My top Made in Hull moments - Rachel Constable

As a principle partner of the UK City of Culture we got a sneak peek into the next two seasons of the UK City of Culture programme on Friday and, as I’d already bought tickets for two shows on the same day, I thought ‘In for a penny, in for a pound’ let’s go for it. After all, it’s half term and there’s only so much Paw Patrol I can take.

So with two small children (mine) and two grandparents (theirs) in tow, I decided to cram as many events as I could into one day without breaking the bank.

Season launch

First thing’s first. I love the programme design, and now I have two more Mark Wigan prints to add to the one I’ve framed at home (they tear out of the middle of the book). The next two seasons Roots and Routes and Freedom - really have  something for everyone – and there are more events specifically for children, which I felt were harder to pick out in season one.

If I have one criticism it would be that it seems impossible to describe in advance what an event will actually be like. From the description of Made in Hull in season one, I thought I’d pay it a visit, but was completely unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster in Queen Victoria Square. I’ve resolved to ignore whether I think I’ll like something and try it anyway.  

Next stop the Marina end of Humber Street where for The City Speaks by Michael Pinsky. An unassuming steel plinth invites you to speak, and see your words projected on the tidal barrier at the other end of the street. After lots of ‘HELLO HULL’s, my mum elbowed the kids aside to impart her pearls of wisdom. We waited with bated breath as her words rose majestically up the tidal barrier; ‘MOVE OUT OF THE WAY AND LET GRANDMA HAVE A GO NOW HELLO FROM ME ’.  Turns out the speaker is pretty sensitive and will pick even the stuff you don’t want it to.  I’ve heard it filters out anything inappropriate but didn’t want to put that to the test on the cold light of day.  

Cost FREE.

Verdict: great 10 minutes of fun, will be excellent in the dark.

Humber Street Gallery

It’s been open for a few weeks, and working in the middle of Hull I’ve been meaning to go one lunchtime. The kids love the story of Dead Bod, and it’s fantastic it’s been saved. The café on the ground floor serves a mean flat white, and stocks the amazing beer & brisket Hull Pie, which grandad was pretty keen to try and is the smallest child’s favourite. I’ll be going back before the current exhibition moves on, but it’s a good spot for a coffee and the rooftop bar will have stunning views.  

Cost: around £6.50 for a couple of coffees and two glasses of tap water.

Verdict: Lots of fun shielding kids from the sculptures in the ground floor gallery ‘look – there’s Dead Bod!’ but I’ll be back.

Blade

We all loved seeing – and touching – Blade, and it prompted a conversation about what we all thought art was while we took photos of us pretending to hold it up. Queen Victoria Square, the Maritime Museum, The Ferens and Blade have prompted my parents, who live about 100 miles away, to plan a weekend in Hull in the spring to properly explore, rather than cramming everything in to one day.  Can’t wait for the Weeping Windows poppy sculptures too, which arrives outside The Maritime Museum in March when Blade goes. 

Cost FREE.

Verdict: ‘Awesome’.

The Ferens Gallery

My mum loved the Lorenzetti, kids loved the hands-on gallery, and I keep going back to the neon tubes and the open exhibition. As the gallery’s been closed for most of the last year, it was the first time we’ve visited, but it won’t be the last, and we’ll plan in a bit more time next time. The atmosphere was relaxed, it was fine to have quite noisy kids in all the galleries, and I didn’t feel like we needed to spend a load of time chin stroking in front of the Bacons. Perhaps we’ll squeeze in lunch in the café; it’s pretty popular.

Cost FREE.

Verdict: We went to the Scottish National Gallery last year, but we liked this more.    

Telling Tales

Didn’t know what to expect here, but went along anyway. Middleton Hall was packed, which was great to see – lots of grandparents and plenty of pre-schoolers in a relaxed recital by some incredible musicians – and it was narrated live on stage by renowned actor Simon Callow.

It was my children’s first introduction to Peter and the Wolf and the Flight of the Bumblebee, which went down well. But the real hit was Dirty Beasts – Roald Dahl’s poetry set to music. We had a drink in the café afterwards and Simon Callow sat at the next table so we were at the front (and the back) of the autograph queue. But he also mentioned that Dirty Beasts is on Spotify, so we listened to that when we got home. 

Cost: Full price tickets £8, Concessions £4.   

Verdict: Excellent, but don’t try to park near the university.

Lines of Thought: Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull

I’d never visited the University of Hull until recently, but I’m completely sold.  Gorgeous buildings, the fantastic Brynmor Jones Library, the Venn and Cohen buildings, Middleton Hall is lovely after its refurbishment. I love the fact that as a campus it’s accessible and is actively encouraging people to visit. If one of the reasons they signed up as a partner is to inspire and attract future students and parents of students, then they’ve nailed it.  The exhibition was packed, and there were some fantastic pieces; the oldest an Egyptian papyrus showing something very impressive to seven year olds but embarrassingly not memorable to forty year olds. I can’t remember what it was. Sorry. (Edit – I called the library; it’s the Final Judgement Scene from The Book of The Dead from 940BC). I loved the Michelangelo sketches for the Sistine Chapel. And also the nervousness of the security guard when said seven year old pointed at it a bit too close.

Cost: FREE.

Verdict: Superlative-inducing.

The Hypocrite: Hull Truck

Writer Richard Bean was in the seat behind me so I admit I felt some initial pressure to laugh.

By the time the guide dog in row A replied to part of the sound effects there was no pressure, and plenty of laughs. The comedy’s completely sold out but I’m definitely going to see some of the other plays at the theatre this year; Richard III, Betty Blue Eyes and the Mighty Atoms in particular have tickled my fancy. After a full-on day the last thing I felt like was getting dressed up “for the theatre daaaaarling” and wore jeans, as did roughly 50 per cent of the audience, which made me instantly feel at home. It was a preview performance, which a quick google revealed is when the playwright and director can fine-tune the play before the big premiere in front of the great, the good and the critics a few days later.  

Cost £10 per ticket for preview performance. 

Verdict: Definitely one to repeat, great play, and I’ll be booking more preview performances too.