Hull Leads The UK

Closer to home, Hull is the UK’s City of Culture 2017. So if you’ve never visited this Yorkshire port, now’s the time with public spaces given a new look for the city’s big year ( www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com).

Walk along the Marina to the Fruit Market, a historic area with cafes, galleries and restaurants. Stroll the cobbled streets of the historic Old Town and tour the free Museums Quarter to visit Wilberforce House, home of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, the Maritime Museum, the Streetlife Museum, and the Hull & East Riding Museum.

The refurbished Ferens Art Gallery hosts the Turner Prize in September, while the iconic Humber Bridge will become a massive soundscape from April with help from the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North. No visitor will want to miss The Deep, home to more than 3,500 fish, sharks, and other marine life – awesome!

Hull’s City of Culture year adopts four seasonal themes: Made in Hull (Jan-March); Roots & Routes (April-June); Freedom (July-September) and Tell the World (Oct-Dec), with each season hosting a weekend festival of events, debate and live music ( www.hull2017.co.uk).