MY YORKSHIRE Tony Bowry
Tony Bowry, 75, emigrated to Leeds from St Kitts in 1965 at the age of 16. He has been associated with the Leeds Caribbean Cricket Club for more than 50 years and still umpires in league cricket.
What is your first Yorkshire memory?
My first memory of Leeds was that it was so cold in January when I arrived on the train. Coming from the heat of St Kitts, it was a bit of a shock and when I went outside for the first time, I just wore a shirt and a pair of trousers and my sisters, Rosemary and Violet, who were living in Roundhay Place, told me to go back inside to put some clothing on otherwise I’d catch a cold. They said I wasn’t in the Caribbean now. I had a job waiting for me at a cabinet makers in Roundhay Road, and I have happy memories of playing table tennis at a church youth club at the bottom of Chapeltown Road. Less happily, on a visit to the Roman Catholic cathedral in Leeds, the priest said I should go to a church where my friends were. I’d never experienced racism in the Caribbean, so what he said was disgusting.
What is your favourite part of Yorkshire?
I love Scarborough and the Dales which I visit frequently with the grandchildren, but the place I admire the most is Ilkley and the Cow and Calf area. The view from there is breathtaking and you can see three wonderful cricket grounds – Ben Rhydding, Olicanian and Ilkley.
What is your favourite walk or view? I like to walk round the Wharfe at Bolton Abbey, especially in the winter when you see the remnants of the snow. I also like walking in Haworth from the Brontë museum to the Brontë Falls, which is only a trickle.
What would be your idea of a perfect day out or weekend out in Yorkshire?
Without a doubt we’d go to Scarborough. The coast reminds me of the Caribbean. The first thing I’d do once I’ve parked the car on the site of what used to be the Holbeck Hall Hotel is to look across the North Bay. It’s a brilliant view from the top of the hill and then we’d walk into Scarborough.
Who is your favourite sportsman or woman, past or present, whom you’d like to take out for lunch?
Playing cricket gives you the opportunity to meet some nice people. I’ve chosen Arnie Sidebottom, the former Yorkshire and England cricketer. Arnie became a good friend when I began coaching kids from ethnic minorities in Leeds. We’d go into the Harehills area where no-one else was prepared to go.
Who is your favourite Yorkshire stage, screen star, past or present, whom you’d like to take out for dinner?
That would be Patrick Stewart from Mirfield. I’m a fan of Star Trek. He’s also the Chancellor of Huddersfield University where I met him. I was a guest of the Yorkshire Cricket Board.
What do you think it is which gives Yorkshire its unique identity?
The vastness of the county. You can travel for ever and you are still in Yorkshire.
There are so many lovely places to see and so much history, for example, in York where you have the Minster and museums, and in Skipton with its castle.
What is your hidden Yorkshire gem?
I’ve chosen a place in Knaresborough where I take the grandchildren and it’s Mother Shipton’s Cave, the legendary birthplace of the country’s most famous prophet. It goes back 500 years.
How has Yorkshire changed since you’ve known it – for the better or the worse?
Opportunities have been created for people like me. I’ve received many opportunities in cricket and it’s my duty to create them for others. People now have a better understanding of ethnic minorities. They realise we didn’t just get off a banana boat. We are intelligent people and natural athletes. Just look at the GB sprinters, many black athletes in the line-up. If you look at cricket in Yorkshire, when it comes to trials, opportunities have been created and if they are not selected, some other county will snap them up. If you are black or Asian, the gate is open for you.
How has Yorkshire influenced your career?
Quite a lot. As I was a professional coach in Leeds, I was appointed by Lords to be the West Yorkshire Cricket Development Manager in 1996 and that lasted until 2013. My job was to encourage cricket among the ethnic minorities.
I am retired now but am president of the Dewsbury and District League, and one of their trophies is named after me. I was invited to The Oval because of my job and sat on the top table with John Major, the former Prime Minister, who’s a big cricket fan.
Generally, I’ve had a good experience of being in Yorkshire, and using cricket to bring communities together, whether you are Jewish, Muslim or from a West Indian background, and when you go away, you look forward to coming back home.
Which part of Yorkshire would you like to own for the day?
It would definitely be Scarborough. I’d like to own the North Bay area. It’s a lovely place.
Which is your favourite restaurant?
I like the Spice Cottage in Heckmondwike. I took umpire Dickie Bird there and the owner told all his friends that Dickie was coming. There was a big gathering because everyone wanted to meet him.
Do you have a favourite pub?
I’m an occasional social drinker and like a place in Chapeltown Road in Leeds called the Kalabash Bar. You get Caribbean rum and brandy to drink, and they also do nice West Indian food there, like curried goat or oxtail, rice and peas.
What’s your favourite food shop?
These days, the supermarkets like Morrisons and Tesco, sell Caribbean food, but a good shop to buy West Indian food is Harry’s in Spencer Place and there’s also another Harry’s on Chapeltown Road.
If a stranger came to Yorkshire and only had time to visit one place only, where would that be?
It would be Ilkley. It’s not a million miles away from Leeds. It’s a lovely drive to Ilkley and you’ve got everything there – the views and the walks.