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Shire joy
 | | Full steam ahead: The beautiful North York Moors railway |
YORKSHIRE
by Tim Cole
 | | Familiar name: Editor Tim Cole in Kilburn, North Yorkshire |
Yorkshire is, of course, God's Country. Everyone knows that.
Moors and Dales, coast and Vale - and that's just North Yorkshire.
There's Leeds - the Knightsbridge of The North. There's the industrial heritage of South Yorkshire. The cultural diversity of Bradford. The splendour of the Pennines. And York. So good they named it once.
At this point a confession is required. I may be London born with all my father's family roots here in north west London, but the White Rose is in my heart. My mother is a Yorkshirewoman through and through.
Believe me though, when I talk about the wonders of the county I do not exaggerate.
So if you are tired of long-haul flights and maybe a little worried about the impact travelling by air has on the environment, don't 'do' New York. Get a taste of New Yorkshire - it will have your senses working overtime.
Getting there has never been easier. Just before Christmas, Grand Central began operating a non-stop train service from King's Cross to York in under two hours.
As the countryside flashes by you will have Marilyn Monroe's eyes watching your every move...maybe playing chess, Monopoly or Cluedo on the boards built into the tables.
There's a restaurant car and if you choose to travel first class you can choose to be served at your seat - there's a proper mug, teaspoon and napkin waiting for your free hot drink and biscuits as and when you want them.
York station is an inspiring building in a city with a rich railway heritage and when you emerge into the daylight you are faced with an even clearer indication of the historical importance of the place - the medieval walls.
Just as The City of London has Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Ludgate and the rest, York has its own named entrances to the city. Micklegate, Petergate, Monksgate. The difference here is that the gates through the walls still exist.
Inside the walls you find the magnificence of York Minster, surrounded by a maze of tight knit streets filled with shops that range from the mainstream to quirky or bohemian. There are places to eat of a variety to match.
If you want the best bedroom window view of any hotel in the city, then ask for a front room at the Dean Court Hotel - you will find yourself looking across Duncombe Place at the Minster.
It's a lovely hotel with a restaurant they just call DCH open to non-residents, but it is the perfect location which makes it that extra bit special. It's especially enchanting at night.
York is, logically, a great base to use to explore North Yorkshire. Thirsk, in the heart of the vale of York is just 24 miles away, the spa town of Harrogate 22, Richmond and the gateway to the Dales is 48, Pickering and the North York Moors 27 and the coast at Scarborough only 41. You can get to all of those places in an hour and under.
Thirsk is special. Unless they are going racing, many people tend to pass it by as they head east or west from the A1 to the moors or dales. But it has a huge claim to fame and a magnificent museum to mark the fact.
Here, at 23 Kirkgate, a young vet Mr JA Wight joined a practice in 1940.
Thirty years later he became known to the world as the best-selling author James Herriot.
The book If Only They Could Talk was the start and with seven more, two feature films and then, most importantly, the TV series All Creatures Great And Small, he became a worldwide phenomenon.
Christopher Timothy and Carol Drinkwater, Robert Hardy and Peter Davison turned Alf Wight's experiences as a Yorkshire vet into a national institution as they brought James and Helen Herriot, Seigfried and Tristan Farnon off the page and onto the screen.
The World of James Herriot Museum shows what life was like in the real household of the world's most famous vet.
One of Alf Wight's favourite spots was Sutton Bank, on the edge of the moors. You can look down on the whole of the Vale of York. Close by is the Kilburn White Horse. That's not a north west London pub, but a carving into the hillside created in the Victorian era copying the style of the one at Westbury.
The best way to see the Moors is by train. The journey from Pickering to Whitby on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is breathtaking splendour.
Break your journey at Gothland and stand on the platform of Hogsmeade Station in the film Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone.
You are also in Heartbeat country with the Aidensfield Arms (Goathland Hotel) and Scripps Garage & Funeral Services (Goathland Garage) facing one another in the village.
Whitby is famous for Captain James Cook, Bram Stoker's Dracula...and fish & chips.
With time to spare you can join the queue for a seat at the Magpie Cafe for their legendary fayre - but it could take you half an hour to get in!.
When the country air overwhelms you, it's time to move base camp to enjoy the life in the city of Leeds. Victorian arcades are home to stylish shops and bars, while the nightlife is vibrant. The magnificent Corn Exchange is now a shopping area.
All the top designers' stores are in the city. Raymond Blanc's brasserie is here. Harvey Nichols chose Leeds for its first out-of-London store. The Rough Guide to Britain named Leeds as the best shopping destination in the UK.
Quebecs is a perfect retreat close to the heart of the city in the Grade II Listed former Leeds and County Liberal Club.
The hotel provides intimate comfort in an opulant setting. The modern bathroom facilities seem just as much at home as the stained glass windows on the massive central spiral staircase.
The promise of timeless tranquility is a promise that is kept, despite the frantic pace outside.
For a taste of a slower moving Yorkshire, head west past the bustle of Huddersfield to Holmfirth, home to the longest running TV comedy series, Last of the Summer Wine.
There's a different sort of five-star luxury at Sunnybank Guest House. The three bedrooms in Peter and Anne White's home are all luxurious with en-suite bathrooms and truly stunning views. And the Yorkshire breakfast you will be served is as glorious.
There are Summer Wine landmarks all over the town, but to learn all about them and plenty more besides get a Summerwine Magic tour from outside Sid's Cafe in the heart of the village.
There's also a tale to be told about how Holmfirth could have been Hollywood if it wasn't for the First World War.
There's so much TV filming going on in Yorkshire the whole glorious county is one perfect movie set.
But don't just see it on TV. Taste it, touch it, smell it, hear it and see it for real.
tim.cole@archant.co.uk
How to get there
Grand Central
Tel: 0844 811 0071 - To book tickets over the phone. http://www.grandcentralrail.co.uk
What to see
The World of James Herriot
23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 1PL.
Tel: 01845 524234
http://www.worldofjamesherriot.org
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Customer Services: 01751 472508
Talking Timetable: 01751 473535
http://www.nymr.co.uk
Summerwine Magic Tours, Holmfirth
Tel: 01484 687231
http://summerwinemagic.mysite.orange.co.uk
Where to stay
Dean Court Hotel
Duncombe Place, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 7EF, England.
Tel: 01904 625082
sales@deancourt-york.co.uk
http://www.deancourt-york.co.uk/
Quebecs
9 Quebec Street, Leeds,
West Yorkshire, LS1 2HA
Tel: 0113 244 8989
resquebecs@theetoncollection.com
http://www.theetoncollection.com
Sunnybank Guest House
78 Upperthong Lane, Holmfirth, HD9 3BQ
Tel: 01484 684857
http://www.sunnybankguesthouse.co.uk/
info@sunnybankguesthouse.co.uk
Where to eat
The Magpie Café
14 Pier Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3PU.
Tel: 01947 602058
http://www.magpiecafe.co.uk/
Brasserie Blanc
Victoria Mill, Sovereign Street, Leeds LS1 4BJ
Tel: 0113 220 6060
leeds@brasserieblanc.com
http://www.brasserieblanc.com/blanc-leeds.html
General information
Yorkshire Tourist Board
http://www.yorkshire.com
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