Sir Patrick Stewart gets top honour from hometown

Sir Patrick Stewart has been given the Freedom of Kirklees in a gesture by the borough where he spent his childhood.

The Star Trek actor was born and raised in Mirfield, where he appeared in the town's pantomime as a boy and was given a grant to attend theatre school by the old West Riding Council in the 1950s.

Kirklees Council made Sir Patrick the third person in the borough's history to receive the honour and he attended the ceremony at Huddersfield Town Hall via video link from his home in California.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who grew up in Marsden, and local epilepsy campaigner Joan Gorton were also granted Freedom of Kirklees.

Sir Patrick said: "It is an extraordinary privilege. Awards and award ceremonies are part of our life in showbiz and can be fun and entertaining - but will never mean anything for me like the Freedom of Kirklees does."

The Hollywood star was raised by working-class parents and belonged to local drama groups. He had a brief career as a newspaper reporter before acting took over.

As part of his acceptance speech, he spoke about his childhood in the district and the schools he attended.

He paid a special tribute to his old teacher, Cecil Dorman, who helped him to understand and love Shakespeare's works.

He added that he wished his parents and two older brothers could have been at the ceremony, as they would have approved of the "generosity and kindness" he had been shown.

Simon Armitage CBE was also honoured on the day and the writer said the award was an "incredible honour".

He added: "I think it as an acknowledgement of my work and that I have stayed loyal to this part of the world."

Historically, "freemen" enjoyed privileges such as being able to drive sheep through the town centre, and Mr Armitage joked that they could be replaced with new perks such as free parking.

Charity fundraiser Joan Gorton also accepted the honour at the ceremony.

Mrs Gorton and her late husband, Tony, contacted the British Epilepsy Association in 1975 after their eldest child, Sarah, developed the condition and they found there was little or no support.

The couple went on to set up the Huddersfield branch of Epilepsy Action and raised thousands of pounds to support the charity’s work.

The group also sponsored nurses and other staff to go on specialist courses to learn more about epilepsy.

The only previous recipients of the status were former Huddersfield East MP, Sr William Mallalieu, and Baroness Betty Boothroyd, who was the first female Speaker of the House of Commons and who was raised in Dewsbury.