My Yorkshire: Mark Jones, LCF Law

Mark Jones is a partner within the personal law team at LCF Barber Titleys.
Where do you live/where are you from?

I was born in Middlesbrough in the days when it was still part of the North Riding.  Although the question of whether the town is still part of God’s own county can be slightly controversial amongst Teessider. I am a fiercely proud Yorkshireman, especially as my mother, father and sister were all born on the other bank of the River Tees in Stockton, which was part of the obviously inferior county of Durham! Having grown up on Teesside I have spent most of my life since University in North Yorkshire, including the last twenty years working in Harrogate.  I presently live in the picturesque village of Rainton, between Ripon and Thirsk.  Nestled between the Yorkshire Dales on one side and the North York Moors on the other, I consider myself to be incredibly lucky to live where I do.

What is your favourite place to visit in Yorkshire and why?

The Deer Park at Studley Royal which combines stunning scenery with tranquillity and is a wonderful place to watch the changing seasons.  My elder daughter used to work at Fountains Abbey, and when I dropped her off on a Saturday morning, I would spend an hour in the car park by the lake reading the Saturday papers, which was an oasis of calm at the end of a busy week at LCF Barber Titleys.

What is still on your “to do” list in the region?

I have been meaning for some time to make the rail journey along the Settle to Carlisle line to enjoy the stunning Yorkshire scenery along the way, but haven’t got round to it yet.  Being a true Yorkshireman I am waiting for one of the cheap train ticket deals in the newspapers.

What is your most Yorkshire trait?

Probably my tendency to drink copious amounts of strong tea.  I am not entirely sure that the amount of tea I drink is good for me, but I am convinced the milk it entails has saved me many visits to the dentist!

Favourite piece of trivia about the region.

Having worked in Harrogate and lived in the Ripon area for twenty years, I only discovered last month that they were never in the North Riding.  I had always assumed that as they are now in North Yorkshire, they would have been, but in fact, the boundary between the North and West Ridings was just to the North East of Ripon.

What is your favourite cultural icon to come out of Yorkshire?

I am not sure whether this counts as an icon or not but I would say the Stray.  The open space and greenery in the centre of Harrogate gives the town a unique and unmistakable feel and, like Studley Royal, the subtle changes throughout the seasons (including the fairylights in the trees that herald the coming of Autumn!) are a joy to behold.

Worst experience or thing about Yorkshire?

Probably the numerous occasions since my father first took me to Ayresome Park in 1971 that Boro have lost local derbies to Leeds United!

What is the one thing you’d steal from Lancashire if you could?

I am tempted to steal Sir Alf Ramsey’s comment about Scotland and say that the best thing to come out of Lancashire is the road back to Yorkshire (and I do love the drive over the M62 and into Lancashire) but to be fair what has always struck me on visits to Lancashire is the friendliness of the people there.  This is obviously a northern trait and not just a Yorkshire one!

What is the most overrated thing about Yorkshire?

I might need to whisper this when I am at LCF Law’s Leeds office (and I appreciate that this isn’t purely a Yorkshire thing) but I have never understood the appeal of rugby league.  I would be delighted to be educated by someone who does!

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