Kingston upon Hull usually referred to as simply as Hull, stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles (40 km) inland from the North Sea. In recent years the city has embarked on an extensive programme of economic regeneration, reconstruction and urban renewal.Industry in the city is focused on the chemical and health care sectors. Several well-known British companies, including BP, Smith & Nephew, Seven Seas, and Reckitt Benckiser, have facilities in Hull.
As the biggest settlement in the East Riding of Yorkshire and the local transport hub, Hull is a natural focus for retail shoppers. Major department stores in Hull include Debenhams, House of Fraser and British Home Stores (Bhs). The city has three main shopping centres, St. Stephen's, Princes Quay and the Prospect Centre. There are also a number of "retail parks" and the North Point Shopping Centre at Bransholme. Large areas of Hull are undergoing regeneration to encourage retailing and commercial development. These areas include the proposed Quay West and flagship St. Stephen's projects. Budget and discount retailers such as Boyes, Primark, Peacocks, Poundland, TJ Hughes and Wilkinsons have branches in Hull.
Hull has a vibrant tradition of arts and culture with several museums of national importance. Hull's Museum Quarter, on the High Street in the heart of the Old Town, consists of Wilberforce House, the Arctic Corsair, the Hull and East Riding Museum (which contains the Hasholme Logboat – Britain's largest surviving prehistoric logboat. Other museums and visitor attractions include the Ferens Art Gallery with a good range of art and regular exhibitions, the Maritime Museum in Victoria Square, the Spurn Lightship, the Yorkshire Water Museum, and the Deep, the world's only submarium.
The city has two main theatres. Hull New Theatre, which opened in 1939, is the largest venue which features musicals, opera, ballet, drama, children's shows and pantomime. The Hull Truck Theatre is a smaller independent theatre, established in 1971, that regularly features plays, notably those written by John Godber.
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