Joseph Rowntree built his Theatre for the staff employed at his huge chocolate factory in the city.

 

Today it stands as an elegant tribute to the Rowntree family’s philanthropy although  they would probably describe it as enlightened self interest. York is the closest city to Hull (around 40 miles away) and I was delighted to meet a fair few Hullonians in the audience including my good friend Clare Stockton who founded a charity in Hull to help parents of disabled children through sharing experiences and providing respite care. Clare is an intensive care nurse in York and it was great to see her in the front row of the theatre.

 

There was also a family who we know from Ousefleet, the next village to ours, who’d driven across for the show.

 

The photograph is of the two women from Little Apple bookshop in York who provided books for sale on the night.