As the celebrations continue, The Mail's Angus Young looks at 50 reasons why Hull is the next UK City of Culture.1. William Wilberforce: Still Hull's most famous son 180 years after his death, the former MP led the movement to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire.2.Cream-coloured phone boxes: A symbol of the city's independence. You don't see them anywhere else.3.Amy Johnson: Hull girl becomes first woman in history to fly solo from London to Australia. Enough said.4.Ferens Art Gallery: Home to one of the best regional collections of art in the country as well as hosting top-name touring exhibitions, from Da Vinci to Warhol.5. J. Arthur Rank: The Hull-born cinema tycoon produced and funded a number of classic British films, including A Matter of Life and Death and The Red Shoes.6.Chip spice: The paprika-based cult started in the old Yankeeburger takeaway in Jameson Street and has since spread across the UK.7.Freedom Festival: Taking its cue from Wilberforce, Hull's biggest annual culture fest just keeps getting better every year.8. Andrew Marvell: Renowned poet, city MP and – some say – a 17th century version of James Bond thanks to his still mysterious diplomatic missions abroad.9. The Deep: Over a decade after its opened, the self-styled 'submarium' remains the most successful Millennium Project in the UK. Penguins are arriving soon.10. Clive Sullivan: Rugby league who played for both Hull FC and Hull KR and was the first black Briton to captain any national representative sporting team.11. The Old Town: It somehow survived the Blitz and is now home to most of the city's award-winning free-to-enter museums and some Victorian stunning architecture.12. Philip Larkin. OK, he was a grumpy so-and-so from Coventry but he also made his home in Hull, writing most of his best-known poetry here.13. Humber Bridge: Technically just outside Hull but still a crowd-puller as one of the world's longest single-span suspension bridges.14.Fruit: At the heart of the city's arts scene, the venue has helped spearhead the recent re-development of Humber Street.15. Mick Ronson: The musical legacy of the Hull-born guitarist, songwriter and producer lives on despite his early death in 1993 from liver cancer at the age of 46.16.Sculpture: Hull has more striking public sculptures than you might think, from Queen Victoria perched above a toilet block outside the City Hall to the tree sculptures in the Avenues.17. Sir John Hotham: As governor of Hull, he barred the town gates to King Charles I in 1642 and refused him entry. This act of defiance sums up Hull's independence.18. LED technology: Liquid crystal research by a team of boffins at the University of Hull led by the late Professor George Gray in the early 1970s was the starting point for the technology behind today's laptop computers and flat-screen TVs.19. London 0 Hull 4: Apparently one of David Cameron's favourite albums, much to the dismay of ex-Housemartins singer Paul Heaton.20. Gerald and Ralph Thomas: The Hull-born brothers film directors and were respectively responsible for hugely-popular Carry On and Doctor comedy film series.21. Hull people: We're an unpretentious straight-talking lot who look each other in the eye with a smile and share our time freely with friends and strangers alike. London please take note.22. Hull New Theatre: The home of live entertainment since 1939. Watch out for Christopher Biggins and Spit The Dog in this year's panto.23. Lucy Beaumont: Fancy a laugh with a Hull lass? Lucy won the BBC's new comedy award in 2012.24. The Adelphi: Legendary backstreet venue run by the equally legendary Paul Jackson with an ever-present eclectic musical mix on offer.25. The Larkin toads: Who would have thought a bunch of fibre-glass toads would prove so popular? There are still a few about.26.John Godber: Although a lengthy association with Hull Truck ended two years ago, he's still the region's best-known playwright.27.Humber Street Sesh: The city's homegrown summer music festival is now an established fixture in the city's cultural calendar.28.Adele Howitt: The ceramic artist and co-owner of the Studio Eleven gallery Humber Street also fills old cars with flowers for festivals in her spare time.29. Spiders: Every town or city has a strange club which defies fashion and music trends but there's still no place like this particular nightspot for an alternative night out.30. Christ Between Saints Paul and Peter: Snapped up recently for £1.6m, this 14th century masterpiece by Pietro Lorenzetti will be on display in Hull at the Ferens for 2017 after careful restoration.31. Artlink: The community-based arts organisation has been spreading the word in Hull since 1982.32. Thomas Ferens: As well as gifting the art gallery which bears his name, the late MP, industrialist and philanthropist also made a significant donation to establish what is now the University of Hull.33. Richard Bean: A Hull Truck regular, the playwright hit the big time in 2011 with his One Man Two Guvnors because a smash hit in London's West End and on Broadway.34. KC Stadium: The home of top-flight football and rugby league with Hull City and Hull FC respectively.35. Craven Park: We can't mention the KC without giving a nod to the east Hull home of Hull KR, currently looking good with its new north stand.36. Hull Truck: Built as part of the St. Stephen's development, the theatre nurtures local talent as well as hosting some great touring productions, live music and stand-up comedy.37. Sir Tom Courteney: He received a knighthood in 2001 for 40 years' service to cinema and theatre but he's now probably best known for introducing the Hull 2017 video The City Belongs To Everyone.38.This City Belongs To Everyone. The afore-mentioned video created by Hull's Nova Studios, especially for the bid presentation in Londonderry last week. It's already been viewed by more than 87,000 people in 143 countries.39.Slipstream: Made on a Hull industrial estate over three years, the largest piece of free-standing sculpture in Europe will be unveiled at Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 2 next spring.40.David Whitfield: It's easy to forget that back in the 1950s this Hull lad was the most successful British singer in America and the first UK male vocalist to earn a gold disc.41. Museum of Club Culture: What's that? A museum dedicated to clubbing? Hull College lecturer and museum curator Mark Wigan and artist Kerry Baldry make it all work in Humber Street.42. Big water and big skies: Our natural landscape framed by the Humber and endless horizons sets us apart from the rest. Welcome to the edge of the world.43. The Welly: Currently giving it some welly by celebrating its 100th birthday as a live music venue.44.Hull Fair: Europe's largest travelling funfair tends to divide opinion but you can't miss it once the rides start rocking in Walton Street every October.45.Holy Trinity Church: Much of Hull's history and heritage can be found within the impressive walls of England's largest parish church. It also hosts the brilliant beer festival!46.Luke Campbell: Unbeaten as a professional boxer after winning gold in last year's Olympic Games. Not bad at ice dancing either.47. Jean Bishop: The Bee Lady is arguably Hull's most famous woman after winning a Pride of Britain award this year for her fund-raising efforts.48. John Ward: The son of a master mariner, he is regarded as Hull's foremost 19th century maritime artist. Many of his finest works are on display at the Ferens.49. Dean Windass: His Wembley goal to send Hull City into the Premier League for the first time will be forever etched on the fans' memories – along with his bleached blond crewcut.50. Hull Daily Mail: Time to blow our own trumpet as we've been reporting on Hull's cultural scene since 1885. Check out our 16-page City of Culture celebration special, which can be read online here. City of Culture? Bring it on!• Have we missed any? Tell us your favourite:
