Hull's banana history featured in exhibition
These days, Humber Street in Hull is lined with coffee shops, galleries and bars, as the area continues to evolve into a leisure destination following a plan to regenerate the area in 2016.But, from the 16th Century, the cobbled street was home to a vibrant market and, after World War Two, it was thought to be the third largest fruit market in the UK, importing produce from all over the world.Now, an interactive exhibition, called Bananarchy at Humber Street Gallery, hopes to highlight the area's rich history, as well as giving visitors a reason to smile.
On the first floor, the exhibition features a maze made up of 1,560 banana boxes which artist Pippa Hale, 53, said was a nod to the purpose of the building in the 1950s. "This used to be a banana ripening room", she said. "It belonged to TJ Pupparts and was built on a bombed out site around 1956." Downstairs, you can dress up in a variety of banana-based outfits.Ms Hale said: "They're all connected to nicknames that people in the trade used to go by. If you didn't have a nickname, you were no one."She said the street echoed to the sound of shouting and barrows. People would have spats but they all ended each day as friends again.
Pamela Howes' father, George Noble, used to work in the building opposite at 14-15 Humber Street, part of which is now home to Mousey Brown's hair salon. Ms Howes, 70, said she loved coming down to the street on a Saturday as a five-year-old. "We got given apples and melons by all the traders and we used to feed all the cats - although we shouldn't have done because they were all wild," she said.Ms Howes said Mr Noble started on the street as a barrow boy, knocking on every door until he finally got a job in 1931 at AW Kirebye's, owned by a Danish company.
She said: "Eventually he became junior salesman then managing director, before the company was sold to Fyffes."She said the street was full of "nice memories"."We'd go round the other side of the building and watch the bananas come down. "And, on about three occasions, my dad found tarantulas in the bananas. Then you had to call up a person who would come and take them away.Ms Hale added: "What I like about this street now is that so much has been preserved and restored."The exhibition runs until Sunday 21 September.
Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
Devastated Kelsey Parker reveals unborn baby's tragic death just a week before her due date
TOM Parker's widow Kelsey has revealed the tragic death of her baby who was "born sleeping". Phoenix Parker-Lindsay died just one week before his due date. 2 Kelsey shared the devastating news by posting a poem to fans, "For Phoenix. Born sleeping, forever loved." Kelsey wrote on Instagram: "Before I receive an influx of lovely messages and heartfelt well wishes, I want to just say that I truly appreciate everything you are all going to say and share. "But with the news being so raw, I would really like to ensure that we as a family are given space and time to process this devastating and earth-shattering news. "I love you all and thank you for your understanding and piece."
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Curl power! Actress Karen Gillan's startling new hairstyle leaves fans stunned
Her bold hair transformations for movies and manic makeovers have earned her a reputation as one of Scotland's best-loved stars. But Karen Gillan 's latest 'do has left her fans scratching their own heads. The actress took to Instagram on Saturday to debut an outlandish new look that is worlds away from her usual sleek tresses. Posing in oversized sunglasses and a two-piece sweatsuit, Karen sported a voluminous perm in her signature ginger hue. With no caption to explain her radical new style, fans were left questioning whether the perm signals the start of a fresh filming project, or is simply a nod to the actress' quirky sense of humour. The mystery deepened as another photo shared on Karen's stories showed her crazy curls piled above her head – with an orange, crab cap perched jauntily on top. The surreal pictures are by no means the first time that Karen's hairdressing has turned heads. In 2013 the actress shaved her off her locks entirely in preparation for her role as Nebula in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Karen then recycled her shorn tresses when she appeared in a wig of her own hair later that year to play Amy Pond in a Doctor Who Christmas special episode. Steven Moffat, head writer on the show, joked: 'That wig is made of her own hair, it's just detachable now. When they cut her hair they made her a wig of her own hair. Didn't she look lovely?' Karen's shock chops are not limited to professional makeovers either, as the star has succumbed to a DIY disaster on several occasions. Last February, Karen filmed herself attempting to cut a new fringe minutes before she attended a promotional Q&A event. Documenting the ill-fated trim on TikTok she gasped: 'Oh my god, oh my god, this is a bad idea. That was a mistake: this is rubbish!'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Inside Emily Atack's son Barney's 1st birthday party with famous guest as Rivals star celebrates milestone
EMILY Atack threw a lavish party for her son Barney as he celebrated his 1st birthday. The bash included a very famous guest as the former I'm A Celebrity star celebrated the huge milestone. 6 6 6 Emily, 34, first rose to fame in 2008 when she played Charlotte Hinchcliffe in the hit TV sitcom, The Inbetweeners. She recently starred in the hit Disney+ series Rivals based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Dame Jilly Cooper. The TV personality gave birth to her first child, Barney, in June 2024 with her partner Alistair Garner. Now she is celebrating his first birthday with a lavish birthday party with her nearest and dearest. This included an appearance with her longtime friend and colleague Leigh Francis - who is also known by his TV alter-ego, Keith Lemon. Emily took to her Instagram story as she shared a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into the big day. The first image showed the comedian standing next to Emily's brother George Atack, who shared a striking resemblance with the TV personality. She humorously captioned the snap: "Twinnys." Emily has a long history of working with the Virgin Radio presenter as she has appeared in a number of his shows. In 2012, she appeared in Lemon La Vida Loca, before featuring in The Keith Lemon Sketch Show three years later. Emily Atack returns to TV after giving birth as she opens up about motherhood and naked scenes in Disney's Rivals She also worked with Paddy McGuinness in both series of The Keith & Paddy Picture Show. In 2020 she was made a team captain in the long-running ITV comedy panel show, Celebrity Juice alongside Laura Whitmore. Another snap showed a lavish grazing table filled with sweet treats such as strawberries, fairy cakes, mini donuts and small buckets of popcorn. The display also contained bespoke biscuits in the shape of the number one with pastel blue icing. Emily captioned the story: "Thank you @pinkgingercatering for making Barneys party absolutely perfect!" Other snaps show her family playing in plastic pens in the corner of her garden and a special painting corner for the children. The outdoor space was also decorated with bunting while guests tucked into the buffet. 6 6 6
