Yorkshire Day

More than 25 years of Yorkshire Day

Following the government's re-organisation of England's county boundaries during 1974, a number of county groups were set up by concerned people to lobby for the return of their traditional heritage. One of these groups was the Yorkshire Ridings Society.

A meeting of their members in the East Riding village of Market Weighton led to the idea of Yorkshire Day. This was to be a celebration of all things Yorkshire and was designed to make people more aware of our county's proud history and heritage. The date chosen for Yorkshire Day was August 1st and the first one took place in 1975.

August 1st held a special place in Yorkshire's history for, on this day in 1759, soldiers from Yorkshire regiments who had fought in the battle of Minden, in Germany, picked white roses from bushes near to the battlefields has a tribute to their fallen comrades.

Since the few events which took place in 1975, Yorkshire Day has grown in popularity and now almost every town and village in the county organises an event of some kind, and many businesses have also become involved.

Remember, wearing Yorkshire's white rose on August 1st shows you care about the traditional culture and heritage of our county.

The Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity

"I, (your name), being a resident of the [West/North/East] Riding of Yorkshire [or City of York] declare;
that Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York, with these Boundaries of 1124 years standing;
that the address of all places in these Ridings is Yorkshire;
that all persons born therein or resident therein and loyal to the Ridings are Yorkshire-men and women;
that any person or corporate body which deliberately ignores or denies the aforementioned shall forfeit all claim to Yorkshire status.
These declarations made this Yorkshire Day 2001.God Save the Queen!"

How you can make Yorkshire Day a success

display a Yorkshire Day poster in your shop or house window

help sell the white silk roses - all proceeds go to local Multiple Sclerosis charities

attend a reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity in your area.