Royal Museums boss ‘excited’ by Hull’s maritime heritage project

TELL US MORE: From left, Robin Diaper, curator of maritime and social history; Andy Bodle, regional and emeritus adviser for the Royal Museums Greenwich; Paddy Rodgers, director of Royal Museums Greenwich; and Simon Green, director of cultural services at Hull Culture and Leisure

One of the UK’s most senior museums leaders has visited the city to find out more about the Hull Maritime project, and described it as an “exciting” scheme he would be keen to collaborate on.

Paddy Rodgers, director of Royal Museums Greenwich - incorporating the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory - visited Hull on Friday to hear about the plans and progress to date on the Hull Maritime project, which is generating great interest in the maritime heritage world.

The visit was undertaken to both brief RMG staff as to Hull’s maritime ambitions and how they fit within the city’s wider regeneration plans, and also to consider how the two museum services might collaborate in the delivery of the project.

As part of his visit he met with the city council’s leader and chief executive, along with the team tasked with delivering the £30.3m project, which is funded by Hull City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The team outlined the wide-ranging place-making nature of the project, and how it is engaging with a wide range of communities and partners in the city and beyond.

AMBITIOUS PLANS: Andy Bodle, left, with Robin Diaper

After a detailed briefing and a question and answer session, the team toured key sites across Hull highlighting the project’s plans for transforming them for the future.

Mr Rodgers said: “This is an exciting project to launch Hull’s reconnection with its maritime heritage, and we are keen to explore how we might collaborate.”

Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: “It is always great to showcase our city and the future plans to transform our maritime treasures into a new maritime experience for our residents and the region.

“We hope this meeting will open new doors for future collaboration and learning.”

The Hull Maritime project involves the transformation of five key maritime treasures — Arctic Corsair, North End Shipyard, Spurn Lightship, Dock Office Chambers, and Hull Maritime Museum.

Visit maritimehull.co.uk for more information.