Very good news for Hull as a city, into the last four as city of culture contenders, now lets go all the way and make it happen.

TBH Hull has more for it then when you first look.
7 museums, A good art gallery, 2 theaters , Farmers market, Premier league football club, etc.

I was talking about this at work and how much there is to actually do for free and there is more than is first apparent when you think about it.

We have already seen off Chester, East Kent, Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, Southend-on-Sea and Aberdeen.

And yet the taking has started, on the VT of all places

TBF, I only just resisted the temptation on here...

Chester were initially one of the favourites to win it.

Indeed IIRC there was something about Peter Levy interviewing some of their locals about why they were favourites.

Went take a photo of our new multi million pound bridge of the River today and was greeted by 4 track suited, baseball cap wearing morons sat on one of the benches, effing and blinding and off their heads on cider. Hope they have shifted by the time the judges get here

The very definition of 'culture'

Have they managed to make it fit? I heard they'd made it a few feet short?

Seems ok

They have finally sorted it out.

Plus stuff like the Freedom Festival, which was an outstanding weekend last year in the old fruit market.

We need to spend many millions to get anywhere near what Liverpool did when they were chosen, the legacy is still there.

Yes, but Liverpool was the European city of culture. Hull's bid is for a purely British one.

Didn't most of Liverpools revamp come about BECAUSE they were chosen rather than in order to get chosen?

IIRC you are correct.
Derry are making similar noises as well.
I'm pretty sure that they have said that they have a 95% occupancy of all their hotels since and they expect £5 return for every £1 spent.

there are a few things like this which are finally beginning to get noticed.


I think the original freedom festival made people realise that we have plenty to be proud of. Yeah we have bad points but name me a city in the world that doesn't.

A colleague of mine is on the committee, and the feeling is that they will need to go the extra mile to trump either Swansea and Dundee.

Apparently, the main weaknesses (compared to our rivals) are the lack of hotel space, and the failing Whitefriargate thorough fare; the main route to the Old Town - one of the bids main cultural turns.

I can add an insight into the Whitefriargate one, for it is noticeable it is the right-hand side (as you walk toward Silver St) that has the majority of vacant shop units. That whole side is owned by the brethren of Hull Trinity who, up to now, have refused to accommodate the Council's plea for more flexible rents. Hopefully, this situation will change IF we gain City of Culture status but I wouldn't hold my breath.

It may seem as though I am painting the brethren as the ruthless landlord, on the contrary, IMO they are well within their rights to hold out for commercial rates, in particular, when you consider they don't seek public or private hand-outs - very rare, indeed, for such a large charitable organisation.

That's the reason I locked the thread that someone started on the VT. It was started precisely to allow people to knock Hull when other places are just as bad, if not worse (plus it was on the wrong forum).

I'm not even from Hull, but can see it's way better than a lot of places I've been to.

It's easy to knock the place loads have and will continue to do so regardless of wether we win it or not.

I'm just pleased that people in power in this city are finally seriously promoting how great it actually is.

I agree - i honestly believe that compared to a lot of city's, Hull is a lot better.

Sheffield - bleugh!!!

Oi!

Sheffield has nice bits too. Like where I live.

Bite.

Rumbled