My Yorkshire: My fond memories of Suggitt’s sweetshop and Hull's hidden gems

Jo Hawkes is General Manager of Hull’s annual Freedom Festival. Liverpool-born, she studied English Language and Literature at Hull University. She and her partner Matt, and their son, Billy, 9, live in Bradford.

What’s your first Yorkshire memory?

Visiting my gran (who was known as ‘Aud’, short for Audrey) in Great Ayton.

When I was young she worked in Suggitt’s, which was both a café and sweet shop.

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Jo Hawkes is General Manager of Hull’s annual Freedom Festival. Liverpool-born, she studied English Language and Literature at Hull University. She and her partner Matt, and their son, Billy, 9, live in Bradford.Jo Hawkes is General Manager of Hull’s annual Freedom Festival. Liverpool-born, she studied English Language and Literature at Hull University. She and her partner Matt, and their son, Billy, 9, live in Bradford.
Jo Hawkes is General Manager of Hull’s annual Freedom Festival. Liverpool-born, she studied English Language and Literature at Hull University. She and her partner Matt, and their son, Billy, 9, live in Bradford.

I was the luckiest kid in the world, because I was allowed behind the counter and they did (and still do) amazing ice creams.

Even though she is no longer with us, I took my son Billy there last summer and such happy memories flooded back.

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

I love the astonishing variety of landscapes in Yorkshire. It is so vast, that within an hour the scenery completely changes, but my heart is in Hull. I studied at the university, my partner grew up there, and I now work there. It’s a unique city, which is too often overlooked and dismissed. The people don’t suffer fools gladly but would do anything to help each other. The sense of community is amazing and should be fostered more.

Baildon, Village of the Week. Baildon Moor. Picture Bruce Rollinson 17 November 2023.Baildon, Village of the Week. Baildon Moor. Picture Bruce Rollinson 17 November 2023.
Baildon, Village of the Week. Baildon Moor. Picture Bruce Rollinson 17 November 2023.

What’s your idea of a perfect day out in Yorkshire?

It has to be the Freedom Festival in Hull. It’s a great way to mark the end of the school holidays, every year. Incredible artists performing stunning work around the city streets. You can wander around with your family and see acrobats, dancers, comedy and music. There is work to make you laugh, cry, think and stand in awe.

Do you have a favourite view?

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I’m lucky enough to live next to Baildon Moor in Bradford. I love walking up there and seeing the panoramic views across the Aire Valley. Why Bradford? Because it’s a great city and community, and it also happens to be strategically placed between both our families, in the east, and in the west.

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

Nicola Adams. I was never interested in boxing, but there is something so relatable about her and, like everyone, I found myself getting so invested in her career. She’s broken boundaries everywhere she’s gone, including as part of the first same-sex couple act on Strictly. I’d love to talk to her about what motivates her and how she finds her courage. She has that astonishing combination of discipline and bravery.

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

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There are so many, but I’d be mad at myself if I didn’t take an opportunity to spend time with Dame Judi Dench. What a life on stage and screen. I’ve heard she has a very cheeky personality and I think she’d be a joyous person to spend an evening with. And, if Sean Bean could join us, what a bonus that would be! I’m always fascinated by actors, their work ethic, and how they create characters and performances.

What’s your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’ ?

Loadpit Beck in Eldwick. It’s very close to home and it’s my peaceful place. Gentle running water and waterfalls. You can follow the beck and never get lost. It takes you to Shipley Glen which was a pleasure ground in the 1800s including a theme park. It’s long gone but I like imagining what it must have been like at the time.

If you could own one thing in Yorkshire for a day, what would it be?

Skipton Castle would be one of many places I’d love to live in for a day. I love history and would love to time travel to when these buildings were occupied. Staying there for a night would be evocative, spooky and fascinating. I’d love it.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

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That landscape is unique. Britain and England are full of beautiful landscapes of course, but there is something about the moors and dales that take my breath away. There’s nowhere else like it.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

Hearth in Hull is stunning. Incredible food, overlooking Hull Minster. Fresh ingredients, lovely staff, and why they haven’t (so far) won awards is a total mystery to me. I also love the Dick Hudsons pub in Bingley. Their beer garden overlooks the moors and there’s no better place on a sunny afternoon.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

I love getting ingredients from Kirkgate Market in Leeds. The meat, fish and veg options are amazing. I’m a firm supporter of markets across the county, as well as farm shops. Why bother with a supermarket when you can get to know the people, and the growers, in all these great outlets?

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

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Like everything and everywhere it’s constantly evolving. Recently Covid and cost-of-living have hit, and some places in Yorkshire have felt that more than others. While industries have fallen away, the spirit of the place is still strong. Arts and culture are embraced around the county. I’m always amazed and humbled by the number of volunteers and participants who engage with our work in Hull. They are central to our success. However – and speaking as a regular commuter – I do think that we are served very poorly by the rail infrastructure.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

It has to be my grandma.She never boasted and she wasn’t a storyteller, but so many incredible things about her life would sneak out. Constantly fascinating – especially about her war work. Her growing up in Yorkshire, her experiences as a mother and during the second world war, told me so much about her. She passed that resilience and unspoken inner strength to my mum who I have to mention here as well. I wasn’t born in Yorkshire but my life has been shaped by two very strong Yorkshire women.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Undoubtedly. Freedom Festival is so uniquely of the city of Hull. It wouldn’t be the same anywhere else. It’s about Hull’s history, and the people who live and visit Hull today are at the heart of it. Volunteers, participants and artists, all work to create an event that is of and for the people of Hull. Without them it doesn’t make sense. There is also an incredibly practical way of working in Yorkshire. People from Yorkshire take no nonsense. They see through is instantly. I adore that.

Name your favourite Yorkshire book.

Mrs. England by Stacey Halls, set in Edwardian West Yorkshire. Told from the viewpoint of nanny, Ruby May, who is employed to look after the children of Mr and Mrs. England. It’s a psychological tale and the landscape is a character in itself. There’s a little bit of the story of Sir Titus Salt in there, and it’s a very Gothic tale.

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

Come over to Hull. You’ll find a gem of a place that is far too often dismissed and overlooked. There is so much to see and do.

Hull Freedom Festival, August 28 – September 1. [email protected]

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