Starring role for Telephone House in 'We Are Hull' illuminations

But did you see KCOM’s pivotal role in the “roller coaster” spectacle that is lighting up Queen Victoria Square?

After the breathtaking sequence that recreates the fire and devastation of the Hull Blitz, it is footage of the building of KCOM’s Carr Lane offices, formerly known as Telephone House, that features heavily in the next chapter of the grand journey through Hull’s recent history.

The Queen Victoria Square section of the Made In Hull launch week, entitled We Are Hull, was created by acclaimed animation director Zsolt Balogh with much of its archive imagery and footage researched by Hull film makers Nova Studios.

Harriet Jones, of Nova Studios, believes KCOM’s role in the rebuilding of post-war Hull is pivotal to the success of We Are Hull.

She said: “When we met with Zsolt to discuss his vision for We Are Hull, he said he wanted it to be a roller coaster ride through Hull’s history, full of the highs and lows the city has gone through.

“It started with the 1930s world of work, went through the dark times of the war years and the blitz and then continued through to the more optimistic years of post-war rebuilding.

“Zolt has already seen some footage of the building of Telephone House but we had to find an original copy of the film so we contacted KCOM where Michelle Barnes came up trumps for us.

“She found some amazing footage and lots of other archive film which we are now working through.

“You can clearly see the KCOM film in the rebuilding sequence. It’s full of cranes, construction workers and men in hard hats – it’s a hive of activity and part of the upwards motion of the city’s roller coaster history. It’s from an optimistic era when Hull was on the up.”

KCOM communication executive Michelle Barnes said the archive footage originally came from Kirk Ella-based filmmaker Walter Garton who recorded much of the redevelopment of Hull city centre in the 1950s and 60s on behalf of Hull City Council.

The film, which can be seen on Vimeo, shows the foundations being laid for Telephone House and the Carr Lane offices rising out of the ground.

City Of Culture organisers have officially thanked Michelle for her work tracking down valuable archive film for Made In Hull by crediting her as part of the Queen Victoria Square installation.

Made In Hull runs until Saturday, 7 January, and is free to attend. The illuminations are at eight sites across Hull city centre, including Whitefriargate, Zebedee’s Yard, The Deep, C4DI and Humber Street and can be viewed between 4pm to 9pm each night.