A night in Kingston-upon-Hull on a Wednesday in March is among the best things that life can offer.
A budget-busting £40 buys you a night in this ornate little pub by the Marina, with views onto the Kingston retail park.
Last year’s £28 pub room in North Hull was cheery and beery; the Whittington (& Cat) is classy and beery, though very keg. A shame, as I was keen to tell BRAPA I’d found a pre-emptive tick he’d missed.
A wonderful evening to remind yourself why this is one of the great cities (and not just for pubs).
Hull looked absolutely gorgeous.
I’d hoped this place below was the new Magic Rock bar, loosely modelled on the Sydney Opera House, but it turned out to be the Bonus Arena, tonight staging the Humberside Police Rock Challenge.
One of the most beautiful civic squares anywhere was strangely quiet, possibly because everyone was still in Primark.
Last time here was late 2016, just before their year as City of Culture (edging out Stoke and Nuneaton). The all-important cultural legacy is clear from venues such as Heaven & Hell (No Real Ale).
I wondered aimlessly through the alleys of the Old Town, confident I’d bump into the new Head of Steam soon enough.
I nearly succumbed to an inadvisable pint of Jennings in the Kingston.
But you need to take it easy on Hull trips, as no doubt Simon will tell you.
Ah, there it is.
The busiest place in town that night, the HoS was full of groups and Guys and Gals sitting in opposite parts of the pub.
Like a pubby Brew Dog or respectable Brewhouse & Kitchen, HoS have managed to become the place for small groups of all ages, just like All Bar One years ago.
I’ve liked their new Guide entries in Leeds and Cardiff and Sheffield, because they’re busy and unpretentious as much as because they’re full of decent beer.
A weird cover of “Come On Elillen” accompanied a crying baby that could have been carried rather than stuck in a pushchair, and I almost perused the menu.
But the Atom, normally reliable, was suffering from a distinct lack of turnover as all those crafty choices pushed the cask to the back of the queue.
But you’re getting fed up of me telling you that, aren’t you ? So the next one will restore your faith in the real stuff. For a bit.
Kind of interesting you have this many new pubs to visit in this area. I always assume an active local branch when your revisits have this many new places.
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There’s half a dozen or so in East Yorkshire most year, 15-20% change each year about average. I tend to do all the new entries over one long weekend rather than over several trips.
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I like that row of homes on Prince St.
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There’s loads of colourful streets in Hull Old Town, always staggered how few people know it.
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Makes you want to go back doesn’t it?
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Super place, and along with Doncaster, Sheffield and the rest, that EU Regional Aid will be sorely missed there no doubt. I can’t see the present shower replacing it somehow.
Apart from the city, fish and chips from your standard suburban chippy around Hull are one of life’s simplest and sweetest pleasures.
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Would that be the EU Regional Aid that is comfortably covered, and then some, by our own contributions to said organisation?
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It is, but can you see the shower that we have in supporting northern, Labour-voting towns, rather than replacing the farming subsidies with it? Or just giving it away in tax cuts? Or maybe just buying the votes of ten, bowler-hatted, C17th Creationists? Do try to stay on-topic though, Wakey.
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It’s already spoken for anyway. £350 million a week to the NHS, remember?
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I get the impression from your musings that there must be a Paulina out there who has named her first born Pashmina. Who will grow up, get 47 tattoos and 9 piercings, and work in a microbrewery tap.
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And sell her shares to a Chinese multinational at 27.
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Never had a bottle of Snow as yet.
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I gather “Head of Steam” is a chain of pubs with outlets in various cities. Seems a bit more oriented toward younger drinkers? I’m basing this almost entirely on the font they’ve chosen for their logo. 🙂
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Used to be a music bar, first one I saw was Newcastle years back. Since Cameron Brewery bought them they’ve become a more rounded craft beer and diner venue, and seem to attract as many people our age as youngsters (who may go for smaller venues).
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Cask is definitely on a losing streak…the Whittington is a terrific looking pub…like the leopard in Burton…all keg but a fantastic pub
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Yes!, Leopard a good comparison. I’ve no problem a bar like that being keg only. Probably a good Guinness.
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