My Yorkshire: Sue Hickson-Marsay

Sue Hickson-Marsay is the only female pilot launch coxswain in Britain, taking the Humber pilots out to the ships that they are to guide in to port. Sue, 47, was born and raised in Hull.

What's your first Yorkshire memory?

I would have been about seven when my class at school all went off on an outing to Robin Hood's Bay. I was wearing a very new, bright blue and very fluffy coat. Now guess which of the children went head-first into a very large rock pool? I also remember going off on holiday to Withernsea, and there were seven of us kids, and not a lot of money, so for some reason we went in a removal van.

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

I get out and about so much, and I keep myself busy, so my favourite is home. I get back after a packed day and I walk down to the bottom of the paddock at the back of the house we have near Hornsea, and I say hello to my two horses, my donkey, my hound, two cats and some ducks. And I just stand there and take in the fresh air, and all my batteries are instantly re-charged. The hound is Henry, the horses are Storm and Jemmaboo, and the donkey is William.

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

That would depend on my mood. Sometimes it's a trip to York with my husband, Martin, and a bit of retail therapy and a nice lunch somewhere, or I'll ring up my good friend and neighbour, Janet, and us girls will go riding in Dalby Forest.

Do you have a favourite walk – or view?

I love that area around the North York Moors Railway, and often Martin and I will go up there, through Goathland and Grosmont, and have a walk of four or five miles, and then we'll end up at the station and – very lazy, this – take the train back. The views are incomparable. And the smell of steam is wonderfully nostalgic.

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

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When I was a lot younger, I used to run for the local harriers team in Hull, and the late Clive Sullivan also used to train on the same track. We'd have a bit of a chat and jog along together, and then, suddenly, he'd just take off. What a turn of speed that man had. I'd love to be able to tell him how much I admired him.

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

Don't think I'm barmy, but... Old Mother Riley! The Irish washerwoman was created by a man called Arthur Lucan, who came from Hull, and who is buried in the cemetery there. I think that he made 16 or so low-budget films, all of which were hugely successful. Someone told me the other day that he actually died in the wings of the long-gone

Tivoli Theatre in Hull, waiting to go on with the act. And doing this feature has made me determined to find out more about him.

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

There's a tea-room in Dalby Forest that I really like, which is all benches and tablecloths, and a bit higgledy-piggledy, and then there's that wonderful little museum at Staithes, which tells you everything about Captain Cook. And another great museum at Hornsea.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

I think it is the variation that we have in this county. The cobbled streets of Staithes and Whitby, the rolling moors, the industrial south, the sweep of Robin Hood's Bay. And the inhabitants, who are proud and friendly at the same time. Looking at the sea, and then the beautiful countryside, I sometimes wonder if we realise how very lucky we are to live here.

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

I'm a keen rider and I still compete in a small way, so all the horse shows and gymkhanas are favourites of mine. And I also like keeping up to date with what the local rugby and football sides are doing. I work with a lot of wonderful people, and I'm always keen to know the latest news and gossip about sports from the lads and the deckhands. When the local teams are doing well – it puts a spring into the community's step, somehow.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

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Martin and I are very fond of the White Horse and Griffin, in Whitby, and – because I am no cook, or rather I don't have much time for the kitchen – we often slip out for our teas at The Railway in Hornsea. Then there's Alleycats, in York, which is a favourite when we go across there.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

There's a terrific butcher's shop in nearby Preston, where they also make and sell amazingly mouth-watering shepherd's pies. It has been known for me to buy one, and to then try to pass it off as my own. Get some great mince and gravy and then put it in those instant Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Puddings, and no-one will ever know. Whoops.

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

Along the coast, so much for the better, because all the smaller places, like Hornsea, are going in for regeneration schemes without spoiling the atmosphere of the place. I am so pleased and proud of what Hull has done for itself, with places like the new Hull Truck Theatre and The Deep and the other attractions. I don't want this county totally modernised and commercial, though. That would destroy what we already have in abundance.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

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I'm in awe of one of our heroic lifeboatmen of Victorian times, one Henry Freeman, from Whitby, who saved countless lives. In one terrible storm at sea, Henry's own boat went down, but he was saved – because he was kept afloat by his cork lifejacket. He was a pioneer of the jackets and one of the first to wear them. That would be 1861, I think. Oh, and Hannah Hauxwell, the old lady who was a farmer, and fiercely independent, for her indomitable spirit.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Ever so slightly, yes, she said with a touch of sarcasm in her voice! I have the River Humber and the North Sea in my veins. The sea and the river is the love of my life. As well as Martin, of course. I love my work as a Pilot Launch Coxswain, and I love what we do with the Hornsea rescue boat, which is independent, and only run by fund-raising, and the sheer generosity of the public. I trained at sea, I love the sea, and the sea off Yorkshire is the best. Anywhere.

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

I've always enjoyed James Herriot's books – when I get a chance to read them. Martin and I are big fans of a local band, The Crucibles, and Frank Sutcliffe, who was so skilled at capturing the coastal towns. Brian Wilson, a retired policeman, is a wonderful artist (and a friend) and I have one of his paintings, of a yacht. It's lovely to look at. I have to drive around a lot, and the radio is always tuned to Classic FM.

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

York is always lovely, but I'd tell them to go to Whitby or Robin Hood's Bay in winter and to wrap up well, and to just wander. I've always had a dream of retiring to Robin Hood's Bay, but then

I remember that impossibly steep hill, and I wonder if, as an old lady, I'd be able to get up it. I don't want to be too ancient and be stuck perpetually at the bottom.

Sue is also the chairperson and coxswain of the voluntary Hornsea Inshore Rescue craft. See [email protected]