Lucy Beaumont
Hull-born Lucy Beaumont is an actor, stand-up comedian and writer. She is married to comic Jon Richardson and they have one daughter. Lucy’s latest work for television is Hullraisers, a new Channel 4 drama-comedy series.
What’s your first Yorkshire memory?
All my earliest memories – without exception – are in and around
Hull, but one in particular stands out, because it is of my grandad, taking me down to that docks area that the city has, and telling me, very patiently, all about the history of the seafarers who left the port, and what happened when they returned. My great-grandfather had told my grandad that he never wanted him to go to sea, so he backed his plans to go to art school instead – that did not go down too well with a lot of his old mates, who thought that grandad was getting far too “uppity”. He was to prove them spectacularly wrong.
What’s your favourite part of the county – and why?
Hebden Bridge. It’s so relaxing to walk along the towpath of the canal, and there are so many great little independent shops. I’ve always wanted to get on one of the canal boats there, and to float along through that glorious countryside for a few hours.
What’s your idea of a perfect day, or a perfect weekend, out in Yorkshire?
It’s just being out and about, and exploring, and it can be anywhere at all, north, east, south or west – you can be sure to happen on something that is a bit of a surprise. I know the county pretty well, and I have always thought that retiring to the Dales would be just heaven because I find such an affinity with the landscape. This weekend, come to think about it, would have to include a walk over the tops to Howarth, on a bright day with just enough of a breeze to “clear the cobwebs”.
Do you have a favourite walk – or view?
It’s from a place that I discovered early on, South Cave, just outside Hull, and we’d head north, up into the Wolds. As a youngster, we’d always pass some woods by the track, and they were both frightening and inviting, and we’d make up a lot of stories about the bears that lived in them. And then there would be a wonderful detour down into the beautiful valley that shelters the “lost” mediaeval village of Wharram Percy, which has always fascinated me.
Which Yorkshire sportsperson, past or present, would you like to take for lunch? I have nothing but admiration for Jessica Ennis-Hill, who is not only an outstanding sportsperson, but also a towering role model for young women everywhere.
Which Yorkshire stage or screen star, or past or present, would you like to take for dinner?
Maureen Lipman, with whom I worked on a series called To Hull and Back. She’s worked with everyone and her stories and recollections are never-ending. I could spend a year in her company, and never ever get tired.
If you had to name your Yorkshire ‘hidden gem’, what would it be?
It’s that area down and around the Museums Quarter in Hull, and around Humber Street. People don’t know how beautiful it is, with so many special places and amazing shops. I love the marina, the William Wilberforce House and narrow street that is The Land of Green Ginger.
If you could own, or have access to, one thing in Yorkshire for a single day, what would that object or place be?
Please may I have complete run and control of that architectural gem, the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. It must be in the top ten of the most beautiful theatres in Britain, with that stunning auditorium.
And to think that, not so many years ago, it came within an ace of being demolished.
What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?
There’s a special something that’s in our blood which combines plain-speaking, a sense of humour, history, creativity and a sense of stubbornness. My grandad always used to claim that the arthritis he has in his hands came from being of Viking stock, and the fact their fingers were always curved around wet oars as they rowed in such terrible weather. And I always believed him until one day he started laughing and confessed that it was all a load of guff.
Do you follow sport in the county, and if so, what? I keep an eye on Hull
City, and what they are up to, but it is far more likely to be from a seat in a Toby Carvery, and with a big screen.
Do you have a favourite restaurant, or pub?
If you ever stray into Todmorden, be sure to seek out Yakumama, on the
Rochdale Road, which does the most wonderful Latino-style food.
Do you have a favourite food shop? I cannot go past a health-food outlet anywhere without going in. I always find something I need. There’s one called Grain on Newland Avenue in Hull, and it’s wonderfully customer-orientated. In general, however, my message always is that we have to support all our local businesses and markets because once they’ve gone,
they’ll never return.
How do you think that Yorkshire has changed, for better or for worse, in the time that you’ve known it?
Not for better or worse, but for better and worse. A lot of places have been transformed by vision and sound investment, and we still produce great actors, artists and creative folk in general. But there are vast areas of the county which have been wilfully neglected, the transport links are a disgrace – please don’t get me going about this “levelling up” thing, especially when one single food bank survives.
Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?
My mum, Gill Adams, who is a writer and also an actor. She was a playwright at a time when it was an almost entirely male-dominated area, and it was a very long time before she discovered that she suffered from autism, which made her considerable successes all the more remarkable.
Has Yorkshire influenced your work? Completely, for it is all around me, and it is the subject of my art, my craft and my work. You absorb Yorkshire by osmosis.
Name your favourite Yorkshire book/author/artist/CD/ performer.?Philip
Larkin. I went to Hull University, and you couldn’t help but be aware of his work and his legacy. I even appeared in a play about him, playing one of his many mistresses.
If a stranger to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place, it would be?
Hull. Start off with time at the Ferens Art Gallery, wander down into the old town, take your time, check out the marina, and make sure that you find a nice snug in a pub somewhere. You will not be disappointed.
■ Hullraisers runs on Channel 4 at 9.45pm on Tuesdays.