My Yorkshire: Emma Ryott

What's your first memory of being outdoors?

We used to live in Cattal and I remember being in my pram in the garden. We used to have these geese dashing about and we had an apple loft and I remember the smell of the apples.

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

I love the Washburn Valley between Otley and Harrogate. I have been coming here since I was two or three. My grandmother lived at Leathley and my mother and sisters still do. At one time I went to Farnley School when my parents went to America on business. My grandmother took me for walks up past Leathley Mill to see the water rushing down the steps of Lindley Reservoir. It was so dramatic with the noise of the water and I used to think they were giant's steps.

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

I recently had a perfect day out when we went up to Reeth in Swaledale. The landscape is so open and dramatic and it's such a magical place. But I'd also like to spend a day at the Turkish Baths in Harrogate with my two sisters: spa pampering is my idea of heaven. I've just been to Wiesbaden where it's mixed and everyone's naked, which takes a bit of getting used to.

Do you have a favourite walk, or view?

I love the view of Otley Chevin from Leathley village. I remember at the Millennium it was all lit up red and there were so many fireworks it was like the war. But we used to go to Sandsend as kids and now we take our children. You can't beat coming down the hill at Lythe Bank with the most spectacular view of the sea spread out before you.

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

I'm not really into sport. I'd rather take David Hockney than Harvey Smith.

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

Judi Dench, I worked with her at the RSC. But definitely Tom Courtenay. I used to have a huge crush on him. I was much younger, of course, but I had all his old films like the Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and I thought he was marvellous. I'd also take Sean Bean in his Sharpe persona rather than that gangster character in Red Riding.

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

Armley Mills in Leeds as it has personal connections. Our family business was the clothing manufacturer John Barran and Son and they have a replica of the firm's showroom in the museum. It's lovely to see it there. Legend has it that Mr Marks, or Mr Spencer, arrived in Leeds with a scrap of paper on which was written "John Barran's" and they were given a job. It's ironic that I've ended up designing costumes; it must be in the blood.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

It has to be the people because they like to talk and are very friendly, at least compared to people in London. They've got great confidence about the county and great passion for where they live. If anyone asks me, I always say I'm from Yorkshire because I feel this real connection, even though I'm based in London and work a lot in Germany. I also find myself drawn to other Yorkshire people who live away from home.

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

No, not really. I suppose I should support Leeds United, but I live near Arsenal now. If anything, I'm interested in horse racing, my cousin's a trainer near Ampleforth. But I'm a bit out of touch. I like a flutter and used to go to Wetherby races and York. My grandfather had a farm manager who knew how to back winners and he used to give us tips when we were little kids. I love the atmosphere, it's so exciting, a great day out and nice to win a bob or two.

What about Yorkshire's cultural life?

This is my world. I love Opera North, they are a fabulously creative company, just brilliant, and Northern Ballet Theatre have improved so much. I hadn't seen them for years, but I went to see As Time Goes By at The Grand Theatre with all their new pieces and was very impressed. If I won the Lottery, I'd like to sponsor the arts in Yorkshire and promote more collaboration with Europe, as we tend to be too insular in the UK. My dream would be to design The Turn of the Screw and stage it at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

I like to go to the Kashmir in Bradford for a good curry and I also like the Hotel du Vin in Harrogate. Our family used to go the Harewood Arms a lot and The Angel at Hetton, but I particularly like the Malt Shovel at Brearton.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

It's got to be Weegmans, the butchers in Otley, for their fabulous polony and pork pies with the crispy pastry. The shop's old fashioned in the best possible way and takes you back to the Victorian era.

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

Leeds had changed so dramatically. It was grimy but now it's glamorous.

When I was a kid, it was black with rows of little back-to-back houses. It's become a buzzing metropolis and a very cosmopolitan city. What I do like is that they have kept the character of the old arcades and the market, and the Corn Exchange looks marvellous

Are those changes for the better?

Definitely. Leeds has all the top name shops and the new development of the cultural centre in Quarry Hill is very much for the better. The new headquarters for Phoenix Dance and Northern Ballet Theatre will be exciting. But I don't think much of the Stalinesque DSS building in the middle of it all.

Who is the Yorkshire man or woman you most admire?

David Hockney. He's one of my heroes. When I was 19, I saved all my money to buy his poster from Parade at the Metropolitan Opera, the famous one of the Harlequin. It cost 250 and I've still got it. If only I had the real thing. I admire him for his sense of colour, boldness and draughtsmanship. He's a wonderful painter.

How has Yorkshire influenced your work?

It was the first place I went to the theatre, seeing Cilla Black in Aladdin at Leeds Grand, and it grew from there. I also think the colours of the Yorkshire landscape; the moors and the dales have influenced me. I trained in set design at Nottingham but moved into costume design as well which could be my legacy from the

family clothing industry. Barbara Hepworth was also a big influence on me because of the shapes she made, her sculpture was so different. At school I tried to be her in clay, not stone. She was one of few women sculptors and I really admired her.

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

Wuthering Heights, I guess, but Kes is a wonderful book and made a great film. I also like the poet Simon Armitage. For CDs I'll choose Corinne Bailey Rae and the Arctic Monkeys. Hockney is my favourite artist, of course. I'm keen on the dancer Anthony Missen of Company Chameleon who trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. I worked with him on a film last year for the Kimble Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

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

Castle Howard. It's in such a fantastic setting and the Palladian building is wonderful. I'd also recommend the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Emma Ryott is currently working on Leance and Lena for Les Ballet Canadiennes, Sunset Boulevard for Gothenberg Opera and Woyzeck for Norwegian Opera.

YP MAG 24/4/10