'I moved to Yorkshire 15 years ago and it immediately felt like home - I'm staying here forever'

Patrick Burnett, 36, conducts the York Cobweb Orchestra, one of the best amateur orchestras in Yorkshire which started more than 20 years ago. Patrick has been the leader for 11 years and works as an NHS data analyst.

I first came to York in 2011 when I was being interviewed at the university for a master’s degree in conducting.

I loved York University and found the people, such as Dr John Stringer, in charge of my course, much more pleasant than the other places where I’d tried to make music.

I was on the train to York from Nottingham and had to deal with delays and was trying to figure out how I was going to get to the university. York felt like home and I’ve been here ever since.

What is your favourite part of Yorkshire?

That would be the coast. I really enjoy it every time I go to Scarborough and Whitby. I think Whitby in particular is beautiful and it feels like a mini-York at the coast.

When you walk up all those steps to the abbey, there’s an enormous sense of history and culture. I’m planning to go back and eat more fish and chips.

What is your favourite walk?

One I go on regularly is through Museum Gardens in York. It feels very quiet considering you are in the centre of the city and I honestly appreciate that and the nature on view. I also enjoy walking by the Ouse.

What is your idea of a perfect day out or weekend away in Yorkshire?

I think that would be exploring much more of the Yorkshire coast. I’ve never been to Bridlington or Filey.

Somewhere at the coast where I’ve not visited, and going on plenty of walks on the beach, would be my perfect weekend away.

What is your favourite view in Yorkshire?

The best view I’ve ever seen goes back some time ago when I was travelling to Scarborough with my father and the views of the countryside were breathtaking. I’d never seen before, rolling hills and purple heather, and that blew me away.

Which Yorkshire-born entertainer would you like to take out for dinner?

It’s going to be Bob Mortimer who’s from Middlesbrough. Bob’s a comedian and won the 2026 BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance.

He’s incredibly funny and well-known for his double act with Vic Reeves. Dinner with Bob would be hilarious. I’d want to listen to his tall tales, and I wouldn’t be speaking very much.

If you could own something in Yorkshire for the day, what would it be?

I’d love to own York Minster. I adore it and have played at quite a few concerts in there. I’ve been up the tower.

The view from the top was wonderful, and that’s the last time because I’m not good with heights.

If I had control of the Minster, it’d be a day of music. There’d be a bunch of free concerts, and I’d try to get people in for all kinds of music, not just classical.

What do you think it is which gives Yorkshire its own identity?

A few different things. We have a lot of historic market towns which are beautiful and I love the cities too. I like going to Leeds and Sheffield, but for me, it’s the Yorkshire people who make it.

Yorkshire is very good at adopting folk, and you become Yorkshire if you are here long enough. I’ve been in York for 15 years, am proud to be here and plan to stay for the rest of my life.

How much has Yorkshire influenced your career?

A lot. York University set me up very well to start working with an amateur orchestra. What Yorkshire has taught me is to be less competitive, more mellow and friendly.

I feel I can turn up at a rehearsal and have a laugh. We are not trying to put pressure on musicians. Before I came to Yorkshire, I felt I needed to prove myself, to compete with others.

Now, I don’t see it that way and prefer working together to make better music.

Which Yorkshire person do you admire the most?

There are two actually and that’s Sue and John Hoggett who are the two people who run York Cobwebs.

What they’ve done for our orchestra is incredible and our music wouldn’t happen without them. Even though they are not from Yorkshire originally, they are as Yorkshire as anybody else.

Since you’ve been in Yorkshire, how do you think it has changed?

I’ve noticed changes, but not all of them are positive. For example, one of the big changes in York concerns what was the fountain in Parliament Street in the centre of the city.

That was always the place where people met, but it was demolished in 2018. More positively, where I live near the railway station, there’s an awful lot of development going on.

What is your favourite restaurant?

I really like the Blue Barbakan on Fossgate in York. It’s Polish and the food’s divine. It’s the kind of place where you don’t eat anything for the whole day before you go there.

I particularly like a meal called Bigos which is a stew with a lot of sausages. It’s served in a bowl made from bread and you’re meant to eat the bowl as well.

And do you have a favourite pub?

Yes, I have a few which I like. I love the Fossgate Tap, Pavement Vaults in Piccadilly and then there’s the House of Trembling Madness at Lendal which has an amazing collection of craft beers.

What’s your favourite food shop?

A place I like is the Bluebird Bakery on Acomb Road. It has delicious coffee, excellent sandwiches and lovely pastries.

If a stranger came to Yorkshire and you had time to take that person to one place only, where would that be?

I think it would be Whitby, particularly if they were a Dracula fan. Whitby is so picturesque, and it’s nice to get out of the cities. We’d go for a long walk on the beach and lunch, of course, would be fish and chips.