Episode 5 Britain's City of Culture

Scotland. At ten o'clock, the full round-up of the day's news. But

first, we are going behind the scene We're here on the stage which is the

first day. We are going to try and get around as much as possible and

we have this. Hull has seen its first ever children's literature

Festival inspiring the next generation of writers. When you grow

up you are still a child inside. The stories that I write by the stories

I made up for myself when I was eight. UK Pride comes to the City of

Culture. I am so proud now that things are, on in leaps and bounds

for everyone. And winning comedy and cheery city to the museums. From two

feet away, however the pistol ball did not strike him and instead

struck a hedgehog. It is the cultural quarter of the

city. And this happens. There are more than 200 bands here today. 200

bands playing across 14 stages with 13,000 people descending here. You

can clearly excitement and the vibe. One of the land here today is the

happy endings. A couple of months ago they were playing at

Glastonbury, but tonight they are here. It was like I had made it.

Only a few months ago, you were at Glastonbury, how does this compare?

That is a different animal. I had as much fun playing earlier as I did at

Glastonbury. Do you think City of Culture has made a difference? A lot

of people are looking to see what all the fuss is about and I think it

is nice. I have sensed a lift. When you went to Glastonbury do people

know where you were from? Only because I announced at! Tell the

world. To write! Beautiful harmonies. We cannot stay here all

day, we need to go. It is brilliant that it is all local

talent. It advertises Hull as the City of Culture. This year,

particularly, it is special because we are the City of Culture. It is

fantastic, great family day out for us all. The atmosphere is really

good. I have been involved with the local community. It is the really

amazing atmosphere. Really good. For the younger generation, this is

vital for the growth of the music scene. For them, setting their

sights, you can play these big stages.

My first ever gig was here a few years ago and it is brilliant

because new people come to watch you, your friends come, it is such a

brilliant event. It will really help Hull.

# What are you thinking? We are sitting on an amazing wealth

of talent in this region and I think it is about time that the rest of

the country was aware of it. The crowds just keep coming and a man

who could draw a big crowd like this is Bill Bailey and he has gone and

created his own museum. We had a chat with him. There is the basic

cockney intro. There is no doubt that Bill Bailey is a man of many

talents. He started out in stand-up but has acted in television series

from Black books and spaced to Doctor Who and hustle and he is a

perennial favourite on TV panel shows. They pointed at me and they

said, you are Bill Bailey Anju? And then they went, nice try! Able to

play pretty much every instrument and with perfect pitch, he has

successfully combined his musical talents with comedy. But he has

other passions as well. Bird watching is one of them. And now he

has taken to museum curating as well. At the Maritime Museum in Hull

he has assembled a Cabinet of curiosities, fascinating objects

accompanied by their true descriptions and concocted, the ones

as well. Like this. Or are the baboon buttocks? He has roped in the

children of Hull as well to make up some cracking tales. Morgan, age 11,

the cursor dog. It was found in the year a dark wizard cast a spell on

him and turned him into wood. If you touch this dog for more than five

minutes you will also get turned into would just like other people.

These people are found in the Cabinet calls I have made a terrible

mistake. Isn't that wonderful? It is amazing. How did you decide but you

are going to pick out? I imagine there was a lot to choose from.

There was a huge array of fantastic artefacts. I also wanted to have a

balance of the really order, the really curious, the strange. Also

for it to have a link to the city as well. The ripping that were specific

to Hull. Did you pick them because you could make up a fantastic story

or was it that you saw something and you were genuinely interested in it?

A bit of both. Some of them are genuinely interesting. They are

beautiful architects. Like the Scrimshaw. It is so strange and

beautiful. There is a pistol that looks a bit like a caution. That

triggers an idea or a story or a scenario and I started to embellish

it. A famous duel at the time said of the pistol, I shot Thomas from

two feet away, but the pistol ball did not strike and instead flew up

on the ground striking a hedgehog which when examined was found to be

mildly stunned. I then wished to club him but he had become perturbed

and run away. This whole exhibition has inspired me to write a book

about extraordinary tales that could be true, they might not be true, but

they are embellished and I think that is something that probably I

will do more of, is storytelling. For the visitors, this museum has a

sneak peek to that. Do you think you're the first comedian to have

curated a museum exhibition? I don't know. I am going to say yes. It

certainly does seem like new ground. In the spirit of this exhibition,

yes, I, Bill Bailey, and the first comedian to curated an exhibition of

this kind, anywhere in the world. Bill Bailey seemed like such a sound

guy. He was as funny as he is on television. Can you hear me? This is

the loudest silent disco I have been at. What? I cant help it. This is a

place where big kids and small, not unlike the Malarkey Festival where I

found out it was not just about books. This is the big Malarkey,

Hull Buzz 's first-ever literature Festival for children. And if you

thought a children's literature Festival was all about books, think

again. From theatre to hip-hop and arts and crafts, this week-long

event has something for everyone. Turning the East Park of Hull into a

cultural paradise. # Just look, it's true.

# I just feel blue. There has been a huge programme of activity and

storytelling including a packed house for Julian Clary talking about

his children book. I caught up with Julian after he met the children of

Hull. What happens when you grow up, you're still a child in. -- inside.

It was easy for me to revert back to being a child and the stories that I

write about and the stories I make up for myself, when I was about

eight years old and to my surprise, it was already there. They all live

at number 41 Fairfield Rd and there are next door neighbour is Mr Nigel

might not be here is Mr Nigel MacNab the years the grizzly bear. I would

like to challenge myself that I am not sure that I can do or not. Later

this year, I am doing a quite serious play and I have no idea if I

can remember the line or manage to act and it was similar with children

stories. Otherwise, you're just doing the same thing, which is fine,

but I need the challenge. Events that promote literature for children

are especially important in places like Hull which is below the

national average for a reading at Key stage two level. The children I

met at the festival were certainly no strangers to a good book. I like

reading books with my mum. I like books because it reminds me of the

movies. When I am reading, it makes me feel happy. I like snuggling into

bed with lots of books. I like tractor books. Any big books. Eddie

books about this slide. I like to get stuck in with the culture. The

organisers of the festival roped me into a rendition of one of my

favourite children's books. The tail bone is connected to the... The

third bone is connected to the... Leg bone. The leg bone is connected

to the hip bone. The hip bone is connected to the backbone. Well

done, thank you guys. There is still much more to come from here at the

Humber Street Sesh. And we are going to see how Hull celebrated 50 years

of gay rights. We are going behind-the-scenes of the dramatic

theatre show but in the meantime, let's look at what has happened and

what is to come. For the first time since 1930, the BBC Proms travelled

out of London to before a special outdoor concert right here in Hull.

As part of the LGBT 50 season, ground-breaking photography project

explores what life was like for the LGBT community in the Twin city of

Hull in Sierra Leone where homosexuality is still illegal.

Electric fence is a provocative installation examining the everyday

experience of people facing hate crimes. There was a hate preacher in

America who said that all gays and lesbians should be locked in an

electric fence and occasionally throw in some food and water and

they would die out because they could not breed. It is a nasty hate

crime. Philip Larkin spent 30 years as the librarian at the university

of Hull where a new exhibition reveals his private life like never

before. It celebrates in all its forms with three floors of

interactive exhibits including an excitable purple robe at. I am a

loose card. These aerial acrobats took inspiration from European

comics for a breathtaking outdoor spectacle, on display for free in

the West Park of Hull. In Edinburgh, Hull 2017 supported theatre Company

is going to the fringe Festival and send volunteers to spread the word

about the City of Culture. We are representing Hull. September is set

to be a huge month culture wise, for a start, it is the tenth anniversary

of the freedom festival which includes over 200 free events,

exploring themes of freedom. One day maybe is part live performers and

art installation using cutting-edge technology to transport audiences

into a dystopian future. And after a ?60 million refurbishment, the new

Theatre in Hull is preparing to reopen, playing host to world-class

touring productions, new commissions and a one-off performance from the

Royal Ballet. You can come to a festival and not get some glitter on

and I think you should have it in your beard as well. I will just

stick with this. At the first UK national pride there was a lot of

glitter and I had serious glitter envy. But with an amazing day

marking 50 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality

in the UK and it was fantastic. It was a great day, it was such a

family orientated event, it was a great way for the city to turn out

and celebrate such a monumental occasion. And we had an amazing

guide, the longest standing drag artist from Hull. I am Bobby mangel

and welcome to Hull Pride 2017. Busta bus, that is us. How many do

you think are in the parade? About 2300 people, which is incredible. I

suggested that we have the first UK Pride, because of the City of

Culture. It is incredible. We are in the middle of all the queer icons,

50 years, 50 queries, they are unbelievable. That is beautiful.

Took a few years off. You have got to be different, you know you will

get laughed at, you know people will have a dig at you, from a social

point of view, there was not much of a problem. I worked in the financial

services industry and within six months, nobody would book me or

higher me. I came out as a 19-year-old gay man and I have been

beaten up, had my nose broken, I have been spat on, it was not nice.

No. Sorry. I am 78. It was mad. You go to 21, it get married, buy a

house, have kids. I was 21 when I got married. We got divorced. It not

easy at all. Especially as she could not talk to anyone about it. You can

actually get arrested for it. They used to raid houses. Where did you

come out? Not until I was 31. We have been together now for 34 years

and we are very happy. 45 years I have been slapping her son. I was

married at 17, divorced just after 19 and I have two boys in that time.

It is a wonderful Bobby! # I am what I am. Opening UK Pride

was such an honour. The crowd is going crazy for you. I do so many

festivals up and down the country but to be asked to come today to

Hull is fantastic. It is amazing. An amazing day. 50 years, and I know,

these years have passed for the better. I am so proud now that

things have come on in leaps and bounds, for everyone, whether you're

a transgender or whatever, gay, straight, we can all come together.

# Hanni, I'll come get my things, but I can't let go.

# I'm waiting for it, that feeling, I wanted. We have come down out to

the urban stage, but a couple of weeks ago, the Proms were taking

place here. Now there is hip-hop and break dancing. Where else could that

happen? Only in the UK City of Culture. We are right down on the

river and a little bit further downstream, and incredible

theatrical production has been taking place. It was called Flood

and they filmed it on the water using pyrotechnics and light sounds

and it was fantastic. We went behind-the-scenes as they made it

for BBC Two. The rains have been getting worse day by day. Something

terrible is happening. There are ways, she wanted to save them.

Please, help us. Is that how far faith can carry us? It is a story

about a catastrophic flood, imagining a future where water in

Colts Europe, thousands stranded or become refugees and the last city is

an island and it is a story that is being told across a whole year in

Hull. Tell me how I can save them, save the world. Flood is about a

flood that happens 20 years in the future and the whole of Europe is

overtaken by a huge tidal wave and it looks like the impact on the

people who live in our floating city. The idea of PE and -- been

overwhelmed by water and by people is something we can all appreciate

and empathise with. It seems a brave choice of subject matter, given that

the city of Hull would be one of the first in the UK to be submerged if

sea levels rise. The slaves of the city flooded ten years ago, leaving

thousands of homes underwater and many in Hull still fear it happening

again. The year-long story of Flood started online and screened in

supermarket car parks in Hull, with a film showing fishermen hauling in

dozens of empty life jackets and one survivor. At Easter, 3000 people

braved the cold to watch the story unfold and the endless rains begin.

We have a casualty on board, request emergency services. This piece of

theatre is not just about the water, it is set on it. It has taken three

weeks to build this set, they had to lower in a boat and there is a car

that you will see a peering from behind there as well as building the

whole of the stage. They have also got to set up plenty of special

effects, ready for the TV filming to begin. The third instalment was

filmed for BBC Two and took the story from Hull to a national

audience. And to the misery of the crew but delight of the director,

the weather changed right on cue. It is coming up to ten o'clock, it is

almost dark enough to start the first of two nights of filming. In a

show called Flood the result was the a lot of water and the crew have

spent hours putting those rainmakers up there, but in the event, nature

has provided its own special effects. The cast is not just

professional actors, some of the Army of volunteers are taking part

and when they signed up last year to martial events and hand out leaflets

in 2017, they never thought they would end up on national telly. When

you signed up for this job, what did you think you would be doing?

Standing in front of the camera was not up there. I wanted to be part of

the history. Showcasing the culture of Hull. I held the guy who gets

onto the boat, with another volunteer. And then he hits him and

I'd like him onto the floor and I punched him in the face twice. How

nice! Yes! Part four of the story will be performed live on the dock

in October. A city itself threatened by water, once again hosting this

apocalyptic story about the devastation it could cause. They

have had a lot of noise. Humber Street Sesh is almost over, so it is

time for the headline act, he is introducing one. Let us hear it for

them! They have played festivals like

Reading and Leeds and I chatted to them earlier. For us, we are trying

to showcase how you can be empowered to make music on a shoestring and

really show the bands around Hull that you can go out and do it and

the things that we have achieved have all come naturally and

organically for us and it can be done, you have to have the right

mentality and I think that is coming on, the music scene in Hull is

amazing and we are so happy to be involved with it and trying to wave

the flag for it. You guys are being modest, a lot of this is about your

success. How important is it for fans to realise you can go your own

way? It is the only way. There is no golden ticket. When people ask for

advice, there is no quick route. The best advice is to work hard and

don't expect it to be easy. That is it from us. We didn't get to

see all the bands, but we gave it a good effort. The result was next

year and we will be back in the autumn on we will have the Royal

Ballet in Hull and the world's most controversial art competition, the

Turner Prize. If you want to get your cultural sex, head to this

website. I think we have got time for just one more bands. Goodbye.

We are hurtling towards the end of August and this 10-day forecast

takes us into the first few days of September. But, it is not too late

to see some fine, dry summerlike weather and we are actually going to

have some of that through this