The first day of August marks Yorkshire Day, a day established in 1975 that has grown in significance every year.
A host of events, from afternoon teas to fun runs, is going on Thursday (August 1) to celebrate.
The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coin Bev Mullaney, said: “With so many fabulous Yorkshire Day events across the district there is sure to be something for everyone as we celebrate our distinctive and varied Yorkshire heritage.
“So, fly your Yorkshire flag, wear your flat cap, tuck in to Yorkshire delicacies including our wonderful Yorkshire puddings and be proud of our Yorkshire roots and links.
“Happy Yorkshire Day!”
But what is it all about? Here is everything we know about the background behind Yorkshire Day.
What is Yorkshire Day?
The day was established at an annual civic gathering of Mayors, Lord Mayors, their attendants and other dignitaries.
It was celebrated by the Yorkshire Ridings Society in 1975, initially in Beverley, as “a protest movement against the local government re-organisation of 1974”.
But not everyone was best pleased with this decision, and it led to huge swathes of Yorkshire being removed from the county’s control and handed to Lancashire and other bordering areas.
The first Yorkshire Day Civic Celebration in 1985 was held in York. Since then, the council and Mayor of different towns and cities have taken turns hosting it.
The host town or city also has the honour and prestige of being the official Yorkshire Day town or city for a full calendar year. The Yorkshire Day flag is handed over from council to council on the day, each council adding its coat of arms to the flag to record its year.
Two important events in Yorkshire’s history took place on August 1. The first was the Battle of Minden, when British and German forces routed the French army in 1759 in what is now Germany.
The second is the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which was championed by Yorkshire MP William Wilberforce.
The Yorkshire Society wrote on its website: “The Yorkshire Society is on a mission to make Yorkshire Day a day when the whole region shows the world how proud we are to be Yorkshire.
“So, we organise the centrepiece of Yorkshire Day when all our civic leaders, VIP guests and members of the Society are invited to gather in a host town or city, to mark this special day.
“It’s certainly the largest such civic gathering in the UK and possibly the world!”
