Welcome to my new favourite place...
Fresh from a stint in the City of Culture 2017 – Hull – Caroline Quentin recommends we all head north east for a visit to a place steeped in history and, well, culture
When I told my friends and family that I was going to do a play in Hull, my news was greeted with grimaces, commiserations and general expressions of horror! I packed my suitcase, boarded the train and headed north east, with some trepidation.
Why was the mere mention of Hull met with such disdain? What hellish scenes would greet me, I wondered, as I disembarked at Hull Paragon Railway Station? Would the streets be teeming with flesh-eating zombies determined to satisfy their bloodlust by ripping the head off a chubby, middle-aged actress clutching a script and a latte to her ample bosom? What was it that made people so ready to be disparaging about the City of Culture 2017?
During the 12 weeks I was resident in Hull, I discovered a beautiful, friendly, architecturally fascinating, historically important and truly cultured city. Served by the rivers Humber and Hull, it is a place with a deep sense of its own identity, dignified but without a hint of self-importance. In fact, self-deprecation is a way of life in Hull; a sense of humour fills the air, as I imagine the whiff of fish did when the trawling industry was still thriving.
It’s a city with so much to be proud of, but because the people of Hull are so unlikely to show off, the rest of Britain has fallen into the trap of thinking that a lack of brashness means there is nothing to brag about. Quite the opposite is true.
Historically speaking, Hull punches way above its weight. It was a major player in the birth of English Civil War in 1642, when the King was denied access through the Beverley Gate into the city. William Wilberforce, famous for abolishing slavery, went to Hull Grammar School, as did Andrew Marvell, poet, MP and fervent abolitionist. Amy Johnson, who was the first woman to take a solo flight to Australia, hailed from Hull.
I’ve come to realise that reactions to Hull are just a lazy habit, a knee-jerk response to the name. Indeed, on further questioning, most people I spoke to hadn’t ever set foot in the place!
It’s made me think hard about my own unconsidered reactions to so many things in my life, from pickled eggs to skiing. So often my prejudice is based not on knowledge or experience but on inherited assumptions and peer pressure.
With that in mind, I’m going to re-examine some of my long-held opinions about things that I know virtually nothing about: football, offal (tripe in particular), tattoos, plastic surgery, Croatia, veganism, Strictly Come Dancing, camellias, motor racing, guinea pigs and dungarees. I’m going to try to be more open-minded about EVERYTHING. Hell, I may even try Botox and jellied eels – though not necessarily at the same time, for fear of a mix-up.
I fell in love with Hull. For me, it’s up there with Paris, Barcelona and London. Of course, it has its share of problems – social deprivation and poverty – but name a city that doesn’t. Hull has charm, wit and warmth in abundance, plus thriving art and comedy scenes, and great nightlife. Here, diversity is celebrated.
I’d encourage anyone to see for themselves. I say with all my heart – go to Hull, all of you!
‘Reactions to Hull are just a lazy habit’