Harry Gration was a “Yorkshire icon” says friend and colleague Stephanie Hirst

“Long before I met him he felt like a friend on TV,” said TV presenter, radio host and motivational speaker Stephanie Hirst.

Stephanie, who later worked alongside Harry at the BBC, said she was starstruck when he would say ‘hi’ to her in the office.

“I always felt so privileged to speak to him. All through my childhood I grew up with Harry on TV,” said Stephanie.

She said Harry Gration, a “Yorkshire icon,” will leave a lasting legacy.

Harry’s legacy

“His legacy is giving and caring - he cared so much about our region,” said Stephanie.

“I remember when we both got honorary degrees at Bradford University, we both smiled at each other. Two Bradford kids from ordinary backgrounds being given honorary degrees. He was so proud to represent Yorkshire. What a man he was.”

Harry joined the BBC in 1978 after working as a history teacher, and joined Look North in 1982, although he left for a spell working on BBC South Today in the 1990s.

71-year-old Harry, who alongside his Look North counterpart Christa who also grew up in Bradford, was given an honorary degree at Bradford University.

In a tribute Christa said: “We both smiled at each other. Two Bradford kids from ordinary backgrounds being given honorary degrees. He was so proud to represent Yorkshire. What a man he was.”

Harry joined the BBC in 1978 after working as a history teacher, and joined Look North in 1982, although he left for a spell working on BBC South Today in the 1990s.

Christa added: “He wasn’t a professional Yorkshireman, he was a proud Yorkshireman.”

Stephanie said Harry genuinely “cared so much” about the big stories from our region from Hillsborough to Jo Cox and also all the positive news that mattered to people, as well as feeling like a friend to so many.

“I’m going to miss him terribly,” said Stephanie.

She had last seen Harry at former BBC Look North-anchor and now Yorkshire Post columnist Christa Ackroyd’s birthday party several weeks ago where they had a 20 minute chat.

Stephanie said Harry looked “so healthy, so full of life.”

“He said so many wonderful things to me when I last saw him,” said Stephanie who now works as a public speaker for her empowerment organisation BelieveAchieve alongside working as a radio host.

She also described how Harry gave so much to charity and will have fond memories of the clips she has seen of Harry abseiling, wing walking and being attached to Paul Hudson in a three-legged Sport Relief walk.