Kingston-upon-Hull – Images of a Rich Transport Heritage

KINGSTONUPON-HULL was Britain’s third largest port and biggest deep-sea fishing facility in the 1960s. There were 11 docks covering 200 acres and 12 miles of quays; 150 trawlers operated out of Hull until the Cod War of the 1970s and EU quotas. The city even retains its own independent telephone network to this day. As such, it is no surprise that Hull also has an extraordinarily rich and varied transport heritage. In this excellent book, Hull-born Neville Stead has assembled over 200 superb quality monochrome images that portray the railways, docks, Humber ferry paddle steamers, trams, vintage motor and trolley buses. Many scenes reflect the city as it was before the Second World War blitz of 1941 did so much damage. The images included by the author reflect the period from the 1930s until the 1960s. The trams ceased operation in 1945 and the trolley buses in 1964. The author includes fascinating autobiographical details from his time living in the city. Over half the book is devoted to the complex railway system that also served the large docks network. This was an era when steam was ‘king’. The road transport section evokes the great names of British bus manufacturers such as Bristol, Guy, AEC and Leyland. All in all this is a wonderful evocation of a vanished era – a time before the building of the Humber Bridge, when Hull seemed truly remote. Not to be missed by anyone interested in our wonderful transport history. RSS Published by Bellcode Books

Available through www.amazon.co.uk and others

112 pages, softback. £15.99