YORKSHIRE POST
SATURDAY JANUARY 11 2O14
my yorkshire...
Kath Libbert
Having grown up in London, Kath Libbert went via Brighton University before moving
to Leeds in the 1980s. Since 1996, the jewellery designer has run her eponymous gallery
in the Salts Mill development in Saltaire. She now lives in the Yorkshire Dales.
What's your first Yorkshire memory?
Actually it is a strong memory and one
that when I started to think about it made
me feel rather emotional. It was 1980,1
was 21, and had just finished university
and was living in Brighton. I came up to
Leeds to go on one of the first Reclaim the
Night marches as Peter Sutcliffe had just
murdered Jacqueline Hill, a young student.
Women marched across the streets of the
UK making the point that they should not
be restricted or blamed for the violence
they face.
What's your favourite part of the
county - and why?
The Yorkshire Dales - gentle and wild,
vivid green against grey dry stone covered
in moss. Lambs, rabbits, partridges - just
beautiful.
I am not a religious or even a spiritual person, but I often find myself
muttering 'God's own country' as I drive
home from work up the single lane track to
our home in North Yorkshire.
What's your idea of a perfect day, or a
perfect weekend, out in Yorkshire?
A bit of a play with Pushkin our new
kitten then off for a bike ride to Bumsall
cafe for a brilliant cooked breakfast,
maybe a game of tennis with my partner Jon, then over to see an exhibition in the
afternoon. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is
a favourite and I'm very excited about the
new contemporary art space The Tetiey
in Leeds. To end the day a good meal with
friends followed by a game of canasta.
Do you have a favourite walk - or
view?
All the views from our house in the heart
of Wharfedale are wonderful, even when
it pours I love to see the wildness of the
weather bearing down on us. A lovely short
summer walk close by is to go upstream
from Grassington along the Wharfe have a
quick dip and then back to Grassington for
an early evening drink and hearty meal at
the friendly Forester's Arms followed by a
game of pool.
Which Yorkshire sportsman, past or
present would you like to take for
lunch?
Well I am not sure about taking him to
lunch, but I have been so helped in my
tennis playing by Simon Ickringill, the head
coach at Ilkley Lawn Tennis Club. He's an
inspirational teacher and player who has
a great facility for bringing out the best in
me and not focusing on die fact that I ain't
never going to be Azarenka even though I
do use the same racquet and exclaim a lot!
Which Yorkshire stage or screen star,
past or present would you like to take
for dinner?
Dame Judi Dench - a fantastic actress,
supremely versatile, characterful, and
gorgeous too. Jon recently introduced
me to a powerful early BBC drama called
Talking to a Stranger by John Hopkins
starring a very young Dame Judi - it is
subtitled Anytime You 're Ready I'll Sparkle and this is exactly what she does - always.
What do you think gives Yorkshire its
unique identity?
I am not sure it has just one identity,
it is such a varied county which is its
strength, so much to experience and enjoy
from the beaches of Bridlington to the
elegance of Harrogate and the wilds of the
Dales. And I've always found Yorkshire
people extremely friendly and hospitable
which has helped this Londoner feel at
home.
Do you have a favourite restaurant, or
pub?
The Ilkley Moor Vaults never disappoints,
a small but delicious menu all home
cooked, often home grown and home
smoked. Try Sabi's smoked sausage with
pickled peppers and the most wonderful
sourdough bread I have ever tasted! Also
the owners and staff are delightful.
Do you have a favourite food shop?
I love a pork pie once in a while and
Stanforths in Skipton is the business!
How do you think that Yorkshire has
changed, for better or for worse, in
the time that you've known it?
Having been brought up in North
London and then university in Brighton,
when I moved to Leeds aged 23 I did feel
there was not a lot going on culturally but
that has changed massively over the last 30
years. The incredible Victorian architecture
has been brought back to life and is now
tastefully complemented by modern
interventions such as Trinity - which
has a great bar, Angelicas, with fantastic
city views. The Hepworth in Wakefield is
another great addition to the local cultural
landscape.
Who is the Yorkshire person that you
most admire?
It has to be Jonathan Silver, most well known for buying Salts Mill and
reinvigorating not only it but the
surrounding village of Saltaire which has
since 2001 been a designated UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Hugely enterprising,
a creative innovator, a risk taker he used
culture and art as a driver for regenerating
a run-down area.
Has Yorkshire influenced your
work?
Well firstly there are some excellent
jewellers and silversmiths in Yorkshire,
who we show on a regular basis at the
gallery. I initiated an exhibition called
Great Yorkshire Talent in collaboration
with The Great Yorkshire Show, a
competition for Yorkshire jewellers to
enter one piece of jewellery inspired by the
judging categories in the show, so lots of
silver sheep, bees and bulls - great fun.
Name your favourite Yorkshire book/author/artistfCD/performer.
Can I have Andy Goldsworthy? I know
he was born in Cheshire but he did spend
most of his formative years in Yorkshire!
I went to a wonderful Goldsworthy
exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park a
few years ago and was just delighted by
his installations, particularly his giant but
oh so delicate Leaf Stalk Room, a screen
of horse chestnut leaf stems held in place
entirely by black thorns.
If a stranger to Yorkshire only had
time to visit one place. It would be?
Salts Mill A very unique place - a
fantastically creative use of an amazing
Victorian textile mill in a beautiful setting.
Great art to enjoy, delicious Salts Diner
food, a wonderful selection of designer
home wares, an unusual book shop - I just
love it and feel so privileged to have been a
part of it for the last 17 years.
Fragments - Nine New Graduates Find
Their Place, Kath libbert Gallery,
Salts Mill to January 26.
www.katlhlibbertjewellery.co.uk