Things take a while in Hull

This is not a criticism of Kingston-Upon-Hull, it's people, nor it's political administrators over the years since "the war" (1939-1945), but a celebration of Hull's respect for its past that is now coming to fruition after many years of public discussion. Hull has a penchant for preserving the facades of old buildings for incorporation into new ones, which I think is an honourable state of mind, respectful of the city's heritage; but this decision has taken some time, 83 years to be exact. 83! 

This was left in 1941 when a German plane bombed a packed picture house leaving ruins that have been undisturbed since, though renovation is now ongoing. The Germans were pretty good at bombing Hull * - it was both the first and the last UK mainland city to be bombed and over 5 years 95% of Hull's housing stock was either totally destroyed, rendered uninhabitable or damaged in some way. This count does not include industrial, municipal or retail buildings. Hull got a right  pasting, as recalled in a recent exhibition, with many links to Hull's war history.

* Available for £14.95 from the Carnegie Heritage Centre bookshop, at www.carnegiehull.co.uk/shop/store/

Hull's National Picture Theatre in the 30's and bombed-out below in 1941

View this video from 30:30 to hear it's story

    

Hull is not a boastful city, it endured, it endures, it persists and seems to be flourishing again after half a century of decline; it is not "perfect", nor glamorous, but it is (mostly) a respectful city and proud of it's place in history. It was once the third largest port in the UK, with money and civic pride enough to construct many grand buildings, reduced to facades by German bombing. Thankfully successive  councils have kept them to remind us of former glories.

Here are some facades preserved and reincorporated into newer developments.

BHS façade being constructed in the 1960s

This how it looked for many years

Former BHS façade on remodelled building (2025)

Word of the day - SHENANIGANS

The word today is Shenanigans

Shenanigans is a noun and means the following:

- Acts of secret or dishonest activity, often complicated to deceive

- Childish pranks and deceits sometimes seen as humorous

Malarkey - mischief and messing by a child

Shenanigans are more serious than malarkey (I'd say)

Severity moderates interchangeability of shenanigans and malarkey

Shenanigans are not easily tolerated but malarkey will usually be so

Shenanigans are for adults and malarkey for children 

If you need more start here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

American comedian BOB NEWHART - R.I.P.

In 1960 an American comedian came to popular attention with monologues delivered in a droll and engaging manner, almost opposite to the "zany", "quick-fire" or "slick" delivery of contemporaries' Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Sammy Davies Jr, et al. 

Bob Newhart (1930 - July 19 2024)

Bob Newhart died today aged 94 and had sustained a consistently popular presentation style throughout his career. As "performing Bob" he had a dry and self-deprecating personality, played to the fullest extent, most recently, as "Professor Proton" in the recent smash hit TV series called, The Big Bang Theory. This is his BBC eulogy.

Bob Newhart as Professor Proton on TBBTheory

Though very popular in The Big Bang Theory, Bob's earlier comedic career was his mainstay, leaving us many comedic monologues, of which "The Driving Instructor" is his most popular.

Hear The Driving Instructor here

Truism (for golfers)

Drive for show, putt for dough!

This lasting truism by the South African golf professional,  Bobby Loche,  succinctly distils every "pros" aspiration.

Bobby Locke in his heyday

Word of the day - AVUNCULAR

The word today is Avuncular

Avuncular is an adjective and from my research means the following:

- Characteristics of or pertaining to an uncle (of a child)

- To be an uncle who is kind, genial, caring or supportive of his kin

A loving uncle

If described as avuncular you are friendly, helpful and tolerant

Technically speaking avuncular characteristics apply to uncles

Woman or aunties are not correctly described as avuncular

Avuncular comes from Latin avunculus meaning maternal uncle 

Being unfriendly, dismissive, uncaring or unhelpful is never avuncular

If you need more start here or here.

There is an index of words of the day.

If you are brave or foolish enough to dig into the different types of words in English, try this.

Meaningful songs #28 - THE CHI-LITES

This  is the twenty-eighth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Have You Seen Her?", released in 1971, is by a group called The Chi-Lites.

Hear the song here

Have You Seen Her? is a plaintive reflection by a man bereft of meaningful life without his wife/girlfriend, for having  thought he had her, "in the palm of his hand", she left him (for unknown reasons). It happens, it's not nice and some chaps never get over it.

HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

 

One month I was happy as a lark
But now I go for walks
To the movies, maybe to the park

I have a seat on the same old bench

To watch the children play, huh

You know, tomorrow is their future

But for me just another day

They all gather 'round

They seem to know my name

We laugh, tell a few jokes

But it still doesn't ease my pain

I know I can't hide from a memory

Though day after day I've tried

I keep sayin' she'll be back

But today again I've lied

Oh, I see her face everywhere I go

On the street and even at the picture show

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Oh, I hear her voice as the cold winds blow

In the sweet music on my radio

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Why, oh why, did she have to leave and go away?

Oh-oh, I've been used to havin' someone to lean on

And I'm lost

Baby I'm lost, oh

Pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa),pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa)

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa),pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa)

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her (have seen her?)

She left her kiss upon my lips

But left that break within my heart

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Oh, I see her hand reaching out to me

Only she can set me free

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Why, oh why, did she have to leave and go away? Oh yeah

Oh-oh, I've been used to havin' someone to lean on

And I'm lost

Baby I'm lost, oh

Pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa),pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa)

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her (seen her?) Oh

As another day comes to and end

I'm lookin' for a letter or somethin'

Or anything that she would send

With all the people I know, I'm still a lonely man

You know, it's funny

I thought I had her in the palm of my hand

Tell me have you seen her (tell me have you seen her?

Oh yeah,

Pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa),pa-pa-pa (pa-pa-pa)

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Have you seen her?

Tell me, have you seen her?

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.

Just another advert

Have you ever read an article or seen a programme piece where you realise it's really nothing other than a thinly disguised advertisement, be it for a book, film, recording, play, or any manner of things someone is wishing to "push" at that time. Do you dislike, as I do, the seemingly incessant drip of "promotional material" and resent the absolute cynicism of those who profess to entertain, enlighten or educate us and yet collude with media or "self-promoters" to fill our air-time or attention with vacuous rubbish.

I accept shopping channels and regular advertisements because they are true to their aims, but the rest I feel to be an intrusion akin to Click-Bait; vacuous content for gullible people.

I know I'm moaning and, to use a bit of British slang, "pissing in the wind", but do you ever tire of such veiled advertising?

Getting married? - Let me tell you about sheets!

What caused this moan was a BBC "human interest" article, ostensibly telling me of the anguish and guilt of a mother who had a child at the age of 16 (for Gods sake!) and now regrets not fully engaging with her daughter throughout her rearing. The bait is clear, the story seems enlightening, but it turns out to be an advert for a new book and the "bigging-up" of a very minor poet/author; the daughter is almost incidental to the article's main aim: Sell that book! (And shame on the BBC)