Ilkley: 'Why my home town has the best of everything Yorkshire has to offer'

A family walk to Malham Cove and the Limestone Pavement with my family and my cousins then sitting in the sunshine outside the pub with lemonade and crisps.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

Linton, near Grassington, holds very special memories for me. My parents moved to a beautiful old stone house next to a farm and spent many happy years there. The surrounding countryside, walks, the local pub (The Fountain) and the people they got to know, made it very special. I’d drive to visit them, and as soon as I got close, I felt myself breathe a sigh of relief.

What’s your idea of a perfect weekend, in Yorkshire?

I teach my online classes on a Friday morning, so after that we might head to our local Italian restaurant, Emporio Italia in Ilkley for lunch with friends, followed by a film at the small, but perfectly formed Ilkley Cinema.

Saturday, I might go to Avalon at Broughton Hall for Forrest Yoga in the gorgeous glass-sided studio. If the weather is nice, I’ll come back and have breakfast in the garden. In the evening, we might have friends for dinner under our gazebo.

Sunday, we will take our Jack Russell for a walk, either locally or perhaps further up the Dales – as long as it’s not a Bank Holiday. We’ll come back and garden and then usually have a relaxing evening as I’ll be getting myself ready for another busy week.

Do you have a favourite view?

It has to be the one closest to me. I’m lucky enough to live on the edge of Burley Moor and an early morning walk out of my front door and up to the “middle’ reservoir is my ‘feel good’ place. Depending on the time of year there will be curlews, grouse, plovers or red kites and amazing views across the valley.

I’ve been known to go up there for sunrise and have breakfast as well as sundowners as the sunsets. It’s a magical place.

Which Yorkshire sportsman would you like to take for lunch?

It would be cyclist, Beryl Burton. A woman who was determined not to let her health conditions or stereotypes about female athletes stop her from achieving the seemingly impossible.

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

Not quite a screenstar in the movie star sense, but I’d love to take Michael Parkinson out. His sense of humour, his irreverence and the stories he would have to tell, would make for a very entertaining evening.

If you had to name your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’, what would it be?

Saltburn, North Yorkshire. I only discovered it about three years ago when I went ‘surfing’ with my daughter on her 18th birthday. Since then, my husband and I have been on numerous occasions - the walks are stunning - whether it’s on the long beach or on the cliff tops. Followed by dinner at the Seaview restaurant and a walk along the pier.

If you could own somewhere or something for a day in Yorkshire would it be?

Salt’s Mill in Saltaire and I’d ask David Hockney if he'd like to come and join me for the day.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The people and the landscape which seem so utterly intertwined… raw, honest and authentic.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

My local, The Hermit, Burley Woodhead reopened a couple of years ago and it’s what a pub should be. Everyone is welcome, including walkers in muddy boots and muddier dogs. The food is simple but good, the views sitting out on the deck are fabulous and inside it’s warm and cosy with roaring log fires in the colder months and always a great welcome.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

I love S&B Fruit and Vegetables in Otley and we get our bread from Moin Moin in Ilkley

How do you think that Yorkshire has changed in the time that you’ve known it?

I think we’ve always looked out for each other, but following the pandemic and with world politics being the way they are, our local communities have pulled together even more.

If you had to change one thing in, or about Yorkshire, what would that be?

The weather! When it’s sunny there is no better place to be on earth.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

Rita Morris. Sadly, she died in 2007 but she lives on in so many ways. She was a singer who regularly appeared on the Good Old Days, but to me she was a dear friend with a wonderful sense of humour and an enviable zest for life.

She had great empathy for others, an infectious energy, which she used to support and champion others. She has left an inspirational legacy. Together Rita and her husband David were a formidable ‘double act’... I can’t help but smile when I think of them.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Yes! It’s a part of who I am. As they say - “you can take the girl out of Yorkshire, but you can’t take Yorkshire out of the girl”.

Name your favourite Yorkshire book.

The Moth and The Mountain by Ed Caesar. This book is about Maurice Wilson, a man from Bradford, and whilst not really set in Yorkshire I think it shows the sheer grit, resilience and determination so many Yorkshire people have.

If a stranger to Yorkshire where should they visit?

I’m possibly biased, but I think Ilkley offers the best of everything from a lovely town with lots of local shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. You can walk along the river and look for otters or hike up over the moor. Plus we have a lido, a very active playhouse, a literature festival, cycle races and a half marathon – there’s always something for everyone.

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