Travelling on...

Went to the last night of Hull Fair (much of which heads to the north east coast now). Finn was brave the other night when we took him and actually went on a ride but this time around would only shake his head in the negative whenever we suggested that he repeat his impressive feat. We bought some horrible chips that made Bob Carver's greasy efforts seem like Michelin Star winners in comparison. We looked at the flashing lights and went "ooh" and "aah" because that's what you do when you take an almost two-year-old along for the non-ride. Me and Hull Fair go way back - mother used to run an off-license on the corner of the street that hosts the fair so I used to go every night. I miss the goldfish, the boxing booth and really wanting to get on the latest, most expensive rides. The vomit, well, I'm happy to live without that.

The fun of the fair...

Great sight at Hull Fair yesterday that struck me as a typical Hull scene. M was busy telling me not to take the pic as the old woman got closer to us!

Fair enough...

To Hull Fair - highlight in the city calendar until all this Premier League football nonsense came along and still that largest travelling fair in Europe. Finn's first ever fun fair - he looked on in amazement as we passed flashing lights, spinning things and official street hawkers. You can't beat the combined smell of diesel and greasy food. And wasting yet more money trying to get an old-skool style Coca Cola bottle to stand up with a stick with a piece of string and a hook hanging off it. The photo montage is all my own work.

Fair enough...

Didn't get round to posting this dazzling image when I planned. This is as close as I got to Hull Fair this year - just a passing blur from a Northern train taking me from Beverley to Hull. I didn't miss the nausea although I wouldn't've minded a bag of Carver's chips, a nice greasy burger and a toffee apple. Must try harder next year.

Two old women on the bus: "My niece came to have a look at the new shopping centre. She thought it was bloody rubbish."
"It is bloody rubbish."
"You're right. So she's gone back home to Manchester and that's what she'll be telling everyone there - that new shopping centre in Hull's bloody rubbish. They got shops there already in Manchester, see?"
Meanwhile, I had a strange moment in Hull's transport interchange the other day, when I had a few minutes to spare and started looking around. I thought to myself, actually, this is all quite impressive. Unfortunately, Phil and Kirstie off of Location, Location, Location will be revealing that Hull is the second worst place to live in the country tomorrow night, while we're also developing a reputation for drinking a tad too much around here, so the renaissance is getting a reality check. Actually, Hull's inclusion on the Location, Location, Location hit list is a tad baffling when you read their own words: "Hull makes a return to the list as the 2nd worst place to live, following it being declared the “worst” place in 2005, but then improving enough to not even make the top 10 last year" and suggests a bit of arbitrary sticking pins in a map slice of randomness to me. Still, all nice publicity for the show and that's all that matters...

In other news, here's a film - I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With - that, title aside, has all the makings of a Killing Time favourite, starring two of my favourite people - Jeff Garlin (of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame) and the luverly Sarah Silverman, who should feel lucky that we are separated by a rather large ocean, otherwise I would be stalking her.

Tags: Hull Fair, Hull, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sarah Silverman