My Yorkshire: Natalie Sykes, IoD
Natalie Sykes is the regional director of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Yorkshire and the North East. She lives near Harrogate.
What is your favourite place to visit in Yorkshire and why?
It has to be Harrogate. Valley Gardens, the Royal Hall, Harlow Carr, the vast selection of brilliant restaurants, its grace, its beauty… I could go on!
What is still on your “to do” list in the region?
There are a number of Michelin starred restaurants in our region that I am yet to experience: The Star Inn, The Yorke Arms, The Black Swan and The Pipe & Glass. Through my work with the IoD, my to-do list concerns elevating our region both nationally and globally for commerce and policy voice.
What is the most memorable meal you’ve ever had in Yorkshire?
There are so many. For example, a long-awaited visit to the Box Tree one Sunday lunch which was followed by a walk on Ilkley Moor in glorious September sunshine.
What is your most Yorkshire trait?
Getting straight to the point and cutting to the chase.
Favourite piece of trivia about the region.
In Ripon, England’s smallest city and one of my former homes, every night at 9pm the horn-blower still declares the city safe and under watch.
What is your favourite cultural icon to come out of Yorkshire?
Betty’s Tea Rooms and Yorkshire Tea.
What has been your worst experience, or what is the worst thing about Yorkshire?
Infrastructure. On many fronts.
What is one thing you’d steal from Lancashire (or other UK regions) if you could?
Manchester United!
What is the most overrated thing about Yorkshire?
Nothing that springs to my mind, if anything I would say that we are underrated in many quarters.
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