Films Made in Yorkshire: Ten Recommendations

Being a loyal Yorkshire woman, I have felt it was my absolute duty over the years to watch every film produced in the county.

And it goes without saying that I feel they are all totally brilliant. (I know, I would say that).

But below, I have chosen my top ten.They range from drama and mystery to humour and tragedy - so we truly have a great selection here.

You'll be interested to know though, that similarly to just about any other useful invention (the pudding, Smarties, chips, tennis racquets, cat's eyes and Def Leppard to name but a few) film was invented in Yorkshire. In Leeds. True.

It's also true that the inventor was a Frenchman (not necessarily his fault) and also that he mysteriously disappeared (in America) before he could patent his cinematic camera, but the fact remains that the first moving pictures were taken in Leeds.What do you think to my choices? Have you have any to add? Let me know in the comments section below.

Many films from God's Own County are bittersweet. This is a perfect example. This fabulous movie is based on a true story and features a group of middle-aged women who have an unconventional approach to raising money for charity.

It features some of the best loved - and most talented - British actors. If that wasn't enough it's set in the glorious Dales area. The plot is somewhat unusual to say the least - see below - but fact really can be stranger than fiction.

I really like to think that it's a total coincidence that my first two films from God's Own County have the theme of nudity. I have to say that I never really noticed that this was a feature back home in Yorkshire.I guess Freud would have fun.

There is another similarity with the previous film too in that it features a group of people trying to create a good situation from a bad one. Watch for tissue moments when various social issues are highlighted but also a lot (and I mean a LOT) of laughs besides.

... although for American readers, I should say 'soccer'. I've never liked the game (much to my other half's disgust and amazement) but despite that,I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, filmed in Leeds and Scarborough. (Scarborough was disguised as Brighton).

This is a real-life story and concentrates on one short period of time in the 1960s in Yorkshire. I promise, you don't need to know anything about the game, about England or about Yorkshire to enjoy this brilliant - and often very funny - film.

This film from the sixties has now become a true classic. It was filmed in Barnsley and most of the actors and extras were local people. This gives it an enormous authenticity. It was the first film I'd ever seen that strongly featured the (somewhat unique) Barnsley accent.

It can be a little harrowing but nevertheless it's a true-to-life drama and I can vouch for the fact that the characters are very typical of the time and the area. I suppose you could call it a 'kitchen sink drama' due to its realism.

I've mentioned tissue moments with quite a lot of these films already but this one sets me off as soon as the opening credit start to roll. Like the others, it's hilariously funny but set against a dark and unsettling background - the chaos of the Yorkshire coalfields.

It tackles such subjects as mass unemployment, strikes, marital breakups, family strife and even attempted suicide and yet it's remarkably funny and uplifting. How on earth can that be? Well, that's the beauty - and genius - of Yorkshire films.

This features some incredible actors. The plot is stunning, the humour is brilliant and to put the icing on the cake,we have fabulous music too. This is set in the seaside town of Scarborough and deals with hopes and dreams.

One or two people have said to me that the characters are just little unbelievable but in Yorkshire, that's absolutely not the case. These people are so real. Everything about this film is tremendous and I'm pleased to recommend it wholeheartedly. Read on.

Harrogate - if you don't know it - is a totally gorgeous spa town in North Yorkshire. I lived there for a spell in the 1970s and absolutely loved its fine architecture. its floral gardens and its complete sense of genteel history and elegance. That's where this film is based.

To add to the visual delight, it is set in the 1920s so we have wonderful clothes and classic cars. What's more, it's based on the real-life story of novelist Agatha Christie's real disappearance when she was encountering marital problems. Found in Harrogate, she claimed amnesia.

This brilliant film is the first of two on this list written by the wonderful Alan Bennett. Born in Leeds, one of the marks of his genius is his portrayal of thoroughly true-to-life poshness and pretensions. He understand social niceties and social climbing to a T.

This film, which was made in and around Ilkley, is so typical of the in, outs and machinations of those wishing to climb the all-important social ladder. With a truly fabulous cast, this is hugely entertaining.

This is Alan Bennett film number two and is actually very different to the previous one that you see above. Like Kes it also largely features a school but again,the two are very different in both era and type. This time we are in the nineteen eighties.

Filmed in Sheffield, Halifax and Elland, this movie was originally an incredibly successful stage play. It's another example of Alan Bennett at his best (although he always seems to be 'at his best') especially with his insights into the human condition.

I wasn't sure whether to add this film to the list. That's not because it isn't brilliant - it is - and it had me in complete tears of laughter. No, it's the subject that some people might find objectionable in this Sheffield-based film.

But it reminds me of Mel Brooks who would make really funny films about Hitler and the Second World War by saying that to send something up makes it less frightening or horrifying. It's black humour that's for sure, but if that's something you enjoy, you'll love this.