I grew up in Hull. My dad was a fruit importer with a warehouse in Humber Street where I spent many Saturday mornings and holidays barrowing boxes of apples and oranges about. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the arts scene since I came back here after university as administrator of Hull Arts Centre in 1969. The first play when the arts centre opened in a converted church hall in Spring Street was Alan Plater’s ‘Don’t Build a Bridge, Drain the River’ with music by The Watersons and Michael Chapman. Hull actor Barrie Rutter was in the company then so it was great to meet him again last week in the foyer of Hull Truck after his performance of King Lear. The changes that are coming to the Fruit Market and to the city are momentous and so exciting. I love the new can-do spirit that’s around. It’s the spirit that made Amy Johnson, Hull’s aviator heroine, such an amazing pioneering woman. Hull’s taking flight and flying high just as she did!

 The Changing Face Exhibition preview event is happening on April the 2nd you can book tickets for it by following this link:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-changing-face-of-hull-preview-tickets-16160036103?aff=efbevent

Photo © Quentin Budworth