City of Hullture

By the Humber

You might have heard that Hull has put forward a bid to become City of Culture 2017. Today, team Hull gives its final presentation to the committee of judges in Derry to convince them to crown Hull the winner over the competitors Swansea Bay, Dundee and Leicester. It’s pretty big news all over the local papers and on my Facebook feed. The bid has created quite a buzz in the area. If Hull wins, the council has promised £15m worth of cultural events and for one year Hull would be in the media in a positive light and not just as the flagship of various lists about what is wrong with Britain. A pretty good opportunity and everyone is getting really excited.

Hull's Landmark: The Deep

Now, when a city like Hull applies to become City of Culture, the snobs and cynics start crawling out of their caves. Hull for City of Culture? Maybe they should change the title 'City of Culture' to 'Best Poor City in the UK'. You don't see Oxford or Cambridge wanting it! It’s true, Hull isn't Oxford but it isn't that hell hole some people want you to believe it is either. I don’t think it is about who has the oldest buildings and the fanciest museums (nothing against either, I love Oxford and London). I like to think of City of Culture 2017 as an award that honours the willingness to change for the better. I’d love to see Hull win and find the idea behind it laudable. To get a bit of a feel for it you should check out the video made to support Hull’s City of Culture bid.

Museums Quarter in Old Town

Okay, the video is a little bit cheesy but Hull has been making an effort to change its reputation for the better. It’d be great if for once its media coverage would focus on its achievements and not just its flaws. We have lots of nice museums, a fantastic art gallery, some of the nicest pubs I've ever been to, several theatres, one river and one estuary, a beautiful red-brick uni, the deepest aquarium in Europe, a little marina, tons of independent shops, various festivals throughout the year, many cosy cafes, a lively music scene, numerous parks, loads of history to explore and an admirable, ever-driving urge to improve.

There is one bit in the video that stuck with me: Hull's “end of the line sense of freedom”. In Hull, trains don't woosh through the station. They have to stop and turn around to continue their journey. When I first moved here, Hull's literal end-of-the-line location was suffocating to me. But I’ve come to appreciate that sense of arrival you get when the Humber Bridge comes into view shortly before your train pulls into the station. Hull is my basecamp now and I have my fingers crossed for it.

The winner will be announced 20th November!