We welcomed a national treasure to Theatre Royal Wakefield last week when Sir Michael Parkinson who stopped off for a visit to entertain Wakefield audiences.

In conversation with his son Mike, Sir Michael reflected on his remarkable journey from a pit village in Yorkshire (Cudworth), via a thwarted ambition to play cricket for Yorkshire, earning a living watching and writing about sport, to finally finding himself at the top of those famous stairs as host of a show that for many defined their Saturday night.

Showing highlights from the fantastic Parkinson archive, he revealed stories from his relationships with the greats of sport including Shane Warne, the magnetic Muhammad Ali, and the doomed George Best, plus his thoughts on what sport has meant to him over the years.

Whilst in town he also met up with an old friend, none other than our very own Sir Rodney Walker who is the theatre’s honorary life president. The two are pictured together after Sir Rodney and his wife Lady Anne had watched Sir Michael’s show.