My Yorkshire: Edward Sexton, partner at Glencroft Countrywear

Edward Sexton is a partner in his family business, Glencroft Countrywear. Established in 1987 by his parents, the business is based in a 200-year-old converted barn in the conservation village of Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Edward joined the family business in 2013.

Where do you live/where are you from?

I currently live on the outskirts of Leeds . I hail from Clapham, a small conservation village in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and this is where the family business is based. Clapham was a brilliant but very rural place to grow up. The local primary school had about 30 pupils. When I went there, my year was quite large, with 6 of us, the year below had 3!

Everyone in the village knows each other, and as kids we’d spend all our time playing football, splashing around the local beck or mountain biking around the Dales. Ingleborough, one of the Dales Three Peaks, rises to 723 metres above Clapham and we’re over 20 miles from the nearest big town, so my friends and I used to get on one of the 6 scheduled trains each day from the station, which is a mile’s walk from the village, in order to go to the cinema and shops.

Having spent time living and working in London, which was the perfect contrast to the rural Dales when I left school at 18, Leeds now strikes a great balance for me – I get to live near a vibrant city, whilst benefitting from the quiet majesty of the countryside too, where the worst traffic I can expect to see takes the form of a herd of sheep. It’s a win, win.

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

I’d have to say one of my favourite little walks from Clapham to the nearby village of Austwick. It goes out of Clapham via old Victorian tunnels, along a bridleway with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and countryside, past amazing limestone formations from the last Ice Age – the Norbor erratics – you can get a quick pint in a country pub, before a stroll home on the footpath through fields full of sheep and cows.

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

Despite being a lover of sport, I’ve never been to a professional rugby league or cricket match. A visit to Headingley to watch both a Rhinos match and the cricket is definitely on the cards.

What is the most memorable meal you’ve ever had in Yorkshire?

I took my other half to the Michelin starred restaurant, The Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds, for her birthday. It was the most bonkers meal either of us has ever had! Absolutely amazing food, drink, service and an unforgettable night out.

What is your most Yorkshire trait?

I’m not sure if it’s a Yorkshire trait, but I think I’m well adapted to the local weather and climate. I spent over 10 years in London and would tell friends it was never cold enough for Northerners to wear a proper thick woolly jumper! It’s got to be below freezing before I need to get out the gloves and hat, which luckily, Yorkshire rewards me with every Winter! It’s particularly useful in our converted barn warehouse, which hasn’t changed an awful lot since it was used by the local farmers and is never that warm all year round.

Favourite piece of trivia about the region.

I love the fact that Yorkshire is the biggest county in the UK and everything that comes with it. I can drive East from Clapham to go to the seaside in Scarborough and it is over 100 miles, takes nearly 3 hours, goes through two national parks, has amazing scenery, and is entirely in Yorkshire from beginning to end.

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

I’d have to say the flat cap, if Yorkshire can claim that! I wear one myself and I’m proud to own a Yorkshire brand that produces flat caps. There’s also so many styles and types available these days – there’s one for everyone, from the Peaky Blinder inspired caps, to the bright colours worn by celebrities and on the catwalks.

Worst experience or thing about Yorkshire?

I commute from Leeds to the Dales nearly every day and while the route is amazingly beautiful, it can take a while on a bad day as it’s mainly all single carriageway on twisty, rural A roads. On those days, I wish for an easier commute and notice the difference when seeing customers in the South of England where the road network is a lot more developed and journey times much shorter, albeit with more traffic. Saying that, it’s also part of Yorkshire’s charm that so much of it has remained untouched, so I wouldn’t want to change it!

What is one thing you’d steal from Lancashire (or other UK regions) if you could?

Despite the traditional rivalries, I’ve always had an affinity with Lancashire growing up just 6 miles from the border. Lancaster was the nearest big town I regularly visited, and my accent growing up definitely had a bit of a Lancashire twang. We share all the water off our fells with the county as our beck flows into the Ribble. And while Yorkshire gave us the essential ingredient of a Sunday Roast, Lancashire gave us fish and chips, so I’d probably steal them!

What is the most overrated thing about Yorkshire?

It’s probably more of a Northern thing in general, but mushy peas – I can’t stand them. Even with my stolen Lancashire fish and chips!