PANGO World Horizons CIC

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PANGO World Horizons CIC

A Hull-born CIC turning global travel into local impact. We redirect 8.5% of hotel commissions to your chosen charity or school - at no extra cost to you.

Trade rates, social dividends, and full travel agent protection.

03/11/2026

I look forward to watching the Karl Bushby biopic covering his 36,000-mile trek back to Hull from Punta Arenas on the southern tip of Chile. Rumour has it the casting starts with Austin Butler and ends with Brad Pitt.

None of us can really imagine what the past 28 years must have been like for Karl. I spent most of my twenties travelling across Africa, Asia, North America, and Central America. At 44, I thought I’d see if I still had it in me, spending 8 months in South America.

I’ve done a fair bit of trekking in my time - the 12-day Annapurna Circuit in Nepal (spending the middle night at base camp), climbing and camping atop Acatenango beside Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala, and hiking the Inca Trail down to Aguas Calientes before pushing up to Machu Picchu.

Like Karl, I did those without a guide. But La Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City) in Colombia was different—you had to join a licensed tour. The day before setting-off, I fell ill. There was no way I could manage a steaming 4-day jungle trek. A few days later, I told the agency I was ready. It turned out I was now the only person on the tour - just me and Omar, the guide.

Omar told me that in his 20 years of guiding, it was only the third time he’d ever spent the night up at the ruins. Normally, no one is allowed. But the site boss was away and the military personnel were his friends, so we took advantage. I believe I was one of the few non-military, non-indigenous people ever to spend the night there - waking in a hammock on a misty dawn and exploring the ruins completely alone was special.

The photos are of the Kogi people (Omar in background). They consider it their duty to maintain cosmic harmony through meditation and mindful action. (Trekking is forbidden every September while they perform environmental and spiritual cleansing rituals.)

So, I’ve done some walks and had a few adventures. But I can’t begin to imagine living Karl Bushby’s life. Crossing the Darién Gap and the Bering Strait - that’s real adventure.

I do know what it’s like to live a different kind of life for extended periods, though, and the difficulty of adjusting back to ‘normality’. But 28 years! Last night, Peter Levy asked Karl, "What next?" Karl doesn’t know yet, and he knows it might be tough. A book and movie deal will help, but adjusting won't be easy.

Karl and I are only half a year apart in age. Although not to his extent, I think we've shared a similar kind of lifestyle. I found adjusting difficult - still do in many ways. But I found PANGO, and I hope Karl finds something in that same vein for his next chapter, too.

29/10/2026

Have you noticed how many houses are going all-out with outdoor Halloween decorations lately? It’s definitely not something I remember seeing when I was a kid!

Over 2,000 years ago, Halloween started right here in the UK and Ireland as Samhain (pronounced SOW-in). To ward off roaming spirits, people carved faces into turnips and mangelwurzels ( - Worzel Gummidge anyone!?). Children went "guising"—offering songs or poems at doors for food and soul cakes.

When Irish families emigrated to North America in the 1800s, they swapped their tougher root vegetables for much easier native pumpkins. Then, in the 1930s, American towns turned destructive Halloween pranking into organised door-to-door "trick-or-treating" to build positive community spirit. Decades later, Hollywood exported that whole celebration right back to us!

It’s amazing how a tradition can travel the world and completely transform along the way.

That idea of turning something routine into positive community support is exactly what drives us at PANGO. Just like those 1930s towns swapped mischief for community spirit, PANGO turns your everyday travel bookings into direct, lasting funding for local charities across our region.

No tricks—just a practical way to give back every time you travel.

22/10/2026

The Humber is so much more than just one city.

To put our region on the global map, the conversation has to span both banks of the estuary. Hull might be our largest city, but the Humber's true strength lies in our interconnected towns and ports—many with their own proud international links:

⚓ Grimsby & Cleethorpes: Deep maritime ties to Tromsø (Norway), Bremerhaven (Germany), and Banjul (The Gambia)—from iconic Christmas tree gifts to modern seafood and offshore wind.

🏭 Scunthorpe: Industrial roots twinned with Lüneburg (Germany), Clamart (France), and steelmaking links in Ostrowiec (Poland).

🚢 Goole: Inland port connections twinned with Złotów (Poland), linking UK supply chains straight into continental Europe.

🏛️ Beverley & Barton-upon-Humber: Historic towns twinned with Lemgo (Germany) and Feyzin (France), proving that global connections reach every corner of our estuary.

When you bring all these threads together, we aren't just a collection of separate towns... we are an interconnected, globally facing region showcasing a united, forward-thinking Humber to the world.

21/10/2026

"Nostalgia is not a strategy."

Those words from Mark Carney stood out to me at the recent Humber Place Forum hosted by Future Humber. The forum brought together leaders from across the region to tackle a critical question: How do we build a bold, forward-looking identity for the Humber that attracts serious investment, creates jobs, and retains top talent?

It’s an ambitious new drive—and one that requires sharp, practical ideas, not just warm memories of the past.

When we talk about looking at Hull's historic twin and sister city connections, this isn't about nostalgia. It’s about opportunity.

Maybe we don't need to invent international relationships from scratch when we already have formal foundations spanning Europe, North America, and Africa sitting right under our noses. Modernising these networks isn't about looking back—it's about opening new, business-led pipelines for energy, tech, trade, and university collaboration.

20/10/2026

When I was a young child on family car journeys up to Scotland or down to the Isle of Wight, we would pass through many towns with signs that said "Twinned with..." They always fired my imagination and gave me incentive to travel. Where were these places!? What happened there and what kind of people lived there? Were they like us or were they very different?

As a historic port city, Hull’s reach has always stretched far and wide. Over the years, Hull has forged connections with 8 twin/sister cities across 5 continents:

🇸🇱 Freetown (Sierra Leone) — Our only continuously active link

🇺🇸 Raleigh (USA) & 🇳🇱 Rotterdam (Netherlands) — Established links that need some reigniting

🇯🇵 Niigata (Japan) | 🇵🇱 Szczecin (Poland) | 🇮🇸 Reykjavík (Iceland) | 🇦🇺 Launceston (Australia) | 🇲🇩 Chișinău (Moldova) — Dormant historical partnerships

How the Freetown Connection Started

In 1979, Hull became the first UK city to twin with a municipality outside Europe or North America. The link was sparked by Dr S.T. Matturi, a Sierra Leonean High Commissioner who studied in Hull. He saw a natural bond between Freetown—founded as a haven for freed slaves—and the birthplace of William Wilberforce. It remains a vibrant community partnership today with school and cultural exchanges, and shared aid.

Our Other Key Global Links

🇺🇸 Raleigh, North Carolina: Formed in 1986 to connect tech, education, and trade. While still connected, it’s a partnership ripe for a modern, business-led revival.

🇳🇱 Rotterdam: Connected by centuries of North Sea trade and direct ferries—so culturally linked it inspired the famous The Beautiful South line: "It could be Rotterdam, or anywhere..." Yet the formal tie sits largely quiet.

Having these international foundations in place is a massive asset for our region—it just takes a bit of vision to wake them up again!

14/10/2026

Dating back to royal charters in 1278–1279, Hull Fair has been an unmissable autumn fixture for almost 750 years, standing proudly as one of Europe’s largest annual travelling funfairs.

But back in 1752, the fair nearly didn’t happen at all.

When Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar to align with Europe, the government made 11 days vanish overnight — Wednesday 2nd September instantly became Thursday 14th September. Across the country, people panicked, fearing their festivals, wages and rents were being stolen.

True to Hull’s grit and independence, locals didn’t take it lying down. Crowds poured into the streets demanding their time — and their fair — back. Their determination won out, and authorities permanently anchored the date, ensuring Hull Fair opens every year on or closest to October 11th.

Planning a trip into the city to experience the rides, the lights, and a giant jumbo patty?

When you book your stay with PANGO, you not only secure great hotel rates by bypassing standard OTA markups — you also help support the vital work of charities, including organisations like St John Ambulance and local emergency rescue teams who work tirelessly at events like Hull Fair to keep everyone safe and cared for.

A 'fairer' way to book your stay, supporting the people who support Hull — and leaving you with more money in your pocket to spend on the rides!

28/09/2026

Hull has a long history of acting early.
In 1599, the city banned bear‑baiting — more than two centuries before the rest of Britain. It wasn’t about animal rights in the modern sense, but it was about the kind of community Hull wanted to be: orderly, principled, and willing to take a stand when others wouldn’t.

That same civic culture later shaped people like William Wilberforce, whose work helped change global attitudes toward human dignity. Hull has never been afraid to move first when it comes to doing what feels right.

Today, we’re trying to follow that tradition in a much smaller, more everyday way.

PANGO isn’t a grand moral crusade — it’s just a simple idea:
if booking a hotel can quietly support a charity at no extra cost, why wouldn’t we make that the norm? (Especially if we're actually saving ourselves money, too!!)

It’s not world‑changing.
But it is a small, practical step in the same direction Hull has always pointed:
doing things a bit better when we can.

And sometimes, small steps still matter.

24/09/2026

Hull has never been a city that simply follows the crowd.

Throughout history, this city has quietly stood its ground, minted its own wealth, and shaped technology used across the globe today.

Sparking the Civil War:
In 1642, King Charles I was famously turned away at Beverley Gate by the Governor of Hull, Sir John Hotham. Refusing the King entry to the town’s massive arsenal is widely remembered as the decisive moment that turned political tension into open conflict — the spark that began the English Civil War.

Coining Its Own Wealth:
Back in 1300, King Edward I granted Hull its own royal mint to strike silver pennies, turning the town into an economic powerhouse for northern campaigns and international trade. Each coin carried the mark of a city rising in royal favour and ambition.

Powering Modern Tech:
Every time you check your smartphone screen, you’re looking at a piece of Hull innovation. In the 1970s, Professor George Gray and his team at the University of Hull created the first stable room‑temperature liquid crystals — the breakthrough that made LCD screens commercially viable worldwide.

From defying a king to shaping global technology, Hull has always done things its own way.
And at PANGO, we believe that same spirit of independence still drives change today.

21/09/2026

The Humber has always been the lifeblood of our city — but it holds more secrets than most people realise.

Hull’s connection to the water runs deep, shaped by centuries of seafaring, trading, and navigation across the estuary:

700+ Years of Crossing:
Long before the Humber Bridge opened in 1981, the Humber Ferry was one of Europe’s longest‑running public ferry services. Official charter records date back to 1315, though people were paying for passage across the estuary long before that. For generations, ferrymen braved tides, fog and shifting sandbanks to carry travellers between Hull and Lincolnshire.

Setting Sail into Fiction:
In Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719), the famous adventurer begins his ill‑fated voyage from the Port of Hull on 1 September 1651 — placing our city at the very start of one of literature’s most iconic journeys.

A Graveyard Beneath the Waves:
Treacherous currents, sudden storms and centuries of heavy maritime traffic have left more than 1,000 known shipwrecks hidden beneath the Humber’s murky waters — from medieval trading vessels to wartime ships lost during the world wars.

From legendary voyages to centuries of local crossings, Hull’s maritime history is second to none — a story shaped by the tides and carried across the water.
And at PANGO, we love that Hull has always been a city built on journeys — because every journey has the power to do good.

16/09/2026

Small businesses are the beating heart of our city. 🛍️☕

Whether it's grabbing your morning coffee from a local independent café, supporting homegrown traders at Trinity Market, or backing local initiatives, every bit of local support helps Hull thrive.

Our city's independent scene brings character, originality, and genuine passion to our streets. When we choose to spend locally, we aren't just buying a product or a service—we are investing directly in our neighbours, our high streets, and the future of our community.

When we support one another, the whole city wins. Here’s to backing Hull business. 🙌

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http://www.pangoworld.com/

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