'Why I think the North York Moors Railway is the perfect day out in Yorkshire'

We lived in a village between Thirsk and Northallerton, so that there were a lot of family outings to places like Flamingoland, which is where I think I first saw a circus production, and I was entranced by it, and I wonder now if I actually thought that it was something that I could do?

To a child of about five or so, it was the most amazing thing ever – one of my dad’s patients was in it, so it had even greater appeal because I had a long-distance link to the show.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

One of my best friends in school still lives in Yarm, and it is always such a joy to go up and see her. I absolutely love the countryside, as I also like the coastline, and Whitby. And Scarborough.

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

We all once booked tickets on the North York Moors Railway, and we had a seasonal train ride all the way along the line, and we stopped at Goathland on the way, where we were served the most wonderful Christmas lunch, with all the trimmings.

It was perfection, such fun, and the scenery was glorious. To this day, I can’t work out why it is that on train journeys, people sit with their phones, and look at their screens, and not watch Britain’s beautiful countryside as it goes past the window.

Do you have a favourite view?

My late mother used to adore Sutton Bank, and the way that, from the summit, you can see so much of the county lain out in front of you.

She loved it so much that, when she died last year, we had a little plaque put on one of the benches up there, so that others could sit in the same place that she did, and just stop for a while to drink in the glorious landscape.

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

I’ve never met her, but how I wish I could – Dame Judi Dench. Fun, a twinkle in her eye, prodigiously talented, what’s not to adore?

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

We’ve had so many delightful days out at Runswick Bay, the little village, the views from the top of the hill, the beach and the waters below. So pretty, uncomplicated at natural.

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

One of the Railway Children team helped with this one, because they were astonished that I’d never ever visited Howarth. So, may I have the entire community for 24 hours, without all the tourists getting in the way, and the liberty to wander as and where I wanted? I want to find out all about the Brontes, their way of life, and what influenced their writing.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Where on earth do I start? It must be the people here, surely? Self-deprecating, so very friendly, not taking anything too seriously. When I was starting out, to earn some money, I used to work for a student travel company, and I often had to fly down from Leeds-Bradford to pick up all sorts of documentation.

I cannot tell you how happy I was to get on the plane back home…..people suddenly started to be normal again, and to talk to you, and ask if you’d had an enjoyable day. Yorkshire is such a contrast to London, then, and now.

Do you have a favourite restaurant?

My dad, Ram, has the sweet tooth to beat all other sweet teeth, and it’s going to be a trip out with him to any branch of Bettys – the one nearest him, in Northallerton, for preference, for ease of access.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton takes some beating, it seems to have everything, cheeses, meats, deli counter, wines, you name it. There’s nothing better than a mooch around, and to emerge with something wonderful for your tea!

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

It has always been known for its great food and drink, but who would have thought that today, you can find an amazing Portuguese café in Yarm, and a world-beating South Indian restaurant in York, among so many other outlets? There’s no end to the county’s diversity. I’m also astonished at the number of breweries and distilleries that have popped up in the last decade or so.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

My late grandmother, Florence, who was the eldest of four sisters, a lady who really pushed herself, she became a highly respected nurse, and she could bake, cook, sew, turn her hand to anything. She was invincible, and could make owt out of nowt.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Yes indeed. It’s the way I speak, especially in auditions. I’m proud of my accent, diminishing though it may be. The place has a real “pull” for me, and I’m never happier than when back on my “home turf.”

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

Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black. She comes from Scarborough, and I remember a school trip in the sixth form, down to London, where we saw the stage show at The Fortune Theatre.

It lifted me out of my seat, and made me realise how powerful good theatre could be. Theatre that both moves and shakes you, and which gives you the most incredible memories.

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

York – a place where you can marvel at the medieval Minster, and then have a whole roast dinner wrapped in a Yorkshire pudding for lunch. You can walk by the river, visit all sorts of galleries, wallow in history with a walk on the walls. The National Railway Museum, the theatres.

The Railway Children, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, until September 7. www.bradford2025.co.uk