Memories of Hull Part 1 By Terry Hood

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

I served my apprenticeship as a ships rigger with Lord Line in 1954. Tom Boyd was an absolute gentleman and the best boss I ever worked for. I now live in Cheltenham but I visited Hull in April of this year and saw the true reality of St. Andrews Dock, Lord Line and surrounding area. It brought back such a lot of happy memories and sadness to see it as it is today. Whilst I was in Hull I visited the museum where the Arctic Corsair is located and went on board to look around.

When I went into the museum, there in front of me was the desk that I sat at for my interview with Tom Boyd. Also on his desk was his switchboard and a photograph of the man himself. This really did bring tears to my eyes.

Not very long ago I was in Ross on Wye looking in the charity shops. On my way back I casually glanced in the charity shop windows again. To my amazement there was a painting by R. Booth of the Arctic Ranger, the trawler I worked on during my apprenticeship. It had just been put out on display. I purchased it for 8 pounds and it now has pride of place in the lounge. What a find! Another story I remember is about a man called Fred. He was going to sea one day, when his brother-in-law Ken said he would come with him and see him off.

They went below into the galley, chatting, smoking and having a cup of tea until the ship was ready to leave.

After a while Ken wished Fred all the best and have a good trip. Ken made his way up to the deck only to find the trawler was going down the Humber. They had to get a pilot boat for him to get him off. There are no bus stops on the Humber. At the opposite end of the dock to Lord Line was the slipway for the trawlers to be given a thorough overhaul below the waterline and to the left on dry side was cod farm where all the cod livers were taken to make cod liver oil.

Articles - Don Wilson 1916 - 2009.

One of Nidderdale's most fascinating characters has died suddenly aged 93. Donald Wilson moved from Edinburgh to Dacre Banks in February 1950, having been stationed at RAF Linton on Ouse during the war. Don was shot down over Germany early in the conflict and was eventually imprisoned in the infamous Stalag Luft III, setting for the film The Great Escape. He provided invaluable information and advice for the makers of the film, having kept a detailed wartime log during his incarceration. Read more...

Articles - Writing about a Hull singer-songwriter using the music of Joe Solo By Tim Roux.

I have just had a fantastic experience - writing a novel,(Just like) El Cid's Bloomers' about a fictional Hull singer/songwriter around the songs of a real one, Joe Solo. And it could be a global first - the first musical novel to be designed specifically for an e-book format. It doesn't really matter whether it is or isn't, but it is always fun to be the first to do something. For Joe, there were some serious potential downsides to the project. Read more...

Articles - Birth and Death in Ten Minutes: A Miracle in Room 11 By Ruth

'Hello.' 'Doctor, they have an emergency in Room 11.' 'Ok, I'm coming.' I put the phone down and exited the oppressive call room, where as the scheduled 'doc-in-the-box' on duty, I was busy frittering away 24 hours of my life. My 11-year-old-son had state exams the next day, and I hoped my 17-year-old daughter would make sure he studied. I knew they would probably watch TV and eat microwave food on the sofa instead. Read more...

Articles - The Cosmic Mayfly By David Sloan

From deep under the oceans, far from any sunlight, to high up in spewing volcanoes, life forms have been found on our planet. Even deep in the arctic ice, life forms have been found to exist. For life is tenacious, if it can exist it will exist, this is the way of nature. Soon, yes very soon, I'm sure we will find life forms on other planets in our solar system. Indeed I'd be very surprised if the whole universe were not teaming with some form of primeval life or another. Read more...

Articles - You Scare Me By Alex

'You scare me' Having that said to you, just once, is one time too many. Why? Why was this person scared of me? Drunken rage? Membership in the BNP? A predilection for bumming puppies? Nope, none of those (admittedly scary) things. I had done nothing but acquire a label; 'Psychotic'. So what do people understand by that? Usually it's some media inspired portrayal of a reality avoiding, maniac with a large blade. The reality is both fairer and fouler than the common perception. No, psychotics are not automatically or overwhelmingly prone to violence or abuse. Read more...

Articles - Channel 4 Students and Friday Night Stars By Phil Prethero

	2007, The One Stop 24 Hour Shop, High Street, Lincoln It's Saturday, it's 7 in the morning, and I'm at work, hung over, stood here like a trampled on torn up tampon - of use to absolutely nobody. Why the fuck I agreed to these shifts is beyond me, normal people at the age of 21 and in their last year of uni are in bed at this time, they'll get up at about 11, Read more...

Articles - Can You Help? Hull Clubs in the Sixties Keith Fairhurst

I wonder if you can help me. I am searching for the name of a 1965 Hull beat club. The club was at the end of a passageway between two buildings off a one-way street in the centre of the city. It had a small opening/courtyard in front of the main entrance. The passageway was on the right hand side as you travelled down the street. I believe it was called The Black Cat Club or Kontiki Club Read more...

Articles - The Interview: The Four Ps - Plan, Prepare, Participate and Be Positive.By Mike Kemp, CV Satisfaction

	As individuals who are looking to find employment the interview proves to be the most daunting task. But this doesn't have to be the case using the four P's system: Plan, Prepare, Participate and Be Positive. This is a system that was devised by CV Satisfaction which covers all areas of the interview from the beginning to the end. Let's look at each one individually. Read more...

Articles - Apple iPod Touch; The iPhone Without the Phone Reviewed by Mo

Ok so first of all I'm over 50, with a pretty crap social life and like most of my generation, mobile phones reside in a blind spot of my brain. The fiddly keys, address books and ridiculous lose-ablity of the device help to keep it there. Last time I called my (£15 pay as you go from Woolies) mobile in an attempt to find it, it was answered by a lovely police officer lady at the Reading Station's lost and found. Read more...

Articles - Jody McKenna and The Secret Millionaire (show to be aired Sunday 26th April 09 Channel 4) By Michelle Dee

	Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget was the title of singer/songwriters Jody McKenna and Dave Saxby latterly of The Peasants debut album /music05/albums/stevepeasants.html . Jody could be forgiven for thinking those dreams of grandeur and prosperity had finally been realised when Channel 4's Secret Millionaire presented him with a cheque for twenty grand. Read more...

Articles - I Got Married By Ruth

I got married (my one and only time) in 1981. It was November and I was a college student in West Texas. My husband to be was five years older than I. He was very rugged/handsome, and a former football player in a land where football is king. In fairness, this tale should be told with a Greek Chorus (you know, those people with white robes that say stuff like, 'Don't eat that, it's poison!' or Read more...

Articles - National Recognition for thisisUll.com - Fringe Report Awards 2009 By Cilla Photographs by Carl Schofield and Mo.

	Monday 9th February 2009 was a landmark date for thisisUll.com and all its contributors. On your behalf, I had the honour of accepting the Fringe Report 2009 award for Best Publication. Fringe Report, under the guidance and leadership of its editor John Park is based in London. It reviews and supports fringe theatre, arts, independent and arthouse film, dance, performance, Read more...

Articles - What The Doctor Did Next By James Marsters

	So, we all know by now that The Eleventh Doctor will be played by none other than household name Matt Smith. Okay, okay, so maybe he's not a household name now but what will the future hold for the 26-year old once he has hung up his sonic screwdriver and given back the keys to the TARDIS? Judging by the other ten actors to have played the Time Lord, it's anyone's guess. Read more...

Articles - If Hull Were Gaza, 3rd January 2009 By Martin Deane

	If Hull were Gaza there would be some 384 casualties of family and friends, with about 64 dead. These are spread across the city killed or wounded by bombs dropped or missiles fired from state-of-the-art F-16 fighter jets. (These jets, by the way, regularly overfly the city at supersonic speeds making a frightening boom through the sound barrier. Read more...

Articles - Dear Diary By Ruth

	Prologue: It is New Years Day 2009. I just left my hospital, the same one I trained in 18 years ago. I've only changed the names of those I like. Everyone else can screw off. November 1990 Dear Diary, I had a lovely weekend on call. Here's a taste of my time as an intern rotating on general surgery. The patient was a 14-year-old Hispanic female. Read more...