Jo Quinton-Tulloch on cycling, the Brontës and why Yorkshire will always inspire her

What’s your favourite part of the county?

Grassington, Kettlewell, and Bolton Abbey – the last because we used to get out there a lot while lockdown was on, and there was plenty of space, and we could avoid other people. We have a dog, Eddie, who is an Airedale Terrier, and he loves the stepping stones across the river. It’s one of those rare places which, no matter what time of year you visit, always looks stunning – there’s something every season that makes you gasp with pleasure.

What’s your idea of a perfect day out in Yorkshire?

My husband Boyd and I are both keen cyclists, and, in other places where we’ve lived, we’ve always had to plan ahead – getting the rack up on top of the car or the van, securing the bikes, and then a drive for maybe an hour or so, finally arriving at where we want to get on to the saddles and to pedal away. Not now. We live out near Steeton, and all we must do is get to the front gate, and off we go, we’re right into easily accessible countryside, It couldn’t be easier – or more agreeable. On long trips, we often plan in an overnight stay in a good pub somewhere.

Do you have a favourite walk – or view?

We love the Airedale Valley and Wharfedale, anywhere around Skipton. At the moment, we are slowly getting ready on Yorkshire roads for a long-haul trip abroad. We’re off to Thailand and Cambodia, and then Vietnam – but don’t worry, we won’t be doing it all alone, this is very much a supported trip, where all your cases and belongings go in a van to the next destination, and all you have to do is the cycling.

Which Yorkshire sportsperson, past or present, would you like to take for lunch?

Lizzie Deignan – formerly the wonderful and internationally famed Lizzie Armistead. What a phenomenal cyclist she is, and how she impressed us all in the Olympics and all those other events where she triumphed.

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

It must be the phenomenon that is Dame Judi (Dench) – who else? She is brilliant in whatever she does, a unique talent, and a captivating lady with a naughty twinkle in her eyes.

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

The former Bradford Wool Exchange, which has found a new lease of life as a branch of Waterstone’s. Where once you traded your wool, you can now select something to read. It’s Grade I listed, and rightly so, and I frequently go in there, just to look at that incredible vaulted roof, and then to meet friends or contacts in the café area.

If you could own one thing in Yorkshire for a day, what would it be?

I’m going to get in touch with one of the wonderful people who grow rhubarb, in the famed “Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle”, and I am going to persuade them to let me in to one of their sheds overnight, where I hope that the candles will be lit, and where I can sit and listen to the lovely stuff slowly growing.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

It’s size, its variety, and its landscapes. It truly is a place of “hills and mills,” and a lot of the chimneys of the old industrial works still stand proudly, reminding us of our heritage. In fact, there are a couple of places in Bradford where I often stop and look across the city, and the skyline is of church spires, the mosque minarets, and the chimneys, and that’s a unique, moving, and very impressive blend of cultures.

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

Cycling, when there’s an event on, but otherwise, I don’t have an alliance that I can boast of.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

Prashad’s in the Drighlington area of Bradford. There’s just one word for it – superb. The whole menu is delicious, and their started are second to none. They do tasting sessions, cookery courses, and their reputation is second-to-one.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

It’s Billy Bob’s Ice Cream Parlour and Diner on Calm Slate Farm at Bolton Abbey. After a long cycle ride, there is nothing in the world which is better than a stop-by here. Favourite flavour? Pistachio, but that is closely followed by Honeycomb.

How do you think that Yorkshire has changed, for better or for worse, in the time that you’ve known it?

Very much for the better – you only have to look at Bradford during our City of Culture year, and see the transformation – everything from the new attractions and facilities at our own venue right through to wonderful flower displays and planting. The city centre is now a magnet for anyone who wants to come and visit, and so many families do…. There is always room for improvement, in whatever you want to achieve, but we are, I believe, getting there.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

David Hockney, an artist who is constantly exploring and experimenting with art. Others stick to their brushes, their palettes their knives, Hockney looks at the latest technology, and he thinks “Right, what can I do, what can I create, with that?” I don’t like all his work, but I respect his extraordinary enquiring mind, and his vision.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Greatly. We’ve just transformed our building and our collection, and we’ve made it relevant and accessible, with new stories embedded alongside the older ones. It is an integral part of what Yorkshire is, and what Yorkshire does, and I believe it to be a world-beater. I’m not alone in that.

Name your favourite Yorkshire book/author/artist/CD/performer.

The Sisters Bronte, who not only transformed the world of publishing but who have inspired plays, films, innumerable films….. they are phenomenal. And there is no sign of their being any let-up in their popularity.

If a stranger to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place, it would be?

I’d guide them over to Saltaire, and Salt’s Mill, and it would be a joy to accompany them around the bookshops, the exhibition spaces, and to show them all the wonders of the place.