Hull in print

Hundreds of amateur gardeners are awaiting the results of the Hull in Bloom competition.
The overall winners will be announced this month at an awards evening at Hull City Hall on September 18.
Already, winners from seven area heats have been chosen.
They include residents in a three-story block of flats on New George Street, near the city centre, who won best community garden (for the Riverside area).
Despite the garden being vandalised earlier in the year, the residents brought it back to life - with the help of Hull City Council's horticultural team.
Resident Evelyn Clark (59) said: "The vandals killed a lot of plants, they pinched some of the ornaments and tried to set the tubs alight- but the council were very helpful and they gave us some new plants.
"We've had loads of people walking past and asking if they can have a look. We've stuffed a couple of tracksuits full of straw to make scarecrows, just for a laugh."
Another area winner is pensioner William Kellington (pictured), of Wellbeck Street, who won the prize for best container growing (for Wyke area).

Paragon House Demolition

Keen-eyed passers-by may this month begin to notice that Paragon House, in Hull city centre, is shrinking.
The building is being demolished floor-by-floor in a nine-week operation which uses a robot digger to crush concrete beams.
Last month, a ceremony to start the demolition was attended by Cllr Andy Sloan, who is responsible for regeneration in the city.
He said: "The character of the city centre will continue to change even more as Paragon House disappears.
"Already the St Stephen's development next door is beginning to take shape and we are beginning to see the Hull of the future."
The demolition is taking place in stages for safety reasons because the building is so close to members of the public and other buildings.

Whole new world

More than 150 community and voluntary groups from across Hull are invited to the "Whole New World - New Beginnings" event at the KC Stadium on September 20.
The event will feature a market place where groups can exhibit their work, as well as seek advice on securing funding for the future.
The event has been organised by a charity called Developing Our Communities, in partnership with the Hull Community Network. It is backed by Hull City Council.
For more information and a booking form (free places are available) call Louise Cramond on 854550.

Full throttle against bike yobs

A scheme to crack-down on nuisance motorcycling, launched earlier this year in north Hull, will now extend city-wide.
Operation Espionage provides a trials-type motorcycle for a police officer to follow youths - at a safe distance - who are riding motorbikes illegally.
It is a partnership between Hull City Council and Humberside Police, and initially covered areas of north Hull, including Orchard Park, Greenwood Avenue and The Quadrant.
Now a Government grant of Ł10,000 will cover the cost of a second motorcycle and police rider, allowing the surveillance scheme to extend across the city.
The surveillance riders collect information such as names and addresses, which then leads to arrests, cautions, and the crushing of illegal bikes (often mini-motos like the one pictured above).

Pictured (L-R) are warden Chris Foley, Goodwin projects manager John Bolton, member of the House of Lords Baroness Andrews OBE, project user Mrs Nancy Penrose, and Goodwin's head of community services John Marshall MBE.

Service to elderly praised

Representatives from an older people's warden project in Hull were invited to the House of Lords in recognition of the project's valuable work- and to mark its first anniversary.
The Help the Aged Older People's Warden Project provides a reassuring presence to older residents through home visits, patrols and community activities. It's run in partnership with Hull City Council and the Goodwin Development Trust, and also includes the HandyVan service which helps the over-60s install home security.
Pictured (L-R) are warden Chris Foley, Goodwin projects manager John Bolton, member of the House of Lords Baroness Andrews OBE, project user Mrs Nancy Penrose, and Goodwin's head of community services John Marshall MBE.

Phones for cash

Hundreds of local residents have exchanged their old mobile phones for either cash or shopping vouchers in a scheme set up to help the environment.
The scheme, set up by Hull and East Riding councils, can offer up to Ł50 per mobile, and has already paid out more than Ł5,500.
At the same time it's helping to boost the region's recycling rates. Under the scheme residents can ring 0800 881 8032 or visit www.envirofone.com/kc * to have their old mobile collected from their doorstep.

Smooth operators

Young people from west Hull have been encouraging their friends and classmates to eat healthily.
The youngsters, aged from ten to 13, came up with the idea of producing fresh fruit smoothies.
They are members of the Jazz Hands Wyke Youth Forum, and meet every two weeks to discuss youth issues.
The smoothies were made in a range of flavours at the kitchens of Route One Youth Centre in Hall Road.
Helen Dalgairns of Hull Youth Council, who works with the young people, said: "They are now hoping to produce a healthy eating booklet to give nutritious recipe ideas for children and young people to try."

Apply for a school place online now!

Parents are being urged to use the council website at www.hullcc.gov.uk * to apply for a secondary school place for their children in September 2007.
A leaflet explaining how to do this is being posted to all parents of Year 6 pupils this month together with a pack enabling parents to make a paper application if they wish.
Staff at the council's Admissions Team say there are more advantages of applying on-line including speed, reliability and the ability to make changes right up to the deadline.
Parents who do not own a computer can access the Internet at libraries or customer service centres. Applications must be submitted between September 8 and October 20.

Changing tombs - graveyard makeover

A wildly-overgrown cemetery may be in line for a makeover.
Sculcoates Lane graveyard, which dates back to the 1860s, needs tidying up, local residents say.
The site is over-run with brambles, weeds and long grass, and many headstones are lost in the undergrowth.
Now the Sculcoates Lane Neighbourhood Association, the local vicar at St Mary's Church, and Hull City Council want to see changes.
Fran McStay, chair of the association, said: "It's like a jungle and so overgrown that people cannot get to the graves to lay flowers."
Talks are now being held with the Diocese of York, which owns the site, to see what can be done.

Licensing landlords

Private landlords who rent out their properties to antisocial tenants could soon come under tighter controls.
Hull City Council may soon have powers to force landlords to apply for a licence if they fail in their responsibilities. It's part of a new government scheme called Selective Licensing.
Already staff from the council's Environmental Health team have identified three areas of the city where they think the scheme could improve the private rented housing market, and help cut empty properties.
They include parts of Gypsyville, Newington & St Andrew's and Newbridge Road - and the council will soon be seeking the views of both residents and landlords in these areas about the scheme. For more information about Selective Licensing visit * or call 300300

Just the job

Unemployed people will meet prospective employers at The Wyke Area Jobs Training and Enterprise Fayre to be held at Hull Community Church in Newland Avenue on Monday September 11, from 10 am to 2pm.
More than 20 employers, including supermarkets, and training providers, such as Hull College, will attend.
Letters of invitation have been sent to 2,500 unemployed people in the Wyke area, but anyone in Hull who is seeking work can go along.
The event has been organised by Sure Start Newland and Avenues in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and Hull City Council.
James Shaw of Sure Start said: "For anyone looking for work, it's an event not to be missed."


< back	top ^