December 2021
Volunteer, Mac Jordan visited the museum following the decamp of the collection and ahead of refurbishment works getting underway. Here's their account of the visit on 26 November 2021
As a (sadly) occasional volunteer at the Hull Maritime, I was thrilled to be invited to tour the museum once the decant was complete. It’s probably my favourite building in Hull, built as the city’s Dock Office, and redolent with fol de rol, as wealthy Victorians were wont to do.
It has beautiful carvings, glorious stained glass, and more. However, it was quite sad to see it in its undressed state, even knowing that it will be back, bigger and better, in 2024; refurbished, improved, and a state of the art building ready to play its part in the Hull Maritime City project.
We were guided all round the building, including bits I didn’t even know were there. Some rather shabby and forgotten offices right up on the top floor, converted in what could only be charitably described as an unsympathetic manner, are to be completely refurbished and opened up as a new space with a glass roof.
There are to be new exhibit cabinets, audio visual projections, and Erikthe polar bear and the skeleton of the Right Whale will return home to their rightful place.
I’m quite sure it will all be wonderful when it’s finished, and the museum will regain its place as one of Hull’s favourite visitor attractions.
