Freightlink Europe MD Lesley O'Brien on how her Yorkshire grit helped her succeed in male dominated industry

I was born in Wrose, Bradford where I spent a happy childhood. Childhood games with neighbouring friends included elastic twist, hopscotch, whip ‘n top, skipping. Family fun days included picnics on Baildon or Malham Moor and Christmas day was spent with cousins at the Devonshire Fell Hotel in Burnsall.

What’s your perfect weekend in Yorkshire?

My perfect weekend would be Kevin, my husband, and I taking our camper van up to Middleham. We drive from Kettlewell, round the back of the Blue Bell pub, taking the road through the magnificent landscape of Coverdale to the Blue Lion in East Witton for light lunch.

We walk off our lunch in Middleham, hopefully seeing race horses from the many stables close to the Gallops, and then parking up at a regular campsite site outside Leyburn. In the evening we dine at the Sandpiper in Leyburn.

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star would you like to take for dinner?

Being Machiavellian I would invite Alan Titchmarsh for dinner with a view to inviting him to get our garden in some kind of order. Ideally dinner would be cooked by James Martin or Tommy Banks - a great Yorkshire ensemble.

Do you have a favourite author?

In 2018 I was privileged to address the girls at Harrogate Ladies College. Joanne Harris, of ‘Chocolat’ fame was the main speaker. I loved the way she inspired our future generation of young ladies.

What’s your favourite view?

I’m blessed to live at the end of a track in the middle of the moors above Stanbury, just outside Haworth. From our garden our vista is miles of moorland leading to Top Withens and beyond. We enjoy zero light, noise or air pollution, abundant wildlife and vibrant colours which change with each season.

If you could own somewhere for a day, where would it be?

My husband and I married at St Michael’s & All Angels church in Haworth and held our reception at the Abbey Inn at Byland Abbey. Friends and family enjoyed canapes, champagne and music from a string quartet playing in the grounds of the Abbey. It was very Merchant Ivory. I would hire Byland Abbey and relive my wedding day.

What gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Yorkshire people are down to earth, straight talking, welcoming, friendly and hospitable. It never ceases to amaze me how these characteristics shine through to any visitor to Yorkshire. This, coupled with our variety of scenery and beautiful coastline, makes visitors want to return again and again.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

I love to support local people. The Sunday market at Hebden Bridge brings together artisans and foods from all countries and cultures. As a lover of cheese, a visit to the amazing cheese shop, Goo, is a must. Not only is there an array of different cheeses but they have expert knowledge. We have so many award winning local butchers – Ellisons in Cullingworth, Marsh Top in Oxenhope and particularly helpful is butcher Graham Eyes in the Spar, Haworth

How do you think that Yorkshire has changed, for better or worse?

I think the Tour de France really put Yorkshire on the map as a tourist destination. I remember American friends calling and saying, ‘Wow, what amazing countryside’. On a trip to Japan with my father, I turned on the hotel TV and was delighted to see a clip of the peloton cycling up Haworth main street.

What’s your favourite part of the county ?

I’m torn – the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire and the wonderful East Coast. We have such a diversity of spectacular landscapes and scenery.

What’s your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’?

Yorkshire’s hidden gem is the Piece Hall in Halifax. A former cloth hall dating back to 1779 it pays homage to West Yorkshire’s textile roots. It now attracts visitors to appreciate not only its architecture and many independent shops and bars, but also to enjoy a variety of world class artists who now perform there in concert on a regular basis.

What’s your favourite restaurant/pub?

Local to Haworth we have some great family run ‘eateries’. I love Buonissimo, Saltaire or Pavé, Haworth for Breakfast, (great coffee is a must). The Hawthorne, Haworth or the Turkey at Goose Eye for dinner and drinks with friends locally at the Wuthering Heights, Stanbury.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

After my father who travelled worldwide promoting Yorkshire textiles, I would choose Sir Titus Salt. An entrepreneur and visionary of his time, who built Saltaire to house his employees. He put West Yorkshire on the map as a world leader in textiles and unknowingly created a future world heritage centre. Today Saltaire attracts visitors from throughout the world and the gallery displays art by famous Bradfordian David Hockney.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my Yorkshire roots. In the 1980s I was approached by a transport company in Bradford’s twin town of Roubaix, Northern France to set up a company for them in West Yorkshire. There’s an expression having ‘Yorkshire grit’.

Building a transport company in a male dominated industry, you certainly have to have lots of that. Who would have thought all these years later, my husband and I would have our own business, Freightlink Europe.

If a stranger to Yorkshire where should they visit?

Well of course Haworth. It ticks every box. Visitors can visit the Bronte parsonage museum home and St Michael & All Angels Church. There are spectacular walks to Bronte Waterfalls and Top Withens, said to be the inspiration of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Haworth is the world’s first fair trade village, and the cobbled street is lined with lots of interesting shops.