Detail of a family statue on the Humber riverfront
It remembers European emigrants who passed through Hull before
boarding trains to Liverpool and then ships to North America.
A lunchtime kick off at The MKM Stadium in Hull today. It's annoying how Sky Sports and other commercial broadcasters dictate when so many football matches will kick off just to please their schedules. What about the fans?
Today Hull City were playing a less well-known London club - Millwall. Their fans would have had to set off to Hull at the crack of dawn. But with the usual 3pm kick off time they could have left London much later.
I travelled over to Hull by train. Normally, I drive but today, as well as seeing the match, I fancied a stroll around the centre of the first city I ever knew - my home city. Hull sits on the north shore of The Humber estuary and has long been associated with the sea.
I wanted to take pictures of a mural near the city centre - painted in memory of a local working class heroine - Lillian Bilocca. Spurred into action by the Hull triple trawler tragedy of 1968 which claimed 58 lives, she led a direct action campaign to prevent undermanned trawlers from putting to sea and gathered 10,000 signatures for a petition (the Fishermen's Charter) to Harold Wilson's government to strengthen safety legislation. She threatened to picket Wilson's house if he did not take action.
In the end, the key requests were implemented and necessary legislation was passed. Apart from anything else, the story proves that protest really can work and bring about meaningful change. Lillian was just a humble fisheries worker until the trawler tragedies roused her into action.
I walked to Hull Marina where major improvements are still underway to connect the Humber riverfront and the historical old town area with the modern city centre. I saw many eating places and wondered how many people regularly go out to eat these days? Restaurants, cafes and pubs need customers.
By the way, our lads somehow managed to lose today's match even though we were the better team. I caught a late train back to Sheffield but before that I took a few pictures of a statue of one of Hull's most famous adopted sons - the poet, Philip Larkin. It stands within the precincts of Paragon Station - as though Larkin is hurrying to catch a train.
Larkin's got to be the poetic equivalent of Wagner (great music, terrible person) - great poetry, miserable sod.
ReplyDeleteGood work by Lillian Bilocca. The statue is very nice.
ReplyDeleteAnd that will be England gone.
ReplyDeletePhilip Larkin
Going, Going. The Poetry Hour online.
Sometimes it's the unsung heroine who gets things done.
ReplyDeleteIn spite of your team losing the match, I hope it was still a good day for you, all things considered. I didn't know about the trawler tragedies or the Headscarf Revolution (it happened in my birth year).
ReplyDeleteHere, most towns and cities have many places for eating out, and more often than not, you find them crowded and unable to go somewhere spontaneously without booking in advance; it often makes me wonder because there is a constant claim that people have "no money" which can't be true, considering the prices for an average meal or even just a drink.
I find the first photo of your post very touching.
If an Australian Rules football match is being covered by commercial tv, when a goal is kicked and hence a pause while the ball returns to the centre, the tv station cuts to advertisements and the game is not restarted until the ad break is completed. Have I impressed you by how much I know about our football? It's osmosis.
ReplyDeleteGive that Lillian a posthumous damehood.
Perfect spelling and grammar so it's not that, but this phrase troubles my brain muchly; "managed to lose today's match even though we were the better team".
Headscarf Revolutionaries!! We could use more of that in the world today.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Lillian Bilocca!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great day out. There is a special look for English train stations.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the name of your blog, I had to visit, then I was amused to see your latest blog is about Hull, my hometown too. I am familiar with the mural of Lillian Bilocca and Larkin. On my next visit I need to find the one on the Humber riverfront. It looks beautiful. PS. I was disappointed with the footie result too :(
ReplyDeletelillian sounds like my kind of woman.
ReplyDeleteI like the Philip Larkin statue. I also thought I recognised the name (and I probably should) but when I looked him up, no titles sounded really familiar to me. So now it bugs me that I don't know who I may be thinking of instead...
ReplyDeleteI once went to Hull for a meeting but didn't get time to look around. Other than that I've never been. Maybe I should get out more?
ReplyDeleteMy brother went to Hull University donkey's years ago. It was one of a handful that didn't require applicants to have a Latin pass. He never learnt Latin, despite attending a very reputable grammar school.
ReplyDelete