Husband-and-wife team quit jobs to launch Hull-based climbing centre

Married couple Michael Price and Amanda Haigh are launching a climbing business in a building that once housed the Hull Daily Mail’s printing press.

The entrepreneurial couple were partway through a world climbing tour when they decided to quit their jobs and launch Mad Volume Climbing.

They sought suitable premises for the business and Charles Parkinson, agency surveyor at Hull-based chartered surveyors Garness Jones, pointed them to the old press hall at WORX on the corner of Beverley Road and Spring Bank.

Michael, who worked as an actuary for 10 years, said: “We did a world tour of climbing in Thailand, India, South Africa and parts of Europe and halfway through the trip we woke up one morning in South Africa and decided to open a climbing wall.

“We’ll create an open, sociable space with a climbing experience that is going to be the main form of exercise for many people and a good alternative to a gym.”

He continued: “It will be mainly bouldering, there won’t be any rope climbing. It will be accessible and affordable and we’ll have free drop-in sessions for kids.

“We will be in the building in November and we plan to open in spring 2019. We will serve refreshments and food in the café and that will help us host corporate events – climbing is a great way of breaking down barriers and encouraging people to support each other.”

Former chef Amanda commented: “I was studying hospitality and culinary arts, thinking about our business venture and saving my tips to help pay for it!

“We were looking for two things – a student population and a central location. There were not many places which could meet that criteria, and it’s interesting to know of the historic climbing connections.”

Hull developer Allenby Commercial acquired WORX in 2016. Tenants at the scheme include safety company Arco, fitness centre Planet Gym and Springboard Nursery.

Charles Parkinson of Garness Jones said: “My first thought about the press hall was that it’s unconventional! The height of the building is screaming out and there are limited industrial properties like that. It was a case of thinking outside the box.

“We thought about leisure use with the gym next door – and the first serious idea we had was climbing or trampolining, which attracted some interest. A less interesting option might have been self-storage units.”

WORX already has a link to climbing tradition. Mountaineer Tom Longstaff, who won a gold medal in Mixed Alpinism for Britain at the 1924 Winter Olympics, was born into the Hull family that, in 1837, became part of Blundell Spence & Company paint manufacturer which occupied the WORX site.

Charles added: “It’s fascinating to know that Michael and Amanda are not the first climbers to have a connection with the site!”