What Makes the Humber: Photography exhibition to open this month
EXHIBITION: An image of Crabley Creek from What Makes the Humber
EXCLUSIVE by Angus Young
A walk to a remote creek on the Humber a decade ago has eventually led to a new photography exhibition opening at Hull Truck Theatre later this month.
At the time, Richard Duffy-Howard and his partner Lou were celebrating her birthday with a trek to Crabley Creek, a narrow inlet near Brough Haven.
Little did they realise it but the germ of an idea was being nurtured as Richard’s passion for photography captured the natural wildness of their immediate surroundings and the nearby estuary that day.
He explained: “Later, when we were exploring the south bank of the Humber, we discovered the Nev Cole Way and through the River Full of Stories project, the idea of documenting the confluences and tributaries of the Humber began to take shape.
“Over the last 10 years it’s grown and now as part of Humber Eco Fest the project is ready to publish.”
The couple’s multi-media River Full of Stories project focused on the River Hull and featured its own dedicated website, a lavishly-illustrated book and a spectacular live event in 2017 when all the city’s lifting bridges were raised simultaneously to allow a small flotilla of diverse vessels to make their way to the Humber to a backing of a especially-composed live music score.
Richard’s latest venture documents the story of the estuary through their own journeys through the numerous landscapes and watercourses on both banks.
Titled What Makes the Humber, the exhibition features nine galleries with each one telling the story of a different area. As well as physical images, there will also be a virtual gallery featuring a further 140 images accessed via a QR code.
It starts at the easternmost edge of the Humber on the south bank where the old River Lud or Louth Canal enters the Humber at Tetney Haven and continues to Buck Beck at Humberston, and the River Freshney at Grimsby.
The visual story continues along The Nev Cole Way, a 57-mile walk starting at Burton-on-Stather on the Trent and finishing at Nettleton in Lincolnshire.
“The path joins the coast at North Killingholme and we picked it up there and headed north-west rounding Skitter Ness and east along the Humber to Whitton turning south along The Cliff above Alkborough Flats and Trent Falls and on to Burton Stather on the River Trent, crossing many tributaries and confluences along the way,” said Richard.
“The chapter covering the Ouse confluence and tributaries contribute to the story from unusual perspectives, including from the deck of a working barge.”
On the north bank, the chapters stretch from where the River Foulness meets the Market Weighton Canal and then head east taking in Crabley Creek, the point where the River Hull meets the Humber and onwards along the South Holderness shoreline to Winestead Outstray where the tributary meets Patrington Channel and joins the Humber between The Plumbs and Sunk Island Sands.
Opening on October 22 and running until November 11 at the theatre’s café bar, the exhibition will include images printed on eco-friendly panels created by Hull signage firm John E Wright.
The company’s design manager Alex Haggie explained: “The panels are made from post-consumer waste. It is not only recycled but also recyclable so it’s great to be able to promote this eco-friendly and sustainable alternative at Humber Eco Fest.”
Richard added: “The materials and process provide the printed images with an almost painterly quality. It’s been great working with Alex and Humber Eco Fest and I’m really looking forward to the exhibition at Hull Truck and to see what people think.”
The exhibition is free and is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 11am-5pm and Wednesdays and Saturdays 10am-5pm. On show days the café bar is open from two hours before a performance.