10,000 go behind the scenes at Hull Heritage Open Days
HULL Civic Society is celebrating the most popular Heritage Open Days event in its 30-year history.
Last weekend saw dozens of historic buildings throw their doors open to the public in a programme of free guided tours.
In addition, a two-day series of talks were staged at the Hull History Centre while Trinity Square in the city centre hosted a fun day featuring a range of activities for all ages.
The society helped organise the event .
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Society chairman John Netherwood said: "We are still getting figures in from the venues and tour leaders but all the indicators are that well over 10,000 people took advantage of this year's programme and visited buildings, went on tours or attended our talks.
"We again increased the range and number of tours, talks and openings going on over the four days and printed double the number of brochures compared to last year and managed to distribute them more widely."
The warm weather and the coinciding Freedom Festival being staged in the former Fruit Market area are believed to have helped eclipse last year's figure of 9,000 visitors for Open Days events.
Mr Netherwood said visitors this year had come from all parts of the country and beyond, with some people leaving addresses from Canada and the US in visitor books.
Mr Netherwood said: "As our event is part of the national programme, people from across Britain often choose a city's Open Days programme to visit for a few days. Because our programme in Hull is now one of the strongest in the north of England, we attract people who end up staying in the city for a long weekend. "Open Days is more than just a chance to open old buildings.
"We think our Open Day programme is an ideal complement to the Freedom Festival, giving people who visit the city as well as locals a real feel for the city's historical, cultural and commercial dimensions."
The society were particular pleased by the success of this year's commercial programme, which was oversubscribed.
A number of firms opened their businesses for public tours, including long-established paper-making company GF Smith and monumental masons Odlings.
Associated British Ports also conducted tours of the city's docks while the University of Hull also hosted two days of events and activities at its Cottingham Road campus as well as its botanical gardens in Cottingham.
Ann Burt was one of those who took the opportunity to see behind the scenes at the Ideal Heating factory and GF Smith.
She said: "The enthusiasm of the guides and the company they work for shone through."
Comments
by Clem_
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 1:08PM
“I went on the docks tour and very good it was too. Unfortunately we were only able to go round King George and Alexandra docks but the commentary, by an ABP representative, was very good. The two criticisms I and a few others had were the tinted coach windows; they acted like mirrors in the sunlight and reduced the visual impact and the other 'disappointment' was the fact that we were not allowed off the coach.
Well worth doing again.”
by NaFili
Saturday, September 15 2012, 8:24AM
“I didn't have the chance to visit any of the venues this year but it is a brilliant idea and I hope it continues for years to come. Well done to all the many volunters who gave up their time to make this possible.”