I must admit that I didn’t want to come back to Hull. I was here about 13 years ago and my mind had kindly obliterated most of the hideous experience. The only thing I do recall is the cause of my phobia, a house full of unemptied and, therefore, extremely smelly cat litter trays, which caused me to get of of the place as soon as I woke up in the morning. How I passed my time, I simply do not remember.
This time, however, returning in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, I planned ahead, carefully researching potential lodgings before settling on one offering “a large top room” in “friendly digs”, a 15 minute bus ride from the city centre. I was not disappointed.

The house was simply beautiful. I didn’t see my hosts after they greeted me on Monday until after the show on Friday. They had been to see the show that night and invited me to join them for a glass of wine or two, or maybe it was three, when I got back. They were a lovely couple. She had been an administrator at the Hull Truck Theatre Company during its heyday and she entertained me with anecdotes about Mr Godber & Co whilst he entertained me with two large Glenlivet ‘nightcaps’.
So with one demon exorcised I set about rediscovering Hull, using, as ever, my trusty Good Beer app as my guide. Those of you who follow me on Facebook will have seen my posts during the week. It is, of course, very true that places always look better in the sunshine and perhaps the beautiful weather may have influenced my outlook but I have found the city to be full of charm, great pubs, beautiful sights and extraordinary architecture from imposing churches to historic buildings hinting at the city’s considerable maritime and industrial heritage.
There are two highlights to mention. Wandering through the streets of the old town, I came across the magnificent Holy Trinity church, apparently the largest parish church in England (using floor measurement), dating back to 1300 and containing some of the finest medieval brick-work in the country.

Noting that the Holy Trinity Food and Drink festival was being held later in the week, I returned on Friday and was amazed by the 50+ beers on offer, including a healthy contribution from local brewers. Add to that an excellent hog roast and my day was complete.

Earlier in the week, again wandering the streets of the old town, I came across Ye Old Black Boy Inn,  dating back to 1729 (nearly half past five 😊).

As I entered I discovered a regular folk session including music, poetry and anecdotes. I spent a happy hour there (a pie and a pint for a fiver) simply wallowing in the atmosphere. Lovely.

I later found out that the guy on the left of my photo is a larger than life local character, Mick McGarry, a prominent figure in the Yorkshire folk world. I felt honoured to have been an observer of an impromptu musical experience.

I leave you with a few more pictorial highlights of this unexpectedly delightful week. Get the theatre sorted, Hull (very much in the pipeline apparently), and I will look forward to returning.