Profiles

Joanne's just one of a number of really well-known personalities who have accepted the chance to try and put Huddersfield well and truly on the map by becoming an 'ambassador'. Originally from Barnsley, but living in Almondbury for the past few years, she says she's ready do HER bit to make sure everybody knows what Huddersfield has to offer! With that in mind she was delighted to accept the invitation to become an advocate for a town which is generally accepted as one of West Yorkshire's most up-and-coming hotspots. And she's in with a pretty good crowd! Other high-profile 'ambassadors' are Huddersfield Town star Andy Booth, Terriers and Huddersfield Giants supremo Ken Davy, former government 'Drugs Tsar' Keith Hellawell, Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and loads more! This is what she has to say about the job!

Castle Hill: "It's fabulous!"

What does being an 'ambassador' for Huddersfield involve?

It involves all kinds of things. It's partly about being kept in the loop about what is going on in Huddersfield which is always nice because I'm always interested but it also means I get the chance to go out and talk to people and make them aware there are things going on in the town they may want to be a part of.

Is this just about being an ambassador to the outside world? Do you think there are people here who don't know much about what is going on in the town?

I'm sure there are people in Huddersfield who don't know what's going on. It's sometimes difficult to know everything that's going on around unless you see it in the papers or on big posters. It's a good thing for people in Huddersfield to be aware that their town could be as interesting and dynamic as anywhere down south, or anywhere bigger because Huddersfield is just a town. It's not a city but it's a town that wants to be bigger, more exciting.

Do you think it can be?

I think it is. I think people just need to be made aware of it.

Do you see your role as very much an 'ambassador' of the arts in Huddersfield?

Well, yes, and other things too. There are lots of interesting things but obviously Huddersfield is one of those creative places and there are a large number of events to do with the arts popping up which is very cheering to see. I do meet the same level of prejudice every time I go to London. It's always, "Oh, what can you find to do somewhere up north?" and you think, "Well, this is so ridiculous!"

You talk about 'just down the road.' You grew up in Barnsley and you are half-French. Don't you ever feel you should be championing somewhere in South Yorkshire rather than Huddersfield?

I live here. I've lived here for five years. I was born ten miles away. I don't think I've gone that far actually!

Do you like living in Huddersfield?

Very much. I live just outside of Huddersfield in Almondbury so I've got the best of both worlds. If I feel like walking into town I can but I've also got the illusion of living in the countryside. It's not so big as to be overwhelming and I don't like cities anyway. It has a small intimate compact town centre and you can walk everywhere and have pretty much everything you need. Architecturally it's very pretty. I think at one point it was an incredibly wealthy place and it shows because the beauty of the architecture is such it really deserves highlighting. I think there's a fairly important scheme to make use of some of this architectural heritage we've got which is great and it's a very historic place. You can walk up to Castle Hill. There's an Iron Age fort up there that nobody seems to know about. It's fabulous!

Huddersfield Station: "Incredible"

Here at the George Hotel we're next to what must be one of the most ornate railway stations in the country…

It's a fabulous railway station and I love it. I'm pretty much there all the time because I travel everywhere by train and I am always overwhelmed at how incredible it is. People come for miles to see Huddersfield railway station. It would be good to see more trains there and more people using it and hopefully this will come about plus there's the railway café in there which – absurdly - is one of my favourite places in the world, straight out of the 1950s.

You're now working on a new book. Won't it be difficult for you to find the time to be an ambassador for Huddersfield?

No, not at all. I live here.

So you don't see book writing as something where you have to lock yourself away?

No. How can I? Book writing is all about getting out there, talking to people and seeing things and so, if anything, being an 'ambassador' will help me because the last thing I want to do is to be clammed away somewhere writing and not having contact with other people. That's not how I operate at all!