Hull’s a poppin’

In early January, lastminute.com recommended its top 15 destinations for 2017. In 12th spot, just above Montreal, Croatia and Japan, was Hull. And if you’re tempted to opt for a snooty chuckle at this point, my advice would be to go to Hull — because, judging from my recent experience, even on a cold January weekend, the place is buzzing with a hugely infectious, if still slightly bashful, sense of rediscovered civic pride. ‘I’ve lived here for 50 years,’ one man told me, ‘and this is the greatest thing that’s happened to the city in my time.’

The ‘this’ he’s referring to is, of course, Hull’s status as the UK City of Culture for 2017. When the government announced the news four years ago, it was greeted with amusement by some people — not all of them living elsewhere. (‘You’re only here for the culture,’ became a regular chant at Hull City home matches, especially when London teams were visiting.