My Yorkshire: Delma Tomlin

What's your first memory of being outdoors?

Being in my grandmother's garden. She was from Sheffield and gave me a great love of gardening, but sadly not all of her skills!

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

It's difficult to chose between the Wolds, particularly the area around Bishop Wilton, and the view down the valley from Harewood House across to Ilkley and the Dales .. both have a magnificence which is so much part of being in Yorkshire .. and York where I live - too many choices!

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

Mooching around Beverley with its glorious history, amazing shopping and it has so many interesting places at which to eat.

I can walk my dog on the stray before enjoying the peace and glorious architecture of Beverley Minster - one of my favourite places and the inspiration behind the Beverley Early Music Festival, as Beverley was the centre at which musicians would meet in medieval times - hence all those amazing instrumental carvings in the Minster stonework.

It is an extraordinary place to put on a concert of early music and to be able to think about all the people who have come before, as well as the magnificence of the moment.

Do you have a favourite walk, or view?

Across the stray with Beverley Minster in the distance - it is the most magical view and you can imagine yourself being there 100 years ago.

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

It would have to be Jennifer Ennis - anyone who can succeed at so many different sporting disciplines with such apparent ease is clearly a remarkable woman...and a potential Olympic champion as well.

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

Janet Baker. I was at music college in London when Dame Janet was at the height of her musical career and had the great privilege of getting to know her when she was Chancellor of York University - she had the most glorious voice and is a lovely woman to know. We would have lots to talk about as she was very involved with Aldeburgh and composer Benjamin Britten. I used to work for his publishers and indeed for Dame Janet's musical agent in London many years ago, so there would always be lots to catch up on and I would be delighted to take her for lunch anytime, any place.

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

All Saints Church, North Street in York. It has some of the oldest medieval stained glass in Europe and is an absolute gem of a building.

We use it as a concert venue, but it is also still used regularly as a place of worship and you can tell that it has history in every stone.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The countryside of course, but the industrialisation of its people at key moments in history has created such an array of buildings which sit remarkably well alongside its ecclesiastical heritage, such as the Merchant Adventurers Hall and York Minister - wonderful and to be celebrated by us all.

Do you follow sport in the county?

I used to follow the snooker at the Crucible when I administered the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival (now Music In The Round) which took place in the Studio Theatre in Sheffield directly after the World Championship each year. It is fantastic to see some of the same names from that time, such as Steve Davis, still competing and finding success at the top level of the game today.

What about Yorkshire's cultural life?

That is something that I am quite involved with in one way or another! I was fortunate to start the Beverley Early Music Festival in 1988 and have been its director ever since, thanks to the continued support from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the people who, most importantly buy the tickets each year. I also run the National Centre for Early Music in York - and the York Early Music Festival and also the Christmas Festival, so I guess I spend most of my time going to concerts and that doesn't begin to focus on all the cultural activities that I enjoy in my own time, such as Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse and York Theatre Royal.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

The Pipe & Glass Inn, South Dalton which is run by James Mackenzie and his wife Kate and was deservedly awarded a Michelin star recently. The cuisine that they serve is just wonderful.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Not so much a food shop as a foodie cafe - Lempicka on Wednesday Market in Beverley is a chocolate treat.

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

Much more cosmopolitan, visibly better off. Are those changes for the better? Yes although like everyone else, I'd like less traffic and more places to park.

Who is the Yorkshire man or woman you most admire?

Anthony Rooley, he effectively started the early music movement in 1977 and along with Dame Emma Kirby have made early music a world-wide phenomenon - without them I would be out of a job.

How has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Entirely, the festivals that I run are born out of the architecture which itself is born out of the people.

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

Wuthering Heights, which goes back to that wonderful sense of being outdoors.

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

Parcevall Hall Gardens, near Appletreewick. It's a gardener's delight in a picturesque setting with glorious views along Wharfedale - a wonderful place to get away from it all.

The 2010 Beverley & East Riding Early Music Festival May 28-30. Details www.ncem.co.uk.

YP MAG 15/5/10