The Water Memories & Flood Futures is being run by researchers at the University of Hull
Dr Hannah Connelly, the historian working on the Water Memories and Flood Futures project.(Image: Hannah Connelly)
Gallons of beer lost, fish swimming about a pub and actors at a theatre hopping from foot to foot to avoid pools of water are just a few of the odd stories that have emerged through research into flooding around the Humber. Historian Dr Hannah Connelly of the Energy & Environment Institute at University of Hull has highlighted some of the colourful tales she has encountered as part of the Water Memories & Flood Futures project.
A January 1978 edition of the Hull Daily Mail carries an amusing account from George Leighton, landlord of Ye Olde Black Boy on Hull’s High Street. He said: “Water was halt-way the passage into the bar, and over a dozen fish started swimming in. Two lads could not get out, so they were catching them. They were about four inches long, it was really quite laughable.”
The page tells of “havoc” to Hull’s Old Town from storms with “hundreds of gallons” of beer lost from the cellars of the city’s pubs. One story tells of the landlord of the Oberon Hotel on Queen Street venturing below ground in his underpants to survey the damage.
“One of the stories we’ve found is about the Prince of Wales Theatre in Grimsby that flooded repeatedly through the 1920s,” said Hannah, who has been working with schools and artists to bring the tales to life for an exhibition at Hepworth’s Arcade, Trinity Arcade. “It actually flooded during a production and the actors just carried on with attendants mopping up the water and people just moved seats to keep dry.”
The project – which encourages future resilience against flooding – uses oral history interviews, mostly with people affected by the 2007 floods in Hull, and artwork created by children at Thoresby and Wheeler Primary Schools in Hull. The youngsters have brought to life stories inspired by flooding – such as the case of the Prince of Wales Theatre which has been animated with the help of artist Anna Bean.
Collecting and sharing the stories is part of an effort to increase public knowledge and understanding of floods. Hannah added: “We’re obviously dealing with a very difficult subject to talk about but trying to make it accessible. We’ve have Living with Water with us this week, and they’ve been talking to people about how they can prepare their house in case of flooding again.”
Water Memories & Flood Futures also aims to draw attention to the benefits of living in a “watery place” – despite the flood risk posed by the Humber Estuary. Schoolchildren have made a collage of the area, depicting landmarks in the area including The Deep and the River Hull Tidal Surge Barrier.
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