My Yorkshire: Phil Parkinson, head of commercial law at Blacks Solicitors

Phil Parkinson is head of commercial law at Blacks Solicitors

Where do you live/where are you from?

I am Yorkshire through and through – I was born in Leeds, grew up in Wakefield, and now live in Horsforth.

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

We love to visit the Sculpture Park – it’s a fabulous spot in any season to get some fresh air (with some culture thrown in) and is a place Yorkshire can be proud of.

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

I have probably done most things, but I would like to explore and walk the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors much more than I have – there is always somewhere new to discover.

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

I have had plenty of nice meals, but will pick out one that I had recently, which was at Matt Healy x the Foundry. Very impressive, tasty food with a Yorkshire twist.

What is your most Yorkshire trait?

Definitely watching the pennies and having a flat(ish) cap, although they seem to be trendy again now (not a word you would use to describe me!)

Favourite piece of trivia about the region?

It took some time to find something that people may not know, but I have discovered that the creator of the ‘Sooty’ character on TV, Harry Corbett, used to play the piano in his uncle’s restaurant – and that uncle (and his eponymous restaurant) was Harry Ramsden.

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

As a golfer, I will throw in one name which we should shout about more – Dr Alister Mackenzie, golf course designer, but who was much more than that. He was a surgeon, served in the Boer War, and became world famous for designing not only local Yorkshire golf courses, but US Masters venue Augusta National and Cypress Point in California.

Worst experience or thing about Yorkshire?

We are getting better at it, but we can still be much more open and engaging about how much of a world class venue Yorkshire is. There is a huge amount of potential here and we can get sucked into a ‘little old Yorkshire’ way of thinking which is wrong – we can be proud of our heritage but still challenge the best in the world in the future.

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

Pep Guardiola, to manage my team, Barnsley FC. It would be a challenge for him, if nothing else.

What is the most overrated thing about Yorkshire?

The unpredictable, mixed weather is often cited as a Yorkshire icon in itself (very Wuthering Heights). However, my family and I like hot weather, so I find the mixture of weather that we get very much overrated!

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