Wakefield Jazz Club: 'Why this music night held in a sports club is my hidden gem in Yorkshire'

I must have been a toddler, maybe three or four, and I was taken to Wakefield Music Centre, to see a performance run by Jo Jingles, who run music and movement classes from youngsters up to the age of five.

I also remember going to see my first opera, at The Grand in Leeds – I can’t recall what it was, probably some Mozart, and maybe The Magic Flute, but I do remember being fascinated by the sheer size of the orchestra. I also sang on that stage, as a youngster in a performance of Handel’s Joshu.

What’s your favourite part of the county?

I’ve always loved Fountains Abbey, and I must have been taken there at the age of nine or ten, and I was so impressed by its grandeur, and a sense of calm around it all.

The woodland, the birdsong, the size and majesty of the place, but also a sense of mystery, and all that fresh air.

What’s your idea of a perfect weekend in Yorkshire?

I first thought of some cricket at Headingley, and then over to Scarborough and Robin Hood’s Bay for a long walk, but then I remembered that there’s a great cricket stadium at Scarborough as well, so I’m going for a good match at the coast, on a bright summer’s day, and a wander along the shoreline on the Sunday. A weekend with some salt in the air.

Do you have a favourite walk?

When we all had to observe lockdown, just walking around the block was a joy, but now, I’d head for Nostell Priory, and walk all the way around the grounds.

I was first taken over there by my grandparents, and I’ve loved the place ever since.

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

Jonny Bairstow – who, rather to my surprise, I once saw getting off an LNER service at Leeds station, and he was wearing full cricket kit.

He looked larger than life, and I was rather chuffed that I’d been on the same train as him.

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

There are so many talented entertainers from our patch, and I was first thinking of James Mason or Charles Laughton, but I’ve decided on Sean Bean, and for two reasons.

The first is that he runs a podcast on garden birds, he’s very keen on wildlife (as am I), and the second is that I’d love to have a meal with him where I can listen to him swear spontaneously in that gloriously rich accent of his.

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

Wakefield’s Jazz Club, which meets every Friday in the city’s Sports Club Pavilion – I’ve heard some amazing acts and performances there over the years.

There’s a good grand piano, and they always draw a crowd, and raise quite a bit of cash for local charities.

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

Castle Howard, to be all by myself, and allowed to wander anywhere I liked in the house and grounds. Have you noticed that, in those great rooms, there’s always an odd little door in the corner?

What is its function? Where does it lead? Being able to try out the echo in the great vaulted hall would be fun and you could also get lost in the rolling acres of the grounds….

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

Toughness combined with generosity and friendliness in the people, I think, the unique topography and variety of all the communities.

And the fact that while our cities are bustling and vibrant places, you can also get out of them all within about ten or 15 minutes, and be in some spectacular countryside.

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

I try to get to as many cricket matches as I can, and I don’t like missing a YCC event. I also play tennis – generally against my mum, Anne, who is a brilliant player, and who beats me every time, hands-down.

Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?

Harry’s Bar in Wakefield, and also The Hop – the city has some good places to choose from, even today.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

It used to be The Wakefield Pie Shop, but I’ve discovered that is now closed, which is a terrible loss. And our market isn’t what it was.

I’ve just been in Japan, and I’ve learned to enjoy sushi – is there an authentic sushi restaurant in my part of the county?

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

It’s constantly evolving, that’s for sure. The Wakefield Arts Centre, opposite Kirkgate Station is exceptional, and so is The Hepworth, now that the gardens have been developed.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

The wonderful Alan Bennett. A writer, social observer and commentator, performer, wit and a bit of an outsider in his own right.

I was lucky enough to be in his latest film, The Choral, which was directed (as was The History Boys) by Nicholas Hytner.

Nobody observed this county and its people as well as Mr. Bennett.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Totally. It has surrounded me with its music, its bands and performers, its choral societies and choirs, all my life, and each have been, in some way, inspirational.

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

Kenneth Leighton, the Wakefield-born composer and pianist, and the creator of much fine music. And on the other side of the coin, Jake Thackray from Leeds who wrote some amazingly perceptive comedy songs. Both very much missed, and probably vastly underrated.

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

The city walls of York, which my latest piece celebrates – for their ancient history, and also the fact that, when you are on them, you can get a few cheeky glimpses into some otherwise private gardens.

The York Fanfare will open the Festival on Friday July 3 and it runs until Saturday July 11. ncem.co.uk