Hull

On a map of Britain, Hull appears out on a limb. Which is probably why this historic seaport on the banks of the Humber Estuary, a mighty river that flows in and out with the tide of the North Sea, is so different, quirky even.

A gateway to and from Europe as far back as anyone can remember, Hull welcomes its arrivals who sail in by gleaming cruise ferry - one of the largest in the world - or fly into Humberside Airport. Others come by direct train from London, passing under the arch of the Humber Bridge, once the longest suspension bridge in the world, and into the heart of a city that is unlike anywhere else. With its own dialect of dry, flat vowels, friendliness and warmth, and a proud people who are modest -- and boastful of their city in the same breath.
Hull is mid-way through a transformation, a revival and a renaissance, especially of its maritime heritage and architecture. Museums have expanded and offer free admission, smart bars and restaurants are opening, shops are ringing in the changes and art galleries are flourishing. People come for jazz, salsa, sea shanties (maritime folk music), ballet, opera, symphony orchestras, poetry evenings, football, ice hockey and rugby. Also for traditional fare such as fish and chips and Yorkshire pudding, and a new wave of gourmet cuisine at value-for-money prices.

Spearheading the change is The Deep, the world’s only ‘submarium’. Designed by world-famous architect, Sir Terry Farrell, it rises as an abstraction of glass, coloured concrete and aluminium, and is doing for Hull what the Guggenheim Museum did for Bilbao, Spain, helping lift the city into a higher league.

An education and research centre as well as a visitor attraction, The Deep tells the story of the world’s oceans, from the Big Bang to early marine life and the future of deep-sea exploration. The highlight is ‘Endless Oceans’, home to - among others - southern stingrays, moray eels, golden trevallies, and several species of shark, including the UK’s only collection of grey reef sharks. October is ‘conservation month’ with special displays and guest speakers focusing on marine conservation.

From The Deep you can explore Hull’s Old Town, hub of the original Royal Navy base which grew to become Britain’s third great seaport, building mighty ships that sailed the high seas to Arctic waters in search of whales, and haddock for the table. Follow this history on the ‘Fish Trail’: 41 sculptured fish embedded in the pavement along a river corridor busy with working barges, and a backdrop for local sculpture.

Wilberforce House is the former 17th Century home of William Wilberforce, a campaigner central to the abolition of slavery. The House is part of a newly-created Museums Quarter which embraces Streetlife, the Museum of Transport, the Hull and East Riding Museum (geology, archaeology and natural history) and the Arctic Corsair, a 1960s sidewinder trawler often manned by ex-trawlermen who relive the hazards of deep sea fishing in the 1960s.

Fish fins and snouts lead to the wooden pier, with fabulous views of The Deep and the Humber Estuary. Behind is a new art gallery showing local colour, and one in a growing number of venues to add to the city’s award-winning Ferens Art Gallery -- with contemporary and old European paintings -- and the University of Hull’s outstanding works by Beardsley, Sickert, Steer and Lucien Pissarro, as well as sculpture by Epstein and Henry Moore.

By night, do as the locals do by squeezing into bustling modern pubs with music or find a cosy nook in a more traditional one for a pint of Yorkshire ale. Ye Olde White Harte, richly-panelled in oak, has the famous Plotting Parlour where it was decided to bar King Charles I from the town, an incident which may have sparked off the English Civil War in 1642. The pub is on Hull’s ‘Ale Trail’, a route to the likes of Ye Olde Black Boy, reputedly haunted, and serving rare ales and fruit wines.

Venn is a fairly new restaurant on the scene and a favourite of Europeans who feel at home in its stunning leather and soft white interior. Greeks love the strong espresso, others the excellent Italian wines, others the freshly caught scallops, pan-fried guinea fowl, roasted corn-fed chicken or turbot with calamari, followed by cheeses and Earl Grey tea served on Wedgwood crockery.

Not full of night-clubs but lively nonetheless, Hull has Pozition with its café bar, rooftop garden and sofas, or Fuel, a new gay bar. Top DJs host dance nights, while The Lamp is for chilling out to Hull’s own recordings. There’s live Irish music and creamy Guinness at Durty Nellys, salsa and African sounds at Pave on Princes Avenue, and jazz on Sundays at Hull Truck Theatre. The Adelphi, for up-and-coming bands, still remembers it played host to top band Oasis, while the new KC Stadium rocks with stars from the British music scene.

There’s drama at Hull Truck Theatre, home to acclaimed playwright John Godber. Meanwhile, Hull New Theatre swings from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel to the opera La Traviata, and the Moscow City Ballet. From November 6-16, the Humber Mouth Literature Festival is a gathering of authors and poets, celebrating language, literature, arts and music. Louder and electrifying is Hull Fair, from October 10-18, Europe’s largest travelling funfair of white-knuckle rides, traditional carousels and fortune-tellers.

Out and about: Take the train eastwards for strolls on sandy beaches along a heritage coastline rich in bird life and geology. Or to the market town of Beverley to wander its cobbled lanes of art galleries and boutiques. Unless you wish to stay rooted to Hull and simply unwind. There’s a good variety of hotels to choose from and ‘bed and breakfasts’, too.