My Yorkshire: Leeds Rhinos' Gary Hetherington on his favourite people and places

What is your first Yorkshire memory? I grew up in Castleford during the 1950s and 1960s.I attended Hightown Junior School next to Saville Park where I spent each summer playing cricket and winters playing rugby. All my father’s family were coal miners in Castleford. My dad was the overman at Wheldale Colliery near the rugby league ground and I remember the time he took me down the shaft to the pit bottom. I’d be seven or eight. I remember thinking this is not where I want to be. Rugby League offered me an opportunity outside the pits and it soon became an integral part of my life.

What is your favourite part of Yorkshire and why? I love the whole of Yorkshire, particularly the East Coast. My favourite part, though, is Calderdale and the Pennines. The scenery is splendid. I often take the A62 which was the main route across the Pennines to Lancashire before the M62.

Do you have a favourite walk or view? My favourite walk is a seven minute stroll from our flat in Harrogate across and along the Stray to Betty’s Tea Room in Parliament Street. We have a family home in Pontefract and we also have this flat in Harrogate which we enjoy.

Which Yorkshire sportsman or woman, past or present, would you like to take out for lunch? I hope you don’t mind but my choices are not Yorkshire born and, sadly, they are no longer alive. I spent 12 years at Sheffield Eagles when we developed a successful businessmen’s luncheon club. Over the years, we attracted all the top sporting speakers. My favourites were Cliff Morgan, the former Wales rugby union star and BBC broadcaster and Brian Johnston, the cricket commentator.

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star, past or present, would you like to take out for dinner? Alan Bennett epitomises the Yorkshire life and community life we had which I remember. I’d like to listen to him telling tales of growing up in Leeds. Alan has a captivating style, his life has been remarkable and he makes listening easy.

If you had to name your Yorkshire hidden gem, what would it be? Mount Pleasant which has been the home of Batley Rugby League Club since 1880.It is one of only four grounds, currently in use, that goes back to the great split with rugby union in 1895. On match days, the ground is filled with passionate Yorkshire folk who love their sport.

What do you think it is that gives Yorkshire its unique identity? Sport plays such a key role. Over half a million fans pay to watch the 30 odd professional clubs across the county. Each of these teams has their own parochial support, but everyone is also proud to back Yorkshire. Football, rugby union, rugby league, cricket, ice hockey and basketball, there’s so much sport in a congested market. We are the biggest county and it’s so diverse with vibrant cities, marvellous scenery, seclusion and the legacy of the industrial revolution. Yorkshire folk are known to be direct and occasionally stubborn. We have a no-nonsense approach and Yorkshire people have a certain quality we can be proud of.

Do you follow other sports in the county and, if so, what? Rugby takes up most of my time at the Rhinos and Yorkshire Carnegie, but I also enjoy occasional visits to Elland Road. I love cricket at Headingley but especially cricket at Scarborough. My history teacher, Roy Homer, introduced me to Barnsley Football Club at Oakwell and I always find myself looking for their results. I also like golf and am a member at Pontefract Gold Club. Growing up in Castleford, rugby players like Alan Hardisty and Keith Hepworth, were local people who became stars. For a youngster growing up these heroes had a profound influence on me and others.

Who is the Yorkshire person you admire the most? I admire people who make things happen. Titus Salt, born in Morley, who combined great business acumen with care for his workers and to the present, I admire Gary Verity for his success in bringing Le Grand Depart to Yorkshire and also Colin Graves who has done so much for Yorkshire cricket. But perhaps my biggest admiration is for the late Jimi Heselden, a former Yorkshire miner, who made a fortune in engineering and donated millions to good causes.

Do you have a favourite pub or restaurant? Eating and drinking are something I’ve always been pretty good at. I think my favourite pub is the Chequers at Ledsham.It has plenty of character. But I also like the Three Acres at Shelley near Huddersfield, Trio Bar and Grill in Headingley and Wentbridge House near Pontefract. All have good food.

Do you think Yorkshire has changed for the better or worse since you’ve known it? It has changed for the better in major cities like Leeds and Sheffield and more recently Hull. But local communities have changed for the worse, you’ve lost local industries and the town centres have deteriorated when they used to be buzzing. I can remember how vibrant Castleford and Pontefract were when I was growing up.