SALLY Wainwright, who wrote acclaimed Bronte biopic To Walk Invisible and hit TV show Gentleman Jack which was partly filmed in Bradford, is set to receive the Freedom of the Borough of Calderdale.
The BAFTA award winning writer of Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax has been nominated by Robin Tuddenham, the chief executive of Calderdale Council.
It is in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the borough, which features as a backdrop in many of her shows.
The Council said Ms Wainwright had brought the character of Calderdale to TV screens since 2012 and promoted the area to a wider audience.
But, they said, it was the screening of the acclaimed Gentleman Jack series, which tells the story of Anne Lister, that has helped bring Calderdale to global attention, boosting visitor numbers to Shibden Hall as well as bringing millions into the local economy.
Scenes for Gentleman Jack, which was aired earlier this year, were shot in Little Germany and Saltaire, while 2016 television film To Walk Invisible was filmed in Haworth with a replica of the parsonage constructed on nearby moorland.
Mr Tuddenham said: “I can’t think of another individual who has so steadfastly championed Calderdale. I am proud to nominate Sally for this, the highest honour which we as a borough can award. Sally’s work has shared the places that we know and love with a global audience and the response has been phenomenal.
“As someone with such an outstanding reputation for producing high quality, award winning dramas, Sally is very modest about her achievements - I don’t think she fully realises what an impact she has had here and just how deeply people have been touched by her work around the world.
“The Gentleman Jack series in particular demonstrates what’s so distinctive and unique about Calderdale and echoes our Vision2024 values. There’s been a definite ‘Gentleman Jack’ effect thanks to Sally.”
Visitor numbers to Shibden have trebled since the estate featured in Gentleman Jack, while visits to Bankfield Museum in Halifax, where costumes from the series are on display, have almost trebled.
Her nomination will be considered by councillors at a Council meeting on November 20. A ceremony is expected to be held in March 2020 to present the Honorary Freedom scroll and her name will be inscribed on a plaque in Halifax Town Hall.
London Paralympics double gold medal winner Hannah Cockroft was the last recipient of the Freedom of the Borough in 2012.
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