ABOUT

SHIPS in the SKY is a social history and arts project by Esther Johnson that explores the many lives of the former Hull Co-operative central premises and British Home Stores. Focusing on public art and people’s role in place-making, the project invites new perspectives on mid-century public art and the built environment.

At its heart is Three Ships (1963), the UK’s largest mosaic, designed by Alan Boyson (ARCA 1930-2018). Suspended above the entrance to the post-war Hull & East Riding Co-operative Society department store—later a BHS that closed in 2016—the artwork remains a striking landmark in the city of Hull. Boyson also created the Fish and Skyline murals for the building, both made for the glamorous Skyline Ballroom. Now removed from the building, the Fish mural is in storage ready for incorporation into a future development on the same site. The Skyline sponge print tile mural — rediscovered during a research interview for this project with the building architect E.P. (Philip) Andrew — was removed, restored and is now housed in the entrance to Hull’s new NHS Diagnostic Centre.

A central meeting point in Hull and a frequent backdrop for public events, Three Ships is woven into the very fabric of the city of Hull. Over time, the building has taken on many identities: department store, indoor market, dance hall, music venue, and nightclubs: Skyline Ballroom, later Bailey’s and Romeo’s & Juliet’s. SHIPS in the SKY brings together memories from across generations—shoppers and staff, construction workers, and those who experienced the live music and building nightlife.

The project highlights how architecture and public art shape collective memory, civic identity, and a sense of place. In particular, Three Ships reflects Hull’s deep connection to its fishing and maritime heritage, anchoring the artwork within the city’s historical narrative.


Listing

On closure in 2016, the building canopy acted as shelter for the homeless, and as of 2025 is awaiting demolition and redevelopment. After a long campaign Three Ships was granted Grade II Listing by the secretary of state and DCMS on 21 November 2019, and as a consequence is being preserved and incorporated into the new development.
A history of the Campaign for listing can be found HERE.


Team

The core project team are artist, filmmaker and researcher Esther Johnson and researcher Leigh Bird who met in 2017 through a mutual appreciation of Alan Boyson and in particular his Three Ships mural in their hometown of Hull. At the time of meeting, Esther was beginning to form her social history arts project Ships in the Sky, building a collection of social histories and materials connected to Alan’s work, and Leigh headed up the ‘Hull Heritage Action Group’ campaign to List and preserve Three Ships.

PROJECT ELEMENTS

  • EXHIBITIONS
    looking at the work of Alan Boyson, and the social histories of the Hull & East Riding Co-operative Society central premises (later BHS) building, and the Stockport Co-operative building in Merseyway Shopping Centre, Stockport. Exhibitions to date include: Ships in the Sky in ten libraries across Hull that took place in 2019; and The Marvel From Marple, at Stockroom in Stockport, taking place from June—September 2026.
  • ORAL HISTORIES
    Esther Johnson and Untold Hull have collected 100+ oral testimonies of peoples memories of the Hull & East Riding Co-operative Society central premises and BHS building. Esther Johnson is working with Stockport Archives during The Marvel From Marple to collect peoples recollections of the Merseyway Shopping Centre and Alan Boyson’s concrete car park screens that are central to the centre.
  • COLLECTION
    of 300+ items of memorabilia and archive material connected different strands of the project including: Alan Boyson, architecture plans, photographs, Co-op and BHS ephemera, items connecting to the nightclubs in the Hull building.
  • EVENTS
    to discuss the varied strands of the project.
  • PUBLICATIONS
    on strands of the research, including: Ships in the Sky: the Co-op Connection
Learn More

Evoking peoples’ navigation and memories of the public realm, the project aims to stimulate new perspectives of public art and the built environment, through:

  • a SHIPS in the SKY project blog
  • research on the work of Alan Boyson
  • a way to share your memories

Visit Galleries

Alan Boyson’s THREE SHIPS and FISH murals have inspired multiple art works in and beyond the City of Hull.

View historical images, artworks inspired by Alan Boyson, selfies in front of Boyson’s Three Ships, and other images collected as part of the Ships in the Sky project.

Mural Memories

100 Oral History Interviews

Working with Untold Hull we have recorded around 100 oral history interviews connected with the former Hull Co-op, BHS and the building nightclubs.

Contribute

Want to Contribute?

We want to hear from you if you have a story you would like to share.

We want to audio record and film as many of these diverse memories as we can.
We’re also collecting items for a project exhibition and below is a list of the kinds of things we’re looking for.

Please get in touch using the form in our contacts page if you have a story to tell, or if you have something you’d like to consider loaning to us. Thank you.

Visit Timelines

A number of timelines demonstrate the importance of Alan Boyson, his artworks, the Co-Operative Movement and more.

Visit Our Shop

Our Shop includes:

  • ‘Ships in the Sky: The Co-op Connection’ book
  • Photographic prints
  • Charity merchandise
  • more coming soon…

Subscribe to our Newsletter

We’d love to keep you up to date with news and progress about the Ships in the Sky film and exhibition. If you’d like to hear from us, simply input your email address, check the ‘Agree’ box and click on the Subscribe button.