The campaign to preserve Alan Boyson's murals and the SHIPS in the SKY are entirely separate, but we couldn't go without acknowledging the campaign here; it is the vehicle that introduced Esther and Leigh to each other, and in turn helped us see what the murals mean to others. Our desire to collect and record the social history of the Ships in the Sky has evolved from the passion of the people of Hull just as much as our own. We hope you'll find this potted history of the campaign useful:
Hull Heritage Action Group (HHAG), Hull Civic Society (HCS), and C20 Society all saw a potential threat to the FISH and THREE SHIPS murals when BHS vacated the store in summer 2016 and Hull City Council incorporated the 'Albion Square Development' into their City Plan. The three bodies swiftly applied for Grade II Listing, however Listing was rejected and appeals were subsequently lodged in November 2016. The Twentieth Century Society also placed 'Three Ships' on it's 2017 Ten Buildings at Risk List
Hull City Council announced ambitions to save THREE SHIPS in the summer of 2017 and acquired the building from Manor Property Group, with a view to demolishing it in readiness to recruit a development partner. Surveys were undertaken on both murals to see how viable it is to protect them. It is understood that various possibilities were being considered, ranging from integration into the new Albion Square development to relocating the murals elsewhere, as well as recreating a new artwork entirely. HHAG issued a statement saying they "welcomed Hull City Council's recognition of the importance of the murals and are delighted that the Council are doing what they can to preserve them; saving them would be another fitting legacy to Hull 2017, and Absolutely Cultured." In September 2018, HCC submitted an Outline Planning Application for the Albion Square development.
HHAG continued to campaign for Grade II Listing, for over three years whilst awaiting an appeal decision from DCMS. The group felt that Listed status gave Alan Boyson's exceptional art the recognition and protection it deserved and also acknowledges the mural's importance to the people of Hull and beyond. The murals were commissioned by the Co-operative Society in order to "unite the community through art" and acknowledge the importance of Hull as a port. No expense was spared to build a replacement store after the original was bombed in 1941 during the infamous Hull Blitz, when the city was so badly scarred.
On the 8th October 2019 Hull City Council detected the presence of asbestos in the building and research was undertaken to begin a costly exercise to remove and encapsulate it. At that time it was 'presumed' that 'Three Ships' was contaminated by asbestos and the entire building - including the mural - must be demolished.
Leigh Bird of Hull Heritage Action Group attended a meeting at Hull City Council on 17th October 2019 and presented an open letter with 171 signatures of eminent local and national arts and architecture professionals objecting to the 'presumption' that the 'Three Ships' contained asbestos and urging Councillors to take more time to get definitive proof before condemning the artwork to imminent demolition. She also presented a petition which contained over 7,000 signatories in favour of preservation of the mosaic. The letter was put together in just under 24 hours by Leigh, Esther, Christopher Wilson and Lucy Elmes and was subsequently added to the following day with a further 67 late signatories, totalling 238 signatories in all. At the meeting the Councillors felt they had to agree with the proposal that demolition should proceed.
A copy of the letter, petition and an update was sent by HHAG to DCMS in a final attempt to ask DCMS to speed up the appeal decision on the THREE SHIPS before it was too late. Alan Boyson's work was awarded Grade II Listing by Historic England on 21 November 2019, and the decision was widely reported in local and national press: BBC article, Architects Journal article, Twentieth Century Society article, Examiner Live article, Hull Live article.
Following Listing HHAG received offers of help from three nationally prominent experts in the fields of mosaic restoration and relocation and asbestos removal. The three organisations offered their services to Hull City Council at no cost to undertake a joint preliminary investigation in order to see if 'fresh eyes and advice' could see an alternative way forward which might allow for preservation of the 'Three Ships' and not hold up development. Over the next two years, various attempts were made for the advisors to visit the site; COVID restrictions was the cause of some delays, but in the end, HCC preferred to conduct their own investigations.
On September 10th, 2021 the Twentieth Century Society, Hull City Council and Hull Heritage Action Group meet to discuss possible conservation strategies for Alan Boyson's three Hull murals.
On 20th October 2021, Hull City Council announce that the Albion Square development will undergo a further iteration with the removal of the Ice Arena from the development and the inclusion of an urban woodland and confirmed that Alan Boyson's 'Three Ships' could be saved. Councillors speaking on BBC Radio Humberside also confirmed that the 'Three Ships' was not contaminated with asbestos.
20th December 2021 sees the official go-ahead given for the revised Albion Square development incorporating the 'Three Ships' and we see a first look at the artists impression for the new building.
3rd February 2022 sees the announcement that demolition of the former Co-op whilst retaining the two murals will start imminently. The Twentieth Century Society round-up the current plans using one of Esther's images and also referring to 'Three Ships' as 'SHIPS in the SKY', a testament to how the name of our project is becoming synonymous with the artwork.
Leigh continues to administrate @BHSMuralHull Twitter for HHAG and work alongside the Twentieth Century Society.
Hull Heritage Action Group (HHAG), Hull Civic Society (HCS), and C20 Society all saw a potential threat to the FISH and THREE SHIPS murals when BHS vacated the store in summer 2016 and Hull City Council incorporated the 'Albion Square Development' into their City Plan. The three bodies swiftly applied for Grade II Listing, however Listing was rejected and appeals were subsequently lodged in November 2016. The Twentieth Century Society also placed 'Three Ships' on it's 2017 Ten Buildings at Risk List
Hull City Council announced ambitions to save THREE SHIPS in the summer of 2017 and acquired the building from Manor Property Group, with a view to demolishing it in readiness to recruit a development partner. Surveys were undertaken on both murals to see how viable it is to protect them. It is understood that various possibilities were being considered, ranging from integration into the new Albion Square development to relocating the murals elsewhere, as well as recreating a new artwork entirely. HHAG issued a statement saying they "welcomed Hull City Council's recognition of the importance of the murals and are delighted that the Council are doing what they can to preserve them; saving them would be another fitting legacy to Hull 2017, and Absolutely Cultured." In September 2018, HCC submitted an Outline Planning Application for the Albion Square development.
HHAG continued to campaign for Grade II Listing, for over three years whilst awaiting an appeal decision from DCMS. The group felt that Listed status gave Alan Boyson's exceptional art the recognition and protection it deserved and also acknowledges the mural's importance to the people of Hull and beyond. The murals were commissioned by the Co-operative Society in order to "unite the community through art" and acknowledge the importance of Hull as a port. No expense was spared to build a replacement store after the original was bombed in 1941 during the infamous Hull Blitz, when the city was so badly scarred.
On the 8th October 2019 Hull City Council detected the presence of asbestos in the building and research was undertaken to begin a costly exercise to remove and encapsulate it. At that time it was 'presumed' that 'Three Ships' was contaminated by asbestos and the entire building - including the mural - must be demolished.
Leigh Bird of Hull Heritage Action Group attended a meeting at Hull City Council on 17th October 2019 and presented an open letter with 171 signatures of eminent local and national arts and architecture professionals objecting to the 'presumption' that the 'Three Ships' contained asbestos and urging Councillors to take more time to get definitive proof before condemning the artwork to imminent demolition. She also presented a petition which contained over 7,000 signatories in favour of preservation of the mosaic. The letter was put together in just under 24 hours by Leigh, Esther, Christopher Wilson and Lucy Elmes and was subsequently added to the following day with a further 67 late signatories, totalling 238 signatories in all. At the meeting the Councillors felt they had to agree with the proposal that demolition should proceed.
A copy of the letter, petition and an update was sent by HHAG to DCMS in a final attempt to ask DCMS to speed up the appeal decision on the THREE SHIPS before it was too late. Alan Boyson's work was awarded Grade II Listing by Historic England on 21 November 2019, and the decision was widely reported in local and national press: BBC article, Architects Journal article, Twentieth Century Society article, Examiner Live article, Hull Live article.
Following Listing HHAG received offers of help from three nationally prominent experts in the fields of mosaic restoration and relocation and asbestos removal. The three organisations offered their services to Hull City Council at no cost to undertake a joint preliminary investigation in order to see if 'fresh eyes and advice' could see an alternative way forward which might allow for preservation of the 'Three Ships' and not hold up development. Over the next two years, various attempts were made for the advisors to visit the site; COVID restrictions was the cause of some delays, but in the end, HCC preferred to conduct their own investigations.
On September 10th, 2021 the Twentieth Century Society, Hull City Council and Hull Heritage Action Group meet to discuss possible conservation strategies for Alan Boyson's three Hull murals.
On 20th October 2021, Hull City Council announce that the Albion Square development will undergo a further iteration with the removal of the Ice Arena from the development and the inclusion of an urban woodland and confirmed that Alan Boyson's 'Three Ships' could be saved. Councillors speaking on BBC Radio Humberside also confirmed that the 'Three Ships' was not contaminated with asbestos.
20th December 2021 sees the official go-ahead given for the revised Albion Square development incorporating the 'Three Ships' and we see a first look at the artists impression for the new building.
3rd February 2022 sees the announcement that demolition of the former Co-op whilst retaining the two murals will start imminently. The Twentieth Century Society round-up the current plans using one of Esther's images and also referring to 'Three Ships' as 'SHIPS in the SKY', a testament to how the name of our project is becoming synonymous with the artwork.
Leigh continues to administrate @BHSMuralHull Twitter for HHAG and work alongside the Twentieth Century Society.
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The R&D project phase has been funded by James Reckitt Library Trust
in partnership with Untold Hull at Hull Libraries, and with the support of the Art and Design Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University and Hull Trinity House Old Boys' Association |