Fair marks a day zero moment as city bounces back from pandemic

AS the city prepares to welcome back Hull Fair, considered by some as probably its most prized tradition, all might seem to be returning to normal once again.

However, it was only 12 months ago that the city and the country were in the midst of uncertainty and faced the prospect of the unthinkable, an unprecedented restriction on movements.

Our most cherished traditions were fading away, Hull Fair, Bonfire Night and Christmas all cancelled.

Now nearly two years on from the uncertainties of an unknown and vague illness, which would soon be portrayed as a worldwide killer, the city welcomes back the annual Walton Street festivities.

Since May, life in the city has rapidly returned to a pre-pandemic familiarity, almost as if the past 18 months were a distant memory.

Perhaps we have forgotten the extraordinary scenes of queuing customers circling supermarket car parks, the eerie sight of passengerless buses travelling the city almost without purpose, the once roaring sounds of Beverley and Holderness roads reduced to “pin drop” levels.

All of these things have become like a distant memory, a blip in time. However, the purpose of this letter is not to gaze meaninglessly down memory lane, the past is done. The real question is, what now? And what is the legacy of a remarkable decade in the city?

During my 20 years in Hull I have seen the city transformed, the Anlaby Road stadium (once known as the KC Stadium), the St Stephen’s development and not forgetting the 2017 UK City of Culture award, all of which have brought exciting times, potential prospects, employment and, most of all, a sense of pride.

However, consideration must be given to the pandemic, has it left the city with an elephant in the room? It could be suggested that the past 18 months of uncertainty have robbed the city of its cultural legacy and returned this oncethriving city to a mere dot on the weather map, just another place up north.

As I walk along Newland Avenue, signs of a cultural revival are evident, although subtle and easy to miss.

Thankfully, creativity is once again springing to life in the form of knitted decorations and covers that furnish the red pillar boxes and bicycle stands of Newland Avenue and beyond, perhaps a timely reminder of a great year of pride, once thought of as a journey of Hullness.

As both the year of culture and the pandemic lockdowns of the previous year have proved, the city still retains many aspects of its traditional community spirit and pride, however, much of this could be lost as the city tries to make sense of its post-covid environment.

Health and wellbeing have long been an issue for Hull and re-engaging with the most vulnerable in the city has to be a priority, crime has also returned to pre-pandemic levels. Consequently, the city faces unknown challenges, affecting both consumers and business alike, unemployment has flipped.

After years addressing a shortage of jobs in Hull and the surrounding districts, we face the unfamiliar territory of a shortage of people to employ.

So as the fair makes its muchwelcomed return, the occasion could almost be seen as a day zero monument, as the city moves toward a post-pandemic future with hope but also uncertainty.

So we stand at a crossroads, has the hope of new opportunities been lost to nearly two years of chaos or will the return of familiar traditions help re-establish our cultural quest?

Maybe it’s time to ask the question, what’s next for Hull?