One of the joys of working at the Mail is the occasional visit to our library. Like Indiana Jones entering the Temple of Doom, you never quite know what might be lurking around the corner.
A recent venture into our archives was a case in point.
While looking at old photographs of Queen Victoria Square, I came across this image of a proposed facelift on either side of Queens Gardens.
The photo, which dates from 1970, features a model due to go on show at Ferens Art Gallery showing a proposed museum on one side and a new winter gardens complex on the other.
In case you can't get your bearings, the museum is where Gosschalks solicitors' office is today, while the Wilson Centre occupies the site earmarked for the winter gardens.
In all my 30 years at the Mail, I had never heard of these plans until my trip to the library.
Obviously, neither the museum or the winter garden venue was ever built. Money – or the lack of it – probably had something to do with it.
I can only assume the museum was intended to house the city council's maritime collection, which ended up in the former Dock Offices building overlooking Queen Victoria Square when that reopened as a museum four years later.
That move no doubt saved us all from a chunk of ugly early- Seventies architecture blotting the landscape across Queens Gardens for years to come.
As for the winter gardens, the same blessing probably applies.
A giant greenhouse sounds like a great idea but a Seventies design might not have worn well.
It anyone has any more information on this particular project that never was, I would love to hear from them.
Boundaries campaign goes up against zumba classDown at Hessle Town Hall the other night, the official launch of the Hands Off The East Riding campaign was momentarily drowned out by LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem.
The largely mature gathering of town and parish councillors involved in the campaign found themselves up against a zumba class booming away merrily in a room next door.
For a moment, I had visions of that Specsavers advert where a hall full of pensioners are treated to an unexpected zumba class courtesy of a short-sighted instructor coming to life before my eyes.
Fortunately, I was spared the sight of John Dennis and Brian Jefferies shuffling as they gamely did their best to concentrate on matters at hand.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
•Politics news for Hull and East Riding
