Kingston upon Hull, often shortened to Hull, is a city in East Yorkshire, England, located where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary, about 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Historically a market town, military supply port, trading hub, and a significant fishing and whaling center, Hull has evolved into a modern city with a rich maritime heritage and a growing cultural scene.
The city's origins date back to the 12th century, developing as a port for the wool trade by the monks of Meaux Abbey. In 1293, King Edward I acquired the town, then known as Wyke, and in 1299 granted it a Royal Charter, renaming it Kingston upon Hull. Its strategic location made it a vital port, facilitating trade with Europe and beyond.
Hull played a notable role in English history, particularly during the English Civil War when it sided with Parliament and famously denied entry to King Charles I, an act considered to have contributed to the start of the conflict. The city also became a center for the anti-slavery movement, being the birthplace of William Wilberforce, a key figure in the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. His birthplace, Wilberforce House, is now a museum.
While its traditional industries like fishing and whaling have declined, Hull remains an important port city with modern docks handling significant cargo. It has also seen regeneration efforts, particularly after being named the UK City of Culture in 2017, which brought investment and highlighted its cultural assets.
Culturally, Hull offers a variety of attractions, including The Deep, a striking aquarium; the Museums Quarter in the Old Town, featuring the Streetlife Museum and the Hull and East Riding Museum; and the Ferens Art Gallery, home to a diverse collection of art. The city also has a vibrant arts scene with theaters and music venues, including the legendary Adelphi Club. Hull's unique character is reflected in its dialect, known as "Hullensian," and its friendly, resilient population.
Some tips above of how can cities reduce their carbon footprint and below a video of how the capital city of Sweden, Stockholm, is tackling with traffic & environment.
Browsing the internet, I came across this video that gives us a tour guide of the two German cities which have been our destination during our school exchange visits there: Frankfurt & Nuremberg. The video belongs to the series of Rick Davies Europe Travel guides. On it you can see many of the places we've visited in both cities during our stays there. A reminder of some great experiences.
Keane's song takes us to the German city of Hamburg. Lyrics after video below.
Video "HAMBURG SONG", Keane:
I don't wanna be adored Don't wanna be first in line Or make myself heard I'd like to bring a little light To shine a light on your life To make you feel loved
No, I don't wanna be the only one you know I wanna be the place you call home
I lay myself down To make it so But you don't want to know I give much more than I'd ever ask for
Will you see me in the end Or is it just a waste of time? Tryin' to be your friend? Just shine, shine, shine Shine a little light Shine a light on my life And warm me up again
Fool, I wonder if you know yourself at all You know that it could be so simple
I lay myself down To make it so But you don't want to know You take much more than I'd ever ask for
Say a word or two to brighten my day Do you think that you could see your way
To lay yourself down And make it so? But you don't want to know You take much more than I'd ever ask for
Being today, March 17th, Saint Patrick's day, the patron of Ireland, so Ed Sheeran's song with a city's name takes us to the Irish city of Galway, and the story he had with a girl he met there. Song's lyrics after the video.
She played the fiddle in an Irish band But she fell in love with an English man Kissed her on the neck and then I took her by the hand Said, "Baby, I just want to dance"
I met her on Grafton street right outside of the bar She shared a cigarette with me while her brother played the guitar She asked me what does it mean, the Gaelic ink on your arm? Said it was one of my friend's songs, do you want to drink on? She took Jamie as a chaser, Jack for the fun She got Arthur on the table with Johnny riding a shotgun Chatted some more, one more drink at the bar Then put Van on the jukebox, got up to dance
You know, she played the fiddle in an Irish band But she fell in love with an English man Kissed her on the neck and then I took her by the hand Said, "Baby, I just want to dance" With my pretty little Galway Girl You're my pretty little Galway Girl
You know she beat me at darts and then she beat me at pool And then she kissed me like there was nobody else in the room As last orders were called was when she stood on the stool After dancing to Cèilidh singing to trad tunes I never heard Carrickfergus ever sang so sweet A capella in the bar using her feet for a beat Oh, I could have that voice playing on repeat for a week And in this packed out room swear she was singing to me
You know, she played the fiddle in an Irish band But she fell in love with an English man Kissed her on the neck and then I took her by the hand Said, "Baby, I just want to dance" My pretty little Galway Girl My, my, my, my, my, my, my Galway Girl My, my, my, my, my, my, my Galway Girl My, my, my, my, my, my, my Galway Girl
And now we've outstayed our welcome and it's closing time I was holding her hand, her hand was holding mine Our coats both smell of smoke, whisky and wine As we fill up our lungs with the cold air of the night I walked her home then she took me inside To finish some Doritos and another bottle of wine I swear I'm gonna put you in a song that I write About a Galway Girl and a perfect night
She played the fiddle in an Irish band But she fell in love with an English man Kissed her on the neck and then I took her by the hand Said, "Baby, I just want to dance" My pretty little Galway Girl My, my, my, my, my, my, my Galway Girl My, my, my, my, my, my, my Galway Girl My, my, my, my, my, my, my Galway Girl
A song by Bruce Springsteen is our city song today and he takes us to the streets of another American city Philadelphia on the song with the same title. The song belongs to the original soundtrack of the film "Philadelphia", which dealt the the topic of AIDS during its first years of appearance.
With the group The 1975 we visit France capital, "PARIS". Lyrics below after video.
She said hello, she was letting me know We shared friends in Soho She is a pain in the nose And I'm a pain in women's clothes And you're a walking overdose in a great coat
And so she wrote a plan for it on the back of a fag packet She had to leave because she couldn't hack it Not a lot of noise and too much racket I think I've spent all my money and your friends, oh
But how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again) Oh, how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again)
Mr. Serotonin Man, lend me a gram You call yourself a friend? I got two left feet and I'm starting to cheat On my girlfriend again I caught a pinky in her nose As the crowd cheered for an overdose And I don't suppose you know where this train goes There was a party that she had to miss Because her friend kept cutting her wrists Hyperpoliticized sexual trysts Oh, I think my boyfriend's a nihilist I said, hey kids we're all just the same What a shame
Ya know, how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again) And how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again)
Oh stop being an asshole And counting my eye rolls And like pistols falls in the snow Uh oh Keeping paying the tab on my half Man you putting me up on a shelf Well I believed you're clean But only I've seen your fist for myself
And then she pointed at a bag of her dreams In a well posh magazine I said I'm done, babe I'm out of the scene, But I was picking up from Bethnal Green She said I've been romanticizing heroin
And oh how I'd love to go to Paris, to Paris again (again, again, again and again) And how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again) And how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again) And how I'd love to go to Paris again (again, again, again and again)
Abba's turn to sing a song about their hometown Stockholm in "SUMMER NIGHT CITY", where there's almost 24-hour-daylight during the summer period. Their video shows views of Sweden's capital.
Lyrics on video subtitles.
Another song by Abba is "I AM THE CITY". Lyrics below after video.
i am the city, you let me be i am the city
Coming through a cloud you're looking at me from above And I'm a revelation spreading out before your eyes And you find me beautiful and irresistible A kind of creature that forever seems to grow in size And you feel a strange attraction The air is vibrant and electrified Welcome to me here I am, my arms are open wide
Somewhere in the middle of the never ending noise There is a constant steady rhythm of a heart that beats And a million voices blend into a single voice And you can hear it in the glamor of the crowded streets People come and take their chances Sometimes you win sometimes you lose a lot Come make your own contribution to this melting pot
I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city The skyline is me and the energy I am the city The famous hotels and the cocktail bars And the funny smells And the turmoil, the cars and the people The air that you're breathing is me Yes I am the city, you let me be
People feed me with their lives I have a hungry soul And they all worship me and pay their homage day and night Every day I knew a lot of tired shopping feet But come the night they will be dancing in the neon light Dazzled by the crazy magic They're grabbing pieces of the fatted calf And in the wind if you listen hard you'll hear me laugh
I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city The skyline is me and the energy I am the city The famous hotels and the cocktail bars And the funny smells And the turmoil, the cars and the people The parks and the squares that you see All the sounds that you hear And the air that you're breathing is me Yes I am the city, you let me be
I am the city You let me be I am the city
The famous hotels and the cocktail bars And the funny smells And the turmoil the cars and the people The air that you're breathing is me
Coming through a cloud You're looking at me from above And I'm a revelation spreading out before your eyes
I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city Yes I am the city, you let me be
And you find me beautiful and irresistible A kind of creature that forever seems to grow in size
The skyline is me and the energy I am the city You let me be
Somewhere in the middle of the never ending noise There is a constant steady rhythm of a heart that beats
Somewhere in the middle of the never ending noise There is a constant steady rhythm of a heart that beats
And a million voices blend into a single voice And you can hear it in the glamor of the crowded streets
The skyline is me and the energy I am the city You let me be
Somewhere in the middle of the never ending noise There is a constant steady rhythm of a heart that beats
Somewhere in the middle of the never ending noise There is a constant steady rhythm of a heart that beats
Here's the link that takes you to 10 video guides of cities around the world: NEW YORK, LONDON, PARIS, DUBLIN, EDINBURGH, AMSTERDAM, BARCELONA, ROME, PRAGUE, RIO DE JANEIRO.
Today's song sets us in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The song belongs to the musical "Chess", which tells the story of chess players lives during different championships, one of them being held in this city. Musical composed by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, sung by Murray Head.
This site is used with a non-profit educational purpose only. If you find content (photo/video...) you think shouldn't have been included here, please tell me so I can delete it. Thanks.
