Sharon Canavar: My Yorkshire

What’s your first memory of being outdoors?

Very vivid memories of kite-flying on the beautiful Stray in Harrogate. This tays with me because my Dad had to climb one of the cherry trees as the kite got stuck. I must have been about four or five.

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

We live in such an amazingly diverse and rich county, but Harrogate is where I’m from and whether I’ve been on sales trips across the world in previous jobs or living in London, I’ve never stopped recommending it. Now I’m lucky enough to live here, I’ve discovered Runswick Bay to be one of the most relaxing and beautiful places on earth.

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

Coast, dales, city night out... there’s just too much choice, but last weekend was pretty perfect with morning coffee in Harrogate, lunch at the WitsEnd Café in Sandsend followed by a couple of days on the beach at Runswick in beautiful weather.

Do you have a favourite walk, or view?

Brimham Rocks and beyond is always a favourite, majestic views and amazing landscape.

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

I’m afraid I don’t follow enough sport to have a real preference, but Darren Gough with some dancing and cricket banter would make lunch flash by.

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

The man behind so many amazing moments on screen; the great film composer John Barry, stirring music that brought scenes to life. That man knew how to score a great brass section.

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

Again, too much choice from discovering Saltaire and Hockney when I was young to driving up Sutton Bank towards Helmsley.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Definitely the character of the people and the changing landscapes across the region. Industrial and rural heritage has also played a big part, not forgetting the sheer size of the whole place. I was once told when delivering education workshops across rural Yorkshire that North Yorkshire is the same size as London to Brighton and then London to Bristol, to give a sense of size to just one part of the region.

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

I’m not a real follower of sport, although I will confess I was a fan of Leeds United when I was younger, mainly due to the allure of Eric Cantona, rather than any major football obsession.

What about Yorkshire’s cultural life?

Yorkshire has an exciting cultural life, with festivals from literature to music to folk right across the region, running right alongside theatres and the creative industries. Despite the recent changes in funding for many organisations, this sector is vibrant and most importantly has demonstrated its ability to change. Whilst working in the sector has incredible challenges, other industries I’ve worked in haven’t come anywhere close to such a diverse working day.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

The Crab and Lobster at Asenby or Rudding Park for a more local night out are definitely up there. But there is an amazing little place called Café Rosso that opened just at the end of my street in Harrogate a couple of years ago. The owner/chef has got fabulous food and an incredibly relaxed atmosphere sorted.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Definitely the deli in the town square at Helmsley, I can’t ever drive through that town without stopping to buy something from there. Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton always makes me feel reassured about local retailers and high quality service. Finally, the office lives on Fat Rascals from Bettys during the Festival, an ideal breakfast, lunch or dinner!

How do you think Yorkshire has changed in the time you’ve known it?

I think there’s been a huge amount of work done to change the perceptions of Yorkshire, particularly with tourism and the work done by Welcome to Yorkshire. Personally if it brings the place alive for me living here, I’m sure it looks spectacular for anyone living outside the region.

Are those changes for the better?

Certainly, it makes my job an awful lot easier selling our festivals worldwide when there’s an awareness of where we’re based.

Who is the Yorkshire man or woman you most admire?

I’m incredibly lucky with my trustees here at the festival, but from a business mentoring perspective Peter Blackburn is a pretty amazing chair to have for the festival. He’s always happy to share his skills, experience and influence and he’s not without a story or two either.

How has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Yorkshire has always influenced my work. Being proud to be a Yorkshire lass, I used to push all the US visitor groups out of London, straight up to Yorkshire, and now I get to create and develop great products for both the local community and visitors to the region from around the world.

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

Yorkshire artists have always been incredibly generous to the festival, from Alan Bennett to Lesley Garrett as fundraisers and Clare Teal, who this year, is one of our guest curators. But if I had to pick one it would be a young band we’ve been working with over the last couple of years through our education programme called Unknown Society. They’ve got great material and bags of attitude and it’s been great to see them develop musically over the years – look out for them!

* The Harrogate International Festivals from 30 June and throughout July. Box office 01423 502116 or www.harrogate-festival.org.uk