Claire Bennett and Leila Bolton, joint licensees of The Punch Hotel in Queen Victoria Square, decided to get some cards printed in response to repeated requests from visitors to the city.

They are now heading for a re-print after the first batch flew off the shelves, with globetrotting regular Thomas Mullen the biggest customer.

A freelance photographer commissioned by HullBID took photographs of the pub as part of his assignments to promote city centre businesses. Claire and Leila added some information about the history of the pub having conducted their own research. Thomas, a Hull-based freelanced voyage ambassador, then sent them to his clients and contacts around the world.

Claire said: “People do admire the building. A lot of them take photographs and some were asking if we had any souvenirs, so we produced some postcards.

“Through our own research we found out that The Punch was built in the 1840s and is a Grade II listed building. It used to face the dock, but it was knocked down in the 1890s and then rebuilt facing Queen Victoria Square.

“It is an amazing building but there is tragedy in the history. The pub remarkably escaped unscathed from the air raids of the Second World War but the licensee and his family were killed when they took shelter nearby in the Prudential building.”

The modern day Punch Hotel is popular with local residents, workers and shoppers and also with visitors to the city who call in to enjoy the high quality food and drink  – and postcards. Thomas, who moved to Hull in 1988, discovered the pub by recommendation and it has become his favourite haunt for the few months of the year when he is in the city.

He said: “The first time I came here I found the place very friendly, the food excellent and the atmosphere very traditional. The postcards are a great idea because not enough places do things like that – I bought 10 initially and then came back for another 80.

“I travel for about seven months of the year, guiding tourists on visits to all sort of exotic destinations. I also write a lot. Many of my clients become friends so I’ll be sending them postcards from The Punch to show them one of the many wonderful buildings that we have here in Hull.”

Kathryn Shillito, HullBID City Centre Manager, said: “The Punch is a great example of a traditional English pub and the building itself is magnificent.

“Part of HullBID’s role is to raise awareness of the attractions we have in our city centre and we were delighted to help Claire and Leila promote the postcards. Hopefully Thomas will spread the word about Hull and The Punch to his contacts worldwide.”

Pictured: Kathryn Shillito (centre) with Leila Bolton (left) and Claire Bennett with the postcards from The Punch.