What's your first memory of being outdoors?

My first memory outdoors was following my father with a mini wheelbarrow as he mowed the lawn and emptied the cuttings at the end of the garden in his full-sized wheel barrow. I must have been about three years-old.

What's your idea of a perfect weekend/day out in Yorkshire?

One of my favourite days out is to York Races and one of my favourite walks is from my house to the local pub, The Old Station Inn at Birstwith (about three miles) and often experienced on a Sunday morning accompanied by four dogs. The walk includes one of my all-time favourite views, that of the Nidderdale valley, a view I hold in my mind when working away from home in the big grey city.

Which Yorkshire sportsman/woman (past or present) would you like to take for lunch?

I've been lucky to meet quite a few sports, TV and film stars from the area at various charity lunches and dinners, but would love to share a Yorkshire pud with Dame Judi Dench (we share a love of horse-racing) or Timothy Dalton (I always thought Moneypenny was the best female role in the Bond films).

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star (past or present) would you like to take for lunch?

One person I've never met but feel I know is James Martin. We seem to have quite a bit in common, we were bought up the same area, with a similar country upbringing. I think he's one of the best celebrity chefs on the box at the moment as he seems very grounded and a good champion of everything Yorkshire. The only difference is he has an Aston Martin and I haven't.

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

Yorkshire's hidden gem, bar my home town of Harrogate, has to be the village of Ripley, with the castle, walks, The Boar's Head Inn and hotel and quaint independent shops. It's well worth a day trip out.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Yorkshire is unique in the way that it has everything, from the industrial south, the business west, the sea to the east and dales and moors in the north. It's not surprising that we tell the southerners that we still have whippets and clogs and are only just getting electricity. God's own country is still our secret.

Do you follow sport in the county, and if so what?

I'm a keen supporter of horse-racing and own five horses, four of which are trained in Yorkshire, the other in Spain, but trained by a Yorkshireman. I support Leeds United and the Bradford Bulls, but I'm pleased Barnsley did so well in the FA Cup.

What about Yorkshire's cultural life?

Living near Harrogate, I'm spoilt for choice with art galleries, and friends of mine run an online cultural magazine called Harrogate Confidential, which gives information on what's happening
in the region.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?
We are also spoilt for choice for restaurants and pubs in the area, though I do tend to keep out of the towns as there is a wealth of excellent places in the country. My locals, The Old Station Inn, Birstwith, The George at Wormald Green and The New Inn at Burnt Yates are great for good pub grub with a warm, friendly atmosphere. For that special occasion, there's The Crab and Lobster at Asenby, The Blue Lion at West Witton and The Sportsman's at Wath.



Do you have a favourite food shop?

There are plenty of country stores where you can buy local produce, and my local post office (important to keep these open) stocks all kinds of home-made and hand-reared items, meaning it is unnecessary to travel into town. It's the hub of the community and important for people to keep it, where the internet is unobtainable.



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

Yorkshire has changed a lot in the last 20 years, but we have to move with the times, although in the farming community, I'm pleased to see that bartering is still in operation, and I raise my glass to that as it cuts out the middle money man.



How has Yorkshire influenced your work?

I suppose Yorkshire has influenced
my life as when I was cast in Emmerdale in 1989, I was living in London, so when the opportunity arose to come home, I embraced it with open arms. I spent the next decade back in North Yorkshire.