'I was totally bowled over' - Why the Bishop of Hull believes the city is Yorkshire's real hidden gem

We spent a lot of time visiting and holidaying in Staithes when I was a youngster, and I can recall being carried along – or pushed along – a cobbled street, there’s a very distinctive look to the buildings.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

That area around the very south of Yorkshire, and also, in complete contrast, the vast coastline of the county, which is so incredibly diverse, everything from towering cliffs to long reaches of shingle, sandy beaches and everything in between.

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

We often have a family Saturday, which starts with a wander around the Hull Marina, then its over to Flower and Feast, in the centre of the city for a late breakfast, and then we drive up to Whitby, and we visit St. Hilda’s Priory. It’s just a lovely, relaxed day.

Do you have a favourite walk?

I’ve walked the Cleveland Way, and I’m currently doing the Wolds Way, in stages. But I also love the three to five miles run over the Humber Bridge, which is such a wonderous piece of architecture.

Sadly, because of a minor injury, that hasn’t happened that recently. We have an Old English Sheepdog, called Lola, and she is not as young as she was, and she doesn’t trot alongside me as much as she used to.

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

That great rugby league player, Clive Sullivan, who managed to play for both Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers in a remarkable career. He also captained Britain. He has a Memorial Trophy named after him, as well as one of Hull’s principal highways.

He died far too soon, but he’s still remembered with immense pride here – this community recognises a man of extraordinary talent and a compassion.

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

Bridlington’s own Rosie Jones, the comedian, actor, and writer. She’s truly inspirational, and I’d love to have a chippie supper with her somewhere in her hometown, on a girl’s night out.

What’s your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’ ?

Hull itself. I’d never really been here until my appointment, and I was totally bowled over by the place. The people and their friendliness, the Old Town, and the Museums Quarter, and all that incredible architecture, the exuberant spirit of the place. I cannot think of another community like it.

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

Whitby Abbey. I often stay overnight at the Priory, and I always think of the people who have been up there before me, not just the Hilda’s and the Caedmons, but all who have peopled the place over the centuries, and who, for whatever reason, have looked out to sea, and who have gathered inspiration from the holiness of the site itself.

What gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

I did quite a bit of travelling before I went to university, and in the Pacific I could see how much the land and the people were connected. I’ve come to realise that the same is true of Yorkshire. The diversity of it all is astonishing. There’s also a sense of loyalty here, of community, of honesty and directness.

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

Through our son, Joe – he plays in a youth league, and he loves his football. As a family we are all so impressed by the work of the Hull City Tigers Trust, who work tirelessly to provide football coaching, mindset training and workshops on employability. Their proud boast is that they value fun, ambition, respect, inclusivity, and a passion for sport. My admiration is limitless.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

The Royal Hotel in Runswick Bay, where we often have a meal and a drink. It’s the sort of place that is unique to the county – lovely food, caring staff. Always a treat.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

The Hutton Cranswick Food Shop, where they are so well informed on everything that they offer to customers. And any really good local butcher.

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

Some of the good things are a growing respect for our heritage – we have some splendid churches in the county, and Hull’s Museum Quarter is an example to all. But on the downside, there is terrible poverty and inequality, incomes are lower here, and there is a very real North-South divide. We must strive to correct all of that.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

That strong, resolute, and determined lady, St. Hilda. The early bishops were, by all accounts, quite a pompous lot, and she stood up to them. Imagine a woman doing that. She was a moving force at the Synod of Whitby and I would very much liked to have met her.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

I wasn’t baptised until I was 19, when I found my faith, and my calling, so now this county is my work, all of it, and it is a privilege to be here. I love the place, and the people.

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

Richard Hawley, with his song Heart of Oak, and Pulp’s Different Class. The first time I heard them, I thought “Hey, they are singing in my accent!,” and they sung about this that mattered, and which were relevant. I admire that, to this day.

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

We have many friends and acquaintances who come to visit from New Zealand and we offer them a packed day of seeing the Humber Bridge and Hull’s Old Town, and then we go over to Beverley, one of the county’s most beautiful places, and go from one end of it, The Minster, to the other, St. Mary’s Church.