My Yorkshire: David Whittle on Harrogate memories, Dales drives and Betty’s treats

Visiting Harrogate on holiday about 40 years ago. We knew very little about the area and just went on loads of trips and fell in love with it. I was thinking about somewhere new to relocate to and although it sounds random now, that’s what I did. I’ve never looked back. It was August 1985, and I moved up a year later.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

North Yorkshire and especially around Settle. I spent a lot of time there when I first moved to Yorkshire.

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

A drive into the Dales then somewhere for lunch. It can be Ilkley and a walk up the Cow and Calf and then wander down the Grove or a trip out to Grassington. The Devonshire in Grassington does some super lunches.

Do you have a favourite view?

If you drive back from Otley to Harrogate and take the road towards Beckwithshaw the views are something else. You’ve got the reservoirs and then what looks like a giant green carpet which goes on for miles. You feel on top of the world.

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

I’d say Fred Trueman. Just to hear about his career.

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

Must be Judi Dench. I was lucky enough to see her in A Winters Tale a few years ago at the Garrick in London.

Kenneth Branagh was doing a season of six plays, and this was one of them. Brilliant production and as ever Dame Judi stood out.

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

In Settle we recently discovered Miss Victoria’s Refreshment Gardens behind the Victoria Hall.

It’s a lovely outdoor café and performance area right in the middle of the town but it is incredibly tranquil. The proceeds go towards the Victoria Hall so its all for a great cause.

If you could choose something to own for a day, what would it be?

Probably the keys to the bakery at Betty’s. Just to watch how everything is made. It’s a very early memory of first coming to Yorkshire and Harrogate.

We used to sit in the cafe on Parliament Street and just people watch. But to discover how everything is made would be a treat.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The fact that within a very short space of time you can be in glorious open countryside. You can be in a city or town one minute then you can see the rolling hills.

When I fly back into Leeds Bradford you know you are home when you see the green fields. It’s always something I look out for.

Do you have a favourite pub?

The Smiths Arms in Beckwithshaw has always been a favourite. Over the years as a family we have had plenty of get togethers there including lots of birthday’s lunches and dinners.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

I discovered Campbells of Leyburn about 10 years ago and what a find. For starters it’s in Leyburn which is a lovely market town.

The shop itself has everything you’d ever want. There’s a great selection of local cheese, beers, a deli and you always find something special in there.

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

The food and drink scene has grown massively over the 40 years I’ve been here. The choice is so wide ranging now.

There is such a diverse choice when it comes to eating out from city centre restaurants to Michelin star ones.

If you had to change one thing about Yorkshire, what would that be?

I love a train journey and anywhere in the world I travel I try to use the local trains as you just see so much more that way.

So, it would be great to see some more train lines and local stations opened. Yorkshire by train is stunning.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

Sir Patrick Stewart. I managed to get to see him in a play with Sir Ian Mckellen and he was just brilliant. He’s just a great ambassador for the county. From the Dales to Hollywood.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Yes. Through my work with Yorkshire food brands over the years I got to know the individual businesses that I worked with.

Their stories and their heritage. Now though as Chair of Deliciously Yorkshire I get to meet so many different companies from producers to farm shops which gives you a much better insight.

The pinnacle of the year are the Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards which are held every November. These really showcase the breadth and talent our region has to offer. Probably the proudest night of the year for me.

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

I was a massive fan of the writer Kay Mellor. I was lucky enough to interview her quite a few times over the years for a show I used to do for the radio.

She was an inspirational scriptwriter and producer and created a huge amount of hit TV dramas like Fat Friends, The Syndicate and Playing the Field and always with Yorkshire at the heart of the story.

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

Harrogate. Has to be really. It’s the first place I came to and I’ve had the happiest of times here.

I met a lady in London last week who was doing some research and said she was calling into Harrogate the following week for only one hour. By the time she’s left we had given her a list of where to go. Walk to Betty’s and work your way back to the station.

The Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards take place on November 4. https://deliciouslyorkshire.co.uk