Why I think Bradford is a cultural melting pot on a par with London

I grew up in Halifax. My first memory is the view over Queensbury village. I used to go into the attic as a kid, sit on the windowsill and get an amazing view of the hills and beyond.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

I love my local park, Bowling Park in Bradford, it's undervalued and underused. And of course the Yorkshire Dales. One of my favourite places there is the Ingleton nature trail and the waterfalls which are incredibly beautiful.

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

Taking a group of people on a residential trip, I've spent more than 15 years delivering projects in the Yorkshire Dales. For some participants, it might be the first time they have visited the Yorkshire countryside. You can’t beat enjoying the early morning mist as it comes down the hills, then having a bonfire and making s’mores, with hot cocoa, at night.

Do you have a favourite walk – or view? That’s a tough question. I love walking in Skipton, and at Ilkley riverside. One of my other favourites is near my house, by St John’s Church, off Wakefield Road. As you walk down you get a stunning roundabout view of Bradford and of hills and clouds colliding.

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

There's quite a few to choose from but I’d take Bradford-born Jonny Bairstow. His successful cricketing career includes 63 match appearances for England. And also Hannah Cockcroft who was born in Halifax and has become a worldwide sporting sensation, holding multiple wheelchair racing world records, she really is a force to be reckoned with.

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

I’d take Sir Patrick Stewart to dinner, as I love Star Trek. But he’d have to wear his captain’s uniform.

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

It would have to be the Bolling Hall Museum in Bradford when the blossom trees are out. It's gorgeous. And Broadrake Bunkhouse at the bottom of Whernside, where you get a cracking view of Ribblehead Viaduct.

If you could choose somewhere, or some object, from or in Yorkshire to own for a day, what would it be?

I’d own Heber's Ghyll waterfall in Ilkley, for a day. It’s a beautiful space.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Yorkshire people are full of grit, down to earth and real. And there's something about living in God's own country that gives people that spark. Yorkshire people are really open to welcoming people with open arms. I love being in Bradford as most of my friends are people who arrived as asylum seekers and refugees, stayed and now call it home.

Do you have a favourite restaurant?

I like world foods and curry, especially at Shimla Spice Shipley. My favourite place to eat though is Babtooma in Bradford which specialises in Syrian food. I like their kunafa - a traditional sweet dish that is served as a pudding.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

No but I always recommend the Midland Hotel, Bradford, for a delicious afternoon tea. It's an impressive hotel with a history dating all the way back to 1855. When you walk in, the beauty and warmth of the place is overwhelming.

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

Bradford has a history of welcoming different communities. Over the last 150 years, we've had immigration which has stamped Bradford with different identities. You can see that from places with historical names, such as Little Germany. As Bradford hosts a lot of refugees and asylum seekers, it has become more ethnically diverse. The shops and streets have changed drastically. Just in food, you can buy Kurdish, Syrian, African Caribbean, Chinese and East European dishes and ingredients easily. It's now becoming more equal to London with its melting pot of people, communities and cultures.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

Yorkshire is full of amazing people who have made it their home. I can't pick just one. I'll just give a shout out to Yorkshire, and all the incredible people who make it what it is.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Yorkshire is where I was born and bred. I'm always going to be influenced by Yorkshire. Here, I’ve got so many friends from so many countries. We’ve eaten cultural foods, explored different events, I've got a wardrobe of cultural attire and can speak snippets of various languages. I don't think you can get more diverse than that.

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

I've worked with a lot of local artists so I've picked a few who do good things for Bradford communities. Cath Muldowney, author of 111 Places in Bradford That You Shouldn’t Miss and a local photographer; Bilingual poet Nabeela Ahmed, author of Despite Our Differences; Aqeel Parvez, Bradford poet; Nudrat Afza, Bradford photographer; Kate Lycett, Hebden Bridge painter; Chris McCarthy, painter in Haworth; Kirsty Taylor, Bradford poet and playwright

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

Cannon Mills market on Sunday mornings. It’s on Great Horton Road, Bradford, and is a great cultural shopping experience. Lots of Desi foods and clothes can be bought and you have to try some pink Desi tea.

Mussarat Rahman is the director of Bradford’s Intercultured Festival, which runs until November 2. Visit intercultured.co.uk for tickets