Sarah Parks: My Yorkshire

What’s your first Yorkshire memory?

Standing on a chilly platform at Halifax Railway Station, one winter evening in the early 1960s, meeting my mother. Mum, a rather fine soprano, returned to her native city once a month for a singing lesson. Granny, who lived with us, used to give her two half crowns to spend on little gifts for my brother and me. I remember the slamming doors, the soot-filled air, and mother miraculously appearing through the fog bearing, for me, a treasure: Enid Blyton’s The Secret of Moon Castle.

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

The North York Moors for the honeyed light, the bounce of heather underfoot, and above, the vast forgiving sky. I’m not religious, but it’s easy to understand how the monks of Rievaulx Abbey got their divine inspiration here.

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

A summer weekend with my husband: Saturday at York races followed by a concert in York Minster which should include some Delius. Sunday stopping off at Yorkshire Lavender en route to the coast for crab sandwiches and a paddle in Scarborough, an invigorating saunter around Robin Hood’s Bay, and, finally, fish and chips at the Magpie in Whitby.

Do you have a favourite walk – or view?

Standing by Churn Milk Joan, a standing stone on Midgley Moor above Mytholmroyd. It feels to me like the heart of the West Riding. The view is wondrous. This is Elmet, the last Celtic kingdom in England and these are the moors Ted Hughes saw as “a stage for the performance of heaven”.

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

Brian “Pitbull” Moore, former England hooker. No rugby international is complete without his commentary. Raised, like me, in Halifax, he has interests that I share. Not least, Shakespeare. Any sportsman who looks to Henry V for inspiration before a match has to be “above a common bound”.

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

Sir Tom Courtenay. In 1994, I was part of a Hull Truck production and, to our delight, it was presented by Tom.

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

I’m not sure how hidden it is – although it’s surprising how few people seem to have visited it – the Parish Church in Pickering. Its remarkable 15th century wall paintings are breathtaking. Known as “Biblia pauperum” (poor man’s Bible) they were common, as an instructive tool, in virtually all English churches until the beginning of the 16th century. I’m especially fond of the image of St George slaying the dragon.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Nearly four million acres (there are fewer letters in the King James Bible) of every conceivable type of landscape is a pretty good start. An extraordinarily rich history: Celt, Roman, Viking… The cradle of the industrial revolution which changed the world. “Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire. If he does, he will tell you; if he does not, why humiliate him?”

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

I’m a fair-weather supporter of our village cricket team and keep an eye on how Yorkshire fares each summer but gone are the days of following Leeds United when they could do no wrong. Billy Bremner excited in me a penchant for red-headed men from which I’ve never fully recovered!

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

I’d probably say our own kitchen table because I’m married to a fantastic cook! For a meal out, though, I love 1885 The Restaurant, in Stainland – fabulous food, great service and an idyllic hill-top setting. My favourite pub is Ye Olde White Hart in Hull, not only beautiful but historically fascinating.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Broster’s Farm Shop and Butchers, Lindley Moor, Huddersfield. An exceptional place to buy meat plus irresistible pies, pasties, and lots of good vegetables. Excellent frozen seafood, too.

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

I left Yorkshire for university in 1977 and didn’t return to live here until 1998. It was a big change in Halifax that prompted the move back. Dean Clough I remembered from childhood as Crossley’s Carpets, in its heyday the largest carpet factory in the world, and then it metamorphosed into an inspirational hub for the arts and business. More to the point, a theatre company was now based there – Barrie Rutter’s Northern Broadsides. I was cast as Elizabeth in a revival of Shakespeare’s Richard III, and within two weeks of starting rehearsals I knew I must leave London and come home for good.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

Ted Hughes. The epitome of Yorkshireness and possessed of extraordinary courage in the face of bitter personal attacks after the death of his first wife, Sylvia Plath, that continued for the rest of his life. At university in the late 1970s, it was a shock to find he was out of favour – I wanted to study his poetry but was told there might not be anyone in Cambridge prepared to teach me.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

When I was at a London drama school in 1981, a dance teacher used to laugh at my efforts and then say “Ooh, Sarah, you’re so terribly Northern!” He meant it unkindly, but I chose to feel praised.

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

The late Peter Brook – the best landscape painter of the Pennines. Ever.

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

Saltaire. It’s a marvel. Salts Mill is a gorgeous place to spend a few hours, and the village itself is continually fascinating. There is also the enigma of Sir Titus Salt himself. Was this all the result of simple philanthropy, or something darker and more complex?

* Marlene: Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, to June 18, and August 24 to September 3.