ALL HAIL THE BOWHEAD

It’s raining and cold today so I decide to go and see Bowhead in the Maritime Museum.

There is a beautiful staircase up to the next level but I try and avoid a pod of US school kids and take the lift to the first floor. Turn right and there’s a small room with a shy white sign saying BOWHEAD. It is dark and all I can make out is some seating at either side of the room with about 11 people seated here and there. I sit down trying not to get in anyone’s way but the only image at the moment is the sea and simulated at that. I had been lured in by the startling eye image of a whale which appeared in the adverts. There are some interesting artefacts of whaling downstairs such as scrimshaw (art on whale bone) and a stuffed polar bear that lived out its life at the zoological gardens, but it was a cruel trade catching these majestic creatures so I am not sure I want to explore that aspect of Hull Greenland hunting much more. I had expected an informative documentary about right whale hunting. Hull Had established a whaling port in the 1700’s which was the second most important in Europe. The city once stank from the stench of whale blubber and its by-products. I was not expecting 3D rendering of whales calmly swimming back and forth.. A young couple were sat next to me so I asked them what they had thought of it before they left. Emma told me “I just think it is a bit strange having a nicey nicey film about whales in a whaling museum it was so cruel”. Her boyfriend does not want to comment. “He didn’t like it” she tells me. I get up to read the three boards after the next viewing. It explains the music composition behind it which I found rather soothing. A lady sat next to me for viewing no. 2 agrees with me on that. I just get the idea it is more about advertising computer art courses at Hull University than Bowheads. No talking or written visuals. The boards tell me how the skills of computer game design can be transferred to film making. And there is a prospectus for the university nearby. A lady from Halifax liked the film but is upset it is not made clearer what the schedule of events will be over the next few days as she said “I can’t stay indefinitely”. A guy from Sutton and his wife Carol are more excited about Bowhead. This guy knows a lot about the history of fishing in Hull and is keen to tell me about a window not so far away where you would look out for the whaling steamers returning. It is not long to the next showing of Made in Hull. It is still raining heavily, so I head for Nero’s and get a seat in the window overlooking the square. A guy with a baby in a car seat is looking for a seat so I tell him the seat next to me is free. We get talking. He is a construction worker. His Dad used to work on Whaling steamers and he offers to get him to show me some of his relics at a later date. To the left of me is an older couple approaching 50. We watch Made in Hull from our seats. He tells me his father has some pictures pf Princess Gardens before it was filled in during the 1830s. The ships used to come right up to where the shopping centre is now. I decide to brave the outside for one last time. This performance I am looking at the Feren’s Art Gallery. There is a guy from Dublin there is a 1940's trilby hat. It is dark now his image against the bright screens stands out and is atmospheric. He is like a spy from the war years. He and his wife are visiting old friends from Hull. They are called Quinn and are from Dublin. Oh the irony of life. He tells his friends the peace process has worked in Ulster there is power sharing. I am sceptical of this but say nothing. I lived in Belfast for several years, Days later Martin McGuinness resigns. He takes loads of pictures of Hull being blown up. I would have preferred more images of whaling or trawling fisherman. I came from Coventry on my mum’s side, a city which was also heavily bombed during WWII. I am not sure this is what defines the Hull? Still many of the people I spoke to like the war bits best. It was so well orchestrated who wouldn’t with the smoke, fires, and laser beamed search lights. The sounds and visions of war brought to life. I go to the Deep once more and the crowds are even bigger today despite the rain. I speak to a Mum and her two kids. They enjoyed this film but the boys liked the “football one” most of all. Cold and tired I try and eat at the green tiled pub but am told I can’t sit in the snug and be served a meal there is too big a wait for tables and I would have to sit in the main bar. I get the feeling this is because I am alone and my pound will not go as far as a full table. A shame as this place has been done up since I was last here. So I drag my weary carcass to Princes Quay and get a much more friendly response at the laser quest and amusement arcade bar on the ground floor. The service is quick and the food reasonable. And there are toilets! Before I get home I get a tip off to come into town on Saturday night something “big” will be arriving. A large celebrity? A whale bone? I decide to come in on Saturday and search for clues.

#Hull #FerensArtGallery #CityofCulture #Bowhead