My Yorkshire: Hayley Taylor

What's your first Yorkshire memory?

My late nana, Sylvia, loved the seaside, and when I was a little girl in the late Sixties, she'd take me from Wakefield on the train – grandpa used to work on the railways, so I'm guessing that we got a few concessions. The carriages were really old, the ones with little compartments where you'd all sit facing each other, knee to knee, and there were long corridors. Everyone had to talk to everyone else – you were jammed so close together. I remember being allowed to go to the loo myself, coming out, and getting a bit scared because I couldn't find where nana was.

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

The Dales. I love them all, and in any season. I can go back at any time, and I'm looking at something new, something fresh, something I haven't discovered before. Just to be in the Dales charges my batteries.

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

Going to York with my husband, Mark, and just strolling around. The city is full of life, and history, and arts. We had the most wonderful weekend there not so long ago, staying in a perfect B&B.

Do you have a favourite walk – or view?

This is going to sound completely bonkers, but I never ever know a good view until I see it, and I know that it's good because it'll take my breath away. So when Mark and Morgan and I are out and about, we're forever "sampling the moment" and stopping the car and saying "What about that then! Look over there!" I'm a believer in good views and special moments turning up as wonderful surprises.

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

Dear old Dickie Bird, who is a "typical Yorkshireman" in my lights. He's straight-talking, doesn't take any nonsense; witty, dry, tells it like it is, and he's totally clued up about his game. I would sit at his feet, switch him on, and let him go... I wouldn't have to say a word.

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

Sean Bean (sorry Mark!) has the Phooar factor to the max. But, that aside, he comes across as a very down-to-earth and grounded bloke, and that is so important. One of my mottoes is "Never ever lose sight of where you come from" – and he definitely hasn't.

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

Sprotbrough Falls, near Doncaster. There's a lovely walk along the river, and you can watch the boats and the barges and everything just gliding by. The Boat Inn is a lovely place as well – nice food and ale, and you can sit outside on a sunny day and let time slip past. I wouldn't recommend getting back in your boat after having a couple of

pints, though...

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

The people, who are (in the main) lovely, warm and friendly. You have to get to know them, and to earn their trust, but that's a good thing. You know where you stand when you're with a gang from Yorkshire, there's no shilly-shallying or messing about. I am going to miss that forthright can-do attitude when I'm in the States. For the first few months Channel 4 have rented me an apartment on Venice Beach near LA, and I can't think of anything further from the reality that is Doncaster.

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

I have a glance at the results and I always like to know how Doncaster Rovers are doing. But I am not much of a sportswoman these days. I am very proud of the fact that my grandfather, William, was a Mayor of Wakefield in the early Sixties, and was a prime mover in getting Wakefield Trinity their own ground. He worked darned hard to achieve that, and he felt that it was the best thing he'd ever done – the pinnacle of his political career.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

A few years ago, it was The Black Swan in Wakefield, but now it is The Tut and Shive, in the middle of Doncaster. If I feel I need a drink at the end of the day, that's where you'll find me. I'm also a big fan of Donnie's Central Park restaurant, and I have a soft spot for The Salutation, on Bennetthorpe, as well, because that's where Mark

and I had our wedding reception – the Registrar Office is just along

the road.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

Dozens of them – and they are all in Doncaster's wonderful market, which ought to be given all the support (and publicity) in the world. I love it when the occasional Continental street market also hits town, because I like to try out anything that's new. I used to be taken to a shop called Lipton's, in Wakefield, by my grandmother, and she'd buy a bacon butty for me. The place is long gone now, but I only have to smell bacon frying and all the memories come flooding back.

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

For the worse with the creation of all the many shopping centres. Meadowhall is Meadowhell to me. Places like that have sucked all the life-blood out of traditional town centres and they've caused so many family-run businesses to put up the shutters and that's very, very sad and regrettable. Of course, we've lost all the pits as well, and that created so much hardship and bitterness. But the people are still here, strong and proud and resilient, and you'll never change that. For the better, I think, in that we now are taking an interest in our surroundings and the countryside, and making them accessible to all.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

My nana and grandpa, William and Sylvia Prince. They had personal and political courage and convictions, and they were determined to change things for the better. They were enthusiastic about the city's sporting facilities and about education and access. They were inspirational people and my only regret is that they both died far too soon and far too young.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

I've worked with thousands of people in this community, trying to make a difference for them as the recession bites deeper and deeper. Life has been very good to me in Yorkshire, and now I'm trying to put something back.

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

I am going to be so greedy here: I'm going for everyone connected with the three films The Full Monty, Brassed Off, and This Sporting Life, all of which, in their own way, mirrored life in this glorious county, and brought it to the world's attention. I salute, and thank you all.

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

Caphouse Colliery, the home of the Yorkshire Mining Museum. There's

been a pit there for centuries, and I'd take the stranger along and I'd say, "What do you do? Work in TV, or in IT? Here, mate, take a look at this, and see how hard a real job is!" It's important, I think, to remember what made us in Yorkshire, and how we were broken in the miners' strike, but how a sense of community still managed to prevail against all odds. I don't think that anyone could fail to be impressed by this museum. I get a bit tearful just thinking about it.

YP MAG 14/8/10