Born in 1973 to folk-musician parents, she learned to play guitar, fiddle and piano as a child, and played in several groups before receiving national acclaim in 1997 for her first solo album Hourglass. Subsequent records have won her four BBC Radio 2 Folk awards and an Mercury Music Prize nomination. Her appeal has broadened with a top 10 hit dueting with the pop star Ronan Keating.

What's your first memory of being outdoors in Yorkshire?

Whitby beach. We used to go there every year for the folk festival, but we would spend a lot of the time down at the beach playing on the sand and riding the donkeys.



What's your favourite part of the county and why?

The countryside around Barnsley, because it's so very beautiful. I grew up in this area and spent much of my time outdoors. Even as a family we would go for walks and my parents would point out the wildlife. I used to love going out in the fields and trying to spot hares, I still do it now, and it's always a special moment when I catch sight of one. I remember writing in my My Weekend News book at school that our dog had caught a hare in the field and my dad got it free and while he held it I fed it some carrots to make it feel better. I even drew a picture. None of it was true, though. Sorry teachers.



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

There are so many places I love in Yorkshire, it's too hard to choose. I still adore going to Whitby though, travelling across the moors, and stopping at Ruswarp to go rowing. You can row up the river there and stop at the café, have tea and lovely home-made buns and cakes and then row back, a very nice day out. It's a little harder to row when you're full of cake, though.



Do you have a favourite walk or view?

I love the walk from Stainforth Force to Settle. We went camping a lot up there when we were young. We would spend all day playing in the river and sometimes walk all the way along to Settle for dinner. One year we were up there for October half-term and it coincided with the fish jumping up the river. A sight I will never forget. Every year I mean to go up and watch them but haven't yet made it. Perhaps this will be the year.



Which Yorkshire sportsman/woman would you take for lunch?

If she was still alive, I would love to have taken Jane Tomlinson. What an incredible woman she was. I was very sad when I heard she died.



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

It has to be Michael Parkinson. He'd have brilliant stories to share and I'd buy him lots of beer so he'd tell all. He-he!



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

Cawthorne Cricket Ground. I am a big cricket fan, I love it. My dad
played there when he was younger. I remember long hot sunny days
watching the cricket from up the oak tree in the corner. That or catching crayfish in the river. It's a peaceful, friendly, exciting, beautiful, safe place to go and spend a summer afternoon.
They also do the best cricket teas for miles around.



What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The people, the countryside and the beer, of course.

What about Yorkshire's cultural life?

I think it's fantastic. There's an amazing music scene now, too, always plenty of gigs to go and see, especially in Sheffield and Leeds, they're now popular places for even major bands to play. There's an abundance of places for bands to play, like Leeds City Varieties, and the Leadmill in Sheffield, there's something on almost every night. My favourite places to eat are in Yorkshire, too, I'm a bit of a foodie, so that's very important. I wouldn't live anywhere else.



Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

The Three Acres in Roydhouse, near Shelley. The food there is stunning, especially the seafood... and the meat dishes... and the vegetarian dishes...
It's all just gorgeous. The setting is beautiful, too, on top of a hill, you can
see for miles. The atmosphere inside is relaxed and friendly, too, which is just
how I like it.



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

I don't think it's changed that much really. Perhaps it's become a bit more cosmopolitan, but apart from that, it's still the same old Yorkshire that I know and love.



Who is the Yorkshire man/woman you most admire?

My mum and dad, just because they're the best.



How has Yorkshire influenced your work?

In many ways. It's too hard to explain exactly how, though. I live and breathe Yorkshire so it's it's just in there, it just creeps out into everything I do, conversation, music, food, everything. Even when I'm at the other side of the world I end up talking about Yorkshire to everyone I meet. Hopefully some of them have come to visit.



Do you have a favourite Yorkshire book/author?

Joanne Harris. She wrote Chocolat, and Five Quarters Of The Orange and many others. I'm a big reader and as soon as a new book of hers comes out I'm in line to get it. Her books always mention food, too, so that draws me in even further.



Kate Rusby is on tour. She can be seen at Salford Quays Lowry (Oct 19), Durham Gala Theatre (Nov 15), York Grand Opera House (Nov 16), Bradford
St George's Hall (Dec 16), Barnsley Lamproom (Dec 18), Harrogate Royal Hall (Dec 19), Ulverston Coronation Hall (Dec 20) and Nottingham Playhouse (Dec 21).