hull really is the (flooded) arse end of nowhere

[odycee]

Good things: I have found somewhere to live in Hull! A nice flat in the converted docklands with two bedrooms. I'm going up again to sign the contract and collect the keys in three weeks but I probably won't move in properly until the middle of August. It has the plus point of escaping all the flooding of the last few weeks. It was a bit of struggle finding anywhere that wasn't directly in the middle of the city centre as everything on the outskirts has either been a) flooded, or b) occupied by people who've had their houses flooded. I'm so glad that I've found somewhere nice and that I finally feel like I'm in control of what's going on.

Bad things: I knew Hull had its own telephone network, Kingston Communications, and that they were never part of BT (the only area in the entire country) - Hull never had the iconic red telephone boxes, they're cream instead. This is all fine and good, but I never thought about how this would affect internet providers. Because you can't get a BT phone line in Hull and there are no cable providers (not even my old nemesis NTL/Virgin Media), you are stuck with one broadband provider, Keroo, which by the number of disgruntled customers I've found posting in various places on the internet, is a complete bag of crap with pathetic download speeds. Joy! But at least I've got a choice of two whole dial-up providers so that's ok! Aren't there rules about monopolies like this? Why do I have to go and live in the only place in the entire UK that doesn't have BT?

Comments

[niennah.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you found a nice place to live in Hull! Although the internet situation does seem rather aggravating. We even have BT in Ireland, so it's very odd they're not in Hull.

Will you be living on your own or sharing?

[thrupenny.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you found a nice flat! But I don't understand how no one in Hull can have cable?! I mean, I don't have it but I know I could if I wanted, and I live in a pretty rural area.

[odycee.livejournal.com]

Who knows! Obviously it's no coincidence that Hull is only one letter different from Hell - Kingston Communications is clearly the work of the devil who has a bizarre stranglehold over other forms of communication. All I can hope is that the internet provider is ok for me because if it's not, I can't change!

[odycee.livejournal.com]

It is very aggravating. BT are everywhere, even outside of Britain! It's all very strange. Hopefully I won't have any problems with the internet though. On the plus side, at least it takes away the umming and ahhing over who I should go with.

I'm living on my own. I don't really know anyone in Hull who I'd want to share with and I can't stand the thought of sharing with someone I don't know. That's why I need the internet for entertainment!!

[naughtyelf.livejournal.com]

We've been to the KC stadium for football quite a few times now and we always seem to get completely pathetically lost even though we know where we're going. It's like Hull takes control of our car.