Marcus Thompson
Marcus Thompson, a former mayor of Calderdale, was born and raised in Halifax. He is married to Nicola Chance-Thompson, chief executive of the Piece Hall. They share their home with their two rescue lurchers and a cat.
What is your first Yorkshire memory? At home in Halifax with my mum, dad and sister, and at my grandparents in Barnsley, which was a regular sized house with a huge, long garden – we went over every weekend when I was little. It was a magical time. They also had a very cold blue and white caravan permanently in a muddy field on a working farm in Burniston, in Scarborough, where it always seemed freezing. We kept our coats on inside a lot of the time and the sound of rain on the roof is still with me, but we were always happy there.
What is your favourite part of the county? We are fortunate that Yorkshire has so much to choose from so wherever I go I’m rarely disappointed. But my favourite is Halifax and the surrounding areas. I grew up here and I’ve lived abroad and all over the country, and then returned so it must be special.
What is your idea of a perfect weekend, or day out? A perfect weekend away for me would be
Friday evening and all day Saturday in Scarborough with my wife Nicola and our rescued lurchers – the tide would be out and the dogs would run free on the sand. We would stay the night and catch up with family and dear friends who live there. I would visit the Italian Gardens, a favourite of my grandparents, who courted there in the 1920s when my grandma Muriel was a maid in service in a large house. My grandad, Joseph Chance, would ride his motorbike from Barnsley and back just to see her on her half-day off and they would walk arm in arm on the promenade. On Sunday we would head back to Halifax, calling at Holdsworth House where my aunty Pat would meet us for Sunday lunch and tell us all her latest news.
What is your favourite walk, or view? I prefer cycling to walking. The uphills are just as hard but the downhills are so much better. Since the Tour de France came here and then the Tour de Yorkshire, many more people seem to realise the fun in cycling. My favourite views are in Scarborough by St Mary’s Church. High up by the castle there is a short road where the sea is at either end because of the headland. It reminds me of summers running around the old town. My other view is an everyday delight – it’s the view from Ainley Top looking out over Elland, Halifax and the Calder Valley. It’s a view to me that says welcome home.
Which Yorkshire stage or screen stars past or present would you take to lunch ? James Mason and David Hockney spring to mind. I’d love to hear James Mason just reading a menu and I’d love to listen to David Hockney talk about art and light and how he sees the world so wonderfully through his eyes.
What would be your hidden gem? I love the view looking down Cragg Vale from the top, the reservoirs in front of you, a thin ribbon of tarmac as the road winds down the valley and in the distance the heather on the moors opposite. It’s magnificent and reminds me of the Scottish Highlands.
How do you immerse yourself in Yorkshire’s cultural life? Culture is everywhere and the work of Sally Wainwright has brought Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax to the world, which makes me realise the cultural strength that is here right on our doorstep. One of my favourite cultural events is still the naval battle in Peasholm Park in Scarborough.
What’s your favourite pub or restaurant? Gimbals, Holdsworth House and also the Trading Rooms at the Piece Hall in Halifax, but I think great meals need great company. The friends I
enjoy meals with are often more important than the menu.
What’s your favourite shop? Cheekily my favourite shop is Joseph Chance fragrance and gents accessories in the Piece Hall because it’s my shop and brand. I named it after my grandfather, a speedway champion, a bookmaker and a businessman with a love of elegance. We have blended our own unique fragrance and sell handmade soaps and shaving bowls.
Which Yorkshire man or woman do you most admire? I think my granddad Joseph Chance, who was brought up as the eldest of seven children. He was raised in Barnsley Central Working Men’s Club where his father was the club steward, and left school at the age of 14 to help earn money to pay for the family. At 21, he was a speedway champion, winning the Golden Helmet and racing for Belle Vue Aces. He retired after a head injury aged just 21; he took his winnings and savings and bought a truck, setting up a haulage and logistics company. He loved racing and always had a greyhound or two as pets and he was always well-dressed and stylish. He was short in stature but huge in style.
How has Yorkshire influenced your life? Yorkshire is a state of mind as much as a geographical area. I didn’t realise how big an effect Yorkshire had on my life but apparently I can be brusque! I thought this was normal. Growing up in a house where opinions were offered without always being asked for can be interesting. I think I have learnt to moderate myself and edit a little better these days. My mum was an infant school head – so a lover of rules (mainly her rules). And my father was a draper, selling cloth on the many markets in the region. He would always wear a shirt and tie and be the best dressed market trader you had ever seen. I learnt so much about fabrics working on the markets as a boy – even at the Piece Hall where I am again with my own shop. It’s strange how things come full circle.
Who is your favourite Yorkshire artist/performer? David Hockney for his light and colour and shape, and Henry Moore for how he challenges me with form.