Colin Philpott: My Yorkshire

What’s your first memory of Yorkshire?

As a Southerner by birth (hiss, boo!) my very first memory was hearing the dulcet tones of Eddie Waring whilst watching Rugby League on TV and hearing what then seemed to be rather magical, faraway place names like Featherstone, Castleford and Hunslet. Later, as a teenager, family holidays and school trips to Fountains Abbey, York, Scarborough (and a wet week in a caravan at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate!) gave me a taste of the magic of Yorkshire.

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

Honestly, it’s not a cop-out but all of it. Yorkshire is bigger and more populous than many European countries and it does really have everything – great, gritty cities, wonderful countryside and coastline and a genuinely diverse mix of people. Although West and North Yorkshire are my main haunts, I also have a great affection for Hull (where I spent a lot of time when I worked for the BBC) and also for South Yorkshire (where I reported from in the 1980s).

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

Naturally, a good half-day at the region’s greatest museum – the National Media Museum in Bradford! Followed by lunch somewhere (maybe the Fleece at Addingham) followed by a walk somewhere in the Dales (maybe round Grimwith Reservoir near Grassington where I also enjoy doing a bit of windsurfing).

Do you have a favourite walk, or view?

It’s got to be the Three Yorkshire Peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Brooding, majestic and often damp! I have climbed all three of them many times and I’ve done all three together in under 12 hours (The Three Peaks Challenge) twice – this year it absolutely poured all day.

Which Yorkshire sportsman/woman (past or present) would you like to take for lunch?

Hedley Verity, the great Yorkshire cricketer of the 1930s whose career was tragically cut short when he was killed in action during the Second World War. What particularly fascinates me about him is that, on the very last afternoon of first-class cricket before war was declared, he took an astonishing seven wickets for nine runs to enable Yorkshire to beat Sussex before the curtain came down on cricket until 1945. Sadly, it proved to be his last appearance.

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star (past or present) would you like to take for lunch?

I’ve been lucky enough to meet Michael Palin on several occasions. Not only is he a wonderfully talented man, he is also one of the nicest people you could meet with no airs and graces but with a fascinating collection of great experiences and stories.

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

Am I allowed two? Café Concerto in York (near the Minster) – a charming, quirky café/restaurant, and also the Yorkshire Film Archive (of which I am Chair) based in York which has more than 17,000 films encapsulating the rich history and heritage of Yorkshire.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

I think there are many aspects of the traditional image of Yorkshire which are absolutely worth cherishing and preserving. I also support all the efforts of many people including Welcome to Yorkshire to promote the modern aspects of Yorkshire. There are many ways in which we are at the cutting edge of things as a region. For example, the National Media Museum is opening a gallery telling the history and impact of the web and the internet next spring – an international first for our region.

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

I used to enjoy going to football particularly with my son when he was younger as I used to with my own dad when I was a boy. But I’m afraid I’ve gone off it a bit because of the money, the pathetic behaviour of some players and managers and the domination by a few clubs (not that Yorkshire sadly has any of those!) However, I do still follow it and occasionally watch it and York City is the first result I look out for. I love cricket and usually manage to get to Headingley once or twice a season and would love to go more often.

What about Yorkshire’s cultural life?

What a great choice we have. At the National Media Museum we are lucky enough to be responsible for what David Puttnam once described as” the most beautiful cinema in England” – Pictureville Cinema which means I can enjoy films in elegant surroundings. I love theatre and regularly enjoy going to the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Harrogate Theatre, the Alhambra in Bradford and the York Theatre Royal. The summer outdoors production of Shakespeare in the grounds of Ripley Castle is a fixture in my diary each year.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Ramus Seafood in Harrogate – going there on a Saturday to get fresh fish is one of the joys of a Yorkshire weekend.

Who is the Yorkshire man or woman you most admire?

Obviously, I never met him but it has to be William Wilberforce, one of the great political and social reforms of all time.

How has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Enormously. As head of the BBC in Yorkshire from 1997 to 2004, the whole job was about making sure that the BBC reported and reflected the region to itself and to the rest of the world accurately. I was proud to have brought together Harry Gration and Christa Ackroyd to present Look North (which proved to be a winning combination and still knocks the socks off the opposition). At the National Media Museum, we operate nationally and internationally but we are very proud of our Bradford and Yorkshire roots.

Name your favourite Yorkshire book/author/artist/CD/performer (just one of them!)

Corinne Bailey Rae. I’ve seen her perform several times. Great voice. Great songs. Great woman.

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

It has to be the Bradford district. Not only does it have a rather good national museum, it is fascinating place which gets under your skin. It has its challenges and it can be a deeply frustrating place sometimes but it’s got character, it’s got beautiful places and spaces (Ilkley, Saltaire, Brontë Country, more than 5,000 listed buildings) and the multi-cultural mix is a positive asset which adds strength, vitality and variety to the place.