The Hull Story Year: A round-up of our top stories in 2022
By Simon Bristow
Welcome to The Hull Story Year 2022, our annual round-up of the events and people who have shaped the last 12 months in our great city and beyond.
It’s been a year that has seen regime change at Hull City, a “political earthquake” in local politics, the horror of war in Europe, and the loss of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and some very dear friends. Our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one this year.
We wish all our readers, Patrons, contributors and partners a Happy New Year and health and happiness in 2023.
“This is the start of a beautiful journey,” said Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali after completing his takeover of Hull City, getting the year off to a flying start and ending what seemed like one of the longest courtships in football.
The media mogul gave many fans what they had hoped for with his purchase of the Tigers, bringing an end to the 11-year reign of the Allam family.
Aiming big from the start, Ilicali began ringing the changes at the MKM Stadium as he pursued his “dream” of bringing Premier League football back to the club, an ambition he has backed up with investment that led to a summer overhaul of the playing squad.
‘This is the start of a beautiful journey’ - Acun Ilicali completes Hull City takeover
But the managerial post became a hot seat, with Grant McCann sacked and replaced by Shota Arveladze, whose reign got off to the dream start with a 2-0 home win against Swansea. It was a shame for Shota that results and form began to fall away, and he too would be shown the door.
Also in January, we went out on the beat with Humberside Police to mark Neighbourhood Policing Week, spending time with Sergeant Andy Waller in Orchard Park. It was a great opportunity to see community policing in action in what would become a momentous year for the force.
‘It’s all about engagement’ - neighbourhood policing in Orchard Park
February saw some key regeneration projects in Hull get under way, with clearance work beginning on the Albion Square scheme, and the £11.7m refurbishment of Queens Gardens, the latter being integral to the Hull Maritime project, which will result in the city’s biggest heritage, culture and tourism offer since its year as UK City of Culture in 2017.
One of the centre-pieces is the £12m transformation of Hull Maritime Museum, the progress of which we have been fortunate to see with some guided tours, and we are happy to say it will not disappoint.
Sailing into the future: £12m Maritime Museum refurb gets under way
Elsewhere, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust marked National Apprenticeship Week by shining a light on some of the people working in all aspects of health care after becoming apprentices at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.
New horizons: Meet the apprentices making a difference in ours hospitals
February also saw Julia Weldon, Hull’s Director of Public Health, publish her annual report, which described the city’s experience of the Covid-19 pandemic through people’s personal stories, also including key and sometimes grim statistics.
‘Resilience, courage, and supporting each other’: Hull’s Covid story
That month also saw Vladimir Putin launch Russia’s war on Ukraine. It was a story we returned to throughout the year, with our coverage including some brilliant opinion pieces by our international affairs columnist Paul Knott, a Hull-born former diplomat who served in Moscow during a 20-year career with the Foreign Office.
‘Putin is terrified by Ukraine’s success because it chose democracy’
There were also signs that things were not going according to plan at Hull City, with a 2-0 home defeat to Yorkshire rivals Barnsley expertly summed up by our Tigers correspondent Sam Hawcroft.
‘Woeful Tigers tamed in front of biggest home crowd of season’
March saw the first of many accolades awarded to Humberside Police in 2022, when the force was named UK Police Service of the Year at the Public Sector Transformation awards in London, run by the Improvement and Efficiencies Social Enterprise (iESE).
Top Cops: Humberside Police named UK Police Service of the Year
We also reported on Hull actress Gemma Oaten launching her eating disorder recovery programme as part of her SEED charity work. The programme, funded by the Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), was being delivered at locations in Hull, Beverley and Goole.
‘So many people are struggling’: Gemma Oaten launches new eating disorder support project
The human cost of the war in Ukraine was powerfully and eloquently described by Liliya Holmes, who became one of the first Ukrainian refugees to find sanctuary in Hull when she fled her home in Odessa to be reunited with her husband John. She spoke about her experiences in this exclusive interview with Kevin Shoesmith:
‘I’ve cried enough tears to drown Putin’: From war-torn Ukraine to sanctuary in Hull
Hull typically responded magnificently to the conflict, donating and transporting humanitarian aid through the Hull4Ukraine project.
March also saw arguably the cultural highlight of the year with The Awakening, which saw the city centre and Old Town transformed by what was billed as a new two-day arts festival, timed to mark the passage of winter into spring.
It’s not yet clear if we will see it again, but there is an audience to support it, with crowds topping 100,000 over those two dark nights. The experience was brilliantly captured by our columnist Vicky Foster and photographer Tom Arran.
‘Like a tide of water in the sky, fire and magic below’: The Awakening
On a personal note, Rick Lyon (Co-Editor of The Hull Story) and I were devastated by the loss of our friend and mentor Tom Richmond, the highly respected Yorkshire Post journalist who died suddenly at the end of March.
Tom Richmond: Titan of journalism and dear friend remembered
April saw the appointment of a new High Sheriff for the East Riding, with Jacky Bowes succeeding Richard Shepherdson as the Queen’s representative for law and order in the county.
‘My chance to give something back’: New High Sheriff of the East Riding
Among her other work in the role, Jacky has been making good on her pledge to tackle violence against women and girls after helping Humberside Scouts become the first Scouts organisation in the world to award White Ribbon badges in a partnership with White Ribbon UK.
Hull music legends Red Guitars played a sell-out gig at the Adelphi in April as part of a hugely successful UK comeback tour by the 1980s icons. Our music columnist Russ Litten - too young to see them the first time around - was one of the lucky ones who was there.
Red Guitars: ‘Hull salutes its homecoming heroes’ - Adelphi review
May saw a “political earthquake” in Hull as the Liberal Democrats returned to power at the Guildhall after a hard-fought campaign in the Local Elections. The party took control of Hull City Council after more than a decade of Labour rule in the city.
‘A political earthquake’: Lib Dems take control of Hull City Council
The month also saw Hull safety firm Arco, a UK leader in its field, celebrate Local and Community History Month by looking back on its eventful 138-year history. We covered the story in a candid interview with Customer Experience Director Richard Martin.
‘Our heart and soul is in Hull’: Celebrating 138 years of Arco
The following month saw Emma Latimer announce she was leaving her role as Accountable Officer of NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as part of a shake-up in the NHS that would see the abolition of CCGs.
Emma, who became Executive Director of Place, in Sheffield, a new health and care partnership operating within one of the new Integrated Care Systems, spoke to us about her 12 years in Hull as she looked back on the CCG’s achievements in helping to make Hull a healthier city.
‘We’ve been a very different CCG and I’m proud of that’: Emma Latimer
East Riding College appointed a new Principal in June when Danny Metters succeeded Mike Welsh. Danny spoke to us about his delight at taking on the post.
New East Riding College Principal ‘proud’ to take on role
June also gave Russ a chance to look back on some of the most memorable gigs he has attended at the Adelphi over the years after it was named Grassroots Venue of the Year in the Music Week Annual Awards.
The New Adelphi - It’s come a long way, baby
Students at Bishop Burton College got to enjoy the fruits of their hard work when their achievements were celebrated at two events in summer attended by friends and family, industry partners and special guests.
Bishop Burton College celebrates student success
In July, new city council leader Mike Ross announced the launch of Hull’s biggest ever survey of road users as the Lib Dems sought to deliver on a key election pledge to tackle congestion. Councillor Ross also set out his other priorities in this exclusive interview:
Hull Pride made a welcome return to the city centre in July, with thousands of people watching and taking part in the colourful parade, led by the Humberside Police Concert Band.
Love is in the air: Hull Pride makes welcome return with colourful city centre parade
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Hull was also the focus this year of a series of commemorative events marking the centenary of the birth of poet Philip Larkin. In August, Vicky, who is a trustee of Larkin100, reviewed some of those events, which included a reading by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at the University of Hull.
September 2022 saw the end of the second Elizabethan age when The Queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She had been Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
Hull also mourned the loss of businessman Malcolm Scott in September, who died after a short illness. He was remembered in this touching tribute by our columnist Phil Ascough, who had known Malcolm since the 1990s:
The month ended with the sacking of Shota Arveladze, just hours before the Tigers took on Luton at the MKM Stadium. The announcement came after a dismal run of form that saw City slump to 20th in the Championship table after four consecutive defeats, and also having failed to score since August.
In October, “significant strain” on Hull Royal Infirmary’s Accident and Emergency department led to operations being postponed and the redeployment of staff. The pressure was caused by high volumes of people attending A&E, and an inability to discharge patients to home or social care to free up beds for those needing to be admitted.
We spoke exclusively to Trust chief executive Chris Long as the city’s three MPs wrote to the then Health Secretary Thérèse Coffey appealing for her to intervene.
Hull A&E crisis ‘to last days’ as pressure grows on Health Secretary
Later that month, the Trust rewarded the contribution made by Healthcare Support Workers by changing their title to Nursing Assistants and redefining their role, as part of a new push to fill over 50 positions.
‘Professionalism, progression and pride’: New roles at Hull hospitals
In a very different workplace, Lucy Ineson spoke to us about her career path from village hairdresser to shift technician at global chemicals company INEOS Acetyls, at Saltend Chemicals Park.
From crimping to chemical engineering
In November, Ilicali ended his search for a new manager by appointing Liam Rosenior to the post, an emotional return for the ex-Tiger in his first managerial role. The move delighted fans, who had proudly sung ‘His nana’s from Hull’ during Rosenior’s playing days.
Rosenior described having “goose bumps” when he took the job. We hope he will be given the time to prove himself.
‘I’ve got goose bumps’: Ex-Tiger Liam Rosenior makes emotional return as manager
Last month Humberside Police was rated the best force in England and Wales by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, which graded Humberside as “outstanding” in six out of nine categories.
The ranking represents one of the most remarkable transformations in modern policing, coming just seven years after the force had been placed in special measures after being judged “inadequate”.
Characteristically, however, Chief Constable Lee Freeman was already looking at ways to improve and said there would be “no complacency” when he spoke to us after the report was released.
‘There’ll be no complacency’: Police chief’s vow after Humberside rated best in country
Ilicali continued his charm offensive in November by flying more than 300 City fans out to Turkey for a seven-day stay in an all-inclusive resort. That select band must have been pinching themselves. Tigers super fan Bobbi Hadgraft wrote about it for us.
Tigers in Turkey: ‘Best trip I’ve ever been on’
This month Hull celebrated the 20th anniversary of the MKM Stadium, which is also home to Hull FC and has hosted concerts by some of the biggest stars in music. In a remarkable piece of symmetry, the anniversary was marked almost to the day by the Tigers playing Sunderland in a repeat of the debut fixture on opening night in 2002.
Field of glory: Celebrating 20 years of the MKM Stadium
But there was also a sombre note to December with the passing of former Hull City owner Assem Allam, a successful businessman and philanthropist who left an enduring legacy in the city. Phil looked back on his remarkable life here:
From tortured dissident to football glory: The remarkable life of Assem Allam
