Dr Robb Robinson of the University of Hull outlines the fascinating life of ‘the forgotten genius of music’ Ethel Leginska.
Which Famous Concert Pianist And Conductor Came From Hull?
What Is Pride In Hull?
Amy Thompson heads to the city centre to join in with the most fabulous day of the year.
What Is Hull’s Oldest And Longest Walking Route?
Our ancient pathways correspondent Angus Young treads the trod and follows in the steps of meandering monks.
Looking for something to do with the kids during the summer holidays? Why not pack their computer games away, introduce them to the concept of fresh air and take them for a stroll along Sutton Trod. If you do, you will be taking them on a walk back into the history books because ‘Trod’ – as it’s known to locals – is believed to date back to at least the 11th century.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest known use of the noun ‘trod’ is in the pre-1150 Old English Period. However, the word is also found in Old Norse which was spoken by Scandinavians and their overseas settlements between the 7th and 15th centuries. Archaeological evidence suggests the low ridge of glacial till on which the village of Sutton sits created a natural site for human habitation as far back as the Stone Age – at least 4,000 years ago.
Successive settlements there sat above surrounding low-lying marshland, meadows and carrs but drainage work on this land in the 11th century created new transport routes for trading. The Trod’s exact origins are unclear but it’s generally thought to have been a pathway starting at the site of Meaux Abbey which was founded in 1151, passing through Sutton before heading south..
In Old Norse, trod means treading or trampling as if a path is trampled down by cattle. This tallies with the theory that Sutton Trod was used by the landowning monks of Meaux to carry wool by horse all the way to the Humber where it was shipped to waiting buyers. Later it became an access for people and animals through arable holdings close to Sutton to more distant pasture land.
Much of the route runs close to Foredyke Stream, a section of which was dug by the monks between 1221 and 1235 to create a connection with another naturally-flowing watercourse known as Lambwath Stream.
Today part of the Trod forms a popular circular walking route taking in parts of the former Hornsea railway line and the TransPennine Trail. The 2.3-mile route starts and finishes in Church Street and now includes some recently-installed wooden wayfinding posts engraved with the name Sutton Trod.
If you fancy following the Trod further south, start in Church Street and walk to Tweendykes Road before joining Woodleigh Drive and then heading across Sutton Road, through the Lambwath estate to Hathersage Road and Moffat Close. Here you reach Rockford Green and Rockford Avenue where the old track no longer exists but old maps show the route crossing Chamberlain Road close to where Brendon Avenue is today. From here it crossed the former Reckitts’ sports ground before joining up with Woodhall Street where a recognisable pedestrian route reappears before disappearing again at the junction of Stoneferry Road.
It’s thought the Trod would have probably reached the River Hull, following the course of the river until it arrived in the ancient parish of Drypool and, eventually, the Humber.
Happy Trodding!
Angus Young
What Are My Top 5 Icons Of Hull? Mollie-Ann
Artist and Artlink volunteer Mollie-Ann Honest picks icons of the city that have inspired her.
Which Eye Colour Is The Most Common On The Planet?
A question asked at the Big Malarkey by Ruby of HU6. One of those where the background detail is more intriguing than the main answer.
What Are Hull’s 10 Biggest Gigs?
With Coldplay in town this week, we thought we’d look at some other significant concerts in the history of the city. Contact our contentious lists correspondent Angus Young to argue with his selections.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Cecil Cinema, May 1962: Arguably Hull’s first major rock and roll show featured The Killer on his second UK tour – four years after the first ended abruptly in scandal when he introduced his new 13-year-old bride Myra who was also his cousin.
Myra returned with him for the second tour even though Lewis was still married to his previous wife.
The Beatles, Majestic Cinema, October 1962: The Beatles first live show in Hull also promoted the group’s first single Love Me Do released at the same time.
Ten years later Paul McCartney and his new band Wings played at Hull University, arriving announced before asking the students’ union whether they could put on a show. The band stayed the night at the Pearson Park Hotel.
The Rolling Stones, ABC Cinema, September 1964: A gig captured in vivid colour courtesy of a special British Pathe newsreel feature titled Rolling Stones Gather Moss.
It starts with the band pretending to hitch a lift to Hull and features some great footage of screaming fans. Still available on YouTube, have fun trying to spot your granny swooning over Jagger and Co.
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Skyline Ballroom, March, 1967: With one hit – Hey Joe – already under his belt, Hendrix was promoting the follow-up single Purple Haze when he played the Skyline with support from The Small Faces and Robert Palmer’s Mandrakes among others.
According to legend, when the guitarist and his band finished their set they immediately ran down Jameson Street to catch the night’s last train back to London.
The Who, City Hall, February 1970: Recorded live, the show would be eclipsed by the recording of another concert by the band the day before which became the best-selling album Live At Leeds.
The Hull tapes were finally released in 2012 as a double CD album called The Who Live in Hull 1970.
Bay City Rollers, ABC Cinema, November 1974: At the height of Rollermania, nearly 1,000 teenage girls wearing tartan-lined trousers and waving tartan scarves welcomed Scotland’s pop sensations, having queued overnight for tickets.
Billed as the biggest group since The Beatles, the band stayed next door at the Royal Station Hotel after the gig.
New Order, The Tower, March 1982: In the early 1980s the Tower hosted an eclectic series of gigs featuring new bands on the up. To underline the point, chart-topping Haircut 100 played there 24 hours after New Order had walked off the same stage just before the end of the set when their computer equipment stopped working.
The Housemartins: Hull City Hall, October 1986: Nurtured in The Adelphi, the sight of the self-styled Fourth Best Band in Hull taking the City Hall stage as part of their Think For A Minute UK tour confirmed their arrival as national pop stars.
A photograph of fans at the concert that night later adorned the cover of a biography of the band called Now That’s What I Call Quite Good written by Hull poet Nick Swift.
Cliff Richard: Holy Trinity Church, November 1997: Cliff was a regular visitor to Hull in the 1960s and early 1970s with The Shadows and as a solo artist but this gig was a bit different – a one-off sell-out in the largest parish church in England.
Instead of performing his hits, he sang gospel songs which were relayed to another audience outside in Trinity Square via a PA system.
Elton John: KC Stadium, July 2003: Stadium rock finally arrived in Hull when Elton John played a solo gig at the new home of Hull City and Hull FC, the first in a series of big-name concerts to be staged there.
Other acts who followed in his footsteps included Bryan Adams, Neil Diamond, R.E.M., Bon Jovi and The Who. On each occasion, fans were soaked by heavy rain although the sun did manage to shine for Rod Stewart in 2015.
What Is My Favourite View In Hull? Chris Blacksell
Ex top firefighter and chair of VHEY Chris takes the windy road to Hessle to find the view of the city that means most to him.
Where Is Hull’s High Level Railway?
Hull Tour Guide Paul Schofield reports from his beloved East Hull on ‘trains in the sky.’
Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How? Nathan Hawthorne
Finally, someone does quite well on our quiz. Comic book artist Nathan faced Ally-mai at the Big Malarkey and showed no fear.
What’s Going On At Western Library?
Arty rumblings on the Boulevard herald an exciting new gallery project, according to our suburban exhibitions correspondent Angus Young.
Take a stroll along the Boulevard and you might notice something new about Hull’s oldest public library. Western Library opened in 1895 and was the first library in the city to be paid for by public funds. Now it’s started a new chapter by hosting an art gallery within the building.
The HUFree Gallery opened recently on the first floor in a collaboration between local residents, organisations and businesses led by The Encyclopedia of Us, known as EofUs for short. A community-based arts group, EofUs had been working in the HU3 postcode for a couple of years, co-producing projects and events with people who live in the neighbourhood. They have included mini-festivals, a flower-arranging club at Rayners pub and a regular local newspaper.
The HUFree Gallery is the latest initiative in a link- up between EoUs, arts company Three Ways East, artist Kate Genever and Hull Libraries. “This brand new gallery space will showcase and celebrate the photography, film-making and print that arises from working class life in HU3 and Hull,” EofUs told us “we will take a closer look, together, at the people and lives, past and present, that are often hidden or paid scant attention. We will also explore the national and international links that reflect our beautifully diverse HU3 community, and shape who we are.”
“The gallery is an experiment, a beginning, a work in progress. It will grow and adapt and we hope you join us as it does. It will be programmed with, by and for HU3 residents, creatives, businesses and schools and it will welcome visitors from everywhere. Alongside exhibitions there will be workshops, talks and activities and we have ambitions to generate a range of training and skills development opportunities to benefit the HU3 community.”
“We have developed the gallery with Western Library who are, like us, keen to celebrate the area, utilise their assets and generate relevant cultural experience for residents and wider communities.”
The gallery recently featured an exhibition of photography by Curiosity collaborator and Mr HU3 himself, photographer George Norris. A new exhibition by Alex Kalogerakis called Poverty of the Imagination will open on August 28. The gallery’s opening times mirror those of the library. They are: Monday 1-6pm; Tuesday 9.30am-1.30pm: Thursday 1-6pm: Saturday 10am-1pm. Admission is free.