10 Tips to Improve Your Visit to The Deep Submarium, Kingston Upon Hull

Raphael's visit to the worlds only Submarium.

We had great fun, especially Raphael.

We were very pleased to see that The Deep had been presented with many awards.

Best UK Aquarium
Best Yorkshire Family Attraction

Best UK permanent Exhibition
Runner up Best New Tourist Attraction/Initiative

in the World.

The Deep is a conservation and educational charity which runs one of the deepest aquariums in the world.

40 sharks and over 3500 fish are housed in this public aquarium dedicated to increasing peoples enjoyment and understanding

of the World’s oceans.

These are just a few of the beautiful fish I managed to take pictures of.

The Jellyfish were absolutely stunning.

The Sea Snails were ENORMOUS!

The Dinosaur skeletons, very lifelike.

The Deep can boast Europe’s deepest underwater viewing tunnel.

A spectacular Glass lift rides through a 10 m deep tank.

The Deep was funded by the National Lottery’s Millennium Commission Project, and opened in March 2002. This tourist attraction can boast being the most successful millennium project in the Country to date.

10 Tips to Improve Your Visit to
Kingston upon Hull’s
~THE DEEP~

1. Check online before you go… currently 10% discount if you book online.

2. Retain car parking sticker to redeem in the café.

3. Don’t expect to be able to take flash photography, it startles the fish.


4. No need to take any food or snacks - The Deep caters well for hungry visitors.

5. You don’t need to buy a visitors guide, check out their website prior to your visit and print out their PDF brochure, saves yourself £3.00.

6. Take plenty of spare cash for the well stocked, colourful shop at the exit. On offer were good quality souvenirs especially targeted at the younger age group. "Original Shop Name"!

7. The Observatory, looking out over the River Humber is a good place to stop and eat. The Deep have thoughtfully installed a very heavy, external door leading to a small viewing area to capture the stunning views up and down the Humber. It does seem highly dangerous (sheer drop) and many children do visit the Deep, so this is a vital safety addition.

8. Children are encouraged to touch some of the animals supervised during a presentation. The presenter advised everyone to wash their hands after touching the animals. It would have been helpful if she had continued and told us all actually where to wash them? So, it would have been useful to take baby wipes with us, but will know to do this next time.

9. There were lots of seats all around the Aquarium for viewing the fabulous fish, all strategically placed for maximum observation. The whole exhibition took around 2 hours to complete and that included stopping a bit.



10. Finally, it’s a good idea to leave heavy outdoor coats in your car, The Deep gets very warm inside.

~~~

This is actually a picture hanging on the wall at The Deep,(outside the toilets) it fascinated Raphael so much, I had to take a picture!

I would certainly visit The Deep again and have no hesitation recommending this brilliant attraction in Hull. If you would like to find out more click the link to take you to their website.

http://www.thedeep.co.uk/

Dinosaurs in Hull?

Are There Dinosaurs in Hull?

Yes there are, in an excellent, privately owned Dinosaur Museum named DINOSTAR http://www.dinostar.co.uk/ in the old town of Kingston Upon Hull. The museum is housed in a former fruit warehouse and although small is packed full of things to touch and see.

Raphael is a big dinosaur fan, this photo was taken in the local garden centre cafe! They were kind enough to provide these as entertainment whilst we waited for our food.

Raffi absolutely loves anything to do with dinosaurs and I thought he would love a visit to Hull's only dinosaur museum. We found it on the corner of Humber Street and Queen Street, two-minutes' walk from The Deep, Victoria Pier and the Marina. So plenty of other things for us to do if necessary. Once inside there were plenty of exciting things to see and touch...

The skull of a T.Rex...certainly wow!

This is an Allosaur Skull that you can touch

Upstairs were more fascinating pieces

If you are visiting, and I would throughly recommend it, you should follow signs to the Fruit Market from Castle Street (A63).

Parking is available in Blanket Row "Pay & Display" Car Park or there is free parking in nearby streets with a two-hour limit.

Admission is £3 for adults, £1.50 for children and senior citizens.

Raphael and I spent a great afternoon adventuring at the museum.

Unique to Hull - its Accent! (Repost)

'Ave ya gorra 'ull accent?!!

Many moons ago, when I was growing up, my mother imprinted into my brain the importance of good speech and elocution. She would often be referred to "as someone who spoke the Queen's English"! (Rather posh!).

By the time I reached my rebellious teenage years I had adeptly mastered the art of having 2 ways of speaking…. one for my mother, not drooping any letters, never saying what, and always maintaining eye contact! The other for my school friends, where I fell into "'ull speak" (The art of talking Hull slang) or sloppy talking as my mother would say, I did, quite easily. Peer pressure at school dictated how we all spoke, I never wanted to appear different in any way from my fellow school friends.

However, on leaving school I made a mental decision, my speech would be 'proper' and well elocuted from then on and not associated with anywhere geographically accented!

My accent has served me well in many ways, with building my confidence, different 'people' jobs, and the most noticeable, when Eric, my husband arrived for the first time in England from Lebanon, to Hull my hometown.

Eric's English was good when he arrived here, learnt in America/Canada and spoken fluently daily.

Unfortunately for him, all over the UK different accents and dialects can be heard, but Hull is the exception, we have a language of our own. A sort of mix of shortened words and ALWAYS never pronounce 'H'!

These are a few examples of what poor Eric had to contend with….

"I'll bray yer eddin!!"

I am going to fight you.

"It's maftin' in ere"

It's rather hot in here.

"It's silin' down awtside"

It's raining outside.

"Shut yer cake ole"

Please be quiet.

"I gorrit far nawt"

I did not pay anything.

"Yer for-ever mernin"

You do complain a lot.

"Ayer gorra bruvva?"

Have you got a brother?

There are many, many more and I became the 'translator' for once. Eric often referred to those early days "as a pain in the ass", he swore a lot and often said "I want to go home, I can't deal with this shit"!!

Today when I listen to him talking to his friends and neighbours, he himself has developed 'ull speak' he has come to realise that if he doesn't learn the lingo, he can't communicate!

He was fortunate to have had a 'home grown' translator in the beginning. (Me!!).

Many of the foreigners coming into Hull must have a hell of a hard time understanding anything!

So the motto "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", rings very true in this case…..

Learn the Lingo or be Left Behind!

Do you have a dialect hard to understand in your town?

What slang words do YOU use that are queer or peculiar to

your town?

Thanks for reading, and do please comment, your input is much appreciated.

Written by Cinnamon , Sue - Raphael's Mum

THE SMARTER SHOPPER in Hull

Charity Begins at Home... A few local ideas

Sun in Hull…enough to put a smile on your face.

Three Thrifty Ways To Shop and
Four Thought Provoking Questions!

Your junk could be another man's treasure…

Now the weather has changed to typically cold and wet for this time of year I am reminded of our summer outings and wanted to share this with you.

In our depressing economy everyone is looking to save a few pennies or make some extra pocket money. I am no different, in fact I am a sucker for any sort of sale!

I regularly visit "Car Boot Sales." These are a mainly British form of market where private individuals come together to sell household goods.

I do so love the hustle bustle of these sales, the many chattering people, the constant searching through the goods, the bartering that follows, and the excitement at the end of the day, tired and worn out but elated and jubilant as you pack your car boot bargains! We don't need to travel to far to our nearest Car Boot Sale. Nearly every day of the week, within a short car journey there is a sale/market of some sort. Most kick off at around 6.00 or 7.00 am - You do need to get there early, we found if you do, you can choose the better pitches… i.e. for customers, sun, shade etc! The biggest Car Boot Sale we have is sited on an expanse of land used for our annual funfair. Many cars and stalls set up twice a week on this site. New, second hand, tat, food and rogue traders all operate at the market. There is even and out of date food stall - this is very popular!

The rogue sellers wander the market selling imported cigarettes. Some have bicycles to make a quick getaway. There are also numerous stall holders selling copy DVD's. Top movies that are not available here in the UK yet. The problem is so huge that the local police only periodically raid the market. The culprits just move elsewhere. The big attraction for younger members of the family is usually ice cream….sold from an ice-cream van, low quality, whippy foam!

I loathe it, Raffi will eat this enthusiastically even at 8.00 am in the morning!

Other Car Boot Sales we go to are often held in the playgrounds of schools and other community centres, or in grassed fields or pub car parks. Depending on where the sale is sited (in the city) will depend on how affluent buyers and sellers are. The more exclusive neighbourhoods tend to produce better quality items. To sell, you pay a nominal fee, here in Hull £6 a pitch. This includes space to set up a trellis table in front of your car. Then you can display your goods for sale. Entry to the general public is usually free, although sometimes a small admission charge is made. Anyone can sell their goods at a car boot sale, whether a first-timer, a regular, or a seasoned professional. Often home owners moving house sell at car boot sales to clear unwanted goods or perhaps goods from the home of a deceased relative.

I am truly amazed every week what people sell or expect you to buy and their brazenness at how they try and sell it! Do I really want broken crockery or a faulty light fitting? I think not. But hey, there are plenty that do!

I have found over the years, bartering for goods is common place and now almost expected. Perhaps because of the influx of different nationalities into this city, and their different attitude to buying and selling, has changed peoples view of the 'fixed price' syndrome. I am comfortable bartering here in the UK but find it hard abroad. High pressure selling techniques used in markets abroad is common place. It makes me very nervous!

Looking at the USA, it seems common place to hold garage/yard sales, I was aware of these, but not aware that in some cities, such as Beverly Hills, California, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania , homeowners are required to apply and pay for a yard sale permit, and even with that homeowners in Beverly Hills can only hold yard sales in the back of their homes.

Other sorts of sales that are generally peculiar to the UK are "Jumble Sales," an event at which second hand goods are sold, usually by an institution such as a local Scout or Brownie Group, school or church, as a fundraising or charitable effort. Local people are asked to donate goods, which are set out on tables in the same manner as Car Boot Sales, and sold to members of the general public. There is usually a charge of around 50p to enter the sale. Jumble Sales are becoming less prevalent in the UK, as Car Boot Sales and the World Wide Web enable people to sell their unwanted goods rather than donate them to charity…. …which leads me nicely into my final alternative place to shop!

In the UK we have a British Institution called "The Charity Shop". These are shops selling mainly second-hand donated goods/clothes to raise funds for their parent charities. Traditionally, charity shops used to occupy unpopular shops in low traffic areas, but now the majority are not only permanent, but are often in prime trading locations. We have 6 charity shops at the top of our street. Probably the most well know charity shop is Oxfam, first opened in 1947/48, in Oxford, England, and is still in operation today. Charity shops can be found on most high streets throughout the country.

Those were my Three Thrifty Ways to Shop…. and now

Four Thought Provoking Questions…

1. Where do you shop for your second hand bargains?
2. Is there a stigma attached to "buying other peoples clothes?"
3. Do you donate your clothes to a charitable cause?
4. Are you wearing anything second hand right now?

Well that is it, as always comments very much appreciated, have a great evening and thank you for reading.



Written By ~Sue Raphael's Mum~

Me and My Camera

25th December 2008....the perfect Christmas present for me from Eric, my husband. I have been using a digital camera for 2 years and have taken masses of wonderful pictures, but now is the time to move on and upgrade. My knowledge of photography is fairly limited, I know my Sony Cybershot very well, inside out,so the obvious choice was to upgrade to another Sony. I was to upgrade to a Sony 350 DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera.

Eric went out before Christmas to buy my camera package. I was thrilled to open it Christmas Day but devastated to find that Eric had been sold the wrong memory card for my new toy! He returned to Curry's St Andrews Quay, Hull to be greeted by a very rude assistant who didn't seem to realise that they ("Curry's") had messed up our Christmas big time. Eric demanded a full refund due to their incompetence which they reluctantly agreed too.

Yesterday 28th December Eric and I went into Hull City Centre to Jessop's Camera Shop. "My" camera was there in the display case, I had set my heart on that model so went ahead and bought it. The service was excellent, the sales assistant went out of his way to give us everything we needed and more besides! One drawback, the only camera they had, was the one on display, Eric being Eric wanted a boxed set so we arranged to travel 9 miles over to Beverley to their other branch to collect it.

Today, 29th December 2008 the fun begins. Battery charged, correct memory card inserted and several pictures taken. I am a happy bunny! Thanks Eric :-).

Kingston Communications Yellow Telephone Box, Hull, UK.

From Hull is Never Dull!

Kingston Upon Hull is unique, we have our very own independent telephone network company, and remains the only locally operated telephone company in the UK! This means we have the privilege of using cream coloured phone boxes...or mucky cream if you are looking at my picture!

Added to that no crown appears on our phone boxes like the red ones elsewhere in the UK!

Images of Kingston Upon Hull, November 2008

A compilation of shots, my hometown, Kingston Upon Hull.

Taken throughout November 2008, predominantly around Newland Avenue.