since day one. It

gets bigger and better every year. We start on the Thursday evening and go right

through until Sunday night. I host the main stage but we have more stages to

boot. There is a huge Big Top tent which also hosts tribute bands, an unsigned

marquee, an acoustic marquee, comedy

tent, silent disco tent, kidzone and Freedom Road Creative Arts tent too. Literally

something for everyone. The headline acts we had on the main stage went down

so well. We closed Sunday night with Badness who are so well known in the area.

Their fantastic mix of songs from the late 70s and early 80s combined with their

comedy and entertainment made it a wonderful way to close the show.

Other events I have been lucky enough to be involved with have included the

Falklands 40 event in Queens Gardens which was extremely well attended and

a poignant reminder of the role Hull played in that conflict in 1982. I also hosted

the Yorkshire Coast BIG Super Soapbox Challenge in Bridlington which was

a really good laugh. I love hosting soapbox races because the competitors are

there to enjoy themselves and put on a show for the crowd. The teams in Brid

certainly did that. It was absolutely packed along South Marine Drive down to

the front with these brilliantly made soapbox carts coming down a huge ramp

before tackling the course. Despite the event taking place in October I caught the

sun and even had a tan mark when I took my sunglasses off. Madness.

Finally I just want to mention hosting the HEY Smile Foundation Volunteer

Awards at the Bonus Arena. A truly inspiring and uplifting experience that event

is. So many selfless people who go out of their own way to assist others. The

sense of pride in that room was immeasurable and you just wanted everyone to

be a winner. Those who did take home a trophy were all very humble about it, as

if it was just another day. Truly wonderful humans with a massive heart.

Right enough wittering on for now, enjoy a few pics from a few of the bits and

bobs I have been up to this summer.

Sir James Reckitt Charity celebrates 100 years of giving in Hull & East Yorkshire

The historic Sir James Reckitt Charity

has celebrated 100 years of supporting

local good causes and Quaker charities

with a significant fund to make a difference

in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Founded by Hull industrialist Sir James

Reckitt, using shares in Reckitt & Sons

Ltd, the charity has over the last century

donated more than £30m to individuals

and organisations.

Those charitable donations are part of

the huge local legacy created by Reckitt,

which has grown from a humble starch

mill founded in Hull in 1840 into a

world-leading health, hygiene and nutrition

business, employing more than

40,000 colleagues in over 60 countries

across the globe.

To mark 100 years of giving, The Sir

James Reckitt Charity has announced

its intention to set up a centenary fund

to celebrate 100 years of giving and

mark Sir James Reckitt’s philanthropy.

The fund is available to any charitable

organisation that The Sir James Reckitt

Charity currently supports.

The trustees celebrated this unique

milestone with an event at Reckitt’s

£105m Science & Innovation Centre in

Hull. The celebration event was postponed

by a year due to the pandemic.

ADVERTISE YOUR COMPANY HERE!

email advertising@thehullhub.co.uk

to find out more

4

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Whizz! Bang! Catherine Wheels and Roman Candles

- Shaun French

A

kids

view

of

the

70’s

It seems like forever since the last article, so let’s get a few

pleasantries out of the way, yeah? You OK? Good. How’s

the family? Great!

Right, that’s enough of that.

This Hull Hub should be coming out around ‘Bonfire

Night’, or ‘Guy Fawkes Night’, or ‘Bloody Hell, Have You

Seen The Price Of a Box Of Fireworks’ Night.

Whatever you call it, in the seventies it was that muchloved

time of the year when your garden fence would

mysteriously be missing a few panels, your dad’s best

sports jacket and flat cap would never be seen again

and hordes of grubby kids would be allowed to use their

father’s lighter or buy a box of Swan Vestas matches and

pretty much set light to whatever looked flammable,

including other children.

A week before the 5th of November, there would be those

marvellous Public Information Films about the dangers

of fireworks, un-supervised bonfires and pleading with

people to go to organised events. This advice was mostly

ignored. For my part, our gang of scruffs and cannon

fodder would roam the estate looking for anything made

of wood that wasn’t nailed down. Actually, it didn’t matter

if it was nailed down because we had a range of clawhammers,

chisels and other alarming tools that would be

deployed to take apart an old

chest of drawers in seconds.

The location for your

bonfire would be chosen

very carefully and if you

were foolish enough to start

building your towering

inferno too early, you ran

the risk of those nefarious

“Bonny Raiders” who would

dismantle your stack of

wood like termites, and

you’d be left with a few twigs

and the odd chair-leg.

The art of building a bonfire would also involve making a large triangular-shaped

structure with heavy furniture at the bottom and tapering to the top where an

enterprising person would place their “Guy”. The “Guy” was a rudimentary sacrificial

dummy made of an old jumper and trousers stuffed with newspaper and a papier

Mache head (or your little brothers plastic football) and a flat cap to top it all off. The

idea was that the “Guy” would be the last to burn. The “Guy” was often fitted with a small

booby-trap like an aerosol can, which would explode and shower nearby onlookers

with shrapnel and burning plastic. What larks!

Bonfires were usually set alight just as dusk was settling in and the chill of night would

be accompanied by sharp crackles of burning wood. One person would be designated

to hold a rolled-up newspaper at arm’s length while a friend struck a match, and the

burning paper would be hurled into the heap of wood, and you’d have to wait a few

minutes to see if the fire would catch. This soon became boring and before long, the

air would be filled with burning matches, like tracer-fire in the trenches as everyone

tried to get the fire going.

Usually, by luck, the fire would eventually catch, and the next part would begin.

Someone would bring out a biscuit tin with a few potatoes in, and they would throw

the bundle into the depths of the conflagration, provided they could get close enough

without losing an eyebrow or the sleeve of their Parka Jacket going up like a distress

flare. More often than not, the resulting potatoes would be inedible, blackened and the

temperature of the Earth’s core.

If your fire was sufficiently large enough, it would draw a lot of people who would bring

extra wood to keep it going. The fire-brigade would mostly leave you alone if the fire

was on waste-ground nowhere near housing or petrol stations.

Once the fire was going, the ceremonial box of fireworks would be brought forth.

Back in the seventies, there was only really Standard Fireworks as a brand and pretty

much anyone could buy them over the counter of the sweet shop. These dazzling boxes

would be on display in a glass cabinet and came in a range of sizes to suit budgets or

how much you wished to frighten neighbours, pets, and low-flying aircraft.

These lovely red boxes would be alongside triple packs of rockets with their little

wooden launch stick and those family favourites; the Sparkler.

The rockets would need a milk bottle to assist the lift-off and daring folk would often

put 2 or 3 rockets in a bottle and light them all quickly before the whoosh of sparks

and the firework would reach around 100ft and explode with a satisfactory bang and

showers of golden spark raining down.

Sparklers are still available today, albeit in a much more reduced size. They’re a little

metal stick with a coating of

iron filings and when the top

was lit, it would burn slowly

down in the hand, sending

out a small shower of sparks

and emitting a very satisfying

burning smell. Good fun,

although the risk of burning

the hand was high if you

held it in the wrong place.

Lots of skin was lost over

the course of Bonfire Night

by overzealous waving of

the sparkler and picking up

dropped ones.

The real pleasure was in

reading the names of the

fireworks in your little box of gunpowder mayhem. Evocative names like, Roman

Candle, Yellow Zodiac, Jack In The Box, Traffic Light, Airbomb and the gloriously

named Mount Vesuvius. Wonderful names that promised so much, but most of them

emitted the same shower of coloured sparks as each other, prompting calls of “We’ve

just had that one!” and “What a rip off!” The Traffic Light was unique as it fired out red,

amber and green flares every few seconds.

There was also the risky Catherine Wheel. A little circular firework, like a dynamite

fuse. This came with a small nail which would have to be hammered through the centre

of the Wheel to a convenient fence. The fuse would be lit and – all being well – the

Catherine Wheel would spin faster and faster, trailing the silver glow until fizzing out

and slowly decreasing the spin. Many times, the wheel would refuse to spin leaving the

firework to burn its way through the fence and leaving an interesting mark that would

never go away despite 4 coats of creosote.

Once the fireworks were all done and the bonfire began to die down, we all headed

home, smelling of smoke and with curious little scorch marks on our clothes, our hair

lightly covered with the glow of embers and gunpowder. The next morning, we’d wake

up to see the remnants of the fire with the forgotten biscuit tin and spent firework

cases all over the street, and your dad asking where the hell the back gate was.

NEXT TIME – CHRISTMAS.


5

THREE LITTLE WORDS

There’s 3 little words that every women wants to hear when describing their hair

- Volume, Strength and Shine. It’s what every woman wants – hair with a natural

bounce that looks incredibly healthy. Here are some great ideas to get the hair

you’ve always wanted...

VOLUME

• Choosing the right products is essential when you want to add volume. Think of your

hairstyle like a building – you must have a solid foundation if you want to add height and

make your style last. Do this by applying a body building product to damp hair. Always

make sure you apply your product directly onto your roots to give style extra support.

• When you dry your hair, angle the section of hair you are drying in the opposite direction

to where you eventually want it to fall. This gives maximum volume at the roots.

• An instant way to give your hair volume is to flip your parting to the other side – go on,

try it, it really works!

• When wet hair is tangled, take care not to pull at the

knots too much as this will stretch your hair and cause

breakage. Instead, after using conditioner, start combing

the ends of your hair with a wide tooth comb and

slowly work towards the roots.

• It is really important to keep a healthy moisture level in

your hair at all times as hair in bad condition will be dry,

brittle and liable to breakage. Just as you would use a

face mask when your skin is dry, use a regular conditioning

treatment to boost the moisture levels in your hair.

Leave the treatment on for upwards of 20 minutes to

enable it to nourish deep within each strand and always

make sure you rinse it out thoroughly before styling as

normal.

STRENGTH

“It is really important to keep a

healthy moisture level in your

hair at all times as hair in bad

condition will be dry, brittle

and liable to breakage.

SHINE

• If you want to add an instant shine

boost to your hair, then turn the water

temperature down for your final rinse

after shampooing and conditioning. This

helps to close the cuticles on each hair,

leaving it with a beautiful natural shine.

• When blow drying, use your hairdryer

on a medium heat, and point the nozzle

of your dryer down the hair, from roots

to ends. This stops any frizz and flyaways,

and helps to keep those cuticles

tightly packed.

• If you still need a little help, then a shine

spray will do the trick. When using any

shine product, the secret is not to use

too much; if you use too much, your hair

can quickly look wet or greasy. For best

results, spray Shine Spray into the air

and walk under the mist – this gives an

even shine result without ever weighing

your hair down.

“

6

133 new homes to rent from Hull City Council get the go-ahead

Hull City Council’s Cabinet yesterday (19 December) approved plans to continue

with the development of new council homes at Dane Park, whilst also agreeing to

build additional new homes on a site at nearby Isledane. Cabinet has also agreed

to procure a delivery partner to enable more new council homes to be built in the

coming years, in line with the council’s Housing Growth Plan.

Planning consents for 99 affordable homes at Dane Park and 34 at Isledane were

given in 2021. However owing to a difficult economic operating environment, an

increased budget for the 133 modern, new affordable homes has been agreed. The

£28.5M investment from the council will help transform the area, replacing the redundant

brownfield sites with modern, attractive, new homes and in well-designed

neighbourhoods with public open space and sustainable forms of drainage. Subject

to viability, these new homes will help the council to meet the rising demand for affordable

housing following the COVID-19 pandemic This investment will also create

new jobs and training for local people.

Cabinet also agreed that the council would continue its small sites programme,, but

only where viability and best value are evidenced. Over the last two years, the council

built 39 bungalows on sites which, for example, had formerly been blocks of garages.

A priority for the Council is lowering carbon emissions and the delivery of new affordable

homes will see a fabric first approach adopted to ensure energy demand is

reduced whilst also exploring other technologies to heat homes.

Commenting on the Cabinet’s decisions, Cllr Jan Loft. Portfolio Holder for Housing

and Homelessness, said, “Dane Park and Isledane are strategically important

brownfield development sites. Both sites are fully designed with planning consent

in place and will provide 133 new homes which are much needed in the area. The

design itself seeks to reduce carbon emissions through a fabric first approach and

looking to introduce other technology to lower carbon emissions whilst keeping energy

bills down. Our next steps will be to procure a lead developer partner to enable

a long term approach to delivering affordable homes across the city.”


FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY

Ladies of

Beverley...

✅ Are you fed up with your present job or just

wanting a change of direction?

✅ Are you interested in helping local ladies

live a healthier lifestyle?

✅ Have you thought about owning your own

successful business in women’s health?

If YES....then we have a great opportunity for you in

Beverley…your own unique ‘ladies only’ health and

fitness Centre with a large existing membership

and excellent earning potential, perfectly positioned

for expansion. This local award-winning ladies only

health business has been helping local women lose

weight, improve their health, fitness and wellbeing

for over 10 years.

The new owner(s) will receive ongoing training

and operational support for a fully equipped and

staffed facility which includes your own website and

social media team.

Not only is this an opportunity to be your own

boss and run a successful ladies only business but

also gives you the personal satisfaction of making a

positive difference to the lives of ladies in the area.

If you’d like to find out more about this unique

opportunity that could positively change your

life, then please email info@franchiseresales.

co.uk for more details.

Trinity Market gets more connected with free,

high-speed public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi has

recently been installed

to all areas

of the Trinity

Market in Hull city

centre.

This means shoppers

at the market

as well as traders

can take advantage

of free and secure

internet access.

Local telecommunications

company

Connexin was procured to install the scheme to provide

a high-speed public Wi-Fi connection to all users of

Trinity Market.

Access to Wi-Fi is available to market users now.

The Wi-Fi offers a safe connection, with a system that

continuously scans and protects users against security

threats. It also has built-in content filtering to ensure

any explicit and harmful content is blocked.

The new Wi-Fi access will enable Hull’s Trinity Market to

continue providing a vibrant and welcoming destination

for people to eat, drink, shop, socialise and work. The

availability of good quality, high speed internet access

will ensure users of Trinity Market can stay connected.

Whether visitors are using social media, browsing the

latest news, or catching up on some work as they enjoy

some of the amazing food and drink available in the

market, the free public Wi-Fi provision will make this

much easier.

Access to Wi-Fi will also be a huge benefit to traders,

helping them in the running of their businesses and

keeping them in contact with their customers.

The Trinity Market was first opened in 1904, primarily

selling fruit and vegetables. Trinity Market underwent a

multi-million pound investment in 2017 before the newlook

market was unveiled in 2018. The refurbishment not

only improved facilities and the space for existing businesses,

but also enticed new traders to the market which

resulted in the diverse community that the market has

today. The refurbishment meant the market could also

host events, which it does regularly.

Accessing the free public Wi-Fi is quick and simple.

Traders and visitors to the market just need to find Connexin

amongst the available networks on their device

and then click to connect.

Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, the portfolio holder for regeneration,

said: “There’s a range of benefits to making

Hull a more ‘connected city’. I know being able to digitally

connect to their customers is vitally important for today’s

small businesses, and I know customers like to stay

connected when they visit the market. I’m pleased we

have been able to bring free public Wi-Fi to the market,

which is an important hub of activity in our city centre.”

Set sail on a new career at sea

More than 72 per cent of participants, who completed

one of the three ‘Maritime Futures’ training

programmes in 2022 have gained employment

within the maritime sector.

Recruitment for the next cohort is now underway

which is expected to take place from 6 February

2023. The free, three-week course is for anyone

aged 16-25 or the unemployed who would like to

start a career at sea.

Where there is light

Dunston's Ship Repairs have been working on a

new lighting programme for the Spurn Lightship.

The lantern has light for the first time in years.

We will be able to choose and set the colours!

The regular lantern will also work but not as

brightly as when it was at sea, which had the power

of 18,000 candles and could be seen at a distance

of 11 miles away!


7

BUSINESS

VIBESThe latest

business

news from The Hull Hub

HullBID Awards kickstart confidence among

city centre businesses

The Executive Director of HullBID vowed to

help city centre businesses look to the future

as they celebrated success and survival

during two years of battling the pandemic.

Kathryn Shillito said there was no hiding

place from the disruption inflicted by Covid-19,

but that the future is bright thanks

to the efforts of the businesses and the

partners who are working on a number of

transformational projects.

Speaking at the HullBID Awards 2022, held

at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and attended

by around 300 business representatives

and their guests, Kathryn highlighted

the encouraging trends and the ambitious

plans which will deliver better times for

businesses.

She said: “Footfall is increasing, the number

of empty units is decreasing, hospitality is

gradually picking up, strong independents

are replacing empty chain store properties.

“Plans are in place to regenerate Whitefriargate

and develop the brand new Albion

Square scheme whilst the exciting Hull:

Yorkshire’s Maritime City project is progressing

at pace – another reason why Hull

is on the move.

“We will continue to deliver business boosting

activities from bespoke brochures and

trails to the ever-popular Yum! Festival of

Food and Drink.

“We’ve also secured funding from the Police

and Crime Commissioner for Humberside

to bring a Ministry of Steampunk festival

along with the thousands of people it

attracts. The economic benefits presented

by these and other activities including the

forthcoming Awakening Festival, the Wizarding

Wand tour, Her Majesty’s Platinum

Jubilee and more will give a much-needed

shot in the arm!”

Kathryn praised HullBID’s partners at Hull

City Council, Safer Hull, Civic 1, Emmaus

and Humberside Police for the support

which helped businesses get through the

pandemic.

She said: “HullBID established early on that

connectivity was key and our mission was

to guide business owners to access grants

and funding quickly, to provide an easy

route to sign up for upskilling and practical

support and, importantly, being there with

words of encouragement when things became

too much.

“Our relationship with Hull City Council

highlighted how a good working partnership

should be, from the business rates

team responding quickly to our requests

for specific support to our interaction with

the public protection team and the Covid

business support team, all working together

as a first response.”

SupplyHaus joins Paragon Arcade community

with vintage and military clothing

A young entrepreneur has escaped

from his previous jobs as

a food worker and painter and

decorator by taking a lockdown

leap of faith, setting up his own

business and adding something

new to the variety already on offer

in a Hull city centre arcade.

Zach Roberts has tested the

market with some online sales of

vintage workwear and military

clothing – some of which is more

than twice his age!

Now he’s expanding the range

with the promise that every item

is a one-off and the hope that

the ever-changing racks and

rails will keep curious customers

coming through the door of

SupplyHaus in Paragon Arcade.

Zach, 25, said: “The business has

been doing well online and with

the shop I want to create the

feel of a 1940s general store. The

hardest part is finding the right

stock but when we get it we can

be sure it’s exclusive.”

“It’s about chasing quality. These

days people buy any item of

clothing and expect it not to last,

but everything in here was made

40, 50 or even 60 years ago is still

in good condition. It’s proper

craftsmanship and it was made

by people who earned a good

wage and enjoyed a nice lifestyle,

so it’s guilt-free as well.”

As a regular visitor to Two Gingers

Coffee, Zach was well aware

of the collaboration between the

community of traders in Paragon

Arcade and as soon as a unit

became available he made his

move.

He said: “The idea emerged during

lockdown. I worked for a

food manufacturer so I didn’t get

furloughed or anything like that

but I wasn’t spending as much

money so I was able to save up

and make the change to be my

own boss.

“Retail and clothing interests me

and I chose this theme because

I like the functionality of military

and although people don’t

realise it you get a lot of modern

clothes which take their inspiration

from that sector.”

Performance marketing agency reinforces

platform for growth with move to new premises

Leading performance marketing

agency Diony has completed an expansion

into new premises after

doubling its team during the last 12

months.

Managing Director Alistair O’Sullivan,

who founded the business five

years ago, has relocated from the

original premises in the Old Town of

Hull to the WORX, a former newspaper

print centre which has been revitalised

into a thriving hub for local

businesses since being acquired by

Allenby Commercial.

The move has been more than two

years in the planning but Covid-enforced

delays were put to good use

to create a modern, high spec office,

using the 1,500 square feet of space

to support Diony’s growing team

and to provide an environment for

exceptional work.

The new home will house a team of

15, which has grown from eight a year

ago and includes Marketing Director

Lisa Harvey, who is driving further

expansion and recruitment for a

business which has doubled its turnover

every year and outgrown its two

previous offices in High Street.

our office and our culture.”

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

8


Cupboard clear-out inspires young lawyers to launch food drive

A young lawyer’s cupboard clear-out has kickstarted a

campaign to encourage colleagues and clients to support

food banks in the run-up to the festive season.

Emma Horscraft, a trainee solicitor with Rollits LLP in

Hull, revealed she was prompted to act after finding a

can of chicken soup in her kitchen cupboard nearly two

years after becoming vegetarian.

She said: “It made me wonder how long ago I must have

bought it and how many people would have been grateful

for it during that time. Thankfully, it was still in date!”

Emma researched the availability of food banks in Hull,

spoke to bosses at Rollits and was given the go-ahead to

work with fellow trainee solicitor Molly Bloom on organising

a collection of goods which will be delivered to Hull

Food Bank.

The pair, who only joined the firm in September, are

urging colleagues to check their own cupboards for any

unwanted items which can still be used and to pick up

additional products on their shopping trips to help people

who rely on the services of Hull Food Bank.

The hope is that the firm’s clients and contacts will support

the food drive, with Rollits also accepting donations

from passers-by at their offices in High Street, Hull.

Emma said: “We have a lot of clients in the local area and

Rollits has always been a big supporter of community

initiatives throughout its history of more than180 years

so hopefully people will help us by making a food donation

for those less fortunate than themselves this Christmas.

“There will be a box near the Christmas tree in our reception

from Monday 5 December until Thursday 15

December and we will deliver all the donations to Hull

Food Bank in time for Christmas.

“They need non-perishable food and in particular things

like pasta sauces, long life whole milk, tinned fruit and

meat, rice and biscuits but they don’t need pasta, cereals

or beans.”

Pat Coyle, Client Relations Director for Rollits, said:

“Emma came up with the idea and we were more than

happy to support her and Molly in setting things up and

spreading the word within the firm and among our clients

and contacts.

“We contribute to a wide range of charities every year

by organising fundraising events and by providing expertise

and guidance to charity clients and this initiative

demonstrates that we can also act quickly when someone

comes up with a great idea that needs an instant response.”

To find out more about Hull Food Bank please visit

https://hull.foodbank.org.uk/

Beal hires new Construction

Director for next chapter of growth

Leading regional housebuilder Beal Homes has appointed

a new Construction Director as it continues

to drive growth in volumes and set the bar for build

quality.

Andy Devine has joined the family-owned business

from Barratt & David Wilson Homes, where he was

Contracts Manager for the Yorkshire East area.

He succeeds long-serving John Goodfellow, who has

retired. During an 18-year tenure as Construction

Director, Mr Goodfellow played in a key role in Beal

becoming established as the leading independent

housebuilder operating in Hull, East Yorkshire and

Lincolnshire.

Mr Devine, who is 44, brings 26 years of experience

in the construction industry to Beal, having previously

held a series of Yorkshire-based senior positions

with national housebuilders.

His remit is to oversee construction across all

Beal’s developments and to ensure the exceptional

standards of build quality and customer service the

housebuilder is renowned for are maintained as the

volume of homes delivered grows.

For the past six years Mr Devine has been Contracts

Manager for Barratt & David Wilson Homes – Yorkshire

East. Prior to this, he was Production Manager

for Linden Homes North and a Site Manager for

Linden Homes and Barratt & David Wilson Homes.

Mr Devine has twice been a winner of NHBC Pride

in the Job awards and his teams have been multiple

winners of regional and Northern site manager

prizes.

Colleagues launch new business as window film stars

Two colleagues who have spent 30 years between them

in the glazing industry are now looking forward to a

bright future after deciding to become window film stars

themselves.

Steve Oxley and Neil Shearsmith launched Solarfrost Ltd

during 2021 and are now fully operational after initial

delays caused by Covid.

Their work is in demand from businesses ranging from

cafes to care homes which are trying to cut energy costs

and improve safety.

With products offering benefits including solar heat

control, glare reduction and privacy they are also targeting

commercial offices, modular buildings, the education

and health sectors and the domestic market as

well as the tourism sector – notably the huge numbers of

holiday chalets and caravans throughout East Yorkshire.

Steve said: “We’ve been doing the same job for 30 years

between us, but for other people. Now we’re working for

ourselves and focusing on some of the sectors which we

know have potential but which were being overlooked.”

The pair recently took their first premises at the Louis

Pearlman Centre, the managed workspace operated by

Hull City Council at Goulton Street in Hull. From there

they operate nationwide, supplying and installing film

which will cover window panes and provide a range of

benefits.

Local homebuilder reports significant contributions to Yorkshire communities in 2022

Barratt Developments Yorkshire East,

which includes the Barratt Homes

and David Wilson Homes brands, has

reported significant social, economic

and environmental contributions to

the Yorkshire communities in which

it builds over the course of the last

year. This includes within East Riding

of Yorkshire, in line with its developments

within the area.

In 2022, the homebuilder built 762

new homes across the region, supporting

1,742 jobs through its own

business and that of its suppliers and

subcontractors in the process. This

boost to the local housing market and

construction industry was supported

by an £13.3 million investment in

physical infrastructure works, including

environmental and highway

improvements, affordable homes and

improved community facilities.

As well as investing £2.3 million in

community infrastructure, such as

local schools and transport, Barratt

Developments Yorkshire also made

over £64,000 of charitable donations

to support those in need during what

was an especially challenging year for

many.


9

PART SIX: 40 COUNTRY PLACE NAMES A-Z

I am addicted to place name origins. Each name has a story of

its own – even without going into the history of the place itself –

but many are mired in mystery.

In five previous issues of Hull Hub, I explored British place

names. We began with names linked to the Celtic Britons, the

impact of the Anglo-Saxons, then the invading Vikings, the

conquering Normans, and finished with the diversity of the

four separate countries that make up what is called the United

Kingdom.

Now, after our recent covid lockdowns, I would like to travel

and go around the world in 80 place names. Come and join

me. Let’s start with forty colourful country names (in English

and alphabetical order). In another issue,

we will explore 40 city names around the

planet.

Dr. Alec Gill MBE

ILLUSTRATIONS: As one of

the earliest and long-standing

contributors to the Hull Hub

Magazine, I wish to take a

liberty with this article about

Global Place Names. That is, I

intend to use personal pictures

from my young hitch-hiking

and travelling days. They are

presented in date order, rather

than by country.

FORTY COUNTRIES

ARGENTINA - Spanish

meaning the Silver Republic. In

the early 1500s, early Spanish

explorers navigated along the

Rio de la Plata meaning ‘River of

Silver’. It became widely known

in 1939 for the naval Battle of the

River Plate and the sinking of

the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee.

BRAZIL - claims to be the only country in the world named after a tree. Portuguese

merchants arrived in the 1500s and began logging trees (even back then). There

was one particular type they described as ‘ember-coloured wood’ and called

it pau-brasil. The reddish colour was used to create a dye that became popular

throughout Europe. This was such a lucrative product that the Portuguese began

to refer to their newly-found colony as Brazil. It became the only Portuguesespeaking

country in South America (Spain took the rest).

CANARIES - Latin for dogs – as in canines - not for the birds. The name comes

from the ancient Romans who first visited the islands and referred to them as the

‘Island of the Dogs’. One legend held that the natives worshipped dogs – but that is

pure speculation by someone.

CHILE - a native Araucanian word meaning ‘end of the land’ which it certainly is

at the southernmost tip of South America.

COSTA RICA - Spanish for ‘rich coast’. Christopher Columbus sailed close by this

Central American land in 1502 and noted how the natives wore golden jewellery.

CUBA - a local Carib tribe called it a ‘place where gold is found’. Other sources

claim the name means ‘where fertile land is abundant’.

CYPRUS - Greek word for ‘copper’. The locals had been mining this precious metal

for over 6000 years – long before the Greeks set foot in the place.

DJIBOUTI - (on the Horn of Africa) has various meanings, but two key ones are:

an animal that preyed on livestock or after an ancient tribe in the region called

Gabouti – which referred to the flatlands. When it came under French control, they

opted for Djibouti.

EL SALVADOR - is Spanish for The Saviour as a tribute to Jesus Christ.

ETHIOPIA - Greek word for ‘burning face’ or ‘black-skinned people’.

FIJI - is one of only three

countries in the world

beginning with the letter “F”

– the other two are Finland

and France. The native name

for this Pacific island was Viti

Levu which translates as ‘the

great island’ – there being two

islands with one being bigger

than the other. The name

mistakenly ended up as Fiji

(not Viti) due to Yorkshireman

Captain James Cook

mispronouncing the original

name when he described the

place to outsiders.

GERMANY - the English name derives from the Latin Germania. Julius Caesar

used this name to define the peoples east of the River Rhine. The word Germania

was said to describe the fertile land behind a line of Roman forts stretching along

the Rhine from the North Sea to the River Danube. I read somewhere that German

came from Herman which linked to the word for warrior.

HUNGARY - the name dates back to around 895 AD when the land was conquered

by the Ungari people from the Steppes. Hungary is the Latin / English name given to

this central European country; whereas they call themselves Magyar. The Magyar

were the most prominent of several Hungarian tribes who conquered this region

around the River Danube.

ISRAEL - Hebrew meaning ‘wrestles with God’ – perhaps linked with Jacob who

‘wrestled with the angel’ and thereafter he was called Israel.

JAMAICA - native Arawakan word for ‘well-watered’ or a ‘land of wood and water’.

JAPAN - comes from ‘land of the rising sun’ which, seen from the Chinese

perspective, the sun rose over the island in the east. The Japanese themselves prefer

the name Nippon. Yet again, this

is rooted in the similar meaning

of ‘the sun’s origin’ – thus their

flag depicts the red sun disc.

KUWAIT - is an Arabic name

that means ‘a fortress built near

water’.

LEBANON - the ancient

Semitic Canaanite name was

first recorded in the Epic Poem

of Gilgamesh from 2900 BC

and means white or milk. This

denoted the snow-capped

Mount Lebanon – the White

Mountain.

LIBYA - comes from the

Egyptian word Libu. They were

10


one of the tribes of the Berber people living west of the Nile Delta.

MADEIRA - Portuguese / Latin name based upon ‘material’ for wood / timber. In

1419 when the Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in the Atlantic, it was

completely covered in forest.

MALTA - is a honey-sweet island according to the ancient Greeks who applied

their word ‘meli’ to the place.

MEXICO - comes from an Aztec word meaning ‘Land of the War God’ – without

specifying which particular God of War.

MONTENEGRO - the native Serbian name for this country is Crna Gora; but the

Italian/Venetian version (that we use in English) translates as Black Mountain from

the period when Venice ruled over this Dalmatian coastal area (c.14th century).

MOROCCO - is derived from the name for Marrakesh – and that in turn might

mean ‘Land of God’ from the Berber word.

NEPAL - there are a range of theories as to how this name arose. The one I favour

is simple and from the Tibetan language. ‘Ne-’ means ‘home’ and ‘-pal’ means

‘wool’. Sheep were reared in Kathmandu Valley many centuries ago. Hence Nepal

is ‘the land of wool’.

OMAN - there is only one country in

the world beginning with the letter ’O’

and this is it. Its name origin though

it not so simple. Some key historic

figures suggest it was named after an

individual called Oman. Alternatively,

some argue that the names comes

from an Arabic word aamen or

amoun referring to a ‘settled’ people

– as opposed to the nomadic Bedouin

tribes in that part of the Persian Gulf.

PAKISTAN - is derived from an

abbreviation of names from five

regions: Punjab; Afghania; Kashmir;

Sindh; TAN (from Baluch-ISTAN).

Equally, the name Pakistan literally

means ‘Land of the Pure’ in Urdu /

Persian. The acronym was specifically

coined in 1933 by a political movement

prior to the partition of British India

in 1947.

where it came from in the first place. It is another mystery.

SINGAPORE - derived from two Sanskrit words meaning Lion City. Experts,

however, claim that lions were never known to inhabit the island. So it is a mystery

too. Like many place names, they can be riddled with uncertainty – a bit like life.

SOMALIA - one view is that it means ‘go and milk’ perhaps referring to milking a

camel. Alternatively, it could mean the ‘land of hospitality’.

TRINIDAD - is simply for The Trinity. Christopher Columbus landed there in 1498

and found the land inhabited by the Arawak and Carib tribes – from where the

name Caribbean Sea is derived.

UKRAINE - There are several theories about the origin of the name Ukraine,

but many believe that it originates from the Slavic word for 'frontier region' and

'marches’. This might refer to the Pripet Marches of northern Ukraine – a muddy

region that recently impeded the Russian tanks during their failed attack on the

capital Kyiv.

VENEZUELA - the stilt houses in the area of Lake Maracaibo reminded the

Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, of the city of Venice, Italy, so he named the

region Veneziola, or "Little Venice". But on a bigger scale, it is said that Amerigo,

unwittingly, gave his name to the two massive continents of North and South

America.

W - apart from WALES (covered in one of my earlier British place name articles)

there are no specific countries beginning with the letter “W” – odd though that

seems. All that leaves is countries whose official names begin with the word

Western. So let’s opt for WESTERN SAMOA in the Pacific Ocean (north-easterly

of New Zealand). Academics have long scratched their heads over the origin of

this Polynesian island’s name. Many Samoans are drawn to the view that it means

‘people of the deep sea or ocean’. If we go back 375 million years ago, then it could

be argued that all humans arose

from the sea.

X - there are no countries in

English beginning with an “X”.

But if we are desperate to fill

this X gap in our A-Z list, then

we could turn to the Catalan

language and come up with

Xina for CHINA. All that can

be said for the world’s greatest

population is that is comes from

the Chin / Qin Dynasty (221-207

BC).

PANAMA - is from native Cuna

language and means ‘Abundance of Fish’. When the Spanish arrived around 1517 on

the Pacific side of the country, legend has it that there was a fishing village of that

same name and it became a settlement. Whether this is linked to the modern-day

capital of Panama City is not clear. But the country is known around the globe for

its Panama Canal that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

QATAR (juts into the Persian

Sea) - the Romans called it

Catara and in Arabic it is Katran –

strangely referring to ‘tar or resin’

with reference to petroleum.

R - an obvious choice would

have been Russia (having the

largest landmass on the planet);

but Hull Hub editors decided we

had better boycott that country in

view of Putin’s current ‘military

operations’ in the region!!!

So, instead, let’s opt for RWANDA

- the ‘land of a thousand hills’.

All that can be found is that the

name Rwanda is the name of

the indigenous people and that

they themselves never recorded

Y - there is only one country

name beginning with a Y and

that is YEMEN. In Biblical times,

it was the home of the Queen of

Sheba and rich in spices. From

the Arabian perspective, it was

‘the country of the south’ and

noted as being a happy and

fortunate land. Sadly, this is not the case today and its economy is classed as one

of the poorest and least developed in the world. Times change, nothing stays the

same.

ZAMBIA - (formerly Northern Rhodesia after the British explorer Cecil Rhodes)

takes its name from the Zambezi River - meaning ‘grand river’.

ZIMBABWE - (formerly Southern Rhodesia) there is general agreement (at last)

that this county’s name comes from the Karanga dialect of Shona and means ‘large

houses of stones’. Now, that description is a gross understatement and belittles

what the ‘houses’ actually are. They include very high walls and a conical tower.

The granite, dry stone ‘houses’ were in fact a palace or fortress belonging to royal

chiefs. Fortunately, this Iron Age enclosure is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site

and protected for future generations to visit.

In the final and seventh part of my Place Name series, I will conclude with forty

city names from around the world.


11

Health &

Wellbeing

YogaandMindfulness

keeping our community happy and healthy

with Tristessa Moore

Sarah Winn - FitSista Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer

What does WELLBEING mean to you?

It’s not just keeping Healthy through Physical Fitness;

your Mental Health and Wellbeing is important too!

I’ve recently been volunteering at the Emotional

Wellbeing Hub at Humber Bridge Country Park. It’s

an amazing facility currently run by volunteers that’s available to anyone

who wants to pop in for a cuppa, a chat, or if you need support or

information about any areas of

emotional wellbeing. The Hub is

open to everyone and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11am

to 1pm and it’s also home to various weekly support groups and

classes.

You can find out more at https://emotionalwellbeinghub.com/

Sometimes a smile, a friendly face and a natter is all we need to

feel just a little bit happier for the rest of the day

Following a Healthy lifestyle isn’t just important, its

ESSENTIAL for maintaining overall good Health and

Wellbeing. Yet quite often ‘wanting to lose weight’ is

the only reason many people start to follow a Healthy

Diet and Exercise.

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, just search FitSista & visit my website fitsista.co.uk

12

Diet and Exercise – Not JUST for Weight loss!

Yes, if you’re overweight then losing weight is a really good

reason to improve your health. But there are so many other

benefits to following a healthy diet and an active lifestyle to consider that are just as important, if

not more!

When you’re in your younger years, things like avoiding heart disease and improving bone strength

may not seem as important. They won’t necessarily be the main motivation you use for being healthy

– it’s usually all about looking good (which is a great motivator too!). But as you get older you start to

appreciate that investing in your health is actually crucial to live a long, happy, healthy life.

It’s not just when you’re old and frail. Living a healthy life can have an impact on your brain function

when you’re studying, your fertility rate when you’re trying to conceive or your energy levels when

you’re juggling a busy job and family life. Yes, the lifestyle you lead now will play a part in your future

health. All these things (plus many more) can be managed so much better if you’re healthy!

By leading a healthy lifestyle, YOU have the power to impact your future health!

Eating a healthy diet and regular exercising can benefit:

Physical Health

Preventing many Illnesses and serious

Health conditions.

Mental Health

How you think, feel, behave, sleep and

manage stress.

Strength

Keeping your muscles and bones strong and

improving your ability to do everyday activities.

Flexibility

Improving mobility, posture and decreasing

injury risk.

Diet and exercise isn’t just for the dress size or the number on the scales, it’s

vital for your good health – both now and in the future.

And as a bonus, following a healthy lifestyle makes you FEEL GOOD too!

Yoga Therapy for Trauma

What is Trauma? Trauma is defined as a

distressing or set of distressing experiences

that threatens our sense of real or perceived

safety to the extent that it surpasses our ability

to feel safe in our bodies. It can also have roots in adverse

childhood experiences. As a result, a Trauma Survivor can become

continually on guard, bouncing between expressions of freezing,

overwhelm, tuning out, anger, withdrawal, and anxiety. Overtime

it can eventually manifest as chronic health, fatigue, and

pain conditions. As Trauma resides in the body, according to

the leading trauma expert, Bessel van der Kolk, Yoga is an ideal

approach to help survivors reconnect safely to themselves within

the right environment.

No survivor chooses to experience Trauma as it is something that

is done to them, so choice is offered in Yoga Therapy within a safe

environment where trust is developed. This is because Survivors

may have been hurt in a relationship, either directly, or because

people were not there or did not support them in their time of

distress.

Often the side-effect is loneliness rooted in Trauma’s selfprotective

alteration of the brain preventing the Survivor from

trusting others. Reliving the Traumatic experience happens

through certain Triggers which can result in social withdrawal

because the world feels unsafe.

Practicing self-care can sometimes preclude seeking help as

well as help to dial down the effects of Trauma. Here are a few

techniques from my Trauma-sensitive Yoga Therapist’s toolkit:

• Move: Rock from foot to foot, drum or tap the outer edges of your

body, wiggle your fingers, shake your arms, dance, or give yourself

a hug.

• Orientate: Look around and notice your surroundings with all

your senses (see, hear, smell, touch, and taste). As you do this, try

to relax, and feel your shoulders, neck, and jaw.

• Ground: This is when we feel our feet, legs, and the earth beneath,

to feel safe, and secure.

• Centre: Get in touch with the muscles in the abdomen by lifting

the lower belly muscles or focus on deep belly breathing.

• Label: By naming the emotion we can separate from it. Try to

offer the emotion compassionate distance by saying mentally

‘Hello’ with a soft soothing voice, ‘Ah, this part of me is feeling....’

• Pendulate: Find an area in the body to sense that feels neutral

and explore it with mindful curiosity for a while, then with the

emotional hotspot do the same. Then pendulate back and forth

feeling the two, until you feel calmer.

• Journaling: This allows us to be an impartial witness and develop

self-knowledge on our reactions, triggers, and the ways we have

being stuck in our past conditioning.

Finally, if you know of someone close who has experienced

Trauma, just be present, and listen non-judgementally, thus

allowing that person to feel seen and heard.

Tristessa Moore is a registered Yoga Therapist and Trauma-sensitive

Practitioner: www.yogatherapyhull.co.uk who also delivers well-being

in education to pupils and teachers: www.yoyogasoul.co.uk


HOW TO TAP INTO THE

HAPPINESS

CHEMICALS

Are some people naturally happy and seem to be able to take

life in their stride or are there behaviours that any of us can

do which, on a biological level, will make us feel happier? The

good news is that anyone can tap into the happiness hormones

– dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins by doing

something as simple as taking a stroll around the park. Getting

out into the sunshine for a walk in nature activates the “mood”

chemical serotonin and exercise raises the endorphins, the

“pain killer” hormone. If you smile at someone on your walk

or pat a dog, you’re increasing the levels of oxytocin, the “love

chemical” and remember to congratulate yourself for getting

out into the fresh air which gives a rush of dopamine, the “reward

chemical”. All this from just a short walk which can also

increase your levels of vitamin D, helping to boost your immune

system. Just start where you are, maybe practice mindfulness

by stopping and feeling the temperature of the air or become

aware of sounds or scents around you or stop and really observe

a flower or watch a bee as it goes about it’s business. On

another day, you might want to pick up the pace and sense into

the body, feeling your feet in contact with the floor and the

muscles in your legs working and being grateful to experience

the day.

OXYTOCIN - THE

LOVE CHEMICAL

Play with a Dog • Play with a

Baby • Hold hands • Hug • Give

someone a Compliment

SERATONIN - THE

MOOD CHEMICAL

Meditate • Run • Get out

into the Sunshine • Walk in

Nature • Swim • Cycle

with Fran Dunning

DOPAMINE - THE

REWARD CHEMICAL

Complete a Task • Do a Self-

Care activity • Eat Food •

Celebrate a Little Win • Write a

Gratitude List

ENDORPHINS - THE

PAIN KILLER CHEMICAL

Laugh • Watch Comedy

• Eat Dark Chocolate •

Exercise

Every Monday evening I run an online mindfulness session

free of charge which offers a wonderful opportunity to take

time out for yourself. If you’d like to join, drop me a message/

e-mail or give me a call and I’ll send the zoom link to you.

For more information and details on further techniques including

hypnotherapy, visit https://www.francesdunning.com

or contact me, Fran Dunning on 07973 819867. I can support

you to change your thinking and be that friend to talk to.

Christmas Is Coming

As we approach the Christmas season in a time when it seems that our wallets

are being put under ever increasing pressure, how can we make sure that we

enjoy the festive season and not let it get on top of us.

Planning ahead, of course, is helpful and there are lots of checklists on the internet

that can be adapted to suite your circumstances so things don’t become

overwhelming.

For some, budgeting may not be an issue but for many of us it is, and it might be

worth taking note that in a survey, over half of UK adults say they have received

gifts they don't want at Christmas1. This equates to £41.70 being spent on each

unwanted present which comes out at £5.03 billion down the drain.

Rather than buying someone lots of small presents, friends and family could put

together and buy a gift experience such as a day at the races or a local spa or theatre

tickets and of course, these gifts don’t come wrapped in single use plastic.

If you’ve got a particular skill such as cake decorating, flower arranging, painting

or do-it- yourself, home-made gifts can be a wonderful and practical alternative.

One of my favourite Christmas presents is a painted stone as it reminds

me of the friend who gifted this to me and the time and skill that was expended,

plus I’m guessing they also enjoyed the creative experience too.

Rather than buying a present for each member of the family, why not agree to do

Secret Santa at home as well as in the workplace so that everyone gets a present

to open on Christmas day (and something they’ve requested!) and use the money

saved to go out for a meal in January at one of our many fabulous eateries and

do “presence rather than presents” and support local businesses whilst enjoying

New Year time with friends and family.

If you’re shopping at the local markets before Christmas, take time out to spend

time alone or with friends absorbing the atmosphere of Beverley Minster and

take in the beauty of the Christmas Tree Festival from 2nd December. Alternatively,

you can wrap up warm and take a flask and find a moment of peace in the

Quiet Garden at Beverley Minster.

Finally, if you’re a last-minute shopper and find yourself experiencing stress

sitting in traffic at the railway crossing, use this is an opportunity to have a moment

of peace and practice some 7-11 breathing – breathing in for a count of

7 and out for 11. This rapid physiological technique activates the “feel good”

chemicals and hormones to release through the body so by the time you arrive at

your destination, you’re feeling calm and focussed and ready to tick off your list.

So, reuse, recycle and be creative and above all, enjoy the festive season.

https://www.finder.com/uk/unwanted-gifts

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to find out more about getting

rid of those unwanted phobias and as an unusual present or gift someone the

experience for Christmas. If you’re curious about mindfulness, every Monday

evening I run an online mindfulness session free of charge which offers a wonderful

opportunity to take time out for yourself. If you’d like to join, drop me a

message/e-mail or give me a call and I’ll send the zoom link to you.

For more information and details on further techniques including hypnotherapy,

visit https://www.francesdunning.com or contact me, Fran Dunning on

07973 819867.


13

THE HULL HUB CHATS

with

SUNBIRDS

lead singer

Dave Hemingway

By trish shelbourne

Hi Dave, it's been a long

time since we last met. You

were still with The Beautiful

South then, what's happened

since you left 'The

South'?

Hi Trish, we decided that we

needed a new direction and

Phil Barton our guitarist had

a load of songs he wanted

to perform which we knew

would fill an album, so, we

re-grouped with new musicians

and started working

on them. All of us have an

input and we are happy with

the result. It was a shame

lockdown got in the way of

us releasing and touring

with the album but we are

here now and enjoying performing

again.

'Cool to be Kind' is a great

album title, did you purposefully

play on the word

'Cruel' ?

Yep, we are fans of Nick

Lowe's music and 'Cruel to

be Kind' was his biggest hit,

so given the times we are

living in, it seemed appropriate.

And the name 'Sunbirds'

where did that come from?

Phil came up with the name

and the art work on the album.

The birds are inspirational.

They represent

freedom and indulgance! We

decided that we were looking

for a new audience with

our new songs and so take

on different styles of music

to get our lyrics across.

Laura Wilcox plays the violin

and sings backing vocals

along with the other members

of the band so I am not

on my own. Our new session

drummer is Marc Parnell, he

has a wealth of experience

working with big artists like

Joan Armatrading and Jethro

Tull! I still get nervous

in front of an audience.

Ah yes, the drummer can

hide behind the rest of the

band and I remember you

playing the drums at school.

Did you have lessons?

Hugh Whittaker, my friend

and drummer with The

Housemartins was having

lessons at school and he

taught me some basics, the

rest I taught myself. My dad

was a comedian on the Hull

circuit, he also played harmonica

and guitar so I suppose

being a musician was

in my genes.

You have already played the

New Adelphi Club this year,

why are you playing the club

again?

It was a fabulous gig. Going

back there was like being

transported back to the

'80's. Nothing had changed!!

We have to go back again.

There aren't many venues

in Hull now for new bands

to cut their teeth, are there?

There have been a couple

of new venues opening up,

I like 'Wrecking Ball Music'

on Whitefriargate, but yes,

it's really hard for new bands

starting up. The costs can be

high especially when performing

original material.

I know, we get asked to play

our old songs all the time,

but we want to redefine ourselves

and hope the sones

sell themselves and we get

a larger audience following

us. We draw on our experiences

and descriptions of

our home town with a nod

to the politics of the day and

add the music accordingly.

Do you keep up with the

Hull music scene?

It's hard to do this when we

are preparing for a tour.

The band are spread about

the country so meeting up

to rehearse can be tricky. I

am thinking about moving

again a bit closer to Hull.

What are your favourite

parts of Hull?

The Hessle Road area still

holds fond memories for

me. I was proud that Hull

became The City of Culture

in 2017. The Marina looks

great in the summer when

it's busy and the pubs and

clubs round there are always

worth visiting.

I would like to thank Dave

Hemingway for taking time

out of his busy schedule for

this interview. Also listen on

Spotify, YouTube and Apple

Music and follow them

on Facebook where the tour

dates are listed.

14


Lynda Harrison

Commissioned

Writer, Award

Winning Actor.

Member of Hull

Collective: Women

of Words

NODGE

I think of us back in that summer,

the one before the pandemic that

changed all our lives, languishing in

your summer house, lazily mining

each other’s minds for a diamond -

an idea for a new play to co-write.

We’d already had a ‘hit’ (that’s

what we laid claim to anyway) with

‘Brought to a Head’, a play about

love, lies and abuse - not exactly

a new concept but it garnered

enough votes at the ‘Scratch

Theatre’ Humber Street for our

play to win that night. Predictably

there were some wrangles and

disputes during its writing (my

prediction, not yours). A retired

teacher of creative writing, you

were blessed with forceful, clinging

and unshakeable traits and a

wealth of extensive knowledge - a

formidable opponent; unique in

your love of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan

- and Hull City Football Team - a

mish-mash of endearments but

each the recipient of your steadfast,

enduring loyalty; as too was poetry,

the piano, books, baking, art and

choral singing.

In 2015 you introduced a reluctant

me to ‘The Armed Man’ by gifting

me the complete vocal score, where

on page seventy seven you’d written

in the margin in pencil, ‘turn page

quietly’ - ever my mentor. We

sang poignantly with a thousand

other voices at The Royal Albert

Hall, paying tribute to the victims

of Kosovo. A Mass for peace - and

I loved it!

At midnight we’re ready for bed in

a London Hotel, tired after a long

but incredibly moving day. I could

murder for a glass of wine but

you’re not a drinker like me and so I

concede to a cup of tea, ‘I’ll make it,

it’ll be hot’, I warn, ‘because I allow

the kettle to boil’, you laugh at the

irony and point the remote at the

telly. ‘Custard cream or Scottish

Shortbread?’

‘Let’s share’.

‘Ok’.

The blank TV screen brings to life

a black and white a documentary

about Elvis - our faces mirror each

other’s contentedness as we buff

pillows and pull duvets tight up to

our chins. Elation. Is there any finer

intoxication? But sleep is a poweful

seducer, especially when you are

women of a certain age. It’s time to

select the ‘off’ button, switch out the

light and snuggle down.

‘Night, night’, you whisper, ‘I love

you Lynda’.

‘Night, night, I love you too Nodge’.

I will always see you adjusting the

louvres of light to allow us to write

without the hindrance of the sun’s

rays bleaching our words from the

page. I will always taste the reward

for our endeavours - a slice of

your delicious home-made lemon

drizzle cake and a mug of chambre

tea to wash down the sharp, sugary

delicacy. I will always hear our joint

laughter ringing in my ears and

that memory will always force my

aching heart to beat with regret that

I never saw you for just one last time

in the summer house. RIP Nodge.

My dear friend.

THE TRUE STORY OF

JOHN FREDERICK TONG

BY MIKE COVELL

The role of the firewatcher in Hull during

WWII was one which was set aside

for men, women and boys with nerves

of steel. In the first instance this role

was voluntary only, there was no payment

for it, and those who enlisted did

so as part of their duty to their country,

as well as their neighbours, friends,

and family.

Secondly, these firewatchers had the

unenviable job of spending many hours,

at all hours, sat watching the skies,

whether they were situated on top of

large buildings, factories, power plants,

civic institutions, and shops, or whether

they were out on foot, at street level, patrolling

the streets, thoroughfares, and

dockland estate. These individuals also

did this in all weathers, come sun, rain,

or snow.

Add this to the fact that most went to

school, college, or work during the day,

during a period that was still under the

infamous “Blackout” conditions, and

during a period when rationing was

ongoing. They really were a different

breed.

Records of these individuals are today

stored at the Hull History Centre, and

for many months I was one of a group

of volunteers who sat and transcribed

records in the archive search room, a

project which went on to gain critical

acclaim, and also won national awards!

On January 23rd 1944 57 year old John

Frederick Tong, who resided at number

15 Peel Street, Hull, vanished. At the time

Mr. Tong was enlisted as a fire watcher,

which at the time was also known as a

fire guard. At the time of his disappearance

no mention of him vanishing appeared

in the columns of The Hull Daily

Mail.

The Hull History Centre holds the following

Fire Guard Section Personnel

card for Mr. J. F. Tong, reference: C

TYR/4/2215592, it reads:

Name: J. F. Tong, Year of Birth:

1886, Home Address: 13 Witty

Street, Hull, which is crossed out

and replaced with 15 Peel Street,

Place of Work: L.N.E.R. Occupation:

Machine Attendant, Date of

Enrolment: February 24th 1942.

On Friday July 21st 1944, a report appeared

in The Hull Daily Mail, with

the headlines: “BODY PICKED UP BY

DREDGER,” “HULL MAN WHO HAD

BEEN MISSING.” The report stated that

about half past ten yesterday a dredger

was at work in the Victoria Dock, Hull,

when it picked up the body of a man

who had been missing since January.

It was reported that the man had been

identified as John Frederick Tong, the 57

year old man, who had resided at number

15 Peel Street. It was reported that

Mr. Tong had been enrolled to be a fire

watcher in the vicinity of Victoria Dock

but he had vanished about six months

previously.

On Wednesday July 26th 1944, The Hull

Daily Mail reported that a few days previous

the body of Missing John Frederick

Tong, the 57 year old man, who had resided

at number 15 Peel Street, had been

found. It was reported that he had been

out on fire watching duty when he was

last seen, and that his body was recovered

from Victoria Dock. An inquest was

held on Wednesday July 26th 1944, and a

verdict of “found drowned,” was recorded

by the Hull City Coroner, Dr. Norman

Jennings, stating there was insufficient

evidence to show how Mr. Tong had got

into the water.

John Frederick Tong’s death was registered

in the British Death Registers thus:

Surname: Tong, Forename: John

F., Age: 57, Year: 1944, Quarter:

September, District: Hull, Volume:

9D, Page: 252

At the time of his death there were no

obituaries or death notices in The Hull

Daily Mail, and John’s name does not

appear on the Civilian War Dead Index.


15

Positive News

from around our city

New website helps residents stay independent in

their homes for longer

A modern and vibrant website has been designed

to help keep residents independent

in their homes longer and to improve the

customer experience when seeking information

about adult social care.

Adult social care is changing the way the

council offers support and advice and a new

operating model is being delivered through

Your Life, Your Way, a programme designed

to drive the best outcomes for residents and

ensure the right support is delivered at the

right time. It will also enable the council to

manage demand within the system whilst

effectively managing resources across adult

social care for the people who need them.

Finding the right advice and information is

also important for individuals who care for

a relative or friend and it is recognised that

East Riding carers also need timely and bespoke

information in order to support them

in their caring role.

Councillor Kerri Harold, portfolio holder

for adult and carer services at East Riding of

Yorkshire Council, said: “We have developed

the new website to provide early information,

advice about community support and

services and how to get help from the council.

“It promotes choice and control and helping

people to maximise their strengths and live

their life well.

“The website will also provide information

and self-help tools that residents regularly

ask our front-line and customer service

teams for, therefore reducing the number of

contacts we receive regarding requests for

information and signposting.

“Providing this through our newly-designed

website aims for a better customer experience

and to ensure our assessment teams

are focussing on those individuals who have

eligible care and support needs.

“So we are simply improving our pathways

to help residents to access information

about adult social care and to determine

what support they may need - whether it’s

preventative or longer-term support.

“We would really like to receive your feedback

so we can continuously improve this

new and exciting resource.”

It is hoped residents will find the website

user-friendly, easy to navigate and that it

promotes better understanding of the options

available to the and reinforces the

council’s prevention and early intervention

offer, strengthening the council’s duties under

the Care Act 2014 to provide information

and advice to local residents.

The website is in what’s called the ‘Beta’

phase at the moment; this means it is live

and can be tested to gather feedback from

residents to improve it further.

Adult social care’s new website includes

more online tools that residents can use,

such as a financial calculator and a community

directory of support services.

For more information or to view the new

website and give feedback, visit https://

www.yourlifeyourway.uk/ or email yourlifeyourway@eastriding.gov.uk

Dozens of Christmas jumpers donated to

help local families

Kind-hearted people in Hull have

been donating Christmas jumpers

to help local families after an

appeal by Hull City Council.

The council launched its annual

appeal in October, asking people

to donate their unwanted jumpers

in time for Save the Children’s

Christmas Jumper Day, which

takes place tomorrow (Thursday

8 December).

Since the start of the appeal, 75

jumpers have been donated via

Beercocks estate agents and Hull

CVS, and the jumpers have now

been dropped off at local primary

schools to help families with the

cost of Christmas.

A jumper donated by Keep Britain

Tidy, bearing the words “I

wish it could be tidy every day”

has been given to Chiltern Primary

School, which was awarded

the Eco Schools Green Flag in

May 2022.

As well as helping local families,

reusing clothes also helps keep

textiles out of wheelie bins and

reduces waste.

Councillor Julia Conner, Portfolio

Holder for Environment, said:

“We want to thank all the kind

people of Hull who responded

to our Christmas jumper appeal

this year.

“We got jumpers of all shapes and

sizes, plus some pyjamas, a tutu –

the whole Christmas works!

“They have now been dropped off

at primary schools and will help

lots of local families enjoy the

festivities, including tomorrow’s

Christmas Jumper Day.”

Save the Children’s annual

Christmas Jumper Day invites

people up and down the country

to come together and donate £2

to “make the world better with a

sweater”.

Over the past few years, Hull City

Council has collected more than

200 Christmas jumpers and delivered

them to schools in priority

areas identified by the Love

Your Street project.

For more information on the

council’s Love Your Street project,

follow Love Your Street Hull

on Facebook and @LoveYourSt-

Hull on Twitter.

Free health and wellbeing

programme in Hull nominated for

national health award

16

Hull’s pioneering health and wellbeing programme

which brings together rival rugby clubs and the local

NHS has been shortlisted for a national HSJ Partnership

Award. The award recognises Hull FC Foundation

and Hull KR Foundation for their outstanding dedication

to improving healthcare and effective collaboration

with the NHS.

The rugby clubs’ official charities, in collaboration with

Hull Health and Care Partnership, have been nominated

in the ‘Best Not for Profit Working in Partnership

with the NHS’ category, thanks to the success of the

Teaming Up for Health project.

Teaming up for Health uses the power of rugby to connect

with people in Hull and equip them with the skills,

confidence, and knowledge to lead healthier lives. Now

in its fifth year, the foundation teams run after-school

clubs for primary school children, fitness and emotional

wellbeing programmes for adults and social

sessions for older adults, aiming to tackle isolation and

keep people active in older age.

All sessions delivered through the Teaming up for

Health Programme are completely free of charge. Find

out about how you could get involved online at www.

hullfcfoundation.co.uk/ and www.hullkr.co.uk/foundation/.

The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise and honour

the most effective partnerships, innovative projects

and collaborations in the UK health system. The prestigious

award programme, now in its sixth year, is not

just a celebration of success stories but also a platform

to shape the future of our new integrated health and

care system.

The awards evening is expected to be attended by national

healthcare leaders and professionals from both

the NHS and private sector as well as figures from

non-clinical backgrounds to celebrate innovation and

collaboration in healthcare.

The selected winners will be announced during a private

ceremony at Evolution London, on 23 March 2023.


THE LATESTWITHLOGAN

Hello everyone, hope you are all well. I’ve been rather busy since I wrote my last column. First of

all, I performed in a production of Annie at State of the Arts. I had multiple roles to play, Bundles,

Drake, President Roosevelt and a man. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this even though it was

tiring performing on Friday, Saturday and then two shows on the Sunday. The next show I will be

appearing in is ‘The Addams Family’ as the character Mal. I took my Grade 3 LAMDA acting exam

and got a distinction! I performed two monologues - Diggory Kirk from ‘The Magician’s nephew’

and a really funny piece called ‘Shrimp fried rice’. I loved performing both of these pieces but the

latter was just so funny because it is about a man who gets the wrong end of the stick when his

fiancée orders a dish from the menu.

As you know I’m a member of the UK Youth Parliament

and in June I was invited to a regional residential

in Dearne Valley for the weekend. I have never

been on a residential before and was quite anxious

about it all. I had to catch two trains to get there but

felt more relaxed when I met up with a few other

members at the train station. When we arrived, I

was shown to my room where I discovered that I

was to sleep in a room on my own. It made me feel

quite lonely to start with and was a bit scary! The

first night I rang my parents a lot but by the second

night I was so exhausted that I just fell straight

to sleep!! I took part in lots of workshops across the

weekend which I absolutely loved. There was a democracy

workshop, voting workshops where we got

shown the government’s budget and how we could

save money. We played games and there was a disco.

It was all really good fun and most importantly I

made some new friends.

I was also invited to a Scrutiny meeting at the Council

Chambers at the Guildhall to scrutinise a report.

It was so interesting because I got to see the

plans relating to children and families. Something

else exciting was when I was asked to go on Radio

Humberside to discuss the Youth Parliament and

the forthcoming Annual Conference. I love a good

discussion and as politics is something close to my

heart. I knew I’d have enough to talk about on the 3

shows I was asked to be part of. I did not feel nervous

at all and could have stayed there all day! The

Annual Conference took part at Hull University the

same weekend as the Radio Humberside interviews.

I was so looking forward to the weekend as I’d got a

taste of what a residential was like in June and kind

of knew what to expect. The Annual conference is

a national event so there’d be a lot more people to

meet this time around. We looked at Policy Motions

and debated them. I met other MYPs from across the

UK and caught up with the people I’d met at the previous

residential. There was a quiz and disco which I

really enjoyed too. I am so proud of myself for being

able to participate in these residentials, something I

thought I would never do or want to do for that matter.

Something really exciting happened in October

where I was invited to perform in the 11th Anniversary

of Autism’s Got Talent at the Mermaid theatre

in London. It was absolutely brilliant even though

I was feeling under the weather. I got to stay in a

lovely hotel for a couple of nights, walk on the red

carpet and perform in front of a big audience. I was

able to meet lots of new people too which I loved doing.

It was a great honour to be invited to perform at

this event and it made me feel very proud.

On November 4th I attended the Annual Sitting at

the House of Commons. This was something else I

was so very excited to attend. I cannot begin to tell

you how many times I watched videos, news clips of

this place and it seemed so surreal to be sat there

where lots of MPs I’ve seen on the TV have sat. I had

prepared some notes just in case I was lucky enough

to be chosen to speak but seeing as there were lots

of other members of the UK Youth Parliament in attendance,

I wasn’t quite so sure I’d be chosen but

I was! When Mr Speaker chose me, I was so nervous

but knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime so

grabbed it with both hands and read out my speech.

What a privilege!

I cannot believe how busy I’ve been, but I’ve still

had time to enter into the Hull and District Chess

association for a knockout competition. So far, I

have won round 1 and will have hopefully completed

round 2 by the end of January. I will definitely keep

you updated on how it all goes.

Bye for now!

Improvement works begin at Queens Gardens

Work has begun on improving

the boundary walls of Hull’s

Queens Gardens.

The walls along the northern

and southern edges of the gardens,

Dock Street and Guildhall

Road respectively, have deteriorated

and immediate precautionary

works are now underway.

Hull City Council’s Streetscene

team will remove several

concrete lighting columns

on Guildhall Road, extend the

safety fencing boundary and install

some fencing on the lower

footpath, as well as some signage

as part of the work.

Concrete blocks may also need

to be installed on the northern

side to support the wall structure.

Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio

holder for regeneration, said:

“These precautionary works

are essential to ensure that the

Queens Gardens project can be

completed.

“The works are imperative to

ensure both the safety of the

public and the safety and sustainability

of the project.”

Hull’s transformative Queens

Gardens refurbishment includes

the improvement of accessibility

and visitor flows to

the gardens, as well as the introduction

of bespoke pieces of

public art, improvement of biodiversity

and the regeneration

of a much-loved open space.

The project will make the gardens

fit for purpose, futureproofing

the space and its ability

to host large-scale events.

The history of the gardens is

being incorporated in its design,

reconnecting it with the

origins of the space as a former

dock.

Ultralets collects keys to new office as

Flemingate community continues to grow

Leading East Yorkshire letting agency Ultralets

has opened a new office at Beverley’s

flourishing Flemingate centre after an impressive

period of growth.

Ultralets specialises in property management

and maintenance and has operated

across Hull and East Yorkshire since 2009.

Today, Ultralets manages over 880 properties

and has its own in-house maintenance

team which services its portfolio.

UItralets has doubled the size of its team over

the past 12 months and now employs 25 people.

To accommodate its growth, and to ensure

it can provide the best service to landlords

and tenants across East Yorkshire, Ultralets

has expanded into a 5,000 sq ft office space

at Flemingate. The first floor office has a

branded ground floor entrance from the

centre’s main thoroughfare.

It means another unit at Flemingate is now

occupied as the centre, which is owned and

operated by Hull-based commercial developer

Wykeland Group, continues to evolve as

a thriving, mixed-use development.

The arrival of Ultralets adds to the growing

number of successful office-based businesses

in and around the Flemingate centre.

Other businesses that have made Flemingate

their home include transport consultants

Local Transport Projects and pet food industry

supplier BHJ.

David Donkin, Wykeland Property Director,

said: “We’re delighted to have secured another

quality tenant at Flemingate and we’re

equally pleased to see a local business expanding

and choosing the centre as its new

home.

“Ultralets is an established and respected

name in the region’s property sector and has

grown significantly in recent years.

“Their decision to expand to Flemingate

shows how attractive an opportunity the

centre is for businesses looking for new office

space. With a range of cafes, restaurants

and shops for staff to enjoy, Flemingate is

also just a short stroll from the centre of Beverley

and close to the train station for those

commuting.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome

Ultralets to Flemingate, in what is an exciting

new chapter for their business.”


17

WHEN (IF) I GROW UP

with Sean Bell - Script Writer, Radio Producer, Voice-Over, DJ, Scout Leader, & Outdoors InstructoR

“I love deadlines” wrote the late, great Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy author, Douglas Adams. “I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”

The word “deadline” was very much in my head a few days ago when I said to my wife “The Hull Hub editor Jayne’s going to be chasing me for my next

article very soon and I haven’t got a clue what to write about?” She laughed and replied, “You chose to be a writer” But that’s the funny thing you… I never

did. It just kind of happened by accident.

Waaaaay back in my teenage years, I remember there were two things I wanted to

do. One was to be a DJ, which I can confidently say, I achieved with a great deal of

success. Success as a club / bar DJ, a “career” that has taken me around the world,

but I also tried my hand at being a radio DJ / presenter at which I was truly awful.

I have no problem entertaining a live crowd of thousands, but it takes a special

and different set of skills to sit alone in a radio studio and make the output sound

fun, interesting and slick. I forever became tongue tied and regularly pressed the

wrong buttons and faders etc. No, presenting wasn’t for me, but I did then discover

radio production – in particular producing creative and effective commercials,

which is what my bread and butter is today.

And the other teenage ambition was to be a Stunt Performer – a path I started

on later in life, but never got to complete. To be recognised as a Stunt Performer

and work in TV and film here in the UK you have to be a member of what was

once called the Equity Stunt Register which later became the British Register of

Stunt Performers. To get onto these lists the candidate has to show proficiency

in numerous different “action” categories – cars, bikes, heights, water, fighting

etc. And horses. Thankfully (though of course I never did get that far) you didn’t

have to complete every column, which was a relief because I’m not going anywhere

near getting on the back of a horse. The training was very expensive but I

persevered for a while, ticking various boxes off, but in the end had to face up to

the fact that it wasn’t ever going to

happen. I’d also come to accept

that geographically, I wasn’t in

the right place and uprooting my

then young family wasn’t an option.

Stunts aren’t just restricted

to the big Bond or Fast & Furious

type action sequences. “Gags” as

they’re know occur in all genres

of films and TV show, soaps, commercials,

and even training programmes

such as the RNLI shoot

I was involved with, “drowning” in

the English Channel. The nature of the job means that Stunt Performers have to

stand in for other actors, or actually play a character so they’re in the scene to, for

example, receive a push over the balcony – in short they have to be able to act on

screen. So, part of the application process to get onto “the list” includes collecting

a number of on-screen credits. To achieve this, I got an acting agent in Leeds, and

made numerous supporting appearances in Yorkshire TV productions including

The Royal, Heartbeat (when I had an actual fight sequence whilst being arrested

by PC Bellamy), and several episodes of Emmerdale. Working on a “soap” is a very

surreal experience, being amongst characters who enter your home through the

TV screen several times a week. And for anyone who knocks soap operas, let me

tell you, the full-on production schedule means that everything is moving at a

superfast pace. Whether on-screen or on the other side of the camera, it’s certainly

a place where everyone has to

develop their skills quickly – it’s an

intense learning curve and an excellent

springboard fr anyone wanting

to work in TV. But becoming any kind

of writer was never part of the plan.

My discovered interest in radio production

led to myself talking my way

into a job with an Advertising Agency

here in Hull, which in turn led to myself

trying my hand at writing. BBC

Radio 4 used to broadcast a weekly

comedy show made up of scripts sent

in by listeners, so I thought I’d give it

a go and soon started receiving small

payments – though the payment was always useful and appreciated, I’d have been

happy just to have my work – my words – broadcast. Around the same time, I was

asked by an industry contact to write my first paid for article as these new CD’s

looked set to replace vinyl! Soon after, another publication, Disco & Club International,

asked me to review the refurbished night club I was then resident in, in

Malta. When I finally settled back in Hessle after working abroad, alongside all the

other things I was doing, I set myself up as a freelance script writer, faxing radio

commercial scripts around the country to stations and agencies. I even ended up

writing comedy for Craig Charles when

he was performing in panto’ at the Hull

New Theatre… oh yes I did!

Though I can’t remember what the

careers teacher at school actually

suggested was a suitable career path

myself, I do recall thinking to myself,

having walked out of the one to one

meeting I’d probably made drag on

for longer, just so I didn’t have to go

back into maths or French or whatever

– “I’ve just been given careers advice

by somebody who has probably gone

from School to University and then into

teaching – and has never experienced any environment, other than education?”

So it all just kind of happened. I never really had – or have - a career path, and

have to admit, aged 52, I still have no idea what I want to do when (if) I grow up.

But right now, I’m scratching my head, wondering what on earth I can write about

next time I see Jayne’s deadline… Whooshing towards

me?

www.SeanBell.co.uk

18


SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON

Michelle Knight

What is your

company/profession?

Moonflower Ceremonies

/ Celebrant

What did you want

to be when you were

growing up?

My father worked offshore when I was young, so I was

always aware of jobs which were out of the ordinary.

I had hoped to do something out of the ordinary too,

but life sometimes has a habit of getting in the way.

Right up until now. Now I have my own out of the ordinary

job, and couldn’t be happier!

What inspired you to do this?

I’d been to a couple of funerals,

which were fairly nondescript.

Following one I’d been

to a few years ago, which had

been…wait for it…fancy dress!

Yes, you did hear that right –

Fancy dress – it was the best

funeral I’ve ever been to. Choc

full of emotion, but also the best, most fitting, send

off for an amazing man.

So, the following ones which weren’t truly reflective

of the person, I felt, could have been done better. Cue

me thinking, “I would have had tons of ideas for how

to do this better.” Although I didn’t think about it too

much more, because at that point I had no idea that

Celebrancy was a thing.

It was only by chance, whilst reading an article online

about a really gorgeous elopement in a magical woodland

setting – the photos were stunning, sun beams

filtering through the trees onto a small clearing, wild

flowers carpeting the floor, beautiful floaty, almost

fairy-like dress, you get the idea. And I thought, “hang

on. surely this couldn’t be a licensed venue?”

I’d had my own wedding the previous year, and had

been disappointed with the level of choice, both in

licensed venues and in type of ceremony available

for non-religious weddings. Don’t get me wrong, our

wedding was amazing because of all the elements

we introduced. The venue we chose, the guests we

invited, but the actual ceremony was (aside from

our readings, and our vows) a bit blah, and over very

quickly.

It also wasn’t the festival we’d imagined when we

first thought about getting married, and that was because

of the cost of everything. As everyone knows,

the wedding industry is just that, an industry which

is uber expensive. Take for example just one thing – I

took my dress to be professionally cleaned, the price

was £130 for cleaning, and £40 for a cardboard box to

keep it in afterwards - £40!? For a cardboard box!?

Can you believe that?! So, standing on the other side

of the counter with my mouth hanging open at this

information, my brain went into overdrive, and my

bank card shrivelled up!

“Erm.” I said. “Erm...” And then an idea! “How much

is it to clean an evening dress?” “£29.50.” “Oh, yes. I’ll

have that then!” And that was it - £29.50. No box and

the deal was done. This sort of thing happens all over

the place. And although it’s expected, I don’t believe

it’s right.

Anyway, back to Celebrancy. The article covered the

couple’s story, and talked about how they had decided

that this was how they wanted their wedding. Rather

than go the traditional route, they had booked an incredible

photographer (and he clearly was, from the

photos) and a Celebrant who had created a ceremony

absolutely unique to them and their wishes, including

a flower blessing, a circle of love, and a handfasting.

“Whoa!” I thought, “How is this possible?!” No witnesses,

no licensed venue, having exactly what they

want for their ceremony? And so the research began!

As I started looking into the role of a Celebrant, I

started to feel more and more drawn to it, thinking

that if I had all of these ideas about how to personalise

things, and I already knew how chatty I am (I know –

shocker, right?) and how much I love hearing people’s

stories about where they came from and who they

are, I thought maybe?

But I wasn’t sure. It’s one

thing feeling it in your heart,

and entirely another to be

any good at it. I mean, every

Christmas I visualise how

pretty my presents are going

to look, all wrapped perfectly

with bows and

ribbons, and every

Christmas I use an

entire roll of tape,

just trying to keep

the presents inside

the paper! I really am

rubbish at that! So I

started looking into

training providers,

so I could have a chat

with them and find out exactly what was involved.

The day I found Veronika Robinson, I knew I had

found ‘the one’. Her ethos fits perfectly with mine,

she is the most wonderful woman, as well as being a

top notch Celebrant and Author, and a brilliant trainer.

She was also ruthless in ensuring that every piece

of work I produced for her, through her Heart-Led

Training programme, was outstanding. She taught

me the difference between ‘that’s great’, and ‘that’s

incredible’. How to use words to create something

personal and full of emotion, how to set the tone and

how to use elements within ceremonies to fix the

moment in people’s minds.

I couldn’t have chosen better, because not only did I

get all of that from Veronika, but the option I chose,

also included voice training from the wonderful Paul

Robinson, excellent voice over artist and Celebrant,

who taught me how to then deliver what I’d written.

How to use my breath, how to infuse emotion, how

to make the script appear as if it is just occurring to

me, truly a skill I did not know I needed, but it has

made such a difference to my delivery. And is also the

reason why I now, as completely tone deaf and unmusical

as I am, croon along to all the songs on the

car radio, to help condition my voice for speaking –

other car drivers must think I’m

a nutter when they pass me, because

I really get into it!

What is the hardest part of your job?

Marketing myself – it is a necessary evil, otherwise

no-one would know who I am, or what I can offer, but

it doesn’t come easy to me.

Have you always lived in Hull?

Yes, in and around Sutton Park, West Hull, Woodmansey,

Cottingham, City Centre, East Hull, Beverley,

East Hull Villages.

Whats your favourite part of the city?

Difficult choice. East Park is wonderful, so many different

areas, so many different sides to it. Humber

Street is a joy, from shopping to eating, to nightlife,

it’s a micro city all of it’s own. But possibly my top favourite,

because of all the memories it holds for me,

is Kingston Square outside Hull New Theatre. As children,

my cousin and I would hang out, hidden from

view on tree branches, watching the world go by and

thinking up new ruse’s we could get into trouble for!

Do you support any local teams?

Of course! Hull City, and both of our kickass rugby

teams! Although, at the risk of alienating half the City,

in a derby, I’d be wearing black and white!

Do you have any hobbies? What are they?

I love to read. I’m lucky enough to have a log burner at

home, so on the rare occasion I get the time, putting

my feet up with a gin cocktail in front of a roaring fire

with a fantasy novel is definitely my favourite way to

relax.

What is your favourite music/film?

Avatar is my all time favourite film, I could watch it

again and again and still marvel at the imaginations

which came up with all the flora and fauna on Pandora.

I can’t tell you how much I wish I had a dragon

and a connection to the tree of souls – I’d have a good

long chat with my grandparents.

If you could pass on a

piece of advice what

would it be?

Don’t wait until you are 50

years old to find the thing

that you can honestly say

makes your heart sing –

even if that means trying

a 101 other things to get

there!


19

THE

SCHOOL

SCOOP

Evie’s Christmas card design buzzes with creativity

The importance of bees to the wellbeing of our planet was

the inspiration for hundreds of pupils in the University

of Hull’s annual Christmas card competition for local

schools.

The winning design for the Vice-Chancellor’s Christmas

card competition was created by Evie Thompson, aged 11,

from Thanet Primary School

Professor Dave Petley, Vice-Chancellor of the University

of Hull, invited hundreds of children from local primary

schools to draw a special Christmas card for the competition,

organised through Hull & East Yorkshire Children’s

University.

Professor Petley said: “I am delighted to congratulate Evie,

aged 11, on her wonderful drawing which will feature on

my Christmas card this year. Her design not only features a

Christmas tree – which has been very carefully drawn and

coloured in – but also some colourful bees wearing bright

red Santa hats – as decorations!

“There’s a star on top of the Christmas tree and a couple of

snowflakes too – which altogether make a lovely Christmas

Card.”

The winner, Evie, a Year 6 pupil, said: “My two main interests

are drawing and football and I just love being creative.

“I entered the competition and then kind of forgot about it

so I felt really excited when I was announced as the winner.

“I’m really proud to learn that my card will be been sent all

around the world. Thank you for the prize – I’m looking

forward to getting creative with it!”

Natasha Barley, Director at Hull & East Yorkshire Children’s

University, said: “It’s always such a joy to run the

Vice-Chancellor’s annual Christmas card competition.

“The standard of entries was very high this year so I know

the Vice-Chancellor will have had a difficult time choosing

his favourite.

“Evie did a wonderful job creating such a beautiful design

and was excited to find out she was the winner. A big thank

you to all the schools who took part.”

Julie Shortman, deputy head teacher at Thanet Primary

School, said: “”We really value giving our children the opportunity

to try different experiences and Children’s University

offers lots of chances to support us with this.

“Whether that’s sporting, creative, academic or team

building, we aim to unlock something in every child that

they feel they can succeed at. We’re delighted that Evie has

been chosen as the winner of the Christmas card competition!”

“Professor Petley said: “This is my first Christmas as

Vice-Chancellor at the University of Hull – so it’s the first

time I have selected a Christmas card in our annual competition

for schools.

“It has been such a pleasure to see all the different designs

created by the children and it is clear to me that creativity

is thriving in our region’s schools.”

Keeping children safe online

Most kids want the latest games console

and where would they be without

their mobile phone?

Let us help you keep them safe by making

sure security and privacy settings

are changed to ensure they don’t get

contacted by someone you don’t want

to.

But do your kids probably know more

than you about how to set the security

and privacy setting?

Don’t leave it to chance, make sure

that if you are giving a games console

or mobile device to any young person,

have it set up to help prevent them

from being contacted by someone you

would really not want to be speaking to

or communicating with your kids.

It’s not difficult to do, any high street

retailer will help you went to make a

purchase or you can find lots of information

online in the Think You Know,

Get Safe Online and NSPCC websites.

Detective Sergeant Patrick Morfitt

from our POLIT (Police Online Investigation

Team) said, “If you are buying

a device for your children, make sure it

is age appropriate and has the parental

controls set up to protect them from

unwanted online contact.

“We don’t want to scare parents and

carers about the safety of their children,

we simply want to make sure

they talk to their children about staying

safe online.

“Try to be open with your children so

that they know they can come to you if

something has happened online that

they’re not happy about or if a stranger

has tried to contact them or send them

a friend request.

“If you think an offence has taken place

please call 101 and talk to us. We can

and will take action against those who

seek to harm children online.

“As a parent myself I know how easy it

is to get their devices made secure and

I would just ask other parents to take

the time to check the parental controls.”

Keep your children safe now and in the

future by making sure their devices are

secure.

Sowdens support Ron Dearing UTC students

As Ron Dearing UTC students are preparing

to go head-to-head with peers across

the globe, Sowdens offered their marketing

expertise to help them stand against

the competition and establish their teams

amongst thousands of pupils that enter

every year.

The F1 in Schools competition requires

teams to design, test, manufacture and

race a scale F1 car, as well as produce engineering

and marketing portfolios which

must include information about creating

industry links, raising funds through sponsorship

and generating brand awareness

through websites, events and social media.

With an agency-client relationship that was

established when the UTC was launched in

Hull, in the North East of England, Sowdens

offered their business knowledge, marketing

expertise and support to mentor the

group of four student teams, with

Art Directors, Chris Dimmack and Polly

Sowden, leading on the project.

Through four engaging sessions, students

learnt the importance of a brand and how

it could help distinguish them amongst

competitors, each team developed concept

boards and learnt how a creative studio

would approach the project.

Sowdens are no strangers to living life in

the fast lane and 2022 is going to be a big

year of celebrations for Sowden & Sowden

as they triumph their 40th year in business.

As part of this celebration, the Marketing

Agency found an opportune moment to

give back when their client asked for support.

The teams this year are Vortex Racing, Delta

Racing, Mach Racing and Team Overflow.

Sowdens started the mentorship

programme by meeting the teams and

delivering a presentation on the power of

branding, this gave students the opportunity

to ask any questions, get guidance on

the design, how it works within different

mediums and ultimately the importance of

the message that their brand will portray,

right from the offset of their F1 journey.

The teams then had a deadline to submit

their designs and subsequently Sowdens

fed back, worked together to create design

sheets for the development of the logo style

and created a final brand design.

20


“

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always

hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.

- Roald Dahl

Giacom gives Hull primary school children

once-in-lifetime London experience

Leading Cloud services provider Giacom

has given primary school children

from Hull an unforgettable experience

in London.

Giacom is a Gold sponsor of Hull and

East Yorkshire (HEY) Children’s University,

which aims to build the confidence,

self-esteem and aspirations

of youngsters living in areas of high

deprivation by providing them with a

diverse range of experiences outside

the classroom.

Under the partnership, Giacom and

the charity teamed up to take a group

of 20 children from Paisley Primary

School, in west Hull, on a once-in-alifetime

trip to the capital.

Most of the children had not been to

London before and, for some of them,

it was their first time on a train or

leaving Hull.

They were taken on a tour of some of

London’s most famous landmarks and

attractions during the daytrip, including

Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing

Street, Trafalgar Square and the Natural

History Museum.

Wearing their “Giacom Cloud Explorer”

hats, the children took in the

sights during a river cruise down the

Thames and were treated to dinner.

Giacom, which is based at Hull’s Priory

Park, also paid for each of the children

to buy a souvenir of their trip.

Sophie Lockwood, Campaign Manager

at Giacom, was one of three volunteers

from the company who joined

four members of staff from the school

and three representatives from HEY

Children’s University on the trip.

She said: “We had such a wonderful

day. There was so much for the children

to take in and it was amazing to

point things out to them and see their

reactions. We absolutely loved spending

the day with them.

“The Royal Standard was flying at

Buckingham Palace, so we were able

to tell the children the King was there.

Then, when we went to Downing

Street, we saw Rishi Sunak coming

out in his car to go to Prime Minister’s

Questions.

“The children really loved all the exhibitions

at the Natural History Museum

and they were just blown away by the

whole experience.

“At the end of the day, we were all exhausted

– but totally exhilarated as

well.”

Rose James, Director of Development

at HEY Children’s University, said:

“For most of these children, it was

their first time on a train and for some

it was the first time they’d ever left

Hull.

“Giacom’s support allowed us to provide

the children with this incredible

experience. Without this, some of

them might have never had the opportunity

to visit London.

“They’ve made memories to cherish

for a lifetime.”

Giacom is an industry-leading provider

of Cloud services to IT companies.

The London trip was the latest

support provided by the company to

HEY Children’s University under its

12-month partnership.

Members of the Giacom team will be

delivering Christmas presents to other

primary school children in Hull

during the festive period, as another

element of the company’s work with

HEY Children’s University.

As the recent winner of Business in

the Community award at the Hull Live

Business Awards 2022, Giacom has

also been using its position as a sponsor

of Hull City to create memorable

experiences for children and their

families.

Training kit sponsor Giacom launched

the Giacom Goals competition last

season to give aspiring young players

the chance to showcase their talents.

Giacom invited players aged 16 or under

to send in a video of their best goal.

Prizes up for grabs included Hull City

match tickets and merchandise, with

the overall winner Eden Innes, 10, and

her team Hall Road Rangers U10 Girls

being invited to train with Tigers leftback

Brandon Fleming and goalkeeper

Matt Ingram.

“

Ron Dearing UTC to increase student numbers after

planning approval for expansion

Hull’s pioneering Ron Dearing University

Technical College (UTC) has been given

the go-ahead to expand and increase

its capacity.

The Ofsted “Outstanding”-rated school

will be able to offer an additional 200

student places after Hull City Council

approved its expansion plans.

The first phase of the work to reconfigure

the UTC’s existing building in Kingston

Square, including two new science

labs and a Sixth Form Independent

Study Centre, is expected to be complete

by August, enabling the employer-led

school to welcome a further 80 students

from September.

A new hi-tech learning centre will also

be created in the former Central Fire

Station, next to the school, which will

be home to an exhibition centre, a Renewables

Innovation Lab, a Sixth Form

Centre and a state-of-the-art Centre for

Creativity known as “STEAM Studios”,

representing the school’s specialisms in

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts

and Mathematics.

Opening in May 2023, STEAM Studios will


comprise of three art and design studios,

a ceramics studio, a Mac computer suite,

recording studio, film-making facilities

and exhibition and performance spaces.

This facility will enable an additional

120 students to attend Ron Dearing UTC

from September next year.

It comes after the Department for Education’s

Post-16 Capacity Fund awarded

the school substantial grant funding to

grow from 600 to 800 students in response

to the huge demand for student

places.

Head of History, Clare Atkin, Awarded Chartered

Teacher of History

Chartered Teacher of History (CTHist)

status is designed to ensure that teachers

who choose to remain within the

classroom have their contributions and

expertise recognised and to provide an

assurance for senior leaders that history

staff are committed to their continued

development. This accreditation confers

a distinction on its holder in recognition

of a high level of expertise in both historical

knowledge and understanding and

age-appropriate pedagogy, as well as a

commitment to continued development

in these areas.

Head of History, Clare Atkin, has recently

been awarded this prestigious status.

She said ‘’ I have always been a member

of the Historical Association and decided

that this was an excellent opportunity to

motivate myself into getting further professional

training and consolidate some

of the things that I already love doing in

the classroom and the broader History

community. The pandemic forced me to

review my pedagogical knowledge, learn

how to teach online, and opened-up

more of a field for online History training

which I took advantage of. The Tranby

History department also trained a PGCE

student in 2021 and I thoroughly enjoyed

mentoring an early career teacher with

the support of the University of York. I

started the application process in October

2021. I had to compile a portfolio of

evidence to support my application including

a CPD log, teaching materials,

letters of commendation and references.

In January 2022, the Historical Association

panel reviewed the evidence, and I

was accepted. The challenge now is to

hold on to it for three years!’’

Headmistreess, Alex Wilson said “Our

teachers and department heads are

subject experts of the highest calibre; it

is wholly right that our Head of History

is recognised and credited as a national

leader in her field. We are immensely

proud of her.”

21

PERFECT 2 CYPRUS TOUR

From being so excited in January to have been offered a week of gigs

in Cyprus, to our departure on a chilly Wednesday morning, we really

could not believe our luck. Kendall Events in Cyprus (AKA Karen) arranged

everything from flights to transfers and accommodation.

Day 1 - We nad our first gig at Vatouthkla up in the hills. After a steady

start to the journey we suddenly found ourselves on the sort of track

usually reserved for off-roading in a 4x4. Andy took on the role of James

Bond in the white knuckle ride while Trish clung on gamely, offering encouragement.

The car wasn't really suited to the surface but eventually

we made it to the venue. Our changing room was usually a bedroom

for a staff member who perhaps didn't have the use of Google Maps to

navigate home in the dark! Our act was well received and we got back

safely at 00:30.

Day 2 - We had a day off and navigated to the beach in Coral Bay and

laid out for a relaxing afternoon. We also managed to visit a supermarket

to stock up on food, marvelling at the elegant Greek writing and

amazing cakes!

Day 3 - Our gig today was at Vineleaf Tavern in Pissouri Bay. This was

a great venue and we received great feedback from local expats about

how we sounded and looked like Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott. Trish's

long wig helped her channel Jacqui's appearance!

Day 4 - It was Easter Sunday in Cyprus. We chose to find a peaceful

beach on which to soak up the rays with a little bit of swimming and a

cheeky cocktail as well. It was really interesting to chat with Karen and

hear about the different setup in arranging gigs here compared to the

UK.

22

National Music Award Winner

The New Adelphi Club in Hull ious award and would like to

has won a top national award take this opportunity to thank

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

at the Music Week Annual everyone nationwide who voted

Awards Ceremony, which recognises

for our small 200 capacity

brilliance across the community music venue in

entire spectrum of the music Hull. We would like to thank

industry across the UK. The Music Week, Music Venue

UK Grassroots Venue of the Trust and all the artists, promoters

Year Award was an award open

and music lovers who

to a public vote and supported have supported the converted

by the Music Venue Trust. The terraced house that is The New

Adelphi was voted best grassroots

Adelphi Club over the last 38

venue in the UK against years. Big love goes out to all

highly respected opposition the grassroots venues around

including, Night & Day Café the UK who perform such a

Manchester, Rescue Rooms valuable service to the music

Nottingham, Sneaky Pete’s industry and yet struggle from

Edinburgh, The Boileroom week to week for survival. Well

Guildford to name only a few. done to all the other contenders

Unfortunately we couldn’t

in this category it is an

afford to attend the celebrations,

honour to be in your compabled

however “We are humny”.

to receive such a prestig-

Day 5 - At Anesi restaurant they served a

delightful buffet to a sell out crowd. Chatting

with the guests afterwards we discovered

they loved Paul's music spanning the

decades. Many of them had seen Paul & Jacqui live; two ladies in particular

were looking forward to flying the Cypriot flag in front of them at

the Isle of Wight Festival in June.

Day 6 - Tonight's gig at the Bonamare Beach Bar was a delight on many

levels, sold out again and we performed outdoors! Our changing area

was the manager's office - who says gigging isn't glamorous? We wondered

why the audience were chattering during Old Red Eyes Is Back

and it turned out there had been

an earthquake (4.8 on the Richter

scale) and we hadn't noticed

as we were too busy dancing

and singing!

Day 7 - Our final day involved

more relaxing on the beach

before heading for the airport.

The flight was comically

delayed as the captain

lost a can of Coke

under his rudder pedal

but we got going and

managed to get a little

sleep on the way

back!


Follow us on

Facebook, Instagram

or Twitter

@perfect2hull for

updates.

by Trish Shelbourne

& Andy Stubbs

The Time Of Our Lives Presented by Rock for Heroes

Celebrating the movies of a generation!!!

Venue: Hull Truck Theatre

Date & Time: Thursday 2nd February 2023

Ticket Prices: From £21.50

Website: https://www.hulltruck.co.uk

Box Office: 01482 323638

The Movies of the 80s, a never-ending whirlwind of classic movies and timeless soundtracks! And

to add to this, all done in the way only Rock for Heroes can do it. We invite you to come dressed up

as your favourite 80s character, we invite you to sing along, we want you to dance, and we know

you’ll laugh! From Dirty Dancing to Top Gun, From Ghostbusters to The Breakfast club all the hits

are here from your favourite 80s blockbuster movies. We’re gonna party like its 1985! So don’t be put

in the corner and we’ll make sure you don’t forget about us! Let’s see your Flash dance and Let’s

have The Time Of Our Lives! Brought to you by Producers of Rock For Heroes.

RELEASING YOUR INNER CHILD

with Dawn O’Donoghue

Do you find yourself repeating mistakes over and over again? Perhaps choosing the wrong kind of partner or responding to situations in a completely

inappropriate manner? Maybe angry, emotional, or feeling a failure? Or, do you go to a defensive strategy instead of being calm and rational? Then an

Inner Child Workshop would be ideal for you.

These Workshops

(small

group or individual)

are

not looking

to blame your

parents or carers.

It is not

about finding

fault with your

childhood (which was probably good) or you. The methods

are used to seek out those subtle moments, words,

or actions, that changed your reaction to something in

the process of growing up. Even the simplest of phrases

changed your thinking.

’You are a big girl now!’ often leads to weight issues.

‘Calm down’ can result in not being able to control your

anger.

‘Stop crying!’ switches off our emotional responses and

makes it difficult to express ourselves.

We’ve all heard them said or maybe even said them ourselves.

It is the tiny events, the misunderstood, unintentional or

cruel comments you received. The expectations of how

you should respond to a situation by those around you

or just not being informed of your self-worth can have

a real impact on your self-esteem and consequently on

your behaviour today. Faced with a similar situation,

we literally regress to how we would have behaved as a

child. And often, we don’t know why we behave in that

way.

In many cases, our behaviour changes when we feel rejected

or overlooked. In the past, whilst growing up, we

didn’t get the support we needed at that precise time

to solve a problem. Or, as is often the case, we felt we

simply were ‘not good enough. This can lead to OCD or

overachieving in our adult life, it can make us anxious

without reason, apathetic or withdrawn.

Acknowledging that everything that happens as we develop

has a consequence in our adult life gives us the

freedom to change how we behave today. Whenever we

feel criticised or criticise ourselves, we are ‘acting out’

something from the past. It has to stop. You deserve the

best possible life.

I know one particular client (currently in her forties) who

constantly refers to herself as stupid. If anything goes

wrong she immediately takes the blame and qualifies

this with ‘I’m so stupid aren’t I?’. This cycle of self-blame

and punishment drives her entire life. It has impacted

on her expectations of herself, and her choice of friends

and partners. It has made her feel like a lesser being as

she constantly compares herself with others, lacks confidence,

and has incredibly poor self-esteem. She isn’t

living her full life potential.

Releasing your Inner Child resets your thinking. It allows

you to see why you continue to make mistakes. Why

do you pick partners who are wrong for you? To stop the

pattern of self-depreciation that is probably holding you

back or making you overcompensate. To control outbursts

of anger or sadness.

A typical Inner Child Workshop session involves questionnaires

and assessments to estab-lish how you feel

about yourself. There are fun activities and childhood

sweets too. Also, used are simple exercises, including

the use of drawing (and you don’t have to be an artist)

that demonstrate what areas of your life need to be addressed.

Every session includes re-laxation or meditation

through hypnosis or visualisation to allow regression

through the var-ious stages of childhood and

adolescence. You travel back in your mind to when you

were a child, to tell the Inner Child how appreciated

they were, to embrace the joy of childhood. The whole

process is a journey of self-discovery and psychological

analysis which enables you to heal.

So, if you feel you have some unresolved early issues or

find yourself

trapped in anxiety,

de-pression,

low

self-esteem, or

weight issues,

then this is an

excellent pathway

to explore

as it allows you

to find the cause of your life patterns or outbursts. It

gives you back control of your life, freedom to think, and

the ultimate in reparenting yourself.

If you would like to know more, contact New Day Therapies

on 07775429575 or check out the website https://

www.newday-therapies.co.uk.

We are here for you…to set you free.

Plans revealed for ancient city site

Plans for the future of the South Blockhouse

site have been revealed.

The proposals were made publicly available

for the first time yesterday, Sunday 4 December,

at a community engagement event at the

Fruit Market with residents in the surrounding

area and visitors able to be amongst the

first to view the new images.

The plans are also available to view online

here with an opportunity for residents to

share views on the proposals and help shape

how the site tells the stories of the South

Blockhouse.

The proposals will see the site completely

transformed, with hard and

soft landscaping framing the

footprint of the South Blockhouse

and majestic, ghostly

structures rising from the

ground to give a sense of the

structure and scale of the original

building.

Councillor Paul Drake-Davis,

Portfolio Holder for Regeneration,

said: “The South Blockhouse

captured everyone’s

imagination over the summer

during the 11-week archaeological

dig, exposing the astounding

remains of parts of

Hull’s Tudor defences.

“The council is really keen to get feedback on

these plans on how we celebrate and highlight

the site for future generations.”

Located on the east bank of the River Hull,

the South Blockhouse is a Scheduled Ancient

Monument of both national and local importance,

in a rare cloverleaf design. Its construction

was ordered by Henry VIII in 1541

to support military campaigns and to protect

Hull as a vital port from internal and external

threats, working as one element in a larger

scheme of state-of-the art defences on the

east side of the river.


23

Kids

Our local young people making a difference.

Primary pupil designs

Hull City Council Christmas card

Achieving

If you can dream it, you can do it - Walt Disney

Young People in Hull have selected the city’s

fourth Young Mayor.

Amaya Newman from Ron Dearing UTC was appointed

following a selection day attended by 16

young people. The young people were set a team

challenge and planned and made a speech in their

bid to be the next Young Mayor for Hull.

For the first time a Deputy Young Mayor has also

been appointed; Germaine Omar from Kelvin

Hall will take up this role for the year ahead.

All the young people who attended will be invited

to join Amaya and Germaine as they work with

Hull Young People’s Parliament to reach more

young people in the community.

Councillor Linda Tock, Portfolio Holder for children’s

services said: ‘Each young person’s speech

was full of hope and insight for young people’s futures

in Hull. I have been inspired by the ability of

our young people to communicate and articulate

Hull’s new Young Mayor is selected

their passions. Once again, it’s good to see young

people involved in politics and helping to make

the city a better place for all young people.

“Congratulations to Amanya, and to Germaine as

our first Deputy Young Mayor!”

Ron Dearing UTC Principal Sarah Pashley said:

“We’re incredibly proud of Amaya for being appointed

to this role. It’s a wonderful opportunity

and will hopefully help to inspire other young

people.

“We actively encourage our students to embrace

opportunities and experiences alongside their

studies to broaden their horizons and this is a

perfect example of that.

“This role will undoubtedly support Amaya to further

develop her confidence, leadership and communication

skills which are all invaluable life and

employability skills. It will also enable her to give

back to the local community - something she is

passionate about.

“We wish Amaya every success and know she will

do a fantastic job.”

Amaya and Germaine will be in post for the next

12 months working with the council’s Voice and

Influence team, other young people and decision-makers

to promote the interests of young

people in the city.

Hull City Council Leader,

Councillor Mike Ross and

Chief Executive, Matt Jukes,

have picked the winning design

for the Council’s e-Christmas

card, following judging 147

entries from primary school

pupils across the city.

Sheneli Matiwala Kumbura

Mudunkoth Gedara, age 11,

from Estcourt Primary Academy

submitted the winning

design. Her design will be sent

to hundreds of people and

businesses, giving Christmas

wishes.

Jacqueline Hammond, age 11,

from Estcourt Primary Academy

was the runner-up, and Isabella

Stark, age 10, from Sutton

Park came in third place.

All three pupils will receive gift

vouchers.

Councillor Mike Ross, Leader

of Hull City Council said:

““Firstly, a big thank you to all

those who entered the competition.

I’m delighted we had

so many fantastic designs and

hope the children had lots of

fun doing them.

“We decided this year’s theme

should be ‘Together at Christmas’

and for pupils to show

what Christmas means to

them. We felt Sheneli’s design

stood out with a brilliant image

of Hull City Hall, a landmark

building in the city. I am sure

those who get the e-card this

year will appreciate Sheneli’s

efforts as much as we did.”

24

Primary pupils share their ideas for the future of Hull

Year six pupils at Wheeler Primary School have become

the first in the city to be visited by the project

team behind Lagoon Hull, with the aim of inspiring

the next generation who could be living and working

in the city when it is built.

Paul Hatley, project director, led an hour-long

workshop with 60 children at the west Hull school,

giving them the opportunity to learn more about

the scheme’s tidal flood alleviation benefits as part

of their recent topic work on flooding – while also

letting them share their amazing ideas for the city’s

future.

They also learned about the wide-ranging other

benefits of the transformational project including

how it will unlock waterside land for business development,

provide 19,000 new jobs to boost the regional

economy and alleviate traffic congestion on

the A63 and throughout the city centre.

Commenting, Paul Hatley said: “Hull’s young people

are important stakeholders in Lagoon Hull because

they are the ones who will help to shape it,

build it, live around it, commute along it and share

in its economic benefits.

“The children at Wheeler Primary School were incredibly

engaged in listening to our ideas for how

their city will look in the years to come and it was

great to listen to their thoughts on what they would

like to see integrated into the final design.

“As we have always said, we want the people of Hull

to have a say in the shape the project takes. Lagoon

Hull must work for everyone and deliver a futureproof

city where people love to live and can’t wait

to visit.”

Joseph Kemp, year six teacher at Wheeler Primary

School, said: “We put a great emphasis in our geography

curriculum into the study of the local area

and also the socioeconomic impacts that geographical

change can have. Our children are taught to be

curious, analytical thinkers who are well-prepared

for our ever-changing world.

“In year six, our current study focus has been on

the impact of natural disasters across the world and

in our locality. We have studied historical flooding

events, including pluvial and fluvial flooding, and

their impacts on society. As part of their studies, the

children developed their fieldwork skills by visiting

various defences in Hull and the East Riding: the

tidal surge barrier, the flood wall along the Humber

and Tranby lagoon.

“We also wanted to allow the children to investigate

the future of Hull’s flood defences, which is why we

reached out to the team at Lagoon Hull to provide

our children with an insight into future developments.”


A BRIEF COVERAGE OF WM. DENT PRIESTMAN

BY BILL BROMWICH

The City of Hull has been the birthplace of

some remarkable people. One talented engineer,

William Dent Priestman, deserves recognition

for his achievements. He was born in

1847 to Samuel Priestman and his wife Mary-

Ann Dent, near the village of Sutton on the

outskirts of Hull. The origins of the Priestman

family were from Thornton-le-Dale near Pickering,

North Yorkshire where the lineage of the

family goes back at to Elizabeth 1st according

to written Church records, and possibly earlier

though not recorded.

Samuel was born at Thornton-le-Dale in 1800

and apprenticed to his father in Corn Milling,

an occupation most appropriate to a “Quaker”

family whose philosophy was to contribute

to the community in which they lived. In

his twenties he went to Manage a Mill in Leeds

and later built his own Mill at Horsforth. He

met and married Rachael Rowntree but she

sadly died in childbirth, 1837 although her son

Charles survived. [It was his own Diary written

some years later that records so much valuable

detail of life in the 1940’s.]

Samuel suffered from chest problems and

wanted to move to healthy Malton away from

the chemicals, smoke, and grime of Leeds. Two

good fortunes came his way: he met Mary-Ann

Dent from Scunthorpe who he married and

was offered a Directorship of a Railway Company

with a most welcome income. With Mary-

Ann and young Charles he moved to a vast

house called Hildenley Hall at Malton owned

by Sir Charles

Strickland who was

abroad. The house

held heirlooms,

personal items and

needed an army of

servants when fully

occupied. Samuel,

Mary-Ann and

Charles occupied

a small portion of

this rather cold

place. The Earl of

Carlisle at ‘Castle

Howard’ rode his

horse past Hildenley

Hall and often

called to discuss the Bible Society and Slavery

which concerned them both.

It was a relief to Mary-Ann when a letter advised

Samuel that he had a bequest of a house

at Sutton. Samuel, Mary-Ann, and Charles

drove to Sutton and were delighted with this

new home to which they moved in 1844. TEN

more children were born at Sutton, all surviving

with successful lives.

‘William Dent’ was born in 1847 and father

noted that when his son became intensely

interested in something he was oblivious to

everything else around him. Father felt that he

was destined to achieve great things in the future

and was determined to give him the best

start, with education at the Bootham School in

York. On returning home age 14 an apprenticeship

at a Shipyard on the River Hull terminated

with the Company’s collapse. A continued

Apprenticeship at Gateshead building and repairing

Steam Locomotives gave him valuable

experience.

Samuel bought him the Holderness Foundry

off Holderness Road, Hull and it was there

that he built remarkable products. About as

big as two tennis courts and making parts for

Windmills which was its declining business. A

surprising letter from the PERU Government

in 1873 asked Priestman’s to build a complete

Paddle Steamer to carry passengers on the

Amazon River. It was tested on the river Humber

and the photograph is the oldest record of

any Priestman product.

An enterprising young man in London wrote

to Wm.Dent having seen an advertisement in

a London Journal illustrating a ship’s winch

mechanism. He wanted a small crane to operate

an American “Clamshell” mechanism (we

call it a ‘Grab’) to search for ‘sunken treasure’.

Two hundred years previously a Spanish Galleon

carrying Gold Bullion had been sunk by a

British ship, in Vigo Harbour, Spain, and Thos.

Christy’s consortium wanted to search for it.

Although fruitless, Christy asked Wm Dent to

make some more small cranes that started the

company’s product lines. The first small Grab

Dredging Crane was built for the Hull Dock Co.

in 1878, the first such machine in the world.

Records of its sales cover the whole world.

The ‘Priestman Oil Engine’ on which Wm.

Dent started work simply as a different product

line was most significant. Petrol Engines

were exploding and dangerous; Wm. Dent

worked for 18 months to make an engine run

on ‘LAMP OIL’ (we call it ‘Paraffin’) – no-one

had achieved this! It was making a pre-heated

chamber into which Oil and Air was Sprayed to

ATOMISE the mixture that was the key to his

success in 1885. A complete list of ALL engines

sold has fascinating destinations.

Wm. Dent continued to work with other members

of the Priestman family who joined the

firm in the early 20th century and had the benefit

of his experience until he died in 1936 – a

truly creative and satisfying life.

Bill Bromwich


25

Good

Even More

News

University of Hull nurse honoured with Queen’s Nurse title

A University of Hull nursing academic

has been honoured with the prestigious

title of Queen’s Nurse by The Queen’s

Nursing Institute.

The title of Queen’s Nurse is awarded to

individual nurses who have demonstrated

a high level of commitment to patient

care, learning and leadership.

Nurses, health visitors and midwives with

5 years’ experience working in and with

the community are eligible for the title.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute is the oldest

professional nursing organisation in the

UK and believed to be the oldest nursing

charity in the world.

Heather Pepper, a lecturer in acute care

nursing at the University of Hull, said: “I

am both delighted and humbled to have

been awarded the title of Queen’s Nurse. It

means so much to me – and I really want

to thanks all my colleagues in the Faculty

of Health Sciences at the University who

have helped me achieve this.

“For me, it has always been an honour and

a privilege to work with the community but

equally it has been clear there is still much

work to be done to support our communities

in relation to nursing and patient care.

“I hope that as a Queen’s Nurse I can continue

to raise the standards of nursing

care, support the local community including

student nurses, nurses and practice

partners as well as promote excellence in

practice.

“As a committed nurse being acutely

aware of both primary and secondary

care, my aim is to continue to bridge the

gap between primary and secondary care

and raise our standards, not only supporting

our student nurses but also supporting

our nurses and practice partners to continue

the amazing work they do.”

Heather, who attended an official awards

ceremony in London this month, qualified

as a registered nurse in 2008, specialising

in critical care until 2014 when she made

the change to community nursing as the

lead practice nurse for a local GP surgery.

Throughout this time Heather, worked in

primary care and in academia at the University

of Lincoln, joining the University

of Hull in 2019. Here – with the support

of the team in the University’s Faculty of

Health Sciences – Heather continued her

work with the community, students and

practice partners.

Heather, continues to work closely with

the community often working shifts and

volunteering as a girl guiding leader, but

mainly providing education, support and

leadership to Hull’s nursing community

and practice partners.

Heather also has a keen research interest

in Genomics – which is the study of a person’s

genes (the genome), including interactions

of those genes with each other and

with the person’s environment. Heather

works towards integrating this research

into her practice in the community to

help support patients, develop faster and

quicker diagnosis and support nurses to

deliver the highest quality of nursing care.

Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, Chief Executive

of the QNI, said: “On behalf of the QNI I

would like to congratulate Heather Pepper

and welcome her as a Queen’s Nurse.

Queen’s Nurses serve as leaders and role

models in community nursing, delivering

high quality health care across the country.

“The application and assessment process

to become a Queen’s Nurse is rigorous and

requires clear commitment to improving

care for patients, their families and carers.

We look forward to working with Heather

and all other new Queen’s Nurses who

have received the title this year.”

Heather said: “The awards evening was a

wonderful display of recognition towards

the Queen’s Nurse title and the hard work

required.”

From Our Community

Hessle tidal defence scheme wins national award

The £11m Hessle Foreshore Tidal Defence

Scheme, which was built to reduce

flood risk to 4,000 homes and

businesses in Hessle and west Hull,

was named Civils Project of the Year at

the National Constructing Excellence

Awards 2022.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council

initiative won its Yorkshire and Humber

regional heat and then beat over

five other large-scale construction

schemes from across the country to

win the top national title.

The Constructing Excellence awards

honour the very best construction

schemes in England and Wales. They

were held at a ceremony in London.

The innovative scheme at Hessle is a

direct response to a tidal surge in December

2013, which caused 300 properties

to be flooded across the East

Riding.

It aims to reduce future flood risk to

residents in the area from predicted

high tides caused by climate change.

The project involved the construction

of new and upgraded defences, with

the most visual part being a 1m-high,

465m-long glass and concrete wall

along Cliff Road.

Construction began in January 2020

and was completed earlier this year.

Councillor Chris Matthews, the council’s

portfolio holder for environment

and climate change, said: “This award

is a fantastic achievement and shows

the council is leading the way nationally

in the creation of flood defence

schemes and infrastructure.

“The Hessle Foreshore scheme is doing

what it’s designed to do and will help

to shield thousands of residents and

businesses in this area from flooding at

high tides in the Humber Estuary.”

The council was presented with the

award alongside the scheme’s delivery

partners Mason Clark Associates, Tilbury

Douglas, National Highways and

Esh.

Constructing Excellence is one of the

leading national organisations for the

construction industry, promoting high

standards and working in partnership.

Alison Nicholl, head of Constructing

Excellence, said: “This project embodies

the values and ethos of Constructing

Excellence, demonstrating

the value of collaborative approaches

to overcome challenges and ultimately

deliver better outcomes.”

26


CommunityandServices

The people making a difference in our community

UK Recruitment Company Minimising Effects of Mass

Recruitment of Nurses from Developing Countries.

During the past two years, Resource Finder has

partnered with St. Luke’s Medical Center in

Manila to produce an ethical pathway for Filipino

nurses to work in the NHS. This is the first

project of its kind in the UK. The first cohort

of nurses will be arriving at the end of March

2022 at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS

Trust.

Globally, there’s an approximate need of 3.6m

nurses, with the estimated shortfall being in

the region of 600,000.

Countries such as the Philippines and India are

‘go-to’ nations to recruit from for the UK, with

UK medical recruitment companies boasting

numbers into the thousands being deployed

PC Freddie sets to work

to the UK, predominantly for the NHS. What is

very rarely referred to, however, is the legacy of

the nurse and impact on their home country,

which in the case of the Philippines, is a developing

country.

Resource Finder are not quick to promote

numbers of nurses to be deployed, but their

ethical pathway of recruitment that stabilises

the workforce and delivery of healthcare within

the home country of the nurse. On March

26th 2022 one of multiple cohorts of nurses will

arrive into the UK from the Philippines via the

Resource Finder pathway in partnership with

St Luke’s Medical Center, Philippines. Instead

of the Manila based hospital losing nurses with

little notice or awareness of exit, these nurses

stem from a pathway which has prepared them

to come to the UK whilst maintaining safe levels

of service delivery in the Philippines. During

this time not only have nurses been prepared

specifically for the NHS’s requirements, but

their departure has become easily fillable back

in the Philippines maintaining safe levels of

service delivery, with such an initiative able to

boost nursing numbers in developing countries

due to what is seen as a controlled pathway

from home country to the UK.

The Resource Finder pathway is an ethical

model for the United Kingdom whilst being

highly valuable for healthcare providers overseas

who as a result attract more nurses into

their organisation and stabilise their service

delivery during a time when demand for nurses

is unprecedented.

The Hull West Neighbourhood Policing Team

got a new recruit over the Easter weekend as PC

Freddie paid a visit to Pickering Road Police Station.

Seven-year-old Freddie is trying to track down

every police station in the Humberside force

area and the future police officer got to spend

time with PCSO Simons and PC Newton, who

showed him an interview room where Freddie

got his fingerprints taken.

Freddie clearly has high standards and PC Newton

soon found himself handcuffed and in the

cell. Thankfully, PC Newton was released shortly

after to help show Freddie round one of our vehicles.

Engagement is a key part of neighbourhood policing

and being approachable has long-term

benefits to the community.

Who knows, perhaps we will see PC Freddie

representing Humberside Police for real in a few

years’ time?

Make a difference to your local community

Have you always wanted to make

a notable difference in your community,

whilst maintaining your

dream corporate role?

Well, our Special Constabulary is

a great opportunity to volunteer

in a role that makes a real difference.

Whilst all Special Constables have

the same warranted powers,

uniform, and equipment as their

regular officer colleagues, they’re

able to choose their own shifts

and hours to suit their lifestyle.

This fits in nicely with working

in a paid role, studying, or family

commitments.

Special Constable Tony Harris,

who joined the Specials in January

2019, opens up to discuss the

ins and outs of becoming a Special

at Humberside Police.

Why did you join the Specials?

“I’ve always wanted to experience

life as a Police Officer having had

family members serve as regular

police officers within the Force.

“I knew that there was a tremendous

camaraderie within the

teams and I wanted to volunteer

in a role that I found challenging,

exciting, and rewarding.”

How do you balance volunteering

with your other commitments?

“I normally work an evening shift

on Response, turning out to a

wide variety of incidents and I

provide support for the Community

Policing Teams. We can

choose our own hours and shifts

so you choose what suits you.

“You can do your required volunteer

hours (16 hours a month) in

one block or you can spread your

hours out over a month. It’s completely

up to you.

“In my day job, I’m a Fire and

Safety Officer at a local Oil Refinery

in North East Lincolnshire.

“Aside from working in my day

job, and in my volunteer role as a

Special Constable, I like to spend

my spare time cycling, kite surfing,

and spending time with family.”

If you had one piece of advice for

people, what would it be?

“Join the Special Constabulary.

It has opened up opportunities

for me to develop personally and

professionally. I’ve been able to

make a positive difference in my

community, helping to reduce

crime and making the area safer.”

If you’re interested in joining the

Special Constabulary, the recruitment

window has now opened.


27

DANIEL

IN THE

LION’S DEN

616

days

later

By Danny

French

February 11th, 2021: the day this all started…

October 21st, 2022: the day of resurgence.

From Allie to Ellie. Tom to Dom. Hazel to Dan. The message has always remained the same. We share the same appreciation for one another. We

generate our own connections through our eccentric attitude and creativity. Ah, creativity - our light in the darkness, our fire in the flame. Creativity:

the one trait that attracts our acknowledgement; the one attribute that shapes personality; and the one asset that gave life to my creation.

This creation has always been there as an escape, an alternative for the outcasts. For

the individuals not labelled as “normal” in this world. For the people that relish in their

own diversity. We may not fall into the ordinary, but we are excelling as the extraordinary.

We were put here to spread spirit and collaborate with others that share our drive

and our passion. To produce the content that inspire our success or recognise others’

accomplishments.

Recently, I have decided to reignite the fire that I had 616 days ago. A decision that has

taken a lot of thought and reminiscence. I’ve missed being there for others, It’s what I’m

good at. I’ve missed seeing that excitement when someone wants to share their story.

Everyone deserves to have an opportunity and a platform where they can feel write

whilst feeling safe in doing so. No matter of age or identification. No concern of ability

or disability. The Lion’s Den is the place to go to write freely and to educate, in a setting

fit for bravery. A colosseum if you will. Yeah, colosseum, I like that. I’ll keep that in mind.

Spending the past few weeks rereading postal entries, a cloud of motivation has cast

itself over me. Seeing so many of my friends and family flex their creative muscles and

showcase their skills really helps you put things into perspective. Since I took this break

from the Lion’s Den, I have got engaged, started a new career, and have dived head-first

back into my final year of studies. It’s been a busy summer indeed. I won’t lie; I was

worried. Worried that with the extra workload I wouldn’t e able to find time for this. For

something that I love. Worried that the consistency of my content would slip and lose

all personality. I enjoy writing and I am grateful for that because I hate the sound of my

own voice. But because I have had an extended absence, I feel disconnected from the

community in which I once advocated

for awareness. I feel like I’ve

let down the side after building my

own network of inspiring people

to surround myself with. If I was at

least going to have any kind of online

presence, I wanted it to be an

escape.

“We escape not to hide, but to thrive

in the alternate.”

An ominous insight of our position

on social media. The dreams

and the nightmares - the successes

and the failures, all seem to be a

prominent addition to our profiles.

A realm to reinvent and generate

a new perception of ourselves. We

can be advocates, or we can be followers.

We can be creators, or we

can be enthusiasts. We have some

much power in palm of our hands yet don’t

capitalise on the opportunity. Why? Why don’t

we utilise this privilege? I have been fortunate

enough to see the most unlikely people succeed

through taking advantage of technology. That

is the key to a sustainable investment. Whether

that be a financial investment or a time investment.

And I plan to invest everything I can

to developing new, digital content, and giving

back to the people that have given me a chance

to tell my stories and make me feel heard.

The Lion’s Den is adapting and evolving. Our

narrative is changing but the nature of our mission

remains strong. We intend to keep reaching

a worldwide status allowing individuals from all countries to use our platform to

submit and feature in a safe environment. From all of the negativity that has emerged

from platforms such as TikTok and the comments that people can post with complete

disregard for the people behind the camera astonishes me. You saw the uprising of

Tourette’s in young people because of it (Which I understand to be a very upsetting issue

for many within the Tourette’s community) and was a constant battle for Tourette

Syndrome advocates like Evie Meg and Tourette’s Action to provide scientific facts and

statistics. A foundation that took years to set, a garden nurtured by the diagnosed, torn

down over the simplicity of mimicking the condition. But I feel like this is a conversation

for another time with the right people.

I would like to include more to our brand and have introduce a worldwide ambassador

scheme. I would like to start streaming videos with my friends and family for faster service

and more enjoyable content. This is going to be an exciting time to follow us and I’m

just as excited to be an observer as I am being a writer. More interviews, more features,

more posts, and a heck of a lot more fun!

Get in touch if you would like to sit down with me as a one-to-one, or as a collective unit

to discuss topics or stories that make you unique. I’m just a message away. I just wish we

could come up with a cool name that is bigger than a Lion’s Den, something that links to

lions and battling… The Colosseum! See you there!

Thanks for reading! As always check out our Instagram @ITLionsDen for updates, new

and frequent posts, and stop by to visit our website on our new domain: Inthelionsdenblog.com.

Thank you to the Hull Hub for inviting me back and I look forward to writing

for the foreseeable future.

Dan.

In the Lion’s Den.

28


HESSLE ROAD

ST ANDREW’S DOCK, 1930s

St Andrew’s Dock opened in 1883 and many jobs were

created. It was named after St Andrew the patron

saint of fishermen but was known locally as “fish

dock.” At its peak, St Andrew’s Dock supported a fleet

of around 350 trawlers and became one of the largest

fishing ports in the world.

With the growth of the fishing industry from the mid

to late 19th century Hessle Road rapidly spread westwards

and by the 1890s, it had reached the Dairycoates

area. Densely populated terraced houses

stood on either side of the road, mostly occupied by

families connected to the fishing industry, especially

on the south side. Shops, pubs and churches were

also built and from the 1890s to 1914, Hessle Road became

one of the busiest roads in the city.

The fishing industry started to decline in the 1970s, mostly due to the Icelandic

Cod Wars when fishing limits were imposed and St Andrew’s Dock closed to

fishing in 1975. Most of the old terraced houses were cleared and demolished in

the 1960s and 70s and the inhabitants moved away. Some streets, however, like

Tyne Street and Coltman Street still survive today.

HULL CATTLE MARKET IN 1978

WHERE KINGSTON RETAIL PARK IS TODAY

HULL CATTLE MARKET

In 1838, a purpose built cattle

market opened in Edward’s Place,

Commercial Road. By 1928, there

were pigs and sheep as well as

cattle. The market was held on

Mondays for sheep, pigs and cattle

and for dairy stock on Tuesdays.

By 1962, it opened only on

Mondays due to lack of business

and it eventually closed. It was demolished in the late 1980s and Kingston Retail

Park was built on the site.

A horse fair was also held nearby behind The Whittington and Cat public

house (originally called The Whittington Inn) which stands near the Mytongate

roundabout. It was popular with travellers and was held during Hull Fair week

in October.

REGENT STREET WASH HOUSE

Regent Street Wash House

opened in 1935 in Regent Street,

Hessle Road. It served a densely

populated area where there were

very limited facilities for washing

and drying clothes at home.

Women usually took their washing

there once a week on top of a

REGENT STREET WASH HOUSE, 1957

pram, often accompanied by children. Boilers had to be booked and large heated

dryers could be pulled out from the wall. A charge was made for using the

washing stalls, boiling, wringing, mangling and ironing and upright washers

with mangles were hired out in the late 1950s. The wash house lost its popularity

when a launderette opened nearby in the 1960s, which made washing easier.

DAIRYCOATES

Dairycoates was once a quiet

country hamlet surrounded by

agricultural land. Only three people

lived there in 1823 (1823 Gazetteer),

a farmer and two people

connected to the brick and tile

industry. The Hull and Selby Railway

was constructed in the 1830s

and Dairycoates Engine Shed, the

HESSLE ROAD RAILWAY CROSSING, 1952 largest NER shed was built there

in 1863. Dairycoates rapidly expanded

and many railways workers lived in the nearby Hawthorne Avenue or

Chalk Lane area. To the left of this photo are some railway cottages which

overlooked the railway line near Hawthorn Avenue. These were demolished in

the early 1960s and a flyover was built in1962 to reduce traffic congestion at this

busy Hessle Road (Dairycoates) crossing.

CHAPMAN’S TAXIS, PARKERS AND EUREKA FISHERIES

Chapman’s Taxis was a family taxi and wedding

car business which operated from 545, Hessle

Road. There was a house with a garage at the back

and a yard where taxis could park. Taxis were often

hired for a few days by fishermen who were

home from sea. Next to Chapman’s Taxis was Parkers which sold newspapers,

magazines and numerous other goods including train spotting books, toys

and novelties. Eureka Fisheries stood on the corner of Brighton Street. It was

named after the Eureka Cinema which stood opposite. Customers could take

their own pieces of fish to be fried and in the shop was a sign that said “If it

swims, come to Jim’s.”

The Eureka was a purpose built

and popular picture palace,

which opened in September, 1912.

It survived The Blitz in the Second

World War but with the advent of

television and with competition

from larger Hull cinemas, its

popularity waned and it closed in

1959. The Eureka was converted

into a popular bingo hall in the

EUREKA PICTURE PALACE, 1940

1960s when it was opened by actress Pat Phoenix from Coronation Street. It

eventually closed as a bingo hall and became a live music venue for a short

while in 1984 but finally closed in1989 and was later demolished.

HESSLE ROAD

Hessle Road stands in the Myton

area which was once open

countryside with pasture land for

sheep with a rough track called

Patrick Grounds Lane. Streets

such as English Street, St James

Street and Lister Street were built

in the early 1800s and wealthy

people such as surgeons, solicitors

and ship owners moved into

GET TO KNOW

YOUR CITY

by Catherine Derrick

This photo looks west towards St. James Church. To

the left is a World War Two bomb site. Lister Street

was demolished in the 1960s.

the elegant houses with gardens. The road was improved when a turnpike and

tolls were introduced in 1826 and in the 1840s, professionals moved into streets

such as Coltman Street.

St James Church was built in St James Square, Lister Street and was consecrated

in 1831. It was built to serve the growing population and had seating for 1,000

people. The church was demolished in 1957.

YANKEE BURGER

Yankee Burger was an American style diner

situated near the flyover on Hessle Road. It

had a pink Corvette car on the roof and was

a well known landmark. In the centre of the

dining area was a juke box which played

1950s classic records and on the walls was

American memorabilia. Elvis impersonation

competitions were also held there. It served food such as US style burgers,

fries, shakes and its famous American Chip Spice.

Yankee Burger moved to Hessle Road from Jameson Street in 1991 when it was

one of the first American style fast food outlets in Hull. Owner John Science

introduced his famous American Chip Spice from there in 1979. He added his

own secret ingredients to spiced salt and paprika and sold it to fish and chip

shops and takeaways across the city. Today it is a popular product sold nationwide.

Yankee Burger closed in 2005 and an ambulance station now stands on

the site.

29


OUR

CITY’S

HEROES

A well-earned rest for a much-loved canine lifesaver

Humberside Police have hundreds of

popular members of police staff, but few

match the appeal of canine lifesaver Clive

the black and white cocker spaniel.

Clive retired from his paw-patrol as a

life-saving Medical Assistance dog.

Clive worked alongside his owner Michelle

Sutherland from Humberside Police’s

Logistics Department where he was

her faithful companion and true lifesaver.

Seven months after getting Clive as a puppy

in 2012, Michelle was diagnosed with

the life-limiting condition Addison’s Disease,

a rare disorder of the adrenal gland

with life debilitating symptoms including

extreme fatigue, weakness and generalised

muscle pain.

After spending a long period in hospital

following complications related to her

condition, Michelle returned home and

straight away noticed a change in Clive’s

behaviour.

Following a chance conversation at Crufts

in 2014 with representatives from Medical

Detection dogs, a suggestion was

made about the possibility of having Clive

trained as an assistance dog to help Michelle

manage her condition better.

It soon became apparent that the changes

Michelle had noticed in Clive were

signs of him alerting and after approx. 18

months in training he became her Medical

Alert Assistance dog.

Clive can detect a drop in Michelle’s steroid

levels by a change in her scent levels

and makes her aware of this by either

jumping up to her face, or if she is asleep

pawing at her until he gets her attention.

She will then take action by injecting herself.

As a result, he was a life saver every day

and emergency ambulance trips became

a thing of the past.

Clive is also a canine celebrity after featuring

in a number of publications over

the years, if you search for ‘Clive the

cocker spaniel’ on Google he appears on

so many websites and links!

Clive has also been nominated for and

won several awards including:

Winner in the 2019 Pet Health Club’s “Pet

Hero of the Year”

Finalist in the 2019 Amplifon Pet of the

year

Winner of the Barking Mad Pet of the year

His most prestigious award though, which

he will receive later in 2022, is the PDSA

Order of Merit which is the animal equivalent

of an OBE.

Everyone at Humberside Police wishes

Clive a long and happy retirement –

We are sure there’s going to be plenty of

treats in store for him as he steps aside

for a new trained Medical Alert Assistance

dog a black Labrador called Luke.

We’re super proud of all those who were shortlisted

for this year’s Hull York Medical School

Teaching Excellence Awards. The awards recognise

the support individual clinicians and

teams have given to our future medical workforce

over the past 12 months. Nominations are

made, and winners chosen, by the students

themselves. Congratulations to our Clinical

Castle Hill Hospital

Skills Team, Dr Eloise Dexter, Diane Dickinson

and Dena Larvin, and Mr Androniks Mumdzjans

who all won in their respective categories

on the night. A huge well done also to Professor

David Hepburn, described by one student as “a

guiding light throughout our time at medical

school”, who earned himself the ‘Exceptional

Contribution to Student Experience’ award.

Hull 4 Heroes

Huge thank you to Andrew Earle and Steve Sanderson who called

us yesterday to donate over 100 turkeys for our food donation

partnership.

We have now distributed these to veterans in our community and

also to various food banks within the Hull area who will gift these

out to their service users.

Thank you very much Andrew and Steve and to everyone involved

in getting these turkeys to people who may be struggling this

Christmas. #strongertogether

30


Life for a kid

Andys Man Club

The Life For A Kid Warriors walk

for Helen raised a massive £1,060

for Matthew and his kids to make

there Christmas as special as they

can. Matthew would like to personally

say thank you for everyone

that donated and is overwhelmed

by the support he has

been given.

Helen sadly lost her fight with

Breast Cancer in October.

Thank you to Lewis Carver raising

£200 for Andys Man Club the community

blows me away never tell me

community spirit is dead because it

keeps us going

Gillshill Primary School

Congratulations on winning the Global Enterprise Primary Award 2022 -

with your idea of Culture Concert. Well done to everyone who took part!

Mires Beck Nursery

Fantastic morning at St Pauls Boxing Club

Hull with Ardonagh Community Trust.

We can’t thank Rob Worrell and his smazing

team enough for this marathan boxing

event raising money for Mires Beck Nursery.

Rob has been in the ring since 9.30am

and still going strong! Friends of Mires Beck

provided thd refreshments so huge thank

you. Mark and Charlotte came to support

the event and thoroughly enjoyed meeting

everyone.

Emmaus Hull & East Riding

Thank you to Cadent Gas for getting

these shoe box gifts for the rough sleepers

of Eastriding, your gifts are very

much appreciated and will help all the

rough sleepers many thanks to you all

Merry Christmas!

Hull4Heroes

Recently, the children of Newington Academy,

Hull, in a project organised by Emma

Hardy MP designed and wrote over 300

postcards that they wanted to hand out

to serving personnel and veterans for remembrance

Our team have been busy this week passing

these on to the Armed Forces community

to say thank you from all of the

children and from the whole country for

everything that they have done and continue

to do for us all.


31

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