Hull is one of Europe’s great cities, the Old Town in my Top 10 for architecture, museums and pubs. Next year as the Capital of Culture they’ll hope to capitalise on those treasures, but I suspect there’ll be more European than UK visitors.
Apart from a few folk who went to Uni there, and my lorry-driving mate, I know no-one who’s been there as a tourist. It’s a long way, people will say, and then drive 10 hours to the Loire Valley. The sun does shine on Hull as well.
I spent my annual overnighter there yesterday, both to complete the East Yorkshire Beer Guide and take stock of their preparation for 2017. It’s coming along fine, though the major works between the Marina and City Hall are an eyesore. You can still see the appeal of the Green Bricks.
Victoria Pier looks better than ever, and continues to provide 3 hours free parking on Saturday morning.
There’s an awful lot of reconstruction still to do, of course. I’ve never seen so much great tiling on derelict buildings, with the historic toilets near the King William statue particularly sad. At least the white tiled Gents at the Pier were open.
The major change in recent years has been the consolidation of their fabulous, free museums to a Quarter near the river, and a dizzying number of new or improved pubs around Scale Lane. There’s still room in town for some of the best looking traditional pubs though.
My annual new Beer Guide entry isn’t a classic (that’s the Whalebone or the Adelphi). The Sailmakers is still attractive and cosy though, with a very decent Ossett Silver King (NBSS 3) seeming quite popular. How long till Hull gets its own Hop ?
It’s not heaving, and neither is Hull. One of the reasons for that is the distance between the University and the Old Town (youngsters can’t walk a mile for a beer), and to be fair there’s some strong café-bar competition close by.
One place that is packed is Hull’s newest bar, Furley & Co. The range of local cask and keg, with Atom starring, isn’t quite Café Beermoth but as close as Hull gets.
For something more traditional I walk the mile up Beverley Road, packed with run-down gems, to St Johns Hotel. I didn’t rate this on my visit last year but on a busier night it was a classic corner local, with a classic head on the Old Thumper (NBSS 4).
All the locals stopped playing cards to wish me “Good Night” when I left too, which is Hull to a T. That Chinese takeaway on Beverley Road I told you about here delivered the goods again too.
retiredmartin 
I also really like Hull,too far from Nottingham for a days pub crawling,but when we have long weekends in Beverley staying at the sister in laws house it is so easy to get to Hull on train about 15 minutes and in the middle of Hull.
I have done 130 pubs in the city in most areas to the North, East and West,not much real ale to be found,but the North Hull estate was a good crawl,not for the faint hearted,all of the pubs i did in the city were from 2008 to 2010.
Ive done all on the blog apart from the new one Furley and Co.
I love your photos on both the Hull and Goole blogs,dont know how you get them so big but still clear.
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Thanks Alan, appreciate that. Glad it’s not just me who likes Hull.
Impressed with 130 Hull pubs ! I thought the eastern suburbs near Hull KR Rugby would have the most basic pubs. There were some attractive places on Beverley Rd that looked lively though.
Cheers
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Love the old boy with the hat in the background!
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Yes ! It was all like that, group playing cards oblivious to football. Very Turners Vault like though nothing much building or beer range wise. Glad I revisited.
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