Encyclopedia of Us Issue 4

OF

US USENCYCLOPEDIA

CULTURE IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE

CULTURE IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE. IT IS THE ORDINANCE - WHAT THE PEOPLE DO...

If we take a dictionary definition, culture is: the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement, regarded collectively and… the ideas, customs, and social behaviours of a particular people or society. In a new short film, Voices of Hull, made as part of Hull City Council’s first Cultural Tides Conference, we see the people of Hull being asked what they think culture is. Never known for not having something to say, the people of HU3 take up more than their fair share of space in the film.

According to some of them, Culture is:

About the people

Multi-culture

Posh people - cultured

A fishing heritage that’s all gone now

What their forefathers have done that they continue

The heart of the city. The feel of the city. What makes it beat.

Beer culture, fish culture… in fact Tony Ward of Top Colour suggests that culture can be a second word to anything. In that case, what is HU3 culture?

Too big a question for a few lines but… reading through this paper it’s clear that its themes of identity, health and wisdom form a huge part of it.

How we dress. How we look. How we care. How we embrace difference and uniqueness. How we create space for everyone. How we speak truths. How we see things. How we go our own way. How we talk, listen and laugh. How we express ourselves. How we wear our scars. How we show up. How we stay. How we make sweet music. And amazing hair!

...WHEN YOU CREATE THIS AWARENESS, RIGHTLY YOU WILL BEGIN TO SEE THE PEOPLE.

HELLO AGAIN AND WELCOME ALL

This is the fourth issue of Encyclopedia of Us, which focuses on Identity, Health and Wisdom. EofUs is a newspaper like no other. What makes this newspaper so different? EofUs is written and produced by people living in HU3. We invite everyone to be part of it.

The map on the next page locates the source of the articles. Almost every article is accompanied by an invitation to act, be it a small act for you and your family to enjoy, or a bigger act that contributes to this community. These are called a You Can, so keep an eye out.

Also you’ll also see signs for a You Did, and these show some of the things that happen because of the conversations, activities and connections that take place in the making of this paper.

Helping to do all this is...

Kate Genever. Some of you will have already met her… and others surely will. She has a knack of seeing what's hidden, interesting, challenging and beautiful and she is out and about on the streets.

Three Ways East an arts and culture company that provides the backup support and does the fundraising.

The Editorial Advisory Group [EAG]. This changes every time, to involve the people contributing to each paper. If you would like to join the EAG get in touch. You don’t have to have done anything like this before and we will find a way to make it work for you.

Kindly supported by: JF Brignall Charitable Trust

THE EAG FOR THIS EDITION IS:

Philip, Shaun, Clare, Michael, Charles, Pearl, Gina, Stephen, Susan, Sue, Suzie, Maggie, Mike, Rock, Lindsey, Debbie, Andy, Richard, Tom, Michael, Karl, Mel, Tommy, The Aimless Archive, Gully, Gill, George, Innocent, Juliet, Donna, Debbie, Clare, Jordane, Karwan, Mohammed, Adanna, Kemi, Adetoun, Mark, Ron, Anna, Iona, Ella, Malai, Adedayo, Tony, Gloria, Jerry, Lisa, Rachel, Maka, Zaynab, Mirmala, Ruta, Maryan, Ayala, Elizabeth, Vickie, Jade, Daivd, Malyun, Lauren, Narrissa, Clare, Richard, Caroline, Anna, Aviv, Adam, Ruby, Anouk and TBA photography students, Anna B, Emma, Tracey, Mel, 87 Gallery, Humber St Gallery, Laura and Chiltern Primary Students. Amanda Rigby, Kate Genever, Deboarah Munt

DATA PROTECTION STATEMENT

Contributions of thoughts, ideas and creative works are always welcome and are accepted as being the original work of the person supplying them. If you are contributing things on behalf of someone else, or work created by someone else, please make sure you have their permission and let us know how they wish to be credited. We only record and process personal information in order to credit contributions to the EofUs and keep you up to date with the project (if you wish). We do not share any of your personal information with third parties without your permission.

GET INVOLVED!

One way or another we want to hear from you... so whether you contact us or we find you... we look forward to meeting you

»Website: eofus.co.uk

»Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @EofUsHU3

»Email: hello@eofus.co.uk

»Don't do technology? Drop your thoughts in at Top Color, Hessle Road

Printed by Mortons Print Ltd, Morton Way, Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, LN9 6JR

T HE KIDS ' BIT

Throughout the paper look out for the lovely FREE You Cans on offer. A huge thank you to the generosity of HU3 people and businesses who have contributed. Here’s just a few. Why not join in FREE! Book by emailing hello@eofus.co.uk or message Kate on 07713 647 715

10 WHAT’S YOUR DREAM?

Watch out for Anna and her dreamcatcher. She’s going to be popping up in HU3

»When: Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July

»Where: Hessle Road and West Park

12 HU3 COME TO TEA

A food festival with a differencewhat will you try?

»When: 15 July - 28 July

»Where: various locations across HU3

13 COOK AND SHARE - RECIPE BOOK

Get the brilliant Chiltern Cook and Share easy recipe book and try your hand at something new for £1

»When: 15 July onwards

»Where: Chiltern School, Grahams the Florist, Rayners, Giroscope

17 WE BELIEVE IN LOVE

See the portraits in Rayners pub, Ryders Club, Top Color shop and larger than life on billboards

»Where: Hessle Road

36 BOYZIZ BRIDLINGTON BUS TRIP

Join EofUs on a FREE East Coast rider trip to Bridlington. Visit the Boyes Museum (who knew?) and cafe, play Push Penny, eat fish and chips and maybe fit in a paddle

»When: Tuesday 15 October. Set off at 10am, arrive back by 6pm

»Where: Meet outside Boyes on Hessle Road

Join us to discuss Neurodiversity in the area

»When: Wednesday 16 October at 1pm »Where: Wellsted Community Room

Join us for a FREE Henna workshop and relaxing session

»When: Thursday 12 September, 9 - 11am

»Where: Community Hub, Chiltern school

Join Jerry for a

at

Fishing Centre. 20 places »When: Saurday 7th September, 3pm

YOU AND ME IN

EofUs congratulates HU3 legend George Norris and longtime HU3 supporter Russell Boyce, on their great exhibition ‘You and

Touted as the galleries most popular show, with visitor numbers of over 10,000, the exhibition celebrated the HU3 community over the past 40 years. The exhibition was supported with a program of talks, a publication, walks, music and comedy. There were lots of opportunities for people to get involved including the tours EofUs led (see right for more).

So George, what’s next?

"I’m going to be taking more photos with the Gypsys who visit the area. There's a new show planned for later in the year and I'm taking over one of the windows at Boyes throughout July, showing a selection of work from the exhibition."

Me in HU3’, at Humber St Gallery and Gypsyville Library.

YOU AND ME ARE...LEARNING

VISIT

George's photos are in Boyes window for all of July. GET PHOTOGRAPHED

George was awarded Arts Council Funds to support his photography work. The award also included time for him to mentor Boulevard Academy Yr 9 photography students. As part of this great opportunity, George, their teacher Miss de Bokx and EofUS visited the 'You and Me in HU3' exhibition in Humber Street Gallery. Miss de Bokx said ""What an amazing opportunity for our students to visit a gallery and meet George. They got a great inside view into what being a photographer entails and all enjoyed their visit!". During the visit George talked through his ideas, approaches, and explained some of the background to the images. Together we explored the exhibition and thought about who features in the images, and what might make good starting points. Students then spoke of their love of animals, family, their cultures and of course wrestling! George gave great top tips on how to ask people’s permission, how to compose pictures and why it’s important to just keep taking photos. We all left feeling inspired and fired up, ready to make images of things we see and know.

»George helped students select and edit photos when he visited them in school in May. And a selection of these brilliant images are printed on Pages 26-27

YOU AND ME ARE...EXPLORING

On a beautiful warm day George joined a group of parents from Chiltern Primary to walk into town and tour You and Me in HU3. Before that, the parent's own local knowledge made the journey fascinating, for example, the best fish company to buy from, the style and use of the buildings, and where people left the city as they emigrated to Canada. Once in the gallery at Humber Street, Zaynab, Nirmala, Ruta, Maryan, Ayala, Elizabeth, Vicky, Jade, David, Malyun, Lisa, Lauren and Narrisa explored and discussed the photos. Everyone was amazed at the 18 year old George in the black and white photos by Russell and were transfixed as stories of past lives and ways of living were shared. The photographs caused talk of tattoos in all our cultures, what people wear and what we want for our children and ourselves. George’s call “BONE” rang out across the gallery to bring us to order and encourage us onto the rooftop for more sightseeing and stories. All before the walk back via the market for coffee and Herbies for lunch.

"I LOVED THE TRIP, THE WALK, THE NICE WEATHER, THE ART. IT SPARKED IDEAS ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO NEXT."

In celebration of his brilliant You and Me at HU3 exhibition at Humber Street Gallery, George shared his photos with residents of Beecroft House on St Georges Road. He, like EofUs, are keen to support all to access great art so it was a fantastic afternoon that brought Pearl, Steven, Rich, Gina, Sue, Richard, Lynzy, Debbie, Suzie, Barbara, Maggie and Warden Tom together to reminisce about the area, talk about his great photographs and the characters they feature. We even learnt about “Razor Alley”, the bus driver’s name for Gillet Street back in the day. George’s photographs got us thinking, the tea kept us talking and the homemade cakes kept our energies up as we remembered people long past, the places we played, the buildings long changed and oooh the weekly baths! We discussed tough times and wondered if it was better when everyone had nowt? But mostly we laughed at the fun we’ve had along the way.

IT INFLUENCED ME TO TAKE PHOTOS OF OTHER TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS. IT INSPIRED ME BECAUSE IT'S VERY COOL TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE'S ART! student

George will be documenting the HU3 Come to Tea mini food festival (page 14) so join us to get snapped. You might end up in his next exhibition! YOU DID YOU DID YOU DID OVER 10,000 VISITORS!

Up and down HU3 people take pride in how they look, spending good time and money creating style statements and expressing their identity. Never more so, it seems, than with hair. Whether in barbers, shops, hairdressers or on the street, Kate Genever of EofUs has explored the importance, the politics, the problems and pleasure of hair.

This Place Mini Store stocks lots of essential beauty products for the black and brown communities of Hull, making it an important gathering place to access knowledge, top tips and share style ideas. EofUs spent time in the shop talking to owners Juliet and Innocent and their customers, learning about the challenging compromises they make when all they want to do is look their best.

“In Nigeria we love long hair, you can style it and use gel and do lots of things. But it’s quick when it’s short. Here though, if it’s long we wear it tied back. It’s common to wear a wig and men shave their heads. Also to have long hair in the UK is expensive. The products are expensive and the cost to have braids is a lot. Plus there are not lots of people who make hairstyles. Friends help each other and I teach my daughters to do braids. You have to find a way to make it good where you find yourself. Here we cut it off. It’s a choice, short is not about liking, it’s about adapting” Juliet

“In Nigeria there are so many salons and it's cheap to get your hair made. It's nice to be with each other in these places. Here in Uk and Hull there are few people who do this. We might go for special occasions every few months”. Adanna

“It says a lot about culture and beauty of woman. Women take pride, but in the UK there are limited options, products and salons”. Kemi

WE ARE...

“My friends make hair, every month or two. No african hairdressers in Hull, I’m aware of. Your friends who are here tell you it’s not like at home. There are about 20 or 30 salons on the road. The beauty world in Nigeria is booming business for skin, hair and body. People who know how to wash and are experts in lashes and nails. You are told to bring hair products and wigs for occasions, when you visit home, all so you can look good”. Adanna

“Every week in Nigeria, we’d go to skilled hairdressers. But I go for a simpler, low cut, is good and easy. In the UK we have to compromise, rely on friends who you might not really know. You have to get on with life and try your best. Ooh when I go home the first thing I do is go for a butter massage and hair treatment. Hang out and eat Nigerian food that you miss and can’t make here cause it’s expensive. Here we embrace other peoples cultures, and we are expected to adapt, but I feel people have expectations of us that is wrong. As Africans we are raised not to be too expressive, to be cautious, to look forward, and not be disrespectful or rude. I tell my kids this is what to expect but to also speak up at school, in a respectful way, to the teachers and say about racism. We either adapt, ignore or speak up. I don’t see it changing any time soon, some people think we are stupid”. Onyi Thanks to all at This Place Mini Store and their customers

Fe’Male Ego is famous for its great haircuts and colour - that’s what 44 years in the trade does. The team led by Donna brings experience, determination, passion and care - both for hair and the person underneath. Eofus has spent many hours in their salon watching and listening and seeing how women, and some men, are transformed - both physically and psychologically. Here’s a snippet.

Debbie: I’ve known Donna, 20 years, she’s been doing my hair since then. We met at the Bingo and she said..”Ooh I’d love to do something with your hair!”

Donna: I just knew I could do something amazing, her hair is thick and curly, but she never wears it like that.

Debbie: No I hate the curls, I love leaving the salon after. I feel so great. I come every 6 weeks and try to not wash it too often. I can’t do it like Donna.

Donna: We always laugh that if I don't get a sweat on blow drying it straight, I'm not doing my job properly. I love a challenge!

Debbie: I have always been like this, at school I had a lisp and allergies and was from down south and this curly hair. I wanted to be cool and have hair like they had in Spandau Ballet. I wanted to fit in.

Donna: We all just want to fit in. We all want something we haven’t got!

Debbie: It’s about self confidence. My grandsons just like it with his hair, he goes to the barbers every two weeks! I say it looks great but he says the others tell him it needs a trim. I see now he’s just like me. My husband says send me a photo when you come out. Because I'm always looking so happy.

Donna: Yes, I do Debbie's, her daughter and granddaughter. It's funny people are here for all sorts of reasons. They tell us all sorts of things. I’ve seen kids grow up, births, marriages, divorces, death. When I lost my husband a lot of my clients called me every day. They are my friends.

Debbie: I’m going out tonight but I feel sick with nerves. It's old school friends and I don't want them to judge me.

Donna: Lots of women come in like that. We are a safe place for people to come and then leave feeling stronger. All the stylists are trained in looking and noticing signs of abuse. It’s really important because having your hair or beauty treatments done is intimate and we see things.

Debbie: I think you all really care?

Donna: We do. We want people to leave looking 20 years younger. We say the client paints the picture and we colour it in! We love doing colour here. We are constantly upskilling and keeping up to date.

Debbie: I think I often feel ugly. Here they stop that feeling. My husband is so good, we’ve been together since we were 15 - he loves my curls too! When we are away I dread the pool in case someone splashes me. Once I got soaked, the curls came back and it ruined my holiday!

Donna: Wow, but they are amazing your curls, one

ARE... B E A U T I F U L

day we might convince you?

Debbie: Never.

Jordane: It’s true they care here. I came on 2 weeks work experience and never left.

Donna: We couldn’t get rid of her!

Jordane: You saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. I've been here 14 years now. I'm a stylist and I love doing colour. I love the atmosphere and all the girls. I wouldn't be a hairdresser anywhere else. I love doing the training and learning new things.

Donna: Qualifications are important. We work with Matrix UK to learn about products. We also do facials and waxing and brows and reflexology.

Clare: They do the best eyebrows and lashes anywhere and at a good price!

Donna: We are all specialists too from listening to everything. There's Doctor Dannie over there who knows about allergies. Jordane knows all about ADHD.

Dannie: We give lots of advice to clients. All ages come in, and we help them and give them support and their confidence back. I love it.

Debbie: Finished? It looks great. Thank you. You know I've always worried I wasn't good enough, me brothers and sister have good jobs, I’ve looked after the family. I’m a carer. But now I can go into battle looking like this….you see it all comes back to me hair!

Humber Barbers, set up by Ibrahim in 2015, is well known on Hessle Road for their great cuts and, perhaps suprisingly, the striking well loved plants kept in the shop. So with many questions about their hair and horticulture skills, EofUs went in search of answers. Thankfully Mohammed, Briar and loyal customers Abdul and Karwan helped us out.

Firstly, what do you like about being a barber?

Mohammed: I not like being a barber, I love being a barber! I fell in love with the sound the scissors made as I watched my brothers cut hair. It’s the best music. I watched and watched and taught myself from sitting with them. My family are barbers back home in Kurdistan. And I like to do all the cuts and shaves, in here we do lots of them. We take pride in our work and we hope to send people away feeling good about the way they look.

I have been in Humber Barbers since 2017, and before that Spring Bank. I left Kurdistan in 2003 and came to this country as an asylum seeker. At home there was fighting and many things that made it very very difficult. I came to the UK with little English and since arriving have learnt the language, and started a business, and now work in Humber Barbers. I work very, very hard for this life. I’ve got lots of pain, physical pain from this work. I miss my family left behind. I was here when my parents passed, this is a big sadness. I never forget this. Many Kurdish people and many foreign people have had this same struggle. I am a British citizen now but some people are still waiting after 20 years with no decisions on this, and still they struggle to stay. I have nice life, we have happy times, I meet nice people and this helps us for what we have lost.

So it’s important people are looked after to feel good?

Yes of course, but also you have to know that in Kurdistan hair cuts and looking smart is really important. We are hairy people. 90% of Kurdish men are hairy! This is no joke, we have to do this to keep smart.

Briar: This is 100% true. We like to make people look good.

But you also like to look after plants?

»Insta: @female.ego »01482 227546

one we make tea from the leaves and it tastes good. This one we call Blood Plant. I like it. In my free time I sit and watch them and move them to where they are happy. I like to make changes in the shop. I moved this one and now I am watching why this leaf is not happy. I am looking at them to help.

It’s about all things growing - hair, plants, confidence? Making for happy and good looking lives. So can anyone come in for a haircut or plant advice?

Of course. We do womens hair if they want a short style, but mostly it’s men. We have lots of English people come in too and we like them. They come from across the city and further. I have so many rich conversations with customers about plants, health, family, their job. I love to meet everyone.

And finally it’s the question everyone’s asking and perhaps you can help: Why are there so many Barber shops now?

Why? I don’t know. I don’t understand, there are only so many people and the cost of wages and shop and bills. It’s a worry. Our cuts are cheap and so we have to rely on busy times, like at the weekend. In Kurdistan it’s the same, a small town had a few barbers now has many. We ask why all the time. We have been here 20 years and we have loyal customers but for the others it must be hard.

Mohammed: Yes it’s all I do, haircuts or plants. This is not two jobs, it’s the same job. It makes the place/ people look nice. We get customers who ask about the flowers and I save pieces for them too. Many people take photos of their plants and send the picture to me after they have taken my advice. This

I COME ONCE A WEEK FOR A BEARD TRIM AND ONCE EVERY THREE WEEKS FOR HAIR CUT. I CAN’T DO THIS AT HOME. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO FEEL GOOD. YES, IT'S FOR BEAUTY, BUT ALSO A NICE EXPERIENCE. HE MAKES ME LOOK 10 YEARS YOUNGER!

HUMBER BARBERS SHOP »362 Hessle Rd, HU3 3SD »FB: @humberbarber

»Just walk in no appointment necessary

I LIKE TO COME AND TALK AND BE SOCIAL WITH MY FRIENDS. I HAVE KNOWN MOHAMMED FOR 20 YEARS, HE IS MY FRIEND AND MY BARBER. HE HAS CUT MY HAIR ALL THE TIME I HAVE BEEN IN THE UK. I RECENTLY BOUGHT MY YOUNG SON IN FOR HIS FIRST HAIR CUT WITH MOHAMMED! Abdul

Henry Hird's is a Hessle Road institution, serving customers since 1852. It’s been run by many generations of the family including Phylis, David, Yvonne and currently Philip, who have repaired, replaced, sold and made jewellery and watches for HU3 folks and those from across the city. All come for the care and “good prices'' he and his team offer... EofUs called in to find out more.

Philip, you’ve been here for ever?

“Ha! I’m not from HU3 but yes, I’ve spent my whole life here. I started helping in the shop when I was 10, just sitting in the back and watching. I then went to train to be a joiner at 17 and then when I finished my apprenticeship I started to drive me Uncle David to work as he’d had cancer. But we lost him too early and so it fell to me. I don’t regret it. It’s just as it is. I like meeting people and being with the customers. I guess I was born into a traditional jewellers family and so here I am all this time later.

I guess I didn’t learn in a traditional sense, because I was just here, and because my uncle passed I’ve just had to work it out."

It’s a lot of pressure?

"Yes – 172 years before me and I’m the last one standing. I don’t want to be the one that lets it fail, but at times it's hard. The price of gold has gone up, people shop differently and the high street has changed. All the houses that were off Hessle Road are gone. Everything is different from the heyday of fishing times. We used to have windows full of gold, but the cost of gold has made us cut our cloth accordingly and we have adapted. We sell unusual hand-made silver work and we do lots and lots of repairs. We also remodel old gold into new pieces for people. We work hard to keep our customer base. We’re trusted, are fast at sorting repairs and offer good prices so people come back to us. We do lots of repairs and lots of watch battery changes. Battery’s we do for £6, in town they can be anywhere from £12 to £42. And to be honest – you’re not getting better service– you’re just getting a battery for a watch!

I only wear two gold rings. One's a signet ring that contains my grandma's ring she handed down. People have always worn jewellery here, a sign of doing well I guess. People like jewellery with the birthstones, that's really popular, where each stone has a meaning. I guess we are all sentimental and trying to speak about love.

The shop has all the original fittings and the original windows... which people really like. We’ve been here a long time and people expect you always to be here. Which sometimes means they can forget to shop here! We never change anything much. If I redisplay the windows people shout in and ask if we are closing down! I guess we are a stable thing in an unstable world and place. People need folks they can trust and I guess we are that. That’s a nice feeling. We know that generations of families shop with us and that’s important.

We also keep our staff a long time. Philip, Shaun, Michelle, Sandra and Thomas have collectively got over 110 years experience. It’s seeing a familiar face like you used to at a bank. You don’t get that much anymore.

We are happy here for people to bring in their jewellery so we can offer advice about repairs and alterations"

Shaun works at Hirds doing the repairs and remodelling and has been a jeweller for 45 years.

“I knew this shop when I used to come in with me dad, who was a jewellery wholesaler. I really remember coming. I’ve known Philip since he was little.

I really like making something beautiful from old gold. I've made a bangle today and recently I made an Egyptian cross for a woman and set a diamond in the centre. People are sentimental about the gold they’re left or given, but often it's not to their taste, so I use the gold to make something they will wear. This area takes pride in wearing jewellery. I like that.

Some couples have wedding rings from past generations from both sides and we melt them together to make something new. That new thing might have 10 or so rings in it. It’s nice it keeps the sentiments in it. Plus it's sustainable. We are not mining new gold from out of the ground somewhere. We are using what we have.

I trained in Birmingham and I feel really proud to be part of a tradition. I’ve now got lots of experience which means I’ve got a large network of the best people in the country we can turn to for diamond setting or shaping or using amazing laser welders to rebuild rings for example that are really worn. These people are all in Birmingham and we work hard to keep them on side. These people are all getting old though, but there are a few people coming through... sons of many of these artisans. Everyone in the trade has their own specialism, be that a setter or polisher, or whatever. I am known as a Jobber. I do lots of repairs.

I love to see a gold item at its worst state, at its nadir, start to come back. It goes from having all the stones out and being black from being worked on, then it goes in the acid, starts to clean and get polished. Boy it looks stunning, it’s like a phoenix risen.”

THE CONCISE HISTORY OF EARRINGS

Earrings have a long history, with the first people to wear them being the Minoans, who lived on Crete between 3,000 and 1,200 BC. These people traded with neighbouring countries and became masters in metalwork and gold jewellery.

Gold earrings are also mentioned in the Bible. While Moses was talking to God on Mount Sinai, his brother asked the Israelites to melt their wives', sons' and daughters' gold earrings into a golden calf. This idol was then worshipped and described as a false idol.

Earrings are often seen as a financial safety net. For example, have you ever wondered why sailors and pirates wear a single earring? The most plausible explanation is that when pirates and sailors died at sea, it was hoped that if they washed ashore there would be enough gold to give the body a burial... thus allowing the soul to move on to the after world and not roam the endless sea. Others claim they were a sign of experience or a status symbol: the larger the earrings, the longer the wearer had sailed the world's oceans.

Sailmakers say the gold hoop pays them to sew you up in the last suit you'll ever wear, adding a cannon ball or piece of chain to make sure you sink. Apparently the last stitch went through your nose!

Some belive that Eastern medicine, and more specifically, auriculotherapy, is the source of the gold earing. Doctors were using this technique widely in the 18th and 19th centuries. In traditional medicine in the Netherlands, wearing a gold earring was recommended for curing and preventing eye problems.

Earrings can also be political statements. For example as the Black Power movement emerged in the late 1960s, which proudly promoted collective values and interests, supporters wore gold earrings to honour their African descent.

Hippies used to wear earrings as a symbol of rebellion and non-conformism.

“I don't have any jewellery. I have a watch but don't think about that as jewellery. I like the things you can get where you have peoples ashes set into them. I like that sentiment.” Nicky “Tattoos are like modern day jewellery. It's just as expensive but a tattoo can't be lost or pinched. But they're just as significant. On a night out I put more on, like me gold bracelets and gold earrings, but I don't want to get them messed up in the day. These rings I wear all the time, they all mean something”.   Michelle

“I wear things for sentimental reasons, my wedding ring, this chain which has a cross on and me mum’s wedding ring attached. I had that done so she’s always with me. I like to see a chain on men but it’s not for me lots of jewellery”.  Brian

“I wear a chain with a charm on, the all seeing eye, and a bracelet that’s all about good luck. I guess it is superstitious, but we need all the luck we can get.” Richard

Men used to wear earrings to show their sexual orientation. Heterosexual men wore their earring in the left ear, homosexual men wore one in the right. Today lots of people wear gold earrings for decorative reasons. However in many cultures earrings carry a religious meaning. Muslim men are not allowed to wear gold jewellery and some Jewish scribes see gold as a symbol of luxury which leads to ruin. You love large hoops? They originate as “Creole earrings” symbolising resilience, strength and identity in some Black and Caribbean cultures.

"Gold - I guess it was a way of investing money and you can trade the pieces to buy and sell when cash is needed. My friend’s Dad bought her a heavy chain and locket when she was 5 for her birthday. All she wanted was a doll and pram. Now she’s in her late 70’s and it’s worth well over six thousand pounds. She understands now why he did it, but ooh did she cry when she was five”. Pearl.

"In Igbo culture, in Nigeria, we wear beads made of red coral. We wear them on our legs, wrist and also at the waist. It’s not about gold. The real beads are very valuable and will be passed on down a family, both to the man and the woman. The beads are called Erulu/Ehuru/Esuru and a bracelet Ola aka. Juliet.

ORIGINS OF A BANGLE

When EofUs interviewed women on HU3 about their jewellery, many referred to their 'slave bangles'. Wow... it's a powerful and provocative name, but do we even know what's behind it? We decided to investigate.

The term 'slave bangle' or ‘Manilla’ is a European word, derived from the Spanish/Portuguese word for bracelet. These bracelets, traditionally known as Okpoho/Okombo/Abi (meaning brass or money) are crescent shaped with flared or hammered ends. Made originally from brass, copper and bronze, Africans considered them more useful than gold and so reserved them for exchange and for gifting at times such as puberty, marriage and funerals. They were worn by women to show status and wealth.

However, as Europeans colonised West Africa and the Caribbean these African made objects became known as Manillas and were used by Europeans to trade with. Recent research shows that as the desire for cheap sugar increased (made on plantations in the Caribbean by slaves), so did the need for Manillas. In response European countries increased the mining of copper in their own countries, creating more Manillas. These were then used in trading people and products. A direct connection between Manillas and the purchase of African captives is made in the 1773 Encyclopedia Britannica that defined 'Manilles’ as “the principle commodity which the Europeans carry to the coast of Africa and exchange with the natives for slaves”.

IT'S HESSLE ROAD, IT'S HOW IT IS. LARGE JEWELLERY THAT IS WORN TOGETHER. I'VE GOT A SET OF SLAVE BRACELETS LIKE THE TRAVELLER WOMEN WEAR. THEY ARE MEANT TO BE WORN ON ONE ARM BUT THEY ARE TOO HEAVY SO I WEAR THEM ON BOTH. Debbie

FIND OUT MORE

See Black Atlantic - Power, People, Resistance. Fitzwilliam Museum and University of Cambridge

Anna Bean is an established Hull artist who works with photography, film, collage, animation, costume... and runs workshops for young people in HU3. Her work is fantastical, regularly featuring strange half animal, half human characters and encourages audience participation. Identity - who we are or could be - are important to Anna. We went to talk to her and discovered so much more.

Anna, have you always been interested in making art?

Yes I was an arty kid and then at 17 I went to art school on Anlaby Road. I studied Exhibition and Museum Design. Lots of my friends then left Hull but I wanted to stay. I started a stall on the market selling hand painted T-shirts. After I had my son, I went back to college to do photography, after a stint in the Community Dark Room. Eventually I did an MA in Fine Art and critical theory at Hull Art College.

Have you always made a living as an artist?

Yes, after my MA I supported women to use more tech and new media, as it was then, and I taught at Hull as a lecturer in Art and Design. All the time I was also making artwork. But what I did was by now so multifaceted, I guess because of everything I'd done. I was mostly excited by photography. People like David LaChapelle and Tim Walker; photographers who use fancy dress, stage sets and include their eccentric friends. It inspired me to set things up too, make costumes, go on trips and make surreal photos featuring friends. I added performers into the work and these people became my collaborators and so things became more like live theatre. I love this, it changed my work from 2D to 3D and interactive.

More accessible perhaps?

Yes, like when I set up an immersive art experience at Hull Fair in 2015 ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’ where people were invited into a hall of mirrors to have their photos taken with performers dressed as monkeys. It was the best thing ever. It just fitted into the whole feel of the fair. I loved how it made people feel good and what they said. At Bath Spa I made a Zoltar type booth, like those ones you get at the seaside that tell fortunes, but mine has a live performer - Mystic Ange - she would sing you a song of wisdom. This made people cry and laugh. Lots of my things are very playful. They bring people together and create connection and joy.

Your work also makes me think of dreams - in that anything can happen and often things are a bit strange, or surreal?

I’m really interested in Surrealism. It’s 100 years old this year. I love Surrealism and how ideas, images, and objects are combined in a strange way, like in a dream or a memory. What I make is like this. It feels normal to me to juxtapose things together. I love dreams and analysing them. When you’re struggling in life, dreams can transform that. Art has the ability to do this. I’m interested in people accessing that creative power. But I also know just making is good for positive mental health - even things like sewing or making can make you feel better.

I guess that was at the heart of your Bluebeany Art Club?

Yes, during Covid, on a Sunday I’d set a theme or a question and for 2 hours people would

join in via social media and upload images they made, they would use whatever they had about the house. And in that time people got creative and tried new things. I like how people got confident about making. Is that also why you run workshops every week for Hull Libraries and Artlink at Gypsyville Library - to support people to find their creative selves?

I’ve been leading the workshops in Gypsyville for about one and half years now. I love it, every week we do something different and I use lots of things from Scrapstore - which is the most amazing resource for me. Lots of people join in, and at first they come thinking it’s like other art workshops and then everyone loosens up and gets really creative. I’ve got one girl who's been to every session and she’s growing into an independent creative person who is excited by making. She just knows what she wants to do every week now! The group is great, it’s social, builds connections, confidences and new friendships.

Making connections, I guess that’s at the heart of what you’re going to be making for HU3 this summer?

I’m encouraging people to access their unconscious creative minds and perhaps bring this creativity into their waking life.

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS...

Share a dream, get a surprise! Popping up on Hessle Road »27 and 28 July

YOU CAN

TELL US YOUR SWEET DREAMS

Draw/colour/write your dream and share it with us on social media? Go to page 28

FREE WEDNESDAY ART GROUP

Join Anna in Gypsyville Library for FREE Wednesday art group for 7-11 years old.

»All materials supplied. 4.00 - 5.30.

»More info: artlinkhull.co.uk/ explorers-in-libraries

DREAMS CAN TRANSFORM THAT INTO SOMETHING MAGICAL AND A PLACE BECOMES ENCHANTED. ART HAS THE ABILITY TO DO THIS.

WE ARE...DREAMERS

ARE...DREAMERS

The amazing Aladin's cave that is Hull ScrapStore was set up in 1988 and is run by a small team of core staff and dedicated volunteers. The store, which anyone is welcome to use, recycles companies' unwanted surplus and sells it on for a small fee. It’s a great resource in the heart of HU3 and helps artists, EofUs, teachers and residents get creative at an affordable price. Fill a trolley for a Fiver is a particularly great offer.

The team at ScrapStore are also brilliant, helping you get the right thing and sharing ideas about how to use hundreds of empty cartons, or extra large stickers or the rolls and rolls of amazing fabric! And if that wasn’t enough you can also get brand new arts and crafts materials in there too.

Basically it’s got everything you need to keep children and their grown ups entertained during the holidays! Plus, there’s lots of space in their building [it was Somerset Street Primary School*] which means the team also facilitates kids ‘Arty Parties’ and Creative Workshops that put play and recycling front and centre.

JOIN

Monthly adult wednesday morning workshops. £10 each.

»7 August: Beach Bag making

»25 September: Wreath making

»30 October: Halloween

Recycle your company's waste? Get in touch with Emma or Tracey »Dairycoates Avenue, HU3 5DB

IMAGES: ANNA BEAN

FULL TIMETABLE

@HU3ComeToTea

Created by and for the community, Hu3 Come to Tea is a mini food festival with a difference. People will come together around food, across multiple sites, to make, learn, share and fill their bellies. It is a festival involving businesses on the high street, local food providers, community groups and residents to unearth, connect, activate and build on the food and human potential of the area. We know this area struggles with food poverty, but importantly it's also jammed packed with incredible food-related activities led by good people. We also know the area is full of international food offers that help us travel the world right here in our neighbourhood. The festival will celebrate all this amazing-ness and grow opportunities for people to try out new foodie ideas.

COME TO TEA STICKERS

See an 'HU3 Come to Tea' sticker in any window, you can drop in to taste festival specials. Nong Mai Thai supermarket on Hessle Road will be offering Thai street food snacks for example.

COOK OUT BY W.A.N.T.

Accompanied with Bingo and

BREAKFAST CLUB

GET INVOLVED AND SEE THE FULL TIMETABLE

»FB/Insta: @HU3Cometotea »HU3cometotea@gmail.com

At Lonsdale Community Centre. Food, radio, dancing and connecting

»When: 4.30 - 7pm

»Where: Lonsdale Community Centre

»Pay what you can

WE... COOK AND SHARE

Cook and Share is a cooking project with a difference! Parents from Chiltern School make their favourite dish and then bring it in for others to try. It could be described as a giant international fuddle*. Everyone gets to try new flavours, authentic home cooked food and then share the recipes. Don’t take our word for it. Read what folks who joined it had to say. Thank you to all the cooks and the tasters: Ayse, Ameena, Linsey, Adam, Lisa, David, Jade, Lena, Vicky, Mijana, Kiddist,

*FUDDLE - food muddle

All women welcome - bring 16

with Conquest of Bread and Bagels - for regulars. When: 7.45 - 8.30pm

Where: Gordon Street Church Hall FREE

SHARED LUNCH OF EMPOWERING GOODNESS

'Two’s Company'

»When: Thursday 25th 2 - 5pm

»Where: Beecroft Courtresidents and friends

»FREE

“I FEEL VERY FULL AND HAPPY AND THAT’S WHAT FOOD SHOULD DO”

A KIDS CLUB SANDWICH

Chiltern summer lunch with bread by Conquest of Bread.

»When: 12 - 1pm

»Where: Chiltern Primary School

»FREE

LOVE SPEAKING TO PARENTS ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAN CHILDREN.

MEAL DEAL FOR THE NHS

CHAT AND CHOOSE.

Homemade food and coffee, shared with all.

»When: 8.30 - 11.00am

»Where: Chiltern Primary

Volunteers and independent food businesses close to Hull Royal will prepare beautiful homemade meal deals for NHS staff. Good food at good prices for good people.

»When: 11.30am onwards

»Where: Hull Royal

DON'T MISS

Recipe Book by HU3 people. Available at Chiltern Primary School, Grahams the florists, Rayners Pub, Giroscope office. £1

Window exhibition George Norris exhibition, Boyes

Posters Don't miss Eddy

Bewsher's tea inspired posters across HU3

Moveable feasts Festival tour of tastes around HU3

Online Exhibition The Aimless Archive and postal worker Joe Foster investigates the food offer around Spring Bank. Artworks displayed @HU3Cometotea

Roving Eye George Norris will be documenting the festival. Check out the festival in pictures @ HU3Cometotea

Cake sale at 46 Wellstead street community centre

Afternoon tea Constable st. Allotments

Folk band at Rayners

Pizza trail with live music

Photography food project Led by Ruby Deverell

For 8 weeks from March to June

W.A.N.T served up 469 delicious home cooked meals out of Rayners Pub on Hessle Road on a Pay What You Feel basis.

Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Korma and Chilli Con Carne featured and were served from 2pm until sell out.

At its heart

W.A.N.T. »Rayners Pub, Hessle Road HU3 »hulldeliverycoop.org

»Insta: @w.a.n.t.hull @rayners2022

W.A.N.T is a project which makes, sells and delivers food (by bike) to residents of Hull. Every meal made and sold generates enough money to pay at least one more to go to someone who isn’t in a position to buy a meal. The recipients of these meals could be homeless, using a food bank, living in sheltered accommodation or just generally struggling with the cost-of-living.

W.A.N.T. began by taking wholesome food directly to people’s doorsteps and welcoming any and all to eat together regardless of income. “The meals, created from scratch from locally sourced ingredients, nourishes HU3 residents, builds community, ‘‘feeds bellies not bins’ and reduces environmental impact.

Each week, from their kitchens on Arthur Street, chefs responded to ingredients and transformed them into healthy and nutritious batch cooked food. Hull Delivery Co-op transported it to Rayners, where alongside the bingo, it was served warm and left no-one wanting.

SPECIAL CHIPPY TEA

lets talk about fried potatoes?…. with EofUs.

»When: 5pm onwards

»Where: Halfway House, Hessle Road beer garden.

»FREE

ANNA BEAN

Psyche and her surreal Dream Catching machine. "Share a dream, get a surprise!”

»When: Afternoon

»Where: Hessle Road

»FREE

ANNA BEAN

Psyche and her surreal Dream Catching machine. "Share a dream, get a surprise!”

When: Afternoon

Where: West Park

»FREE

GIANT PICNIC IN PARK

Bring food and a blanket. Manel’s group to make food with enabling budgets.

WE ARE...IN TUNE!

Michael and Lawrence set-up their business in 1982, moving to a larger shop on Hessle road in 1987. Friendship, HU3, music and pianos shaped their lives. After Laurie’s death, Michael has continued to keep up their good work alongside his son. Michael tells us about the business and how friendship and tolerance has the power to transform.

“We’ve been here since, hang on, I know when because we wrote it in the concrete… 1987! We did a lot of work on the shop before we moved in, its two houses, we added bits, converted parts and made it so we can have a large workshop at the back. We is me and my late best friend and business partner Lawrence - Laurie. I've known him since I was 14/15, when I started playing in bands in Hull.

I’m a drummer. He was an amazing pianist and worked in Gough's, the music shop in town. I’d visit him there and then got a job there too, first as a Saturday boy and then full time. We always laughed that I was “smuggled in” because I couldn’t make a piano but I could move them! Laurie taught me everything, he taught me the trade. I’m a piano technician and shop owner because of him. Without him I'd have been a skinhead trouble maker. Laurie was the single most important person in my life. I put him before my parents and my wife. Even my son is named after him and so is their son too. My wife and I have 3 kids but we looked after Laurie when he got ill with diabetes, right up to his death.

I was born on Welstead Street. I was always playing music on saucepans and stuff but that wasn’t something you got a job in. Me Dad worked for the railways. I said I wanted to do that too, but he said no, so I was sort of ‘encouraged’ to do something else! I wanted to be a joiner - someone knew of the job in Gough’s and said “pianos are made of wood!”. At night we’d work in our band - Changing Sceneand then in the day, the foreman Don, who was like me Dad, used to cover for us because we’d get in late after gigging till 3am.

Laurie bought a house on Redcar St, when I was still at me Mam’s. Then we bought next door for a

LAURIE TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING. I’M A PIANO TECHNICIAN BECAUSE OF HIM. I’M A SHOP OWNER BECAUSE OF US WORKING TOGETHER. WITHOUT HIM I'D HAVE BEEN A SKINHEAD TROUBLE

MAKER FROM HESSLE ROAD

workshop to do repairs. I moved in, and we became like a married couple - even though we werent. I’d do the DIY and he’d do the cooking. I was only about 17. We put all our money into the business to get going. We were called ‘A1 Piano Services’. We worked from the house for years repairing pianos until the jobs outgrew the space. Then we moved onto Hessle Road. He moved in upstairs and me and my wife stayed in Redcar St.

When the internet started, we needed to be more clear because we do all guitars, woodwind, run lessons, sell pianos as well as the repairs and tuning. So my son, who works with me, helped us. We changed our name and branched out again. I say to people that pianos and guitars need playing to find out what you like. They are made of wood and all sound different, each one is unique. I help people find the right one that sounds and feels right. Our band, Changing Scene, was me on drums, Laurie on keyboards and Dave as singer. We went all over. We were a resident band in The Vauxhall and then Rayners. We followed Clarice the landlady. Clarice was hard and took no nonsense, but she was good to me. She used to serve me beer under the

counter, when I was 16, and then shout that she’d tell me Dad I was drinking! Her and Laurie bought me my first drum kit for my 18th, as a surprise. It still brings tears to my eyes, to tell that story. Laurie and Clarice taught me how we need to be in the worldtolerant. They kept me on the straight and narrow. And put me on the right road. They were really accepting of different people.

Everything comes from classical, Mozart, Bach etc. It’s there in the music today, I hear it in adverts and songs. But we also know music is about what the composer is trying to say or how they feel. It tells a story. Think of all the people who’ve expressed themselves through its hidden messages. But people don’t often read between the lines, musicians are putting their own life into the songs, things they know and have experienced. The music scene is often tolerant. But I get cross when people are judgemental about other people's lives. Now it’s more open and less judgemental. Laurie was my business partner, my father, brother and band member. Stupid people used to say things about me and Laurie, but I always said “you're confusing love with sex…and actually it’s none of your business. Stop being ignorant."

It’s important for people to know I was born on Wellstead street and I’ve achieved something. We can all do that. I’ve worked hard and had a good friend who helped me. And now Michael Lawrence works alongside me, he’s a piano and guitar technician too. He’s got his life in front of him and I hope he takes it on and grows the business with his family. Because at some point I’ll be joining Laurie in Heaven, where he’ll be playing the harps. Funny, maybe I’ll be repairing them! "

MICHAEL LAWRENCE THE MUSIC SHOP »497-499 Hessle Road, HU3 4UD »FB: @michael

"We believe in love, not luck" is a collaboration between photographer Tony Ward (Top Color), artist Kate Genever and those featured in these portraits. Everyone included is deeply connected to this area. Their lives are shaped by being here. It began as an exploration of the maritime tattoos seen on many of the area’s older men. It has developed into a process of collecting the visible and invisible marks people carry. Look out for this work in various places across HU3

» ALEC

When I was younger, school told my Mum that they would save my embarrassment by not letting me sit the 11-plus, instead they sent me home on the test day. If I did well at things I was accused of being a cheat. I was born with these hands and I was always small... I have taken photos on Hessle road for years, particularly in the 70’s and 80’s. My camera was a passport in their lives, I built up trust. I was small and so people saw me as harmless. My work tried to show what's really going on. I became interested in so many things like how people didn’t have much faith, but I think the saying “Her children were her God.” is right, it was all about family on Hessle Road.

» AUDREY

I was born in East Hull. During the war my family evacuated to Lincolnshire (1941), where I went to a rural school. When we came back to Hull we were like refugees and lived in temporary accommodation. Nowadays, I enjoy my later years. There’s always something new to learn, life is a wonderful learning process. Time goes faster, though - as I go slower. But it’s no matter. Life is good.

PAT

I’m one of 6 kids, although there’s another 3 from my Mums first marriage. Mum left us when we were little and me Dad brought us up. They live all over Hull, but lots are in this area, one sister, is two doors up. Having a strong community of people to help and be friendly good neighbours is really important. I’m part of the people who do the Christmas lights. We’ve been doing them since lockdown. My sister Chrissy and Sarah opposite started it all. It’s just grown and grown. We even have a memorial tree where people come and put baubles on for those they’ve lost. We started it to raise morale, now people bring their kids to see the lights!

» PEARL

Lots of people know me as Kathleen. But when someone visited me Mam when I was born they said “Oooh little Pearl and big Pearl” she said ”That’s not going to happen!” From then on they called me Pearl. I was born on Liverpool Street - the smelly end! Sometimes the town smelled real bad depending on the way of the winds. If it was blowing in from the sea - ooof! Now you hardly ever smell fish. But you’ve got to remember fresh fish doesn’t smell. Me Dad was a fisherman and I remember the ‘knocking up man’ coming at 4am to get him because a tide was right. The ‘knocker up man’ had a stick with a wire on the end and rattled it on the bedroom windows, it sounded like a spider with clogs on.

GLORIA

My Dad got paid on Thursdays and that was our main shopping day – on Hessle Rd. I remember the shops were so busy you often ended up walking on the road as the pavements were full. Boyes was a favourite of my mums, she’d trained as a seamstress in Germany and so most of my clothes were adaptations of what was in the sales. Everything smelt of fish and many of the women customers came in wearing headscarves with a roller sticking out the front – preparing for a night out!

»

EDDIE

My tattoos are of John Wayne, Geronimo, I’ve got a Native American women on my chest and back. I had them all done in Filey at Black Cat. I had my first one when I was 40. Over the years I’ve built a large collection of Western Memorabilia. I’ve got teapots, Zippo lighters, jackets, hats, mugs, one of those has a Colt 45 as the handle and another a Winchester rifle. I’ve got a child’s saddle, plates, statues, you name it I’ve got it. The family always knows what to buy me for presents so they get me things too. Its slowly built up. My wife calls it my museum.

« TONY

Over the years I have been asked to bless many items like crosses and St Christopher’s worn by individuals. Of course superstitions are common to all seafaring communities but I can only guess what thoughts and fears our fishermen must have had when faced with mighty winter storms in the middle of the ocean, faced as they were with the prospect of ships icing up from the stormy seas. Faced with such conditions it would be foolish to think that our men did not consider their mortality and seek the comfort of God the creator of sea and sky.

JIMMY

People judge this area and make fun, but they don’t stay here, or live here or know it. They think it’s rough and full of prostitutes and Romanians and begging. There’s a way of going on here that’s unique and it’s people trying to make a living and people trying to live for less money. Everyone will try and help you out and everyone lends cash to help. In other places they would call you out if you haven’t got enough money, but here they understand. It's friendly and understanding. But it’s also tough, if you fall over they won’t put a plaster on, they will tell you to get up and get on with it.

T HE KIDS ' BIT

FOR KIDS AGED 0-100

T H E F U N BI T

Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below.

Word Bank

JOKES

Why did an old man fall in a well? Because he couldn’t see that well. What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite. Why are seagulls called seagulls? Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be bagels. Why did the girl smear peanut butter on the road? To go with the traffic jam. How do you tell the difference between a bull and a cow? It is either one or the udder. Why couldn’t the pony sing himself a lullaby? He was a little hoarse. What musical instrument is found in the bathroom? A tuba toothpaste. What did the duck say after she bought chapstick? Put it on my bill.

WISDOM FOR A HEALTHIER PLANET

The Eco Team at Chiltern Primary offers us all some wisdom to help us help the world. Chiltern’s Eco team is made up of students from the Junior Leadership group. The group does extra environmental focused work, including litter picking to keep the area looking nice, developing ways to save electricity and reducing food waste, in an attempt to become nationally accredited.

Thanks for Miss Gibson and Nikola, Diyor, Brodie, Jakub, Nina, Natan, Alfie, Lincoln, Sena, Riley, Kara, Laurne, Connie, David

PLEAS RECICAL. TAKE CARE OF THE EARTH

Nikola Age 10

4

4

1

2

A WAY TO KEEP THE WORLD HELSY IS TO NOT PUT LITER IN TO THE OCEAN AND PUT IT INTO THE CORECT BIN. TO REJUSE THE FOOD WAYST YOU CAN GOAS YOUR FOOD TO EET THE NEXT DAY. CLOSE THE LITES WEN YOU ARE NOT IN THAT ROOM. DO NOT LITER SO THE WORLD DOESNT GET DIRTY. David

7

HEALTHIER PLANET

Laurne

Brodie

OUR HU3

Year 9 photography students at The Boulevard Academy met George Norris at his Humber Street exhibition and worked with him in HU3 exploring and documenting the area. What amazing results, proving, as EofUS knows, the area creates great photographers. These photos, and more, will be shown at Boulevard School’s Summer Showcase in July.

Thank you:

George Norris, Miss De Bokx and Miss Oswald along with students Caden, Alex , Cairon, Kaynan, Arthur, Paul, Noorina, Jayden, Wayne, Edgars, Nagham, Jamia and Patrisia.

TELL US YOUR SWEET DREAMS

Draw/colour/write your dream in the brain outline below and share it with us.

MARYAN

I was born in Somalia, but grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya. It was terrible. I lived with my mother and family in the camp. I left with my children in 2013, 11 years ago, through the British Government Get Away program. My children were 1 and 2 years old. I came only with them. There were five other families that came at the same time as me. We came to Hull as refugees. I left all my family behind. At the beginning it was very very hard. I saved myself and my children... My advice to other people given all I know and have learnt. Be helpful, you might change someone’s life. A little thing today might change things for the good. Also don’t judge people. People judged me, so I never judge. You don’t know what people are going through.

» MARTIN

I think that given the right circumstances we can all thrive through cooperation, solidarity and mutual aid. We can live those good lives on planet earth. That doesn’t mean to say it’ll be some utopian bliss, but it’d at least be a place we can look after one another and this amazing planet we live on. For me these days the radical politics and the inner, spiritual life meet. How can we have one without the other? How can we transform our communities without trying to transform ourselves? And that’s the difficult part aye? It’s easy to complicate it all - as I defo do at timesbut really it’s pretty simple stuff. As them real feral ragamuffins Jesus and Bob Marley say: just try and be nice to each other...

» DOUGIE

I went on the first trawler in 1966, Cape Tarfia - an ex mine sweeper. I was a galley boy which meant I worked to help the cook and tidy the bunks. This first trip was perfect, good weather the second I was sea sick for 18 days. It was so rough the sea. We would go up towards Norway. Sometime after that I burnt me arm on a water urn and it turned septic. On one trip an engineer broke his leg – it must have been rolling I guess… Around the time of the Peridot, and triple trawler tragedy everybody came to the docks to wait for us – even me mam and she never came to the docks. All the family were there waiting. I lost me best mates Eugene and Rob on the Peridot.

TEDI‘ve just turned 90! I was born on Gillet Street, me Dad was a trawler man and Mam a housewife. I went to Westbourne Street School till I was 15, then I got a job for Cawoods who did Salt Fish. Then I went on the Fish Dock as a Barrow Boy. I became a Foreman Barrow Boy and then a Filleter - all by the time I was 18. Then I did National Service from 1953 - 54. I was in Jordan, Jerusalem and Egypt. I enjoyed it and made good friends. After that I went on the trawlers for 2 years and then worked for Brekkes. I was at Findus, at one point too, working on freezing of the fish fingers and packing them into boxes. Whatever you did was a job and importantly you were earning money.

HARRY

Me mam, Aina, came from Nigeria in the 1950’s. She met me Dad in the UK, he was a truck driver also called Harry. Me son’s called Harry too! He always says I should write a book as I’ve got so many stories. Like when we were kids we used to fish in Princess Quay for the oak blocks they’d pulled up from the old streets. We used to get a bamboo pole, say 6ft long and attach a cage from a pram to it. We’d then sell them round here for 75p a bag for people to put on their fires! Or that we used to build bonfires on Acko’s yard, a place that had been bombed, or how I caught a man from jumping off the bridge. When he sees me now he always shouts - You saved my life!

» TONY

I left school with 2 GCE’s in Technical Drawing and Art. My first job was with Consolidated Fruit and Veg on Humber Street with a first boss called of all things Alf Peach.. It was there ”when man landed on the moon in 1969” and after staying up all night with my Mum watching it I thought early mornings were not for me. Anyway, I went to the local careers office looking for a change of job and they asked me what I was good at, at school to which I replied the only thing I was good at was drawing. They had on their books a job for a junior with a photographer called Jim Marshal and from day one I was hooked and to this day 55 years later I still love it.

«RUTA

Three years ago I started to do Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in MD Martial Arts Hull. This teaches mental and physical resilience, which translates into everyday life. So in BJJ, endorphins are much MORE than just a “feel good” molecule - they enable me to grow. I find stress everywhere in brain, in body and spirit. So Jujitsu lets me leave bad energy behind and I come home with only good. My ambitions are to improve myself spiritually and physically. I’m not afraid of risks and I don’t shy away from responsibility. I’m full of real ideas. I step forward always with passion and an unbreakable will.

» DD

I moved here in 2015, it’s when I came out. Wow! Nearly ten years ago. How fast has that gone? I’m 68 now and reinventing myself. I am changing how I dress. I want to wear these types of clothes now, to show my legs. It feels great and important.

When I told the family I was trans I lost everything. I was told I was a disgrace. My family disowned me and I still don’t have any contact with them. It’s heartbreaking. But I had to do this. I never wanted to leave my wife or get divorced. But I also understand….. We need to talk more about what it’s like, what it was like, and how hard it still is. I want to get people to accept anyone. What anyone does is up to them, there should be no judgement. I think I give people permission to have more courage.

GEORGE

I did 30 years working offshore for BP Gas and that on the rigs. I got into because my friend. Budgie was doing it and I could see the money he was earning. I wanted to earn money to buy a house. Me dad and that were rag and bone-ing but it wasn’t a stable income. I was 24 when I first went off. I wanted to achieve more I guess. At first you think you are missing out - your mates are all out and doing things. But life happens when you get off. You realise people are also doing boring things. The job bought me freedom

» BOB

I was born at 148A Hessle Road, above Nobby’s betting shop. The tree we all used to lark out in is still there but not the house. When they demolished it, they moved us to Humber Buildings and then to Orchard View. Me Mam’s still there. In that first flat we had one cold running tap. We went to the slipper baths on Madeley Street once a week and I’ve seen some photos of when I was little and I’m not sure I went that often! Me Mam did her washing at the Wash House just over there. Humber Buildings was amazing, we had a bath...

PLATTER: KATE GENEVER

WEST PARK PALACE? THE PREM BAR? STEAM TAVERN?

Whatever you know it as, this strikingly handsome building on Anlaby Road was once a small cinema, a bingo hall, snooker club and pub. Then sadly like many of the large buildings on Anlaby Road, it stood empty and without purpose. That is until housing charity Giroscope took on its lease in 2025 with an ambition to create an opportunity, like they have with St Matthews Church, for the community of HU3. EofUs asked Caroline Gore Booth and Richard Motley of Giroscope what’s the plan?

Caroline: “It’s pretty rare you get a building like that at such a little price and we could see an opportunity to do something. We are really keen to support the regeneration of Anlaby Road given its a major route into the city. We are growing as an organisation and want to create more commercial enterprises in the area to give residents employment opportunities and spaces for leisure”.

Richard: “For nearly 40 years Giroscope has been tackling vacant and underused properties, so refurbishing West Park Palace fits in. After Covid and now the cost of living crisis has strengthened our resolve to deliver these and send a strong signal that HU3 offers a place of welcome, community, culture and enterprise, despite its many challenges.”

Caroline: “Right across the road is the park and we’ve been part of the Neighbourhood Plan. Now we’ve nearly completed St Mathews we are not afraid to try bigger things.

But the fire must have changed things?

Caroline: “Yes it was a shock! We’d been thinking

of the place with a roof on it. But now it’s a whole different opportunity. It's really exciting. It’s amazing having all this daylight. It's inspiring”.

Richard: “West Park Palace will be a venue creating opportunities for food, health and well-being with a strong cultural and creative ethos. It will be an accessible, flexible, and multi-functional building, to enable people to develop employment and life skills. We will rent out business and event spaces for new enterprises and others and we will provide enterprise support too. We aim to grow community enterprises in a sustainable way.”

Caroline: “We’ve done lots of work with the community to think about what to include in the building. But we’d still love to hear what people might like to use the space for.

TELL US

Let Giroscope know what you want to see or do in the space (details below)

»giroscope.org.uk

»Inta: @giroscope_hull

»For more information on the Newington Neighbourhood plan: thenewingtonplan.co.uk

»01482 576374

46 WELLSTED STREET

Maybe you’ve already found it deep in the heart of HU3 - the new Giroscope community space at 46 Wellstead Street?

This converted shop is open or available for anyone and everyone. Caroline from Giroscope said: “For a long time we’ve concentrated on running things for our tenants and volunteers, but an ambition has grown to be more outward looking. To create an accessible space and opportunities for all. 46 is just that - big enough for things like Anna and Aviv with their Bite the Biscuit radio project to be based out of there, but also an ideal size for locals to hire for parties or small gatherings. There’s also a green space outside so things can spill out as well. We’re running family focused, child friendly socials out of there like messy play and healthy holiday stuff. Lots of things for kids as well as things for adults who want to come together. It’s easy access too, straight off the street and it's definitely in the centre of the neighbourhood!! Which is great as it offers space and opportunities for all the neighbours.

WE ARE... LIVING

Hull Fishing Heritage Centre is an incredible resource right in the Heart of HU3. All led by a team of trustee volunteers who have either lived the fisherman’s life or supported the industry around it. On 6 days a week a combination of Jerry, Gary, David, Ron, Mike, Ray, Jan and Jayne support visitors to discover more about the area's fishing past, the people who were involved and unfortunately those sadly lost.

Over years these passionate historians have amassed an incredible collection of photos, models, artworks, videos, artefacts and documents, all free for us to explore. Jerry, who leads the team, has personally created an online database of the 6000 men who lost their lives in the 912 lost ships that sailed from Hull. But this is no simple list, rather it includes obituaries, details on the boats, families connected, addresses, their job and their age. This work is clearly born of pride for the industry, love for the work and respect for fellow trawlermen. And importantly it turns the people listed on the memorials just outside their door into real men, part of HU3 families, who ultimately gave their lives to this hard fought for industry.

Hull Heritage Fishing Centre has a beautiful collection of Scrimshaw, donated by one man, Mason Redfern, a successful and celebrated Hull skipper. These crafted objects pay testament to the unknown artist/ sailor who made them and also importantly the creatures who gave up their lives in support of the once common, now banned whaling industry. An industry that laid the foundations for Hull’s wealth.

Scrimshaw: “bone, ivory, large whale or tusks decorated with fanciful designs. The designs, executed by whaling fishermen were carved with a sail needle and then emphasised with black pigments, commonly lampblack. Many of these precious objects feature whaling scenes, ships, naval action, frigates, brigs, sailors’ sweethearts, bouquets of flowers, animals and birds seen on the journeys."

Encyclopedia Britianica

VOLUNTEER IN DETAIL

RON PADDINSON

Ron “Golden Gloves” Paddison was a master steel fixer. When he became unwell in his 60’s, his wife Eth convinced him to retire. But for a man who has an eye for details and hands that can’t be still, what’s to do? Model making. But not just model making done to pass the time. Instead Ron has created intricate, highly detailed, electrified, scaled and with the utmost detail models and dioramas - many in pride of place in the Fishing Heritage Centre. Ron showed EofUs around and explained that everything is made from recycled finds. His diorama of the docks near the Lord Line featuring all the offices, workshop, boats, pump houses and locks, is incredible. Made all the more amazing when you learn he and Eth worked out what was where, by pacing the actual ruined site with a 100 ft tape measure, pencil and paper. The model then took another 4 years to make!

Ron, now in his 80’s, is always on the lookout for bits and bobs to fix or make with. In the diorama, for instance, he tells us “the cardboard I used is from the kids cereal boxes. On the model boat there’s lighter tops, lipstick covers and just the right size plastic bottles”. He is proud to tell us “everything’s there if you care to look... fish, a birthday cake, the engine injectors. At the moment I'm making a model of boats in a scrapyard, all rusted up and looking tired, just as it was”.

Ron left school at 15. “I was a dumb cluck, I wasn’t good at reading or writing. Eth helped me with all that, but give me pencil and paper and I could draw anything. I make and mend everything. I love making things. My mother and father also made things. People used to call them Mr and Mrs Christmas, because they made trains, lorries and planes. Me mam would knit teddy bears and giraffes... and all these Christmas decorations, all to order. We would sit together at the table and help. Then they sold it all to folks - it paid for our Christmas meal. You see it’s in my blood.”

I TELL PEOPLE - IF YOU LOOK AFTER THE SMALL DETAILS THE LARGE DETAILS COMES TO LIFE AROUND IT.

HISTORY

Within Boyziz is a haberdashery department where fabric, wool, buttons, crafting materials and tools form a treasure trove of supplies for creative people who make clothes and more in their own homes. Keen to find and celebrate these unknown artists, EofUs lurked in the isles to discover more.

“I learnt to knit in Covid times, I learnt from my mum and YouTube. But now I'm better than me Mum! She comes to me for help with patterns and always complains I know more than her. I love doing cable patterns and I love the cotton yarn you can get here. They just knit up so well. I always put things to my face to feel how soft it is when I'm choosing. I never made anything before, just some tapestry sets. Now I'm addicted. I was 45 when I started and I'm 49 now and yes I'm a perfectionist. My first thing was a blanket of squares. I've still got it, it's got lots of mistakes in it. Now, I’d pull it down rather than have a mistake. I sometimes think ooh I must do some house work or the washing up and then I look up and 6 hours have gone by. I get lost in my thoughts. I think about all sorts, family, sometimes it's just nice to let my brain wander.

I really like it when people see what I make and say something about how lovely or good it is. It makes me feel proud. I made a large Panda with my grandson's name on its belly. I make children and babies clothes, never anything for myself. I give them as gifts. I love knitting.”

Nicola

He’s 20 my son, and he wants a big crochet blanket for his bed in Black! I said I'll do it but he had to trust me on the colour. I’m going grey and blue, It’s a lot of wool but you do owt for your kids don’t you.

Helen

I’m knitting an Aran for my grandson. He’s a twin. I've done one for his sister in a dark pink. I like this blue/green. It’s so hard to choose colours here, there's so many! Sue

Me dad was really good at drawing. I went to art school, but didn’t pursue it. I'm not ambitious, we did drawing and weaving. I came out and needed to earn some money. But I like to knit because it's something I can do without having to concentrate too much. I love mohair, like this. I used to knit jumpers for the kids in this. Darcy, me granddaughter, now wants to learn. This morning she said she needed some sticks and some string - so we've got a long way to go! We’ve come to Boyziz to get everything we need for this new project. Pat

I did an art degree with primary education. I left thinking I needed to earn money because my Mam and Dad were working class and I'd seen how they struggled. But

I NEVER MADE ANYTHING BEFORE, JUST SOME TAPESTRY SETS. NOW I'M ADDICTED

I love teaching. I get lots of grannies to do sewing and knitting with my kids. I’m the arts coordinator and we try as best we can to do things across school and promote creativity but it's so hard. I'm here to get some things for making over the holidays. Clare Oooh Boyziz, there's not many haberdashery counters anymore. I love you can walk round and feel things and explore. I used to go to one where you had to point across the counter and then you weren't allowed to buy wool unless you bought a pattern. The woman was so stern, terrifying, I felt like a schoolgirl. Here it's the opposite of that. I’m here buying wool for me 16 year old granddaughter, I'm making her a jumper. I’ve done one for the 18 year old, all in that baby shiny pink. She loves it. I got the pattern from here in the sale for 50p. I’ve got so many patterns and needles. I've even got me Mam’s needles and patterns, blimey some of the knits are a bit old fashioned, especially the baby ones.

My family are all Hessle Road folks and it's where I learnt to knit. My neighbours Brenda and Barbara Hawkins taught me when I was about 7 and they were 12 or so. I love knitting. I look forward to getting up to knit. I find it therapeutic, it keeps me hands busy and if

I’m honest it stops me drinking more. I like a G&T on a night but when I’m knitting I only have one else I lose concentration, and if I'm following a pattern it all goes wrong! Also as I get older I think - if i'm watching telly I’m wasting time, I want to be doing something. Me mam and Gran were knitters. I've still got hand knits from when I was in my 20’s, they just have lasted and lasted. I hope my granddaughters keep what I make for them too. Me husband used to get annoyed with all the click click clicking, but now he goes in the other room to watch the telly. Barbara I patchwork, crochet and I knit. I love them all, and I get all my materials from Boyziz. I still have the original cushion I learnt to patchwork on from school. I made it all by hand sewing, all card backing and the like, but now I use the sewing machine. I buy materials from the scraps section and put things together that look like they go. This week I got starry, some crocodile and robot fabric. I’m making a quilt for my grandkid. I do it all to pass the time. I’m sat on my own and the kids like em and they keep em. I switch between sewing and knitting. I do a bit of one and then swap, each one affects my hands differently. I’ve got knitting patterns from ages ago but often I don't need a pattern. That's the best, when you can just knit and know what to do. The Arans I can just do from my head, so I watch telly while I do it. Maggie

Back in the day everyone knitted, no one bought, but now it's cheaper the other way round but not as nice. I made day and then night sets for the kids - a hat, a jacket, booties and blankets. I made them in yellow, blue and pink. The styles went out of fashion, but now they are back, the ones with all the frills and lace. The night jackets were always plain. I made one of those Starsky and Hutch chunky cardigans that were in fashion. Then I bought a knitting machine, it cost £400 pound and I only ever made one jumper on it. A red one for me son, for school, it came out nice, but it got stolen on the first day he wore it - I never made another! So that was a £400 jumper! I realised I used to like holding needles more because when I knitted I used to fly in my head, I’d fly all over the world. Pearl

I've still got the bed socks me Mam knitted when I was a kid and I'm in me 60s now! Tom

HISTORY OF BOYES

Boyziz, as Hull folks say, was founded in Scarborough in 1881 as a small drapery shop called the Remnant Warehouse. In 1898 they opened a second Remnant Warehouse in Hull at 84 Prospect Street which traded until 1901. It was not until 1920 that Boyes returned to Hull when they took over a business at 232 and 234 Hessle Road run by one John Wardell.

Boyes quickly became a household name in the area with its bargain prices and hard hitting advertising. In the 1950’s Boyes acquired 228 Hessle Road which had been a furniture shop and an old adjoining laundry and also number 226 which enabled the store to be extended. Further land was acquired in the 1970s and the store as it stands today was completed.

Boyes has traded on the Hessle Road since December 1920 and has served many generations of Hull folks and indeed have employed different generations of the same family over the last hundred years. A number of Wardell’s staff transferred to Boyes in 1920 and the last of these did not retire until June 1966 and even then they came back to work part-time!

"I’ve served 46 years, I started from school and remember declaring then I wasn’t going to stay! I've come and gone across the time but I still come back. You can find it all at Boyes and I guess that’s also me! The company have been great, I've had gifts from long service. I also helped sort the 100 year celebration for staff for the party we've had. I have so many friends who have worked here. There was a woman who had done 35 years or so when I started and so with her time and my time we almost go back to the beginning." Lesleyassistant supervisor

BOYZIZ BUS TRIP

Join EofUs on a FREE East Coast rider trip to Bridlington. Visit the Boyes Museum (who knew???) and cafe, play Push Penny, eat Fish and Chips and maybe fit in a paddle.

»When: Tuesday 15 October. Set off at 10am, arrive back by 6pm

»Where: Meet outside Boyes on Hessle Road YOU CAN

51 YEARS OF HALMSHAWS

Halmshaws is an HU3 institution, serving plumbers and general public since 1973. They say the secret to a long lasting business is all about care - “caring about what they sell and what people end up with”- and service with a capital S.

EofUs couldn’t agree more... so we tapped [get it? ] Managing Director Karl for extra details. "In the early days we were based on Analaby Road, but we got desperate for space. So I bought this huge Goulton St building in 1991. It was an old engineering works, it had a furnace and workshops. I guess they served the fishing industry. We painted it blue and white, added some flags and made an entrance. It’s great because you can see it and get to it from the A63. I’m a West Hull boy and this business has always been West Hull - it means we can serve communities in Hessle and North Ferriby too and then our Beverly shop deals with folks that way. We are a traditional plumbers merchant, but we sell to everyone and not just trade. I guess we sell all the things modern businesses do but we know what we are selling and we aim to help people work out what they need. So you don’t have to wander about or guess, you can come here and all the folks who work the stores and the shops have loads of experience and can get you the right thing. Most of our 21 staff are all long-serving, some have been here like me since the 70s! They’ve got lots of experience and listen. Our oldest customer who’s now in his 80s still keeps coming in. We build relationships and strong connections with companies and organisations, some firms have had accounts with us since the 80s. So yes we are no salesmen, we are service with a capital S. We want happy customers.”

Is that what makes a healthy businesshappy customers?

“Well partly… merchanting is an old fashioned business, and perhaps seen by the younger generations as a thing of the past, but we stick to our values. We try to help people with good service and quality products. I think lots of people get frustrated by trying to buy online and then not being able to speak to anyone in person.

I really like the phone and talking to people. I always work the switchboard on a Saturday and give advice. I’m not a plumber but I've been doing this a long time and we know our stuff. We don't sell online, because we're not really big enough, and don't have the capacity, time or the patience. We did try some on Amazon, but they take a massive cut, and it was really hard, all the returns with stuff missing etc. Over Covid we stayed open with a core staff as a front line service. It felt really good to be able to help people like the NHS. I drove the van taking things to those who needed it.”

What’s the future?

"We need better Apprenticeships - there's a massive loss of skills and the industry is short of good apprentices, and quality staff. People who want to get their hands dirty and not work on screens. I would love to see a better apprenticeship education where they’re encouraged to be curious about how things work. Times have been hard before, ups and downs. But at the moment it is hard again, cost of living crisis and changes to how people shop. Younger people are more used to working another way. So I guess in order to be going in another 50 years people have to keep using our services and so we are always looking at how we can attract a younger customer. I also think we have seen a rise in people buying parts to fix things and be more conscious. But folks also want to upgrade and we can help with the new bathrooms etc. But its really important that we sell them the right thing. Some people want a huge stone bath for a small 6ft x 6ft bathroom and we have to convince them that it's too much. We do a design service and give proper advice. Other places will sell them ‘the bathroom of their dreams', but we are not sales driven. We rely on people telling others that Halmshaws did a great job - personal recommendation is the best free advert we can get. We want 5 gold stars!"

BECOME AN APPRENTICE »hull-college.ac.uk/ apprenticeships/becomean-apprentice

WE ARE... WISE

Residents at Beecroft Court Sheltered Housing like to gather in their communal area to play bingo, chat and catch up. EofUs has been along to join them, and over tea, cakes and a raffle, we talked about getting older, the wisdom of living well and advice they’d give to their younger selves.

“I lived on Bransholme and then came here. Now I feel settled. Everyone’s friendly and we try to come together often. We look out for one another.” Debbie

“We all support one anotherwe are nosey!! There’s a man upstairs, he's not well, and he’s got no family or children. We look after him, we set up a mirror on the end of his bed and he leaves his door open so he can see us and us him, and we all shout and say hello. He was on the floor for 2 days at first because he always had his door shut, but Gina saw him and

now we keep an eye on him. It’s nice to think we are all here for one another as well. It was hard at Covid times and since then people don’t meet up as much as we did, but we are trying to do more things, this is good -it’s good to talk and share.” Pearl

“I’ve struggled. I moved in just recently and it’s been a shock. I had such an active life and so this move also is part of me knowing I’ve been unwell and can’t do what I did. So it’s a massive life change. I moved from a 3 bed shared house where no one spoke. This is

IT’S NEVER DULL IN HULL – LIVE IN HULL!

BEECROFT COURT

»St George's Road, HU3 3ST

WHAT YOU’VE NEVER HAD YOU’LL NEVER MISS ONLY WORRY ABOUT THE THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL

DO EVERYTHING THAT YOU’VE DONE, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT’S MADE YOU

»Hull City Council on 01482 300 300

MY STORY

I want to share my experiences as I feel they could help people struggling with addictions and depression.

“I was an alcoholic, I was in the gutter and I’d thought about killing myself. I used to drink a lot and smoke Cannabis. I had a sadness, had lost a friend. I was stupid, because someone introduced me to drugs and so I started smoking weed to cope. It was so easy to use that rather than speak up. But, then I had a serious health scare and it made me see sense. I had to cut people off and I had to stop drinking - it made me want to live. I had to get clean.

I decided to go through withdrawal on my own. It was hard - the doctor told me off for that, saying it can cause complications. But at the time that’s all I could do. I didn't want to be that person. I limited who I spent time with. I feel proud of myself - 4 years abstinence. You say I have courage but I’m a weak person. Weed and alcohol changes your persona. You’re unsociable if you’re on drink and drugs. You

become alienated, angry, you are frustrated with people. So it’s a pick up and then a reliance. It’s a nightmare. You find your strength in it - a pack of beer.

My wife left me with 4 bairns, one had learning difficulties. At night after I got them to bed I’d have a drink. I never drank during the day. 12 years later they left me and went to her and the heartache was too much. No relationship and no kids. It all made me angry. I’d given up work to look after them and I dedicated all my time to them. I was like a housewife. I was a single Dad. I loved them to bits. I was depressed and I thought the drink helped. Them leaving meant the drinking got worse, it was a crutch. I got anxious and was like a cat on a hot tin roof. All my past came up. I’d had an abusive father and was bullied at school really bad. I was an easy target - quiet and reserved. So I was punched at home and at school. I’d get the

so social and good. But I feel safe here and now these good people will support me”. Stephen.

“My kids all live away and I lost my wife before I moved here. I was in a huge house all on my own and I got really low. It was terrible. I didn’t know what to do or if I could keep going. I was rock bottom. I really like us coming together and I have friends in here. I wish more people would come and join us. It's so important to talk about what’s going on and meeting people.

“It can be intimidating as you get older, I’m worried about being knocked over and it seems like lots of

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD QUESTION –JUST ONE THAT’S NEVER ASKED

WISDOM IS NOT CARING WHAT OTHERS THINK

kids in their hoods might not care. I do worry about being out on a night.”

Rick

“I can’t drive anymore because of my leg and that has been massive. I really lost my independence. I’ve got a buggy now, lots of us have them in here, so I can get up the street, but it’s not the same. I can’t just ring me daughter up and say shall we go to the coast and get some chips. It makes me feel isolated”. Andy

I would have tried harder at school. I got to study but by the time I was qualified I was 58 and then it was too late. I was brought up to think I was thick – school told us that – we were

factory fodder. Girls who didn’t do well became Pattie Slappers, I was one of those. So never let anyone tell you you can’t do anything, because you can.

I left school when all my friends did, I was influenced by them, I had been offered an opportunity to do more studying, but I didn’t take it. I eventually did my studies in my 30s. I was daft.

We are dominated by events at the time, society dictated what happened to us. We were the working poor, we couldn’t get out. All these things dictate your outcome. It’s hard to be different from this. Gina

GET SUPPORT

AGE UK

»Silvester St

»ageuk.org.uk/hull/ourservices

»01482 324644

MIND

»heymind.org.uk

»01482 240200

»Information Line: 01482 240133

»Text us: 07520 633447

CHILDLINE

»childline.org.uk

»0800 1111

DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR MEN

cane lots, I was called a dunce. I was hit by all. It gave me bruises you can’t see. It’s no wonder I was a nervous wreck. I came away from school with nothing. If only Childline was around then. I got a job in a butcher's and then I worked as a Knackerman, going round dealing with sick animals. But I loved driving round and meeting farmers and helping in tough times. I had a sense of duty, I used to tidy up and deal with things. I was good at my job, but it was that I gave up to look after the kids when she left. All of it had an affect, and damage was done. I guess it could have turned me violent to others, am not a violent person, I love animals.

I want to live now, I wouldn’t say life is 100%. There’s days when I ask myself what am I here for - stealing oxygen? But I can see people are worse off. Then I remember I’m turning myself around now. I’ve had lots of help from MIND and Renew too. I force myself to join in and make friends, it’s so easy to shut yourself away, get hooked on TV. I force myself to do things and these have all encouraged me and I’m getting a lot better. I like to join in and I’m determined to be part of these groups."

DON’T WAIT FOR A HEALTH

»hullstrengthto change. org/

»01482 613 403

PARENTING SUPPORT

»familylives.org.uk/ advice/bullying

»0808 800 2222

ALCOHOLICS

ANONYMOUS - HULL

»alcoholics-anonymous. org.uk/AA-Meetings/ Find-a-Meeting/hull

»help@aamail.org

»Local Helpline 01482 830083

RENEW

offering free and confidential support for anyone affected by alcohol or drugs.

»Trafalgar House, 43-45 Beverley Road

»changegrowlive.org/ hull-renew/recoveryhub

SAMARITIANS

»75 Spring Bank

»samaritans.org/ branches/hull

»116 123 free from any phone

»0330 094 5717 local call charges apply

If you look up Gill Adams you will see she is one of our country's most important performers and comedy writers. Hailing from HU3, she’s written and acted for TV, theatre, film and radio. Her hilarious, heartfelt, honest play of three women of Hessle Road - Fish ‘n’ Leather - was restaged at Rayners last Autumn to a sell out crowd. But Gill of course is more than we see on the TV or stage.

We went along to meet her and ended up talking Autism, acting and aliens!

AUTISM

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.

ALEXITHYMIA

People who have alexithymia may have trouble identifying, understanding and describing emotion.

ADHD

ADHD can be categorised into 2 types of behavioural problems: Inattentiveness (difficulty concentrating and focusing. Hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Many people with ADHD have problems that fall into both these categories, but this is not always the case.

FIND OUT MORE

@neurowonderful on YouTube

Fish ‘n’ Leather, your play, seems to be about judgement - of others, of women and of the self? People judge the women of Hessle Road area all the time. And they often get it wrong. This has to change. When I first wrote it 32 years ago, Hessle Road was the beating heart of Hull. All my family are from here and I still care massively about this area. The women are funny and strong and full of character. Fish ‘n’ Leather made people proud, and they identified with the story and characters and mainly the humour… that's a special thing to share and a fact about us women from Hull and Hessle road. We are naturally funny. I love that! It seems personal? There was a man once, head to toe in beige, who took one look at me and said “Whooah, what we got going on ere then?" I was 16 and looked a bit different. I had a big hat on and a cape. I was arty. We were in the Ferens Art gallery and a painting of mine had been selected. I just thought “Why have you tried to squash me? I'm in a gallery, my art’s on the wall, you’re bloody boring and I’m not!” He made me more determined. When I was young, I learnt quickly that if I made kids laugh, they wouldn’t hit me. I was bullied and punished by the teachers for fidgeting or whatever. People were trying to make me conform. Me Mam would tell me to stop acting daft, she wanted to protect me. She didn’t realise I wasn’t being daft on purpose. People were trying to make you conform? I’m a misfit, always have been, but I’m happy with that now. I’ve spent too much time thinking why can’t I be normal, it’s too hard to be me. But I've recently been diagnosed with female high-functioning Aspergers, Autism, A.D.H.D. and Alexithymia. No wonder it’s been so bloody hard! The frenetic energy I have, if not channelled, manifests in mad ways. I twirl, or burst out singing, rub my legs, sway, stare into space, you name it. Loud noises or smells like aftershave and air fresheners or flashing lights can trigger me. When I was kid this kinda stuff got me into trouble - swinging on chairs. I was slippered for that. But I was just trying to cope. Now I always have a mini maraca handy! When I shake it, it helps me focus, kind of brings me back, offsets the frenetic energy.

But why go for a diagnosis now? A 15 year relationship ended, it was a massive shock, and all just before lockdown. So I was in the house on my own. Everyone was worried I'd cope. But I thrived. I loved it. I’d never lived on my own, plus there was no one coming round and I wasn’t having to go anywhere or answer to anyone. I have never been so creative. I was painting, drawing, and singing. I was having an adventure everyday, it was like I had been let out of a cage. Then after lockdown, I was working with my daughter Lucy and the producer of the show said to her, I think your Mums autistic. So I went to see the consultant.

How was that? Well of course I tried to pretend with the specialist - I masked. But she smiled when she caught me staring out the window at a leaf falling from the tree. I knew she saw the real me.

Masked? Masking is common in Autism. It’s when you try to fit in and pretend. It’s like acting. It’s a coping mechanism to hide or conceal your true thoughts and feelings. What’s interesting is I can see Autism in other people, people who have passions and are obsessed with talking about them. You can be talking about something and they just cut across with their passion. It’s like you’re bursting to get it out. And most of the time people just want ‘normal’ and so we mask. But when you meet someone who accepts you, and sees it’s actually your superpower, ah, then you can really fly and that's what theatre is - it’s like I'm holding it in and then given licence to let all this energy out. In theatre you get what you give. It’s all about the giving and receiving of energy.

Masking must be exhausting, is it? If someone’s feeding you the right energy, then you don’t need to mask.

You’re going to be giving them loads of ideas, But the minute you get criticism, or knocked back, you're like one of them colourful sea creatures that are wild and free and then you hurt them and they just shrink back into a thick spiky shell. What I’m still learning is to not take things personal, if someone doesn’t get me. I move on. I’m over trying to explain myself.

This must be challenging when you're not with the right people? Yes, I'm not great at reading people. Apparently I'm not good at reading emotions, because I've got Alexithymia as well. I’m affected by the heightened emotions of other people. I often get overwhelmed so I go into a kind of bubble, I cut out so I don't have a meltdown.

Are you glad to have the diagnosis? Yes, it changes everything. I always knew I was a bit odd. I was artistic, and massively creative, so I was labelled as ‘eccentric’. So it made sense. It’s like thinking you were a feral dog all your life and then finding out you're a bird who just needed to be allowed to fly. It’s as weird and strangely liberating as that. But we’re just wired differently, and have special gifts. If I’m focused, I sense things before they happen, I can hear things other people can’t. If I’m focused, I can do anything I set my mind on. Who knows, maybe I’m from another planet. It always makes people laugh when I say “Aliens don’t just exist, we’re here already! “

Aliens - really? Yes, I own this now, I own the not normal. But there will be many of HU3 women and girls with undiagnosed Autism, who are not coping. They could be depressed and tired of trying to conform. They won’t be expressing themselves. They’ll be in constant fear that they are going to be discovered as “not normal”. It’s like thinking someone will peel their skin back and see the green alien underneath and be scared of us..”

Gill you've so much courage, would you encourage others to approach a doctor then? Firstly… it’s not easy to get a diagnosis on the NHS, the waiting list is long. Also when you get the diagnosis, it’s not the end, it’s just the beginning. For a while I grieved for the child that got punished. But you can’t look back. You have to look forward.

How? Be yourself. Acceptance. I know now I can be a crowd in my own house, a party in my own head. My spirit is free and I am joyful. I try not to care what people think, but of course that’s not always easy. The specialist who diagnosed me said it was incredible how I’ve coped all these years. I told her, it’s simple, creativity saved me. It makes me wonder how anyone survives in this world without a creative outlet?

Does this rings any bells for you? It is estimated that 50% of neuro diverse people are not aware of their condition. You might have struggled with things that others found easy, or always felt different, and had poorer mental health as a result. However, neurodiversity can be a huge strength, if we understand more. If this sounds familiar, come along, hear more from others with experience, get some top tips, and chat about what we might do together.

JOIN OUR GATHERING

Join us to discuss Neurodiversity in the area.

»When: Wednesday 16 October at 1pm

YOU CAN

»Where: Wellsted Community Room

IMAGES: GEORGE NORRIS

WE ARE... MASKING

HEALTHY LOCAL DEMOCRACY?

Cooperation Hull’s Gully Bujak proposes whether you’re from Cape Town or Japan, Grimsby or New York, some things are universal….

Beyond the basics (food, water, medicine) there are other needs that are just as important, and just as universal. Connecting with other people, feeling we have valuable contributions to offer the world, and having the freedom to make decisions for ourselves, are essential for a fulfilled and healthy life. They’re also necessary for a thriving democracy, something not many of us would say we have right now (particularly in Hull where we have the lowest voter turnout in the country).

Just like money, decision-making power is being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. This is the true cause of so many of our society’s symptoms, from the cost of living, to crumbling down schools, to the climate crisis.

In April 2023 I helped to launch Cooperation Hull, a small but mighty movement trying to heal our society by bringing democracy back into the hands of our communities. It starts with ordinary people coming together, breaking bread and making decisions collectively - talking and listening to each other, finding agreement about what needs to change and how, and then creating that change ourselves.

Our bread and butter are People’s Assemblies - public meetings on specific topics, where everyone is welcome. With basic ground rules to make sure everyone gets an equal say, they are rare spaces for us to practise disagreeing whilst still working together. People’s Assemblies have been used in Barcelona, Mississippi, Brazil, Mexico and beyond - places where a falling standard of living and falling trust in government are just as universal experiences as they are here in the UK. Now Assemblies are in Hull, and people around the country are looking to us to see what we can do with them. Specifically, they’re looking to HU3. We’re running Assemblies in every neighbourhood across the city and HU3 is where we can really start to see ideas taking shape. Thanks in large part to a partnership with the housing charity Giroscope, HU3 has held three Neighbourhood Assemblies. Now people from the neighbourhood are moving forwards with some of the decisions: a group of parents, sick of the lack of family spaces that are fun, educational and safe, are figuring out how to share childcare amongst themselves; another group will be saving healthy, supermarket food from landfill and turning it into a delicious meal every fortnight. We’re even hoping that local artists from Bite the Biscuit will bring their radio show and broadcast live from the space! A show about our lives, our music and our ideas, shared together. These early examples demonstrate how People’s Assemblies can help us improve the health of our neighbourhoods and redefine what a healthy democracy looks like; connected, thriving communities, where everyone’s wisdom is heard and put to use. In July 2024 Cooperation Hull will be inviting you and everyone you know to support and participate in Hull’s first ever citywide Assembly, building on the successes we’ve witnessed here in HU3.

LOOK OUT FOR AN ASSEMBLY

»FB: @Cooperation-Hull

»Insta: @cooperation.hull

»cooperationhull.co.uk

YOU CAN

A real opportunity to show how things can be done differently, The Hull People’s Assembly will be the first of its kind in the UK. Change is coming, from the ground up. Here now, then everywhere.

Fortnightly on Saturday mornings on the northern edge of HU3 a group of people come together to share their voices and create harmony. EofUs met singing leader Clare Drury, to hear more.

We started by asking: What does singing together offer?

“Many things – it's a chance to find and free your voice. And doing that can give you a real sense of achievement. When you use your voice to sing, your body vibrates which feels good. Singing can help to release tension and stress. When you sing with other people you get a sense of togetherness, a bond is created and a sense of achievement - it turns the dial up on that feel good factor. Being surrounded by voices is amazing. If you've ever been in a choir at school, or in a football crowd or a rugby match you'll know. Singing together, means your heartbeats synchronise and you become part of something larger than yourself. As well it helps with breathing, physical fitness and mental wellbeing. It’s social and we build friendships.

Singing in harmony does even more and that's when the magic really starts to happen! Your body responds by releasing endorphin chemicals giving you a natural high. For as long as humans have existed they have gathered to share voices together – even before the development of language – to express emotions, to celebrate or to mourn.

I believe singing is a basic human need, but it's suppressed in our modern culture as people think they are non-singers. But it's so uplifting and a massive thrill when you find your voice.

With my regular group on a Saturday morning, we sing different songs from all over the world. Which gives us chances to enjoy different music, themes and lyrics. I love to see the change in people over the course of the session and yes I've seen transformation in some of my regulars. Singers leave uplifted and moved in one way or another. Singing can transform lives... one lady told me it saved her during lockdown. So singing is good for you – on every level and I welcome everyone to come and find their voice”

SATURDAY SINGING

»claredrury.com

»For September sessions email: lsingwithclare@outlook.com

»FB: Saturday Sing.

ȣ5/4 per session

»6 and 20 July

WE ARE... LIVE

Every Tuesday Bite the Biscuit Radio [aka Anna and Aviv] alongside HU3 folks, chefs from the Giroscope Cooking Project and Cooperation Hull join together and host WAFFLE at the Lonsdale Community Centre. This social gathering is a direct response to the neighbourhood deciding they wanted to do something unexpected. Something that would bring people together across divides. Something that included good, affordable food and music. Something that happened locally every single week….

EofUs met with Anna Coromina and Aviv Kruglanski to find out more about the radio part.

Our radio programs are live events where people come together in a social space. It’s like a dinner party which goes out live. If you’re in the room you'd find yourself in a welcoming, improvised and highly unprofessional space. You’d be part of an unpredictable back and forth between neighbours and friends. People getting interviewed, music being played and discussions happening. The radio's mission is to be accessible to all and for that it makes an effort not to be seamless. Its stitches are visible and unravelling. Everyone’s invited and we'd be excited if you wanted to join in person or online.

How did you start working together?

Anna: The radio story is connected to our life story. We met in Barcelona in 2015. I knew a lot of musicians and was working with music, Aviv was running a small neighbourhood space in the area where he lived. We started with no money and no internet. An upstairs neighbour would roll a long cable down two floors so we could connect to the Internet and stream . When the neighbour happened to be out (he sometimes forgot about it) we couldn’t do the radio.

What were you influenced by?

Aviv: I got the idea one day walking around the downtown of Holon, a city to the south of Tel-Aviv. I saw a shop with people gathering around. Peeking inside I saw a fully equipped online radio station. I realised what a great tool it was for getting people together. I decided I wanted to start a radio in this space I was running back in my neighbourhood. The idea sat on a back burner until I met Anna. I wanted to collaborate on something with her and this was perfect. We started doing a show called ‘Biting biscuits in silence’ (‘Mossegar Galetes en Silenci’ in Catalan). As we did the show, the doors of the shopfront wide open to the street, we would bake biscuits in a little oven we had. It was all quite improvised and more about who’s there in the room than about who might be listening from afar. What happened when you came to the UK?

Anna: We started by exploring neighbourhoods and found HU3. We bumped into the Boulevard Village Hall and started to do a weekly radio show there. It was an open space. Whoever turned up and wanted to talk - could, so each show was completely different. Ultimately it was a social space for people to come together and make a program. Like a round table. Then, we used this weekly gathering space, the radio, and started a market around it. It took place once a week at the former St. Matthews Church.

Aviv: When the country went into lock down, during Covid, we had to stop the market, but we continued doing radio from our living room. It was

a good way for people to stay connected. People from all over the world were talking about what was happening where they were. We would broadcast voice notes and people would use the chat function on the website to talk and connect. It was like we had all these external reporters. As restrictions loosened, people started doing individual shows. It was nice within the not nice. It was a community online that was creative, active.

Anna: When the restrictions were lifted we started the market again and the radio expanded into a day of radio shows hosted by different people. When work started at the former church we moved the market to the St. Matthews Parish hall. The parish hall didn’t have internet so we just continued with the market, but the radio stopped.

Then we had a baby so we stopped altogether. So why now again?

Anna: We always liked how meals connect people. In Spain, after a meal, when people are drinking coffee this is the best part. People start to sing and tell jokes, be more relaxed. So when Cooperation Hull and Giroscope wanted to do something with food and getting people together we thought this was a great place for radio too. We felt one thing could bring something to the other.

Aviv: At the same time we got an award from CHCP to buy new equipment as we had been doing radio again in Giroscope’s community space at 46 Wellstead Street

Anna: WAFFLE is not just about filling stomachs. It’s about creating a space for neighbours to get together for both pleasure and serious conversation. It’s what they call social infrastructure. We imagine a certain unpredictability about it, even messy at times. So I guess in this messy environment our type of radio fits. We don’t know who will show up or what they’ll want to talk about. And if no one wants to say anything, we’ll just play nice music. Ideally we’ll get to hear people that we hear less from, the old, the young…

Aviv: We like how people can get involved in two ways - in person at Lonsdale or just tuning in online. At Lonsdale, we’ll be there to help them not be scared of the equipment.

Anna: There is so much polarisation in the world. Podcasts focusing on one or two voices are so common. But this is more plural. It’s an inclusive space, open to the unexpected.

At the far end of Hessle Road, just near the flyover, is a bright and striking shop - a Thai Supermarket owned and run by husband and wife team Mark and Malai. Together they’ve come to learn each other's cultures, and Mark has come to understand and love Thai food... Malai's food. It's this love that you feel in their shop, their products and the customers who come from all walks of life and places to seek it out. They told us more.

“We are Mark and Malai. I’m Scottish and Malai is Thai. I’ve been in Hull since I was small, and met my wife online in 2004. She was working in the Cayman Isles. I went out to meet her in Bangkok and we’ve been together since that day. Eventually we got married and Malai and her daughter Jom became residents here in the UK. We also have a daughter called Emily Mai. But it wasn't until 2017 that we opened the shop. We had been traveling all over to try and find Thai food and it was ridiculous. So we decided that a supermarket in Hull would be a great idea. There are lots of Thai people in East Yorkshire so we have good clients. But we also have lots of people who love to cook Thai food who may have learnt on holiday. We have lots of Lithuanians come in for the Catfish too. Their culture and Thai people love Catfish. We stock everything from Thai Jasmine Rice to chicken feet and pride ourselves on everything being fresh and quality. Lots of Thai people like the owners of Coconut Cafe shop here, but also lots of "Farlang" folks (Western Europeans). We are really happy to serve everyone, Thai food is the best to eat and so more people learning and eating it is great. We love to help people and give advice. Malai is in her element when she’s helping people with food. Our best sellers are rice and noodles and all the frozen foods we stock. We have kitchenware and sweeping brushes too. At times it has been difficult but we are established now. We are open 7 days a week. Our daughter came up with the shop's phrase, ‘Rice is Life’, we heard it and thought, yes it’s true, rice is everywhere - Thailand, China, Japan, South America, Italy, everywhere... we liked it. Nong in Thai means small and people will often refer to the youngest child as Nong, as a nice endearment. Mai is our family name, our shop is small.

JASMINE RICE, FRIED CHICKEN & SUKI AKI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

Soak the rice for 24 hours in water and then cook in a steamer for 15 minutes - don’t let the rice touch the boiling water. Use the seasoning shown in the photo to create a batter. Roll and squidge the chicken piece into this batter. Leave for 5 minutes before deep or air frying. Serve with Suki Aki as dipping sauce.

NONG MAI

»550 Hessle Road, HU3 5BL

»FB: Nong Mai Thai Grocery »07790 672637

Thai food uses everything, and nothing goes to waste. Everything is grown nearby or is used fresh. People have a tree in their garden and it is used in cooking and they just chop parts to use. There’s a saying “we eat what mother nature provides”. So I guess it's different from the west where lots of things are processed. Thai people also eat small meals across the day and not big meals at once, and really there are no puddings. It's very different. Durian is a famous food from Thailand. It's a fruit thats spikey on the outside - we have it in the freezer. When it's ripe it smells really bad, like boiled nappies! But the taste is amazing like cold custard.”

Malai what have you enjoyed about being in the UK?

“The gardens and the landscape, the hills and green. It's so beautiful. I would like to go home when we retire. Our daughter was resisting speaking Thai but we went recently and now she learning, she can see how amazing it to live there.”

Mark, What have you learnt from Thai culture? “Being calm and don’t upset Thai women! I like the Buddhist way. In the shop we have a shrine and make an offering everyday. I haven't had the best upbringing but I learnt to help people where you can. But I've also learnt about Karma, it can be good and bad. Doing good will bring you more good. So when we or the girls have experienced racism we speak up and try to help, people just have no experience of meeting other cultures and its stereotypes. When this happens I just go online and look at all the positive comments people leave about us and the shop and I feel better. I also know it's a “treat people as you want to be treated” way of being, and if we all did that the world would be a better place."

I DID A THAI COOKING COURSE IN BANGKOK AND NOW I SHOP HERE AND MAKE CURRY. I LOVE THAT THEY HELP ME GET THE RIGHT

INGREDIENTS Mark

WE ARE... WHAT WE WEAR

John Ford is a distinctive, independently owned shop for menswear on Anlaby Road. Its eye catching logo and beautifully displayed window caught our eye. So we rang the doorbell and owners Michael, Charles and Clare invited us in.

Micheal: Chaz and I have helped in the shop from when we were 12. Clare rejoined us in 2012. Our parents worked so hard, our dad always said he only had a Thursday off to marry me mam, he was back in the shop on the friday! Henry, Charles' son, also helps now. We also have Carl in the Cottingham shop - he’s been with us since he was 16 and he’s 60 now! Being a trusted family business is important to us all.

The shop was set up by Clare’s dad John in 1967, who from the age of 13 worked as a Saturday boy for Maurice Lipman the tailors on Monument Bridge, where he got educated in the clothing trade. After leaving school he went there full time, until he was 22 when he set up on his own. The first shop at 456 Anlaby Road, was opened when he was 25 and his brother William, my dad, joined him a couple of years later - he’d been at the Bovril factory until then! Charles. They got married to Norma and Judith and all four of them together grew the business. There’s six of us kids, but only us three run the business. When we were all kids our mams would take it in turns to have us all while the other one ran around doing errands. At that time in the 70’s they had five shops and a trouser making factory too. They also used to bring me Nana in and she would help make lunches and look after us kids. She was doing this well into her 80’s.

Clare: We all just used to be in the shop hanging around or playing, just having my toys at the back and Nana watching us... happy days.

Michael: We’ve served generations of men and we have a great customer base. Like our Dads did, we sell high quality clothes. Then it was all nice suits and trousers, now we have good jeans and shoes that are made specially for us in Italy. All the shirts, jackets and coats are Spanish, or Italian or German. The quality of the product is

just better than we can get elsewhere. Much of the stock is bespoke to us and we only ever order one in each size. We have a lot of stock, because it's important that we have lots of choices. We were the first stockists of Gabicci in the UK back in 1973. We offer great personal service , and help men find things that suit them. It’s nice over the years, we’ve become friends with the customers and know what they might like.

Charles: We also do alterations for people, so everything fits well and have a side business in corporate clothing –embroidered workwear – things like scrubs to stuff for the construction industry.

Clare: Men shop differently to women, they mostly know what they want when they come in. They do all the chat with the boys but when they are trying on, the changing rooms are near the office where I am doing the books and they often ask what I think. They like the opinion of a woman and it's nice they trust me.

Michael: The important thing for us is to be trusted, and to do that you have to also have high standards, and keep the shop impeccable. We take pride in our windows and our customers. Our face to face service is important, we don’t do any online sales, apart from during Covid and that made us busy fools! We don’t advertise or do social media. Everything is word of mouth. Yes we want customers to feel good but we also want people to know they got the clothes from here. I like that the shop has space and we have time to be with customers.

Michael: Like the menswear, it’s a traditional business model that's all about the personal touch. Old fashioned maybe but it’s worked for us since 1967!

R E S… W I M M I N G

U P S T R E A M

At Orts, at the Breakfast Club and in our other community gathering spaces, we all often speak of how our lives, children and family stresses come first before our own health and wellbeing needs: “I often don’t know what I feel or how my body is”. In response we developed an idea for special events, in addition to our weekly sessions, that bring women together to consider and engage in being well.

beginning - a chance for us to begin to connect with our own bodies and to work out together what we best need. It is being followed with an on-going programme that provides access to health benefits that many of us are unable to access otherwise due to financial or other barriers. We used the metaphor of fish swimming upstream in order to bring new life. Swimming upstream is hard but necessary work and also requires (though often not offered or taken) rest. The initiative emerged from being frustrated at being fobbed off with a quick (often pharmaceutical) fix to manage symptoms rather than look further upstream to address the ‘why’. In a way, the day could be described as beginning the journey, with lots of pools to learn together how to reconnect with ourselves and our bodies.

Anna Hembury and Iona Dyson., Supported by EofUs and Funded by CHCP

ORTS

»When: Wednesdays 10 - 1

»Where: St Mathews Parish Hall, Boulevard HU3 FOR MORE INFO AND TO JOIN: »hemburys@gmail.com »iona@hullyfc.co.uk

RELAXING SESSION FREE Henna workshop.

»When: Thursday 12 September, 9 - 11am

»Where: Community

DRAWINGS: ELLA DORTON

YOU DID

Almost every article in this paper is accompanied by an invitation to act, be it a small act for you and your family to enjoy, or a bigger act that contributes to this community. These are called a You Can. You joined us for You Cans so here’s more of what You Did

WALKING TOUR

EofUs talks to The Aimless Archive

A man in a cherry picker working overhead looked slightly bemused as we gathered by the Coltman Street Phone Box for the walking tour of HU3, using the YOU CAN cards as prompts. Cards that've been made to help us understand a process of slowing down and asking: Where are the things we love being kept?

The last thing I had planned for was a cherry picker to be hovering over the phone box. We began on Hessle Road using a card that said: “Look out for the window with the winches, ropes, and lifting gear. What would you lift up or elevate round here?”

I used the cards to record the things I’d donebut also the things I’d planned to do, but, for one reason or another, didn’t get around to. We then, with encouragement from a YOU CAN card, explored the shop Nice Party and in particular their small Verse - 5 for £1 - cards.

I was attracted to the idea of the walking tour entering into a shop - a place where things are bought - using it as a reflective space. We shared the verses when we congregated back on the street - a sympathy, a happy birthday, a good luck.

I thought they sounded insincere read in the street - like performed sympathy. We met Daniel who, curious about us and our tour, joined in sharing wise words - he seemed to understand the importance of looking and approaching life differently.

I couldn’t have planned anything like that. We saw artworks and shop window displays. I remember the majority of shops displaying nearly everything that the shop had in stock in the window.

We went off road finding new graffiti and memorials never seen before.

I knew that we would have to loop back to the phone box again - so we ducked down a side street. This whole strand of research and recording seems to have been about looping back.

We saw yards full of things, others empty of stuff. I value the empty ones - the places with the potential of storage. We discovered a specially placed poster that encouraged us to think about exploring words. I wanted the text to form an hourglass. We jumped between bollards, chipped in with our own histories, and we thought about who was here before us and if we could walk in their footsteps?

I tried to kick against the family history stuff. Along back streets and out the way roads

Download the cards and walk your own tour

»theaimlessarchive.com/HU3

WE ARE...OPEN

One wet and rainy morning a small group of brave and curious parents from Chiltern Primary School ventured to Princess Avenue.

We went in search of 87 Gallery and to see the “What We Do” exhibition which celebrated participants' work from the different creative programs. One parent said: “I didn't know this place was here and I love looking at art and bringing the kids to see things too. It's such a nice place with things for them to do and a space to relax as well. I might even come without my kids”

JOIN

Creative Connections, supports people to express themselves creatively.

»Every second Wednesday. 12:30 - 2:30

BECOME AN EXPLORER

Discover, investigate and make art. Aged 7-16

»Every saturday. £10 a week. Subsidised places available.

87 Gallery supports artists to explore, make and show new work. It is run by Artlink Hull, who work with under-represented people through participatory arts projects, exhibitions, events, and learning programs.

»Open: Thurs/Fri/ Sat: 10.30 - 4.30

»artlinkhull.co.uk

PEACED OUT!

“I’m peaced out!” Vicky declared at the end of the hour-long eMBe Auricular Therapy (acupuncture in the ear). We all agreed! Mel told us how “it’s hard to find time for ourselves, particularly women, because of kids, work, busy lives and how often we don’t know what we feel or need because we are putting others first. But it’s really important to do something each day for ourselves… even just 10 minutes.”

JOIN

Streams offers artists opportunities to look at and talk art, get feedback and network.

»Weekly. £5

FIND OUT MORE

»Visit Mel's website: embeacupuncture.co.uk

»Download the FREE Headspace app for guided meditations

The pins didn’t hurt and we all described different sensations as they tuned into our inner system. A guided meditation helped us concentrate on our breath and visualise calm places. After 40 minutes Mel removed the needles and we spoke of how aches and pains and unsettled minds had stilled. “I guess I’ve stopped to take a breath. I’ve enjoyed it, I’m not sure I understand what it does but I know it’s helped me stop and relax. I’m hoping it will make me sleep well too” said Anna.

Vicky declared “The fact of coming out on my own, without the kids is great. It quiet, peaceful, and its helped my back - it’s a lot faster than a 28 day course of tablets” and Miheala agreed.

“It’s helped with my back ache for sure. I have a very sore back and currently its stopped hurting.”

Thanks Mel, Vicky, Linsey, Anna, Lisa, Mihaela

FLOWER CLUB

"We were happy to get money from CHCP to do four more Flower Clubs in Rayners after the success of the first one. Over the four sessions we did arrangements in a basket, box and even in a pumpkin. I like how the people join after they’ve come into the shop or Kate has found them or Rachel encourages regulars to take part. It's such a good mix. I feel happy to have been able to give back to this community who have been so good to my family over the last 50 years.

Flower Club brings folks together to have a laugh, try something new, and go away with a beautiful arrangement. I really like how people forget where they are when they are doing their arrangements - they forget their worries. It might only be for a couple of hours but that makes all the difference. One woman said "I’m a carer and so it’s so good to get out and do something for me!" It’s the same for me in a way, yes it’s my day job and I am concentrating but I’m also meeting new people, laughing and time passes so quickly.

We have all built stronger connections. For me having a stronger connection with Rachel at Rayners has been really good and to support each other's businesses. Also I’d never taught anyone before. I’m pleased to have dared to do this. I’ve got more confident at showing my skills. Don’t get me wrong, I was always really nervous before the sessions but when I’m doing it, I’m really into it. It feels good to know I’m good at something." Tommy Harrison

Tommy was awarded Proper Pubs Community hero by popular vote in March for his work