‘It may not win prizes for being the best looking, but it’s a great weekend destination’ – Travel writer’s take on Hull and what it has to offer

Peter Naldrett with his Bright Lights, Big Cities book
-Credit: (Image: Peter Naldrett)


Hull’s “treasure trove” of free-to-visit museums, its special links to the poet Philip Larkin and its standing as the chip spice capital of the UK feature in a new travel guide that has just been compiled by a Yorkshire author.

Sheffield-born Peter Naldrett has spent 18 months visiting all of the UK’s 76 cities for his book, Bright Lights, Big Cities. He has concentrated on the things to do and see in each place, to make the most of day trips and weekend stays.

Peter includes what to do, where to stay, what to eat (with some of his own personal favourite eateries listed) and how to get there. From Aberdeen to Armagh and Wakefield to Wrexham via London, Lincoln and Liverpool, Bright Lights, Big Cities sets out to uncover the best of what each destination has to offer.

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Not a stranger to Hull – “I’ve been to Hull several times, for the book and before” – Peter, who is a teacher of geography when he is not travelling or writing, has found plenty of pluses to what is an often maligned city. He loves The Deep, an attraction he first discovered some years ago while accompanying a group of GCSE leisure and tourism students on a visit.

In the book, he says: “The unmistakable, eye-catching building that houses The Deep may divide opinion, but it has become one of the city’s key landmarks. It even earned a place on a British postage stamp.

Yorkshire travel writer Peter Naldrett
Yorkshire travel writer Peter Naldrett -Credit:peter-naldrett.co.uk

“Some visitors think it looks like a boat sitting alongside the Humber Estuary, while others suggest it’s more like a shark rising from the sea. However you interpret Terry Farrell’s innovative building, journeying inside makes for a magical family day out as you explore the diverse range of marine species inside it.”

Peter, a former journalist, encourages readers to make time for visiting Hull – “it isn’t the most obvious place to buy a train ticket to and spend a weekend away” – if only for its museums. “The city has a treasure trove of little-known – and free – museums that will fill up your itinerary,” he says, singling out the Streetlife Museum of Transport, Wilberforce House, the Hands On History Museum and Ferens Art Gallery as must-sees for visitors.

“This delightful range of museums and galleries is well worth investing a day or two to explore. And what’s even better, they won’t cost you a penny.”

He covers Hull’s links to the celebrated poet Philip Larkin and suggests the Larkin Trail as something people ought to do. “He has perhaps surprising musical links with two of his favourite pubs on the Larkin Trail, Ye Olde Black Boy and The White Hart, where he gave talks to jazz societies and played some of his records.”

The family-friendly Fish Trail – “some of the fish are certainly not out of plaice – look for the electric eel outside the substation and the greedy shark next to a bank” – and chip spice get their own sections. Peter said: ”When you order your fish and chips in Hull, make sure you ask for chip spice to be on … while you’re inside a Hull chippy, add a pattie to your order.”

The author, who suggests people staying over in Hull try the Kingston Theatre Hotel and the Holiday Inn on Hull Marina, and highlights Humber Fish Co and El Toro as good “tuck in” spots, summed up Hull, saying: “The city of Hull may not win prizes for being the best looking, but there are several maritime-linked attractions here that make it a great weekend destination.

“You’re off the typical tourist trail here, so you can quietly and carefully explore the many nautical gems Hull has to offer.” Bright Lights, Big Cities, is published by Conway/Bloomsbury in paperback, costing £20, from all good bookshops and online and is also available as an Ebook.