This week, we speak to Jessica Story, who recently became curator of the Bake House Gallery, which forms part of the Great Northern Hotel.

Over the coming months, the gallery will be home to the work of some of the area's finest emerging artists alongside the personal collection of the Great Northern's owner Peter Boizot, and Jessica will look after a series of exhibitions.

"The Bake House has a wonderful ambience and is a great space," she said.

"Being surrounded by art, bringing art into people's lives and representing artists is a fantastic opportunity...we very much want to support local artists who struggle to exhibit in Peterborough."

This weekend will see the start of an exhibition of the work of Kathryn Moore, and Jessica spoke to us about her cultural loves.

Is there an artist, writer or musician that you admire, and why?

I really admire Jack White, he of the White stripes and (side project) The Raconteurs. He's a talented guy . . . he writes poetry, he sculpts and he writes music, plays numerous instruments and he sings with a child-like quality.

I also really admire Picasso intellectually . . . he constantly created, a prolific painter, who often incorporated Jungian philosophy into his art work. He broke new ground, a true genius, but I personally find his work discomforting.

Is there a television programme you couldn't live without?

I'm not a big TV watcher, but I've recently found Dexter rather interesting. (The highly acclaimed American drama centres on serial killer Dexter Morgan, whose day job is as a blood-splatter analyst with the Miami Police Department).

Can you remember the first record you ever bought?

The first record I bought was probably an album called Hooked on Classics for Children . . . it was on coloured

vinyl. It may have been Stevie Wonder's I Just Called to Say I Love You, possibly bought in Huntingdon.

Tell us about a recent discovery you've made?

Music-wise I've recently been re-discovering Cocteau Twins – a bit of a throw back to the '80s!

(The influential Scottish outfit created a string of shimmery, distinctive albums over 10 years of recording. Pop trivia – the band actually took their name from fellow Scots band Johnny and the Self-Abusers, who later re-named themselves Simple Minds).

Are there any guilty pleasures lurking around your CD or DVD collections? We've had Carry On films and Disney films in the past . . .

Probably the guilty secret I have is This is Spinal Tap... it's really funny though.

Do you have a favourite film?

Hmmm . . . that's difficult. Donnie Darko springs to mind, along with Gladiator,

Moulin Rouge, The Matrix, Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings – I have a pretty eclectic taste.

And how about a favourite book?

As a child I would say my favourite book was Lord Of The Rings, and one of my all-time faves is Wuthering Heights . . .