Wednesday, March 02, 2011

The Barcelona of the North









That was one slogan the marketing people dreamt up to sell Hull to the world. Yesterday, on a grey, cool early spring day it was more Alfred Hitchcock than Luis Bunuel.

But, my, was it good to be back and see all my old friends. Hull is a great place, lovely people, distinctively quirky.

When I left my old job over a year ago I was distraught at what I had lost - not just leaving behind a long career in adult education, but the 'troika nights' in a local curry house, the chats about jazz and rugby league in the house of a friend instead of doing what I was supposed to do and teach him how to use his computer, the early evening meals at Pave in splendid company. I needn't have worried. They are still there, as are my friends, waiting to be enjoyed. And today, back in Manchester, I'm still smiling.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How strange! I recently went back to Hull too, I miss it almost as much. Shame they had to build that massive new shopping center instead of something slightly less grotesque.

Anton Deque said...

"Venice of the North" was T. Dan Smith's famous motto for Newcastle ("motorways instead of canals") which worked only if one knew nothing at all about Venice, which in the north east, was not a big ask.