Introduction
Kingston upon Hull is the English city located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The history of the town begins in the twelfth century. Kingston upon Hull experienced drastic changes over the last two centuries. The city was a prosperous industrial center before the wars. The Second World War brought enormous devastation to Kingston upon Hull. During the bombing, more than ninety percent of houses were destroyed, and it led to a significant economic decline in the post-war period, which lasted until the twenty-first century.
General information and historical background
Kingston upon Hull is the city and unitary authority in the United Kingdom. Its area comprises more than seventy square kilometers. The name’s etymology refers to the geographical location, namely to the River of Hull on which the city stands. The population consists of more than two hundred and fifty thousand people with the general density of three people per square kilometer. Kingston upon Hull has several differential features that make it distinctive among other places in the United Kingdom. First, there are no red telephone boxes. Besides, there are telephone systems owned by the municipality.
It is estimated that the city was founded in the twelfth century. However, the exact date is unknown. The story of its establishment reveals the further development and significance of the city. In the twelfth century, several monks from Meaux Abbey decided to establish the place, a port, to manage the trade of wool. They considered the place crossing of rivers Hull and Humber would be to be the best decision. Since that time, the city continued developing as the trade center of the region specializing in whaling and fishing.
The role of wars in Kingston upon Hull’s economic development
Before the First World War, Hull was one of the most flourishing cities. It had promising opportunities for further growth. The whaling industry declined at the beginning of the nineteenth century thought Hull became perfect at the industries of ship-building and fishing. The period of industrialization influenced the fish industry as well as the discovery of the new method of the fishery — “trawl”. Also, the invention of steamships facilitated fishermen in the expansion of their competencies.
They reached the White Sea and Iceland. An advanced port system made it possible to import and export various raw materials. The import of wheat and the export of coal were at a peak during this period. This success resulted in the building up of the city. Thus, the local authorities restored the Holy Trinity church, built Hull City Hall and Municipal Guildhall (Hull before 1914 n.d.).
In 1914, the First World War began. It had brought many problems to Kingston upon Hull. The war immediately influenced port systems. The ships became totally dislocated. As far as most European ships were in Hull, the war suspended the trade. The trade’s priorities changed. Hull suffered from an unsatisfactory business with Germany. Trade with Russia still took place though it was not very profitable.
The number of trading ships reduced from, approximately, seven hundred to no more than forty. Kingston upon Hull retained almost the same trade relations with Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. These countries were neutral during the war, and that is why their import and export did not change significantly. Many ship holders together with the government were afraid of the possible attack. They alternated shipping to reduce the danger of the attack. Such a diversion led to the import and export decrease. The trade with some countries (Australia, for instance) had completely collapsed (Modern Hull: Economic development n.d.).
The overall tonnage of shipping decreased largely as well. The well-developed fishing industry became almost impossible. It was dangerous even to sail in the North Sea. Besides, the war allowed requisitions. As a result, the newest and technologically advanced ships were taken to the war.
It is also worthwhile mentioning the considerable migration to Hull in the period between wars. Kingston upon Hull became the home for many migrants. Due to the rapid population increase, the problem of unemployment became severe. The level of unemployment in Hull exceeds the one in London.
The post-war reconstruction
During the Second World War, Kingston upon Hull survived one of the most terrible bombing campaigns of Nazis. The port became the primary target for destruction. Almost all the infrastructure was destroyed. The city turned into ruins. More than one thousand people were dead as a result of the bombing. The key aim of the government was to reconstruct the area and make it habitable. The building of the Tarran House became the symbol for the commencement of the Hull’s reconstruction.
Labour Party won elections, and local representatives promised the population to introduce new plans for the renovation of the infrastructure. A reconstruction plan remained only the plan for an extended period. Historians argued whether the financial constraint or the ineffectiveness of the new authorities caused this. The housing was still in excessive demand among the population after ten years of the plan introduction. Since 1951, the situation began to change with the implementation of “Hull’s development plan” (Jessop 2014).
The post-war and current economic performance
Kingston upon Hull regained its power as the port city after the Second World War. However, the Cold War brought a decline to the fishing industry. The year of 1970 is known as the beginning of the fishing industry crisis in the city. Marine management started changing, and various modifications negatively influenced the industry. The business was based on fishing in distant waters. The presentation of the 200 miles Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and limited access to distant waters became crucial for Hull’s fishing industry. The primary aim of EEZ was to manage the marine environment efficiently (Ebbin, Hoel, & Sydnes 2007).
The twenty-first century brought even more despair to the city. Kingston upon Hull became the place with the lowest employment rate, the highest level of people who were looking for a position by 2009. It was also presented as the city where the average salary per week was the lowest. The general performance of the city was characterized by a few cases of the business establishment as well as the high level of crimes. Some researchers believe that such a situation appears due to the geographical isolation of the city. Even more, the whole country and other towns consider the city as a terrible place to live (English 2014).
Kingston upon Hull belongs to the East Riding of Yorkshire. The whole area represents a compound unity of demographic and economic relations. Researchers usually divide the region into several functional areas to investigate the overall economic situation by examining every part of it. Thus, there is a Hull Functioning Economic Area (The East Riding of Yorkshire: Local Economic Assessment 2011).
Humber Economic Partnership conducted research aimed at the evaluation of the city’s economic performance since 1998. First, the participants of the study investigated the changes in the level of the total Gross Value Added (GVA). They found out that the level of GVA in Kingston upon Hull increased almost by fifty percent from 1998 till 2008. A positive change may be also observed in the GVA per head. The city made a significant step forward. For instance, GVA comprised £11 566 per head in 1998 while in 2007 — £16 571. Businesses by population represent one more important sign of the city’s prosperity.
Thus, business stock per 10 000 population was 235 in 2004 and increased to 246 in three years. The analysis of the enterprise structure by industry section has shown impressive results. The prevailing industry sector in Kingston upon Hull included distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Then came the banking, finance, insurance, public administration, health, and education. The lowest rate belonged to energy and water.
Agriculture and fishing occupied almost the lowest position. The last significant factor concerns the employment rate. Kingston upon Hull experienced a slight increase during 2002-2007. The next year represents the considerable decline in employment rate — 62.3 percent. This index is lower than the one from 1999 — 64.1 percent (Progress in the Hull ad Humber Ports City Region 2010).
In 2014, the new perspectives appeared. Associated British Ports and Siemens announced that they would be investors for building wind farms. According to the plan, the Alexandra Dock will be rebuilt into Green Port Hull. This port will become a central establishment for further development and control of the building of wind farms in the North Sea. Initially, the companies will invest in the production of the wind turbine plant.
This turbine will serve the Round 3 offshore wind program. Siemens and Associated British Ports intend to manufacture windmills of the impressive size. They should be higher than the Eiffel Tower. The investors’ strategy is to create a renewable energy station (English 2014). Such a scheme seems perfect for the city’s further development. Nowadays, the possession of some sources of renewable energy is regarded as a prominent advantage. This idea inspires citizens of Kingston upon Hull to hope that the North Sea will bring them prosperity again. Besides, it will be a significant change in the life of the city over the last two hundred years.
The development of health care
The health condition of citizens of Kingston upon Hull changed positively only after the Second World War. Significant improvement can be observed since the twenty-first century as in other countries. However, historians investigate that there were establishments for health care since the Middle Ages. After the foundation of the town in the 12th century, monks developed the trading industry. According to the historical data, the church took care of the health of poor people.
Carthusian priory was the “hospital” for the poor governed by monks. Later, the workers initiated the development of the guild for taking care of others. That is the way the Holy Trinity church was built, and it functioned as an almshouse. In the 16th century, Henry VIII ceased the functioning of monasteries. Nevertheless, the hospital of Carthusian monks became part of the local government. In the following century, many people died of the plague.
At the end of the 17th century, Trinity House became the hospital for widows of seamen. Significant changes happened in the 19th century. Hull opened a charitable dispensary with free medicine for sick people and a lunatic asylum. In the same century, Kingston upon Hull experienced two outbreaks of cholera. In 1873, local authorities established the Victoria hospital for ill children. Fifty years later, the outburst of smallpox killed almost one thousand people. In 1885, the hospital for infectious diseases was opened (Lambert n.d.).
Currently, the City Council of Hull offers a full spectrum of health care services including adult social care, children and families, healthy living, and health and medical advice. City Council also promotes the development of various initiatives and programs. Healthwatch is the program that aims at facilitating health care services for all people in the area.
Conclusion
Kingston upon Hull is the British city located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It has changed significantly over two centuries. Two hundred years ago, the city started the development of its major industry — fishing. Since 1800, citizens of Hull improved economic state with the help of whaling and fishing and made it a prosperous place. The wars destroyed the flourishing and made the city start everything from the beginning.
However, the implementation of the Exclusive Economic Zones and new approaches to the marine industry management hindered Hull’s progress in the post-war period. Currently, slight positive changes in GVA, employment rate, and business sectors may be observed. Residents of the state altered their priorities and worked with other industries to earn their living. However, the recent news concerning the plans of Siemens and Associated British Ports to build a new port with water mills in the North Sea gives people hope in the bright future. Systems of health care commence together with the foundations of the town and are developing up till now.
Reference List
Ebbin, S, Hoel, A & Sydnes, A 2007, A Sea Change: The Exclusive Economic Zone and Governance Institutions for Living Marine Resources, Springer Science & Business Media, New York.
English, C 2014, To Hull and back: the Rebirth of Britain’s Poorest City. Web.
Hull before 1914 n.d. Web.
Jessop, S 2014, Hull — Post War Reconstruction. Web.
Lambert, T n.d., A Brief History of Kingston upon Hull, England. Web.
Modern Hull: Economic development n.d. Web.
Progress in the Hull ad Humber Ports City Region. 2010. Web.
The East Riding of Yorkshire: Local Economic Assessment. 2011. Web.