My Yorkshire: Yorkshire Sculpture Park Chief Executive Joe Hill on his favourites
What’s your first Yorkshire memory?
The rain. I grew up in Batley, and it never seemed to stop – but that’s looking at it through the eyes of a child. That and the darkness of the stone buildings and then getting into Leeds a few years later on, as I grew up, and discovering what an exciting place it was.
What’s your favourite part of the county?
Leeds – I was on the board of the Tetley for a few years – and discovering what an exciting and vibrant city it is. I still love exploring the place, and finding something new every time I go there. It’s changed quite a bit over the decades, and it has an exciting edge to it.
What’s your idea of a perfect day out in Yorkshire?
Getting out to the coast with the family – when we lived in Eastbourne we were right next door to the coast, and on the South Downs, so it was easy, but now it will mean a drive to places like Robin Hood’s Bay, Whitby and Runswick Bay. It’s wonderful to see the kids run free on a beach somewhere.
Do you have a favourite walk – or view?
I’m torn between a beach somewhere, and Malham Cove, and the latter wins it by a whisker. But not at the bottom, with all the visitors, at the very top, with that magnificent limestone pavement, the one which looks rather like a rather weird lunar landscape. I used to go camping up there with friends, several years ago.
Which Yorkshire sportsperson, past or present, would you like to take for lunch?
Sport isn’t one of my big interests, but I’d love meeting up with Jessica Ennis-Hill, whom I admire for her strength of purpose, determination, and dedication. A remarkable woman, and a lady who has been a role model to so many young people.
Which Yorkshire stage or screen star, or past or present, would you like to take for dinner?
My journey to college in Huddersfield when I was at college over there used to take me through Mirfield, and every time – because I was a great fan of Star Trek – that I did, I used to remind myself that Patrick Stewart was born and brought up there. He’s a remarkable man – acting in everything from Shakespeare to sci-fi. And, please, could Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, from The League of Gentlemen also join us? We have a connection through Bretton Hall, right on the edge of the Sculpture Park estates, and a pair of incredibly talented lads.
What’s your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’?
It’s that area around Holmfirth, which is just as pretty, to my mind, as the Moors or the Peak District, stunning countryside, little places full of history, and almost all of it completely unspoiled. OK, there are still some Last of the Summer Wine trippers, but then that series is still shown around the world, and loved by so many, and if it helps the local economy, why not?
If you could own one thing in Yorkshire for a day, what would it be?
Can you arrange a visit to the Emley Moor transmitter, and a trip to the very top, just to stand and admire Yorkshire from a much-loved structure that is far taller than the Eiffel Tower? It’s such a landmark, and so familiar to so many that it’s almost as if it isn’t there at all, today it just blends into the landscape.
What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?
First of all, it’s the people – friendly, open, honest, and with their own quirky sense of humour. Then, the landscape in which they live. People here are driven, and motivated, they have their own particular motivation and energy. And it’s so easy to strike up a conversation here – I think that is particularly true when you have two young twins in tow, people want to know all about them. But it’s a kind and very natural curiosity.
Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?
We’ve been told that The Highland Laddie in Leeds is the place to be, but we haven’t as yet been able to make a booking – it’s right up there at the top of out “to do” list.
Do you have a favourite food shop?
Hinchcliffe’s Farm Shop in Huddersfield is first-rate, but then we’ve been getting lots of good news about the rest of the county’s farm shops and cafes, so I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes wide open as we get to re-know the county. Best quality fresh food, best value. And frequently great cafes, as well.
How do you think that Yorkshire has changed, for better or for worse, in the time that you’ve known it?
Generally, for the better, now that the truly dark days of the disappearance of so many industries. We still have a lot of challenges of course, but there’s an energy and a creativity here that is streets ahead of so many other locations. Strangely enough, I think that it was the arrival of the Tour de France which confirmed what the county was capable of, There’s a confidence now, and a pride, and a feeling of “we can do it.”
Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?
Sir Peter Murray, the man who had the vision to start the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and, against so many odds and difficulties, to sustain it and nurture it, and to make it into one of the world’s top art attractions. What tenacity – what vision!
Has Yorkshire influenced your work?
Very much so. I had great art teachers at Huddersfield College, exceptional people who were inspirational. There’s an energy in Yorkshire which makes things happen, and most of the creative spaces are available to all. I love the democracy of Yorkshire, the accessibility.
Name your favourite Yorkshire book/author/artist/CD/performer.
Dame Barbara Hepworth, that exceptional woman from Wakefield who became one of the world’s most visionary sculptors.’ One the YSP’s most celebrated piece is her Family of Man, which is quite exceptional.
If a stranger to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place, it would be?
Naturally, I’d love them to visit the YSP, and the nearby Hepworth in Wakefield, but I’d also be delighted to take them over from the countryside quiet to the bustle of Leeds, and to one of that city’s gems, Whitelock’s Ale House. ‘
Next year see the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and there will be many special events in celebration. https://ysp.org.uk/