So, its here again, 1st August ......Yorkshire Day !
What is it though, that makes August 1st just that little bit more special than any other day of the Yorkshire year?
To give you a bit of history, Yorkshire Day began as a protest movement in 1975 against local government re-organisation the year before when the three historic Yorkshire ridings disappeared. Out went the North, East and West ridings and in came Humberside, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.
So Yorkshire Day was born as a celebration and in support of the white rose and all that makes it so special as a symbol of the county which has been in existence for more than 1,100 years and has a boundary almost 600 miles long.
That leads us to the next question... What makes Yorkshire great?
The list is endless but here's just a sample of 15 reasons why, in no particular order, to whet your appetite. Let us know if we've missed out your favourite features.
1. Shopping
2. Saltaire
Saltaire, is a beautiful Victorian model village built by the philanthropist Sir Titus Salt for his mill workers and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Small terraced cottages cluster around the Salts Mill which houses one of the world’s largest collections of David Hockney artwork.
3 - York Minster
It’s arguably one of the county’s most visited and iconic landmarks, with over 600,000 people visiting in 2016. This mightily impressive cathedral has the largest single expanse of Medieval glass in the world.
4 - Castle Howard
With 1,000 acres of beautiful landscape around this stately home, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, making it one of the most fascinating places to visit in the County.
5. Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales encompasses 680 square miles and is home to outstanding scenery, great castles, abbeys and a breathtakingly peaceful atmosphere. They are visited by around eight million tourists a year because of their stunning tranquillity and natural beauty. Its also is home the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, the venue for our #25425 charity walk.
6. Bettys & Taylors
The "Bettys" brand is synonymous with Yorkshire and there are six of the iconic cafés across Yorkshire. It is also famous for its Yorkshire Tea, Taylors of Harrogate coffee and Bettys cookery school.
7 - RHS Harlow Carr
This 68-acre woodland is one of four public gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society. It’s one of only two visitor attractions in Yorkshire to be awarded a gold accolade by VisitEngland.
8 - Yorkshire Economy
The Yorkshire economy is diverse.
Leeds, the biggest city in the county, is now home to a whole multitude of service and industrial sectors.
It is one of the largest business centres in the United Kingdom, with around 343,000 people employed in the financial, legal, business support and professional sectors in the Leeds City Region with an estimated output valued at £13 billion per year. This includes over 200 accountancy and 180 legal firms making it arguably the major English financial centre outside of London.
9. Yorkshire’s Sporting Heritage
Yorkshire-based athletes include the Triathlon - competing Brownlee brothers, Nicola Adams and Max Whitlock. Between them they won a fifth of Team GB’s gold and silver medals, and a quarter of the entire country’s bronze medal haul at the last Olympics.
Were it a country, Yorkshire would’ve finished 17th on the medal table!
In addition to that the footballing giants of the County have showcased such greats as Billy Bremner, Jack Charlton Tony Currie, Eddie Gray, Denis Law, Derek Dooley, Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer and John Charles. From Cricket the Likes of Freddie Trueman, Geoff Boycott, Len Hutton, Joe Root and Brian Close have dazzled audiences and from Rugby League Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock head the list of sporting entertainers.
Headingley, Elland Road and Hillsborough are amongst the impressive sporting arena's on offer with now 2 Premier League teams in Leeds United and Sheffield United!
10. Yorkshire Folk
Artists: David Hockney and Damien Hirst.
Actors: Sean Bean, Dame Judy Dench, Sir Patrick Stewart and Brian Blessed
TV Entertainers: Molly Sugden, Ernie Wise, Frankie Howerd and not forgetting the Chuckle Brothers!
Musicians: Mel B, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and the Human League
Sporting Greats: Brian Clough, Don Revie and Kevin Keegan.
The list is endless.
11. Yorkshire Coastline
From Bridlington through to Scarborough and all the way up to Whitby, Yorkshire’s rugged coastline has much to offer. White sandy beaches, historic entertainment, little quaint fishing villages, and bustling small seaside resorts are all in abundance. Not forgetting, some of the finest fish and chips around too !
12. Whitby Abbey
The wonderfully atmospheric Whitby Abbey ruins tower over the idyllic fishing harbour of Whitby and is one of the great sights in Britain.
13. North York Moors
The North York Moors are as their name suggests wild and windswept. Home to heather moorland, rolling rugged hills and mystical abbeys, this particular National Park really is enchanting.
14. Yorkshire Culture
Far from being all about flat caps and whippets these days. Yorkshire is fast establishing itself as a serious capital of culture, with such attractions as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The Hepworth at Wakefield, Leeds Art Gallery, the Royal Armouries in Leeds, Eureka in Halifax, The Deep in Hull and the Bradford-based National Science and Media Museum. Not forgetting the city of Hull, which is the UK City of Culture for 2017 or the tiny village of Haworth, the home of the Bronte Sisters.
and lastly.....
15. Yorkshire Pudding!!!
Mmmm I hear you say! Since the first recorded recipe, almost 300 years ago, this has become a regular on Sunday dinner plates around the country.
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