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Original poster

Please tell me about Hull!

103 replies

nancy75 · 07/10/2022 15:46

DD is looking at Uni’s & one that offers a course she likes the look of is Hull. We live in London so I’m pretty clueless about what Hull is like (Google is not complementary, but then half the country think London’s a dump so that’s not much to go on!)
Most of the unis she’s looked at so far have been London/SE but we both think it might be good to look further afield (cost of living being an obvious advantage of moving away)
From her point of view she wants somewhere with a bit of life (nightlife in particular but also theatres & shops)
From a mum point of view I want somewhere reasonably safe (keep in mind we live in London so my idea of safe is not a little village!)

OP posts:
Mommabear20 · 07/10/2022 16:26

The only reason to go to Hull, is to board a ferry out!

siriusblackcat · 07/10/2022 16:27

nancy75 · 07/10/2022 16:25

So to get to places like Leeds is it just a train journey or would she need a car?

There's direct trains to Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, York and London.
Plus you can be at the coast in less than an hour.

wowthisisstrange · 07/10/2022 16:27

From Hull - afraid I couldn't wait to leave (although perhaps that's growing up there...) It's very cheap compared to lots of places and there are some nice bits, quite a few clubs etc. but it's very down at heel, but grim in some places.. I didn't feel comfortable walking anywhere there in the dark, everyone walked home in groups or got lifts. It's just a bit dull imo. Only really works if you have a car as public transport is extortionate for any distance. The avenues are very hit and miss - some are lovely, some are really awful. On the other hand, I know some people who went to the uni and loved it so I think it can be a bit marmite-y

SingingSands · 07/10/2022 16:36

I had one of the best nights out of my life in Hull, and I'd never been before and assumed it was a shithole. More fool me, it was a fantastic weekend.

For students it is a great place - I know a few people who did their degrees in Hull and loved their time there.

Bit odd for someone to say there are too many druggies and drop-outs as surely your DD won't be associating with them?!

My DD is at Liverpool Uni and there's plenty to pick on about that city, same as Glasgow, Sheffield or Birmingham. But Uni life is lived in more of a bubble, you're young and you don't bother about things in the same way you do in your forties!

2under2howscary · 07/10/2022 16:58

Chip spice is like a paprika seasoning for chips. It's served on all the chips at takeaways etc in Hull.

I moved further north a couple years ago and I miss it so much!!

There are bad parts, but there's some lovely areas and the station is easy to get too in order to get to different cities

sparklyfacemask · 07/10/2022 17:16

If she's going to be traveling from uni to London back and forth a lot Hull trains are worth looking at. I've grabbed some real bargains on there and find them often much cheaper than the mainline London-York-Edinburgh route.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 07/10/2022 17:17

Most people I know who bash Hull have never actually been…
it’s great. Has a great aquarium, some really nice parks, there’s some really good gig venues and it’s much cheaper than say Manchester to live and for a night out.

addler · 07/10/2022 17:18

Hull's had a lot of revamping going on lately. My dad's family is from there so we go up every now and then to visit and alway enjoy it. A great night out too!

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 07/10/2022 17:19

Oh and chip spice is divine.

Mycatsgoldtooth · 07/10/2022 17:22

Hull has some amazing qualities. It would be a great place to be a student.

doesthatmakesense · 07/10/2022 17:23

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This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

HashtagShitShop · 07/10/2022 17:30

As a rival town across the water, the only good part is the road out 🤣

More seriously its had a lot of investment ( to the cost of the rest of the surrounding towns and cities imo) and was the city of culture a few years ago. There's a lot to do and see.

MynameisJune · 07/10/2022 17:31

Live close to Hull, the old town is a great night out now. The city has had a lot of investment since it was the city of culture.

Like everywhere there are good and bad bits but it’s definitely going through a phase of regeneration compared to what it was when I was younger.

bigbluebus · 07/10/2022 17:31

DS finished his Masters at Hull Uni last year after doing his BA there. He loved it - and we did too as the accommodation was cheap (once he left halls anyway!) He would have stayed there if he'd found a job.

I think all the halls of residence are on campus now - they had some in Cottingham when DS started. Newland Avenue is great for cafes/bars/restaurants and is a short walk from the Uni.

If you go to the open day and the city bus tour is on offer I would recommend going on it as you'll get to see down by the marina and the Old Town. We love a good trip around the pubs of the Old Town or Humber Street when we've visited.

Parts of Beverley Road (one of the main roads from City centre up to the Uni) is pretty grotty in places but you could say the same about parts of any city.

bigbluebus · 07/10/2022 17:34

Also Beverley is lovely and only a few miles up the road and DS often had trips to Leeds and York by train.

You don't need a car there. DS left his at home as train fare was pretty cheap with a railcard (we're 150 miles away) and he didn't need to use it when he was in Hull.

Blix · 07/10/2022 17:39

I live near Hull and DS moved there a couple of years ago.
I love Hull and think it's hugely underrated. Yes there are dodgy areas, but it's a city. There seems to be great nightlife and the old town and marina have really moved up a level.
Accommodation is very cheap to rent (and to buy - DS bought a house at 24).
Nearby is the Yorkshire coast and York.

PinkArt · 07/10/2022 17:42

Chip Spice is amazing. It's sort of paprika, salt and pure MSG and is divine!

I was there about 20 years ago. I chose it as at the time it had the best department in the country for my course (based on her other options I suspect the one she is looking at. If she visits the Gulbenkian she won't want to study anywhere else!). The huge benefit I discovered once I was there was quite how cheap it was - I could live of a fivers worth of veg and value pasta most weeks and there was an all you can drink night for £6 at one stage. A pizza on the way home after a messy night at the uni was something ridiculous like £2.50. Your money will stretch a long way.
The downside to me is that for a city that pitches itself as very friendly, it means it is very friendly to other white, straight, northern, working class people. If you are not those things, the city centre can feel very unfriendly at times. We learned that you go into town on student nights but not at weekends.
What I do love about it as a city though is that it knows it's not a list, it knows the government aren't going to help and so it tries to help itself. It got city of culture, it's got Hull trains direct from London now rather than the depressing change at Doncaster, it has it's own telephone system! It suffered so badly from bombing in the war and didn't receive much tlc as it was rebuilt but it feels like a place with some get up and go.

Jseeray · 07/10/2022 17:47

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted as the poster is a troll.

2under2howscary · 07/10/2022 17:51

Hull fair is also really good.

KandtheQueens · 07/10/2022 18:03

I lived in Hull for 8 years and went to university there.

Great city, cheap place to live. Great music scene (Spiders is one of my favourite ever clubs), great theatres, fantastic museums and gallery (all free to enter), you have the whole east coast on your doorstep (I'd highly recommend day trips to Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Filey), and there is always some sort of festival/event on. As an example, they have a steampunk festival coming up for Halloween and had their annual Freedom Festival in September.

Hull is not as 'lively' as London but I actually prefer that-there's more room to just be if that makes sense?

I grew up in London. I prefer Hull Smile

siriusblackcat · 07/10/2022 18:12

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted as the poster is a troll.

That's a bit harsh! I know lots of people and not one of them is either fat, racist or UKIP.

Plenty of people on here who have positive stories about the Uni and city.

BrambleyHedge · 07/10/2022 18:15

I went to Hull and totally loved it but it was a while ago (met my husband there 25 years ago this week in freshers week 😃!) I have visited since a few years ago and it looked like a great place to be a student (I work in a university so was a bit jealous). Hopefully someone with much more recent experience will agree.

sopsmum · 07/10/2022 20:59

I did a law degree in hull 20 odd years ago. I had a fab time and got a training contract at a city firm easily. Students and locals didnt mix when i was there and it wasnt very diverse but strangely loads from london.

Original poster
nancy75 · 07/10/2022 21:42

sopsmum · 07/10/2022 20:59

I did a law degree in hull 20 odd years ago. I had a fab time and got a training contract at a city firm easily. Students and locals didnt mix when i was there and it wasnt very diverse but strangely loads from london.

Probably loads from London due to the huge difference in house prices even then. My rent 20 years ago here was more than it would be in Hull now!

Thank you everyone for all your input, DD has been very set on London up til now - I don’t think she really believed there was life outside the M25! She’s gone from being reluctant to consider it to actually very keen to go & have a look round

OP posts:
fallinover · 07/10/2022 23:02

When we lived in York it was one of our favorite days out with dc.
So not helpful for students but we really liked it.