This is Y Magazine 2019

2019

WE TALK TO ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE ABOUT TEAM SPIRIT AND LIFE IN YORKSHIRE

Coast of art

Going wild

Country girl

Explore one of England’s most inspirational and beautiful coastlines.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is 10 this year.

Discover why it’s a roaring success.

Anita Rani is back in Yorkshire, on tour and with Countryfile Live.

WELCOME TO THIS IS Y 2019 It seems like only yesterday that the 680 bus was dropping me off for school outside the beautiful Cartwright Hall in Bradford, the art gallery currently home to an exhibition from internationally acclaimed, local artist, David Hockney.

On the cover Gareth Southgate’s waistcoat has made him a fashion icon and he has made the country fall in love with the national football team again. Read Southgate Up North on page 52.

Fast-forward and what a thrill to be editing a magazine featuring all that’s great about Yorkshire and catching up with some truly inspirational people who have been influenced by this amazing county.

England manager and honorary Yorkshireman Gareth Southgate, tells of his passion for the national football team and his love for his adopted home ‘up north’.

Front cover image: Dan Prince www.danprince.co.uk Dan took the front cover image of Gareth Southgate. He is a photographer and filmmaker specialising in people on location.

Other cover images from left: Rob Shaw painting in Staithes.

A pride of lions live happily at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Anita Rani gets ready for Countryfile Live © BBC Studios / Pete Dadds.

Page 5 images clockwise from top left: Brodsworth Hall and Gardens. Ribblehead Viaduct. Kite surfing in Redcar.

Skidby Windmill in the Yorkshire Wolds © VHEY. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden. Keelham Farm Shop.

Ceiling of the Chapter House, York Minster. Yorkshire Dales National Park. Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Building sandcastles in Bridlington © VHEY. The Project Polar reserve at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to four polar bears.

Page 6 image: Visitor at Janet’s Foss, part of the Malham Tarn Estate © National Trust Images / Solent News.

Published by: Welcome to Yorkshire Dry Sand Foundry Foundry Square Holbeck Leeds LS11 5DL © Welcome to Yorkshire 2019 Designed and produced by: Will Hodgson at Welcome to Yorkshire Printed by: YM Chantry Ltd, Wakefield, West Yorkshire www.ymgroup.co.uk Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, Welcome to Yorkshire can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions.

Information throughout this magazine is compiled from details supplied by organisations or establishments concerned. No recommendation by Welcome to Yorkshire is implied by the inclusion of any information and Welcome to Yorkshire accepts no responsibility in the matter. Prices, dates, hours of opening etc. were correct at the time of going to press. Readers are reminded that these details are subject to change and they are advised to check when finalising any arrangements. Please note, the destination guides have been placed by our partners and the content approved by them. It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to all destinations and does not necessarily represent the views of Welcome to Yorkshire.

The paper in this magazine originates from timber that is sourced from sustainable forests, managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards. The manufacturing mill has both FSC & PEFC certification and also ISO9001 and ISO14001 accreditation.

Once you have finished with this magazine, please pass it on to someone else who may be interested to read it or recycle it.

Keeping Yorkshire special: From its lively cities to pretty villages, rolling countryside and amazing coastline, Yorkshire has so much to offer. By doing just a few simple things we can all help keep Yorkshire special, so that it’s ready for your next visit. Here are a few hints on how you can play a part and have a brilliant break at the same time!

Here in Yorkshire we have some of the best food and drink around plus fantastic local arts and craft producers. You'll be sure of a tasty Yorkshire experience. Don't forget to take something home to treat your friends and family.

Follow the Countryside Code. Help us look after the landscape and wildlife by avoiding damage and disturbance; use footpaths and cycleways responsibly and take your litter away. Try and recycle any waste you have. Most importantly have a great time when you're here!

Angelica Cheung, editor-in-chief of Vogue China, travels to the world’s top fashion locations and the stylish high-flyer regularly includes a Yorkshire visit to her globetrotting itinerary.

TV presenter Anita Rani, takes time out from her incredibly busy schedule to share her thoughts of growing up in Bradford (it’s a small world!) and what the county means to her now.

From countryside and coast to vibrant cities, enjoy This is Y and all things Yorkshire!

Carolyn Nicoll Editor

MEE T THE WR ITERS

Sarah Freeman

Nick Ahad

Julie Henry

A Little More Conservation, A Little More Action (page 44)

Paint Me A Picture (page 16)

A Right Pantomime (page 108)

Grew up in Leeds and after spells away, moved back in 2004. Was The Yorkshire Post Features Editor, now at Beyond Publishing in Ilkley.

Born in Keighley to an English mother and Bangladeshi father.

Writer and broadcaster, BBC Radio Leeds presenter, Yorkshire Post journalist and playwright.

Born and raised in Bradford.

The award-winning journalist spent more than 10 years on The Sunday Telegraph before moving into freelance writing, contributing regularly to national titles.

Rob Walker

Seb Marshall

Generation Games (page 74)

Drive Time (page 94)

Lucy Worsley

TV commentator and sports broadcaster. Lives in a small Cotswolds village with wife Becky and son Arthur. Travels the world to major athletics and snooker events.

Born in Kent but lived near Skipton since the age of two, then Leeds for the last couple of years. Competes as a co-driver in the World Rally Championship in the Hyundai Motorsport team.

TV presenter, writer of history books and Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, based in the world’s best office up a spiral staircase at Hampton Court Palace. Image © Sophia Spring

Elaine Lemm

Stephen McClarence

Harry Gration MBE

The World at Your Eat (page 26)

Shape Shifters (page 14)

When Harry Met Gary (page 82)

Following a successful career as a chef, restaurateur and teacher, Yorkshire born Elaine is a highly respected national food, drink and travel writer, writing for leading food titles.

Award-winning journalist and travel writer Stephen McClarence contributes to The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Yorkshire Post, specialising in India, the UK and rail travel.

Harry presents BBC Look North for the Yorkshire region. Harry’s awards include two Royal Television Society Awards and in 2013 he was honoured with an MBE for services to broadcasting.

Victoria Secrets (page 64)

Need to get in touch?

Editor Carolyn Nicoll cnicoll@yorkshire.com Production and advertising Danielle Ramsey dramsey@yorkshire.com Become a member of Welcome to Yorkshire Laura Kirk lkirk@yorkshire.com

@welcome2yorks #ThisIsY welcometoyorkshire welcometoyorkshire

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CELEBRATING YORKSHIRE Back in 2009 Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the USA, the highest-grossing film of all time, Avatar, premiered in the UK and on home ground, Welcome to Yorkshire was launched.

This year promises to be even bigger and better than ever before, with a packed calendar of world-class Yorkshire events. There will be a double treat of spectacular cycling.

The incredibly popular Tour de Yorkshire, in May, will once again showcase the county on a global stage and Harrogate will welcome the world in September, as the beautiful spa town hosts the UCI Road World Championships. A worldwide audience will get to see this impressive international sporting extravaganza, as the riders compete against a backdrop of breathtaking Yorkshire scenery.

Countryfile Live heads north for the first time in August.

The stunning Castle Howard will open its gates to the team from the BBC’s flagship rural affairs programme. Thousands are expected to flock to the show that’s just celebrated its 30th on-screen anniversary. Over five million viewers tune in each week for farming and countryside reports from the hands-on presenters, including Yorkshire’s very own John Craven and Anita Rani. Plus there’s all the latest from Bradford’s Anita coming up inside this issue on page 128.

What an amazing ten years it’s been! Fellow Yorkshireman and BBC TV presenter Harry Gration popped over for a chat about the many highlights along the way, from the county hosting ‘the grandest’ of Grand Départs in 2014 when the Tour de France came to Yorkshire to the multi-award-winning Yorkshire garden triumphing at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in 2018, scooping three coveted prizes. Find out more in When Harry Met Gary on page 82.

There’s art, food, history, sport, theatre and wildlife, as well as interviews with Honorary Yorkshireman and England manager Gareth Southgate and also Vogue China editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung, about their love of the county.

This is Y is packed with Yorkshire inspiration. Let’s celebrate!

Sir Gary Verity DL, Chief Executive Welcome to Yorkshire

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CONTENTS 9 YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS The latest Yorkshire news.

14 SHAPE SHIFTERS Yorkshire Sculpture International, the UK’s biggest ever sculpture festival.

16 PAINT ME A PICTURE Art inspiration in Staithes.

22 WELCOME TO HULL AND EAST YORKSHIRE 24 FULL STEAM AHEAD LNER launches a brand new Azuma train fleet.

26 THE WORLD AT YOUR EAT Yorkshire’s local and international food to shout about.

74 GENERATION GAMES It’s child’s play for broadcaster Rob Walker on a boys’ break to North Yorkshire.

78 TOUR DE FORCE The county’s biggest ever cycling year starts with the fifth Tour de Yorkshire in May. 80 WELCOME TO LEEDS 82 WHEN HARRY MET GARY TV’s Harry Gration talks ten years of Welcome to Yorkshire with Sir Gary Verity DL. 88 WHAT’S ON EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

32 WELCOME TO NORTHALLERTON

92 WELCOME TO THE NORTH YORK MOORS NATIONAL PARK

34 WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? Angelica Cheung, editor-in-chief of Vogue China on fashion, family and fun in Yorkshire.

94 DRIVE TIME Rally co-driver Seb Marshall, swaps high-speed for classic cruising on a celebrated scenic Yorkshire route.

40 TEN WAYS TO TREAT YOURSELF Check out ten tempting treats to mark a memorable occasion.

100 WELCOME TO WEST YORKSHIRE

42 WELCOME TO REDCAR AND CLEVELAND 44 A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATION, A LITTLE MORE ACTION Wildlife welfare and amazing animals at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

52 SOUTHGATE UP NORTH England manager Gareth Southgate on Yorkshire family life, his football focus and Fat Rascals.

56 A WORLD-CLASS WELCOME Excitement mounts as the UCI Road World Championships come to the county.

58 ON YOUR BIKE Pedal pushers of all abilities, get inspired by some great Yorkshire bike trails.

61 WELCOME TO HARROGATE 62 WELCOME TO THE DALES AND HERRIOT COUNTRY 64 VICTORIA SECRETS We celebrate the bicentenary year of Queen Victoria’s birth and the long-reigning monarch’s Yorkshire connections.

68 UP IN ARMS Find out what’s going on in the picturesque town of Beverley.

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72 WELCOME TO SHEFFIELD

102 KEEP ON RUNNING A multi-marathon adventure, one man’s Yorkshire journey.

106 WELCOME TO YORK 108 A RIGHT PANTOMIME Dames, Dandini and dastardly villains, panto is a big Yorkshire hit!

112 GOOD SPORTS Yorkshire’s rising sporting talent and the future stars to look out for.

114 WELCOME TO SOUTH YORKSHIRE 116 EAT, DRINK AND BE MARRIED From farm to fabulous, Wharfedale Grange, the Yorkshire wedding venue with a worldwide appeal.

120 WELCOME TO THE YORKSHIRE COAST 122 AND THE WINNER IS...

Celebrating the best of Yorkshire.

126 WELCOME TO SELBY 128 ANITA RANI Q&A City girl to Countryfile, Bradfordborn broadcaster Anita talks childhood memories and being back in her beloved Yorkshire.

132 PLAN YOUR JOURNEY Getting to Yorkshire.

134 YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS

Top of their game

Aim High

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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Future looks rose-y

Go Public in Sheffield

Back in black

The gates of Wentworth Castle Gardens will be open to the public once again this summer.

The stunning beauty spot is the only Grade I listed park and garden in South Yorkshire and is one of the country’s greatest 18th century landscapes.

A bar located in a former gents’ toilet was voted the Best Place to Drink at the OFM (Observer Food Monthly) Awards. Public in Sheffield can be found behind the city’s historic town hall down a discreet stairwell. Offering table service, cocktails, food, wine, aperitivo and vinyl records.

A new museum from W. Hamond, the original Whitby jet shop, has opened in Wesley Hall, Whitby. It houses the single largest collection of Whitby jet in the world, including the biggest specimen ever found, an entire araucaria tree trunk measuring a massive 21ft in length.

Holmfirth, the location for the TV hit Last of the Summer Wine may have another claim to fame this year, as local resident Josh Hoyle, sets out to be the youngest Yorkshireman at the age of 23, to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, reaching over 29,000 feet. No stranger to heights, Josh has already conquered many of the world’s highest mountains and regularly trains at ROKT Climbing Gym in Brighouse, home to the UK’s tallest outdoor man-made climbing wall. Measuring 36m, ROKTFACE is higher than the Tower of London.

Go Josh! We’re right behind you...we’re actually quite a long way behind you.

Story Time Michael Morpurgo: A Lifetime in Stories is an exhibition with an exciting insight into the life and work of the author of the bestselling War Horse. Explore the imagination and storytelling of the much-loved children’s writer with original manuscripts and immersive experiences to let the imagination run wild.

Leeds City Museum 8 February – 16 June.

Public image: © Alex Telfer

Join the union The 60009 Union of South Africa is to visit North Yorkshire Moors Railway in the spring. Passengers will be able to travel behind the iconic A4 Pacific, from Grosmont to Pickering during its weeklong visit. The LNER Class A4 steam locomotive was built in Doncaster in 1937 and is one of just six surviving Gresley A4s currently operational and mainline certified until April 2019 when she will be permanently withdrawn. Their streamlined design made them instantly recognisable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, holds the world record as the fastest steam locomotive.

30 March - 7 April 2019

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NEW FOR 2019

First class venues Sports stadium set to shine First built in 1889, Headingley Stadium is undergoing a £45m redevelopment from the Caddick Group which is due to be completed in May 2019, 130 years later.

The building project at the Emerald Stadium, Headingley, home of the Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire County Cricket Club, is anticipated to put the location on the world map as a first-class venue offering unique and bespoke facilities for sport and other events.

New look playhouse Currently undergoing redevelopment with the main building due to reopen in the autumn, Leeds Playhouse will be back with not only a brand new look but a fabulous new theatre space and an impressive city facing entrance that will be much more accessible to all visitors.

This spring Leeds Playhouse is hosting a full programme in a pop-up theatre, a unique temporary space on-site.

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

CULTURE

Fit for a Queen

© Guy Farrow

Northern Ballet’s Victoria marks 200 years since the birth of Queen Victoria and is a co-production with The National Ballet of Canada. Based on the longreigning monarch’s personal diaries, expect stunning sets, amazing costumes and a show packed with passion, tragedy and intense love; a truly sensational biopic brought to life through dance. Victoria premieres at Leeds Grand Theatre 9 to 16 March, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 19 to 23 March and other UK dates.

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Fantastic flavour

Whisky Winner Filey based Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery’s award-winning single malt whisky will be available in the summer after maturing for three years and is limited to just 2000 bottles. A double-winner at the 2018 Yorkshire Whisky Festival, including Dram of the Day and Stand of the Day, at an event that attracts international distillers from as far away as Taiwan, India, Japan and the USA.

Island Life

THEATRE

Cutlery Works is an exciting new addition to Sheffield’s ubertrendy Kelham Island. The large independent food hall recently opened in the Rutland Cutlery Works building is a hive of food and drink businesses. A mix of permanent outlets and semipermanent pop-ups, inspired by the hawker markets of South East Asia, with influences from Lisbon, New York and Barcelona, Cutlery Works brings a unique dining experience to the people who live, work and enjoy visiting the city.

Return of the Rose More than 400 years ago, the first audiences for Shakespeare’s plays enjoyed an experience that was as intimate as it was exciting, crowded in close to the actors and the action, in a small theatre in the bustling city of London. In Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, York, an experience every bit as exciting, intimate and immersive will be offered to today’s audiences in a dramatic playhouse setting beside the iconic 13th century Clifford’s Tower in the heart of the historic city. Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean Theatre returns to York for another two summers in 2019 and 2020.

The 13-sided scaffolding structure, complete with an Elizabethan village, will be where four of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays will be performed during this year’s 10-week season: Hamlet, Henry V, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. Outside the theatre, visitors can experience a vibrant, free to enter Shakespearean village, offering the finest Yorkshire food and drinks from oak framed, reed thatched buildings, an array of ‘wagon’ entertainment, minstrels and a stunning Elizabethan garden.

York: 25 June – 1 September.

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THE PLAYS

1 Hamlet

Considered by many to be Shakespeare’s greatest play, Hamlet is a dark and brooding psychological thriller. Encompassing political intrigue, humour, obsession, murder, tragedy, desire and madness, Hamlet has it all.

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Henry V

One of Shakespeare’s most popular histories, Henry V chronicles the coming of age of the once wild and wayward young monarch. His campaign to add France to his kingdom famously culminates in victory at the Battle of Agincourt.

3 The Tempest

Full of humour, enchantment and magical possibility, at the play’s heart is a tender portrayal of paternal love and a touching depiction of an unsocialised young woman’s first real encounter with the world.

4 Twelfth Night

A tale of mistaken identity, romantic confusion and a prank that gets pushed too far, Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. It dramatises both the pleasures and torments of being in love.

Creative cooking Following a £15m expansion, the next stage in the redevelopment at The Grand, York will see The Cookery School open in March 2019. Headed up by professional Head Chef Tutor, Andrew Dickson, the school will offer experiential and immersive full day, half-day and express classes for both leisure visitors and business groups. Under the expert guidance of Andrew and his team, guests will have the opportunity to practice their culinary skills, learn more about ingredients and techniques and ultimately create a selection of delicious dishes.

Expect a programme of themed and seasonal classes with a focus on specific ingredients, cooking styles and international cuisine.

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

COASTAL

Coastal gem Voted Beach of the Year 2018 by The Sunday Times, the picturesque resort of Filey is enjoyed all year round and its glorious golden sand was a stunning backdrop for last year’s Tour de Yorkshire, watched by millions in 190 countries.

Beautiful, retro and understated, Filey offers an array of amazing places to stay from hotels to holiday parks, take a break and find out what it’s all about.

STAGE & SCREEN

Curtain call With leading regional theatres, screenwriters, ballet, opera, dance and award-winning productions, make your choice, sit back and enjoy one of Yorkshire’s legendary shows.

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It’s a first

Two Yorkshire art powerhouses, Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre and Opera North are to collaborate for the first time to present a reworking of the iconic ballet The Rite of Spring, set to Igor Stravinsky’s groundbreaking score, it will be presented in a double bill with Puccini’s short comic opera Gianni Schicchi. Leeds Grand Theatre from 16 February – 2 March and other dates around the UK.

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The Full Monty is one of the most acclaimed British films ever and the stage play has become one of the most phenomenal theatrical productions, telling the story of out of work steelworkers from Sheffield. Now back in the city where it all began, drop everything (but you can leave your hat on) and see it at Sheffield Theatres’ Crucible Lyceum Studio 7 - 18 May.

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Gentleman Jack

Suranne Jones will star in a new BBC drama this year, created and written by Yorkshire’s Bafta-winning Sally Wainwright. Gentleman Jack, set in 1832, is an epic true story of landowner Anne Lister, who is returning after years away, to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home, Shibden Hall in Halifax.

Look out for lots of fabulous Yorkshire locations.

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Sky’s the limit

Hot stuff

Peake performance

Beryl, written by awardwinning actress Maxine Peake, is a play about Yorkshire’s Beryl Burton and a cycling career in which she won seven world titles. Beryl faced more than just uphill cycling challenges in her struggle against poor health and the barriers faced by women in sport. East Riding Theatre 25 April - 18 May.

It looks to be another top year for Scarborough Open Air Theatre as superstar headliners are confirmed. One of the UK’s most successful hitmakers, Cliff Richard, is returning to Europe’s largest open-air arena on 26 June and Kylie Minogue will be ‘Spinning Around’ at the coastal venue on 1 August for a Yorkshire Day ‘Celebration’.

© Guy Farrow and Richard Moran

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INDULGENCE

QUICK PICKS

Wishing on a spa

Around the county

Opening in spring 2019 you will soon be able to immerse yourself in the luxury of Grantley Hall with 47 exquisite rooms and suites, gym, spa, restaurants, a cocktail bar and event facilities. As you pass through the gates and follow the meandering river through the beautiful parkland setting, you catch your first glimpse of the hall and beautifully manicured gardens. It’s a perfect haven uniquely combining vibrancy and serenity, fun and relaxation, sophistication and country charm. Grantley is set in 30 acres of wooded parkland and grounds - great for walking off all that delicious food.

1 Back to my roots A new restaurant in the old building of The Bay Horse on Marygate in York, Roots is a stunning, sharing-plate eatery in the heart of the city. The Banks family from the Michelinstarred The Black Swan at Oldstead, have been joined by Matt Lockwood to establish this impressive restaurant and there’s a roots ethos running through. With roots in Oldstead where The Banks have lived and farmed for generations, the ingredients grown and foraged there are the roots of the menu.

2 On the hunt 2018 saw a spectacularly successful Great Eggcase Hunt along the Yorkshire coastline at The Deep’s event. The empty egg cases are a source of information for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) on the location of potential nursery grounds for sharks and other species. Join the hunt in April, July or August with the YWT at Spurn Point.

TOUR DE YORKSHIRE

© David Myers Photography

Official artist Richmond, North Yorkshire is where international artist Mackenzie Thorpe opened an art gallery more than thirty years ago. It is testament to his powerful work and enduring popularity that his art can still be seen in this gallery, Arthaus, to this day. Born in Middlesbrough in 1956, Mackenzie worked in the local industry of the area before studying fine art in London.

Eventually he succumbed to the pull of the North in 1989, returning with his family to Richmond and commencing his professional career as an artist.

Finding himself surrounded by stunning landscapes, giant skies, fast

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running rivers, waterfalls, castles and sheep, Mackenzie was inspired to capture all that was around him in the Yorkshire Dales. 2019 marks his thirty-year milestone and this year of global celebrations sees him exhibiting in galleries around the world, as well as his home turf of North Yorkshire and it is a fitting accolade that he has been selected as the official artist for the Tour de Yorkshire 2019.

A true artist, Mackenzie’s inspiring work is packed with authenticity, emotional expression and naturally captures so much of the spirit of both Yorkshire and the race itself.

3 Wedded bliss Looking for a place to tie the knot?

The Manor Rooms at The Drewton Estate will be available from spring 2019, a purpose built, rustic yet luxurious wedding and events venue in a stunning setting, with spectacular views across the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Wolds.

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ARTISTIC

SHAPE SHIFTERS The county is on countdown to Yorkshire Sculpture International and Stephen McClarence finds out more about the creative celebration.

s Yorkshire gears up to stage the UK’s biggest sculpture festival over 100 days this summer, Clare Lilley reflects on the art form’s powerful potential impact. “Some people get very involved with particular sculptures,” she says and as Director of Programme at the award-winning Yorkshire Sculpture Park, she’s well placed to know. “Sometimes when we move a sculpture, people can get very upset. And we have one lady who comes every day.”

She and colleagues at the sweepingly landscaped park, between Wakefield and Barnsley, have been working with The Hepworth Wakefield (2017 Art Fund Museum of the Year), Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute to create Yorkshire Sculpture International, which will run from 22 June to 29 September.

This £1.4 million event, backed by a £750,000 Arts Council grant, will bring world-class sculptors and their work to the county, including two new public commissions for Leeds and Wakefield city centres. Together, the four venues make up the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle (the Henry Moore Institute shares a site with Leeds Art Gallery), but this is the first time they have worked together on a project. “It’s a unique consortium,” says Jane Bhoyroo, the International’s producer. “All the organisations are well-known nationally for sculpture; we want to make them known internationally. We want new audiences to come.”

Between them, the venues already attract more than a million visitors a year to an area often described as “the birthplace of modern British sculpture”. West Yorkshire was quite literally, in fact, the birthplace of the nation’s two most famous sculptors – Henry Moore (born in Castleford) and Barbara Hepworth (born in Wakefield).

Both trained at Leeds School of Art and were inspired by Yorkshire landscapes, sometimes in unexpected ways. In later life, Moore looked back, apparently fondly, to “the slag heaps of the Yorkshire mining villages... which for me as a boy were like mountains. They had the scale of the Pyramids.”

In the Sixties and early Seventies, Yorkshire perhaps underplayed this sculptural heritage. The opening of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1977, however, changed all that. It was the brainchild of Peter Murray, an art education lecturer, who organised a sculpture exhibition in the grounds of Bretton Hall College, where he worked.

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Top to bottom: Huma Bhabha - We Come in Peace, 2017 - Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York.

Ayse Erkmen - Glass Works 2015 - Cadhame Halle verriére de Meisenthal France 28 June – 30 August photos by Valery Klein.

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Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield A centre of international importance for creation, exhibition and appreciation of modern and contemporary sculpture and the UK’s leading outdoor art gallery. In the fresh air, within 500 acres of beautiful, historic parkland, you’ll discover over 60 sculptures by major artists. Inside, five spacious galleries present an exciting programme of changing exhibitions.

Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Discover sculpture in the heart of Leeds.

Three beautiful gallery spaces host an everchanging programme of exhibitions accompanied by tours, talks and events which explore sculpture from ancient to modern.

Located in the vibrant city of Leeds, where Henry Moore began his training as a sculptor they host a year-round changing programme of historical, modern and contemporary exhibitions presenting sculpture from across the world. The Institute is a hub for a global network of artists and scholars.

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Image right: Wolfgang Laib installing Unlimited Ocean at School of the Art Institute of Chicago 25 Oct to 23 Dec 2011. Photography James Prinz.

Image courtesy the artist and Sperone.

Hepworth Wakefield The Hepworth Wakefield is an awardwinning art gallery in the heart of Yorkshire, set within Wakefield’s historic waterfront overlooking the River Calder. Designed by the acclaimed David Chipperfield Architects, the gallery opened in May 2011. The dramatic building and superb spaces make this one of the largest and most visited galleries outside London. Stroll around unique collections of sculptures by Barbara Hepworth, as well as changing exhibitions by international contemporary artists. Explore art, architecture and your imagination.

Discover an awardwinning learning programme which engages and inspires families, communities and educational institutions.

Leeds Art Gallery Described by The Times as having, ‘probably the best collection of 20th century British art outside London’.

Alongside the extensive 20th century British painting and sculpture collection, the Gallery presents a dynamic temporary exhibition programme, as well as continuing to acquire artworks for the permanent collection.

Stroll around the Gallery’s collections of paintings and sculptures and enjoy refreshments in the Tiled Hall Café.

He gradually evolved the idea of a sculpture park that would reflect his aim of trying “to make art accessible – but not by dumbing it down”. He has watched the park grow in both size and scope. “We started with 50 acres and now we manage 500,” he told me last year. “People who first came in the 1970s, now bring their grandchildren.”

Today, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has almost 500,000 visitors a year. During the festival, it will show work by the abstract American sculptor David Smith, who died in a car crash in 1965 at the age of 59. The aim is to reflect the festival’s exploration of, as Clare Lilley says, “the way artists have used material since the Ice Age, creating objects that don’t have any practical function”.

New work by another American artist, Rashid Johnson, will be exhibited at the Henry Moore Institute, while the Hepworth, the UK’s biggest purpose-built gallery outside London, will feature an installation by the German sculptor Wolfgang Laib. The stylishly refurbished Leeds Art Gallery will display both new work (including pieces by Nobuko Tsuchiya) and its own impressive sculpture collection.

The festival – which organisers hope to repeat every few years - will also, as Jane Bhoyroo says, “bring sculpture out on the street” with three new temporary outdoor commissions.

The Pakistani-American artist Huma Bhabha, celebrated for her monumental figures on the

roof of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, will create a large-scale work for Wakefield city centre, while Leeds will host a piece by the Turkish artist Ayşe Erkmen. In addition, five Yorkshire-based artists will each be given £7,500 grants to develop their work and a further ten will collaborate with schools and local communities.

Back at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, its landscape dotted with grazing sheep and Highland cattle as well as sculptures, Clare Lilley enthuses about seeing exhibits in different seasons.

“The journeys through the landscape between the exhibits are very important,” she says. “When people are walking with the wind in their faces, it can create energy in their bodies. It can be a sensory and a sensual experience.”

Perhaps the exhibit that embodies open-airness most simply and magically is Skyscape by the American sculptor James Turrell. Created in a former deer shelter, it’s an observation chamber where visitors lie on benches to watch clouds drifting past. “It pulls people in from all over the world – to see it and to be in it,” says Clare.

Former Yorkshire Sculpture Park programme assistant Freya Stockford encapsulates the open-air experience eloquently.

“I’ve been coming here since I was born,” she says. “I feel really free when I’m here. I always think of the park with its trees as a sculpture in itself – at its most beautiful when it snows. And I’ve been caught in thunderstorms.

It can feel so... wild.”

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ARTISTIC

PAINT ME A PICTURE

For centuries artists have been inspired by dramatic waves, sandy shores, towering cliffs and sunny seaside scenes. None more so than in one picture-perfect North Yorkshire fishing village. Nick Ahad went along to find out what’s the draw.

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BEAUTIFUL SECRET I don’t really want to write this article. If you already know Staithes, you will understand why writing in public about the most beautiful secret on the Yorkshire coast feels like something of a betrayal.

When it comes to Staithes, those of us in the know are happy to let the tourists visiting Yorkshire go elsewhere. To the adventurous travellers, we give you Robin Hood’s Bay with a smile and a wave or there’s Whitby with its bustling streets and majestic abbey. And a fine time people will have; both wonderful places to while away a day or several.

For those familiar with the best kept secret of the Yorkshire coast though, there is always a sense that we would rather keep Staithes to ourselves, but it might be time to share the secret.

I’m not sure how one finds out about Staithes. It’s highly unlikely that you stumble across the village, sitting as it does in a harbour, well disguised at the end of a street off the main coastal road. However it happens, once you do discover Staithes, it feels as though you haven’t found it so much as it has found you. And once Staithes has found you, it has you forever.

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Clockwise from top left: Created by Whitby sculptor Emma Stothard, the Staithes polar bear is made from stripped and woven white willow. Lobster traps on Staithes beach. A small fishing boat in water.

Fishing buoys and brightly coloured boats. Staithes at twilight. Rob Shaw in front of Staithes Art Gallery. The footbridge over Staithes Beck, connecting the North Yorkshire villages of Cowbar and Staithes.

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ONE HECK OF A STORY There are, it transpires, some folk more generous than I when it comes to sharing news of this coastal Yorkshire haven. Indeed, there are those who want to shout loud and proud of this gem of a tiny village.

Some of them are even among the 809 population who have the great fortune to call Staithes home.

One person who ticks the boxes of both resident and evangelist of Staithes is Rob Shaw, an artist with one heck of a story who is happy to tell the whole world about the harbour he calls home.

Staithes is a special place for many reasons, one of which is the relationship the town has had with artists, an inexorable story of passion that has lasted for over a century. It began in 1880 and over the following thirty years, Staithes became a focal point for painters who came to capture the town and the coast to which it clings including Gilbert Foster, Joseph Bagshawe and Dame Laura Knight. There were so many artists drawn to the place that they became known as the Staithes Group.

Since that extraordinary thirty year epoch, artists have continued to be drawn to the town, many painting Staithes over and over again.

Staithes and its appeal to artists from around the world is brilliantly embodied in the story of Rob Shaw.

Sitting in Staithes Gallery on a bright, sunny day, Rob sits in the back room, surrounded by his paintings. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why,” he says. “Mark Twain said that and it kind of became the motto that I live by.” And how.

With that quote the American writer really did nail the life experience of Rob Shaw. Born in Derbyshire, it was while looking at a mobile tea van in an industrial estate in Wootton Bassett that he discovered the reason why he was born. I realise some of that sentence seems very odd, but that is what I meant to write. If we go a little further back, I’ll explain.

Rob failed art at school. Even though he enjoyed drawing, it’s the sort of failure that knocks you back and so art, he believed, would never be more than a hobby and certainly not a calling. So instead he became an interior architect.

“Apparently architects don’t need to draw.

I studied in Newcastle and Teesside, graduated in 1997 when I started working with a hotel firm in Harrogate,” says Rob. “I was given a clothing allowance, a company car, I had a secretary and I was travelling all around Europe staying in four-star hotels.” Not bad, right? Well, of course right, but also maybe not.

“Four-star hotels are great, but they do get a little lonely.” It wasn’t just the loneliness that was the problem. Even though he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself, Rob had a higher calling than interior architecture. “I was always creative, always drawing something, but being told that I wasn’t any good at school, meant I hadn’t thought about art as any sort of career,” he says.

In the 1990s his parents sold up in Derbyshire and moved to Boulby to renovate a cottage that sits high above Staithes, a mile to the north-west. Rob hadn’t thought about art since school. Staithes, though, as artists for over a century have discovered, makes you think about art whether you want to or not.

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COMPELLED TO PAINT “This was in the 1990s when one year the tide came in and up over the breakwaters. The water came right up the village and into the streets. I brought my camera and took some photos then went away, bought a board and panel, three or four oil colours, a palette knife and painted this dark and stormy picture of Staithes,” he says. His parents were impressed by the painting, but Rob didn’t think much of it. Without his knowledge, he says, they took it to a gallery in nearby Castleton.

After failing art, he continued to draw a little, but it was only when Rob clapped eyes on Staithes that he, like so many before him, felt compelled to paint again. He was by this point working in a very cushy job in architecture. To use the vernacular of certain websites, after his parents took his painting of Staithes to the gallery in Castleton, what happened next will stun you. “They offered me a solo show.”

So, in his spare time from his interior architecture job, often painting through the night and using frames his brother had made, he created enough paintings for a solo show.

It sold out, the paintings going to the tune of £5,000. Here’s the really weird bit, Rob just went back to work - and not as a painter, but

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in his architecture firm. “I trained for six years to become an architect and I just didn’t see painting as a career. It was just something I liked to do,” he says.

By now Rob was working down south and making a good living. The Castleton Gallery had requested more paintings and he obliged, providing enough work for two more shows, but Rob had little real interest in what was happening with this ‘hobby’. Then the stars aligned and Rob had his Mark Twain epiphany.

His parents had been putting some of his old paintings in the famous Staithes institution, The Cod and Lobster pub (an absolute must stop when you visit Staithes, as I’m starting to suspect you will). Once a month they would hang a painting and Rob later discovered that the paintings would always divide the village.

One particular couple who always loved the paintings were David and Alison Milnes, who would visit Staithes regularly. They loved the paintings on first sight on a Friday and when it came to Sunday, the paintings would be sold.

David and Alison started asking about the artist, discovered Rob’s parents and were soon requesting paintings of Rob’s to hang in their art gallery. They started requesting more and more - the paintings were selling.

PLACE TO GO The Cod and Lobster is a long-established favourite in the village and last defence from the ravages of the North Sea, the pub has felt the wrath of the waves on at least three occasions. The last in the great storm of 1953 when the front was washed away and the fishermen looked on in sorrow as the precious bottles of brew bobbed about on the foam.

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BORN TO DO IT Remember the tea van in Wootton Bassett?

One day, Rob was in his office in Wiltshire, looking out of the window and the tea van arrived. He looked at the queue of people and could identify not just every person in the queue, but what they were going to order.

Around the same time David and Alison called to tell him he had sold £5,000 worth of paintings in a day. He discovered the reason why he was born. In the same hour as that phone call he’d handed in his notice and left within the month (turning down the extra £10,000 he was offered to stay) bought a cottage in Staithes and was painting full-time. “It was all I wanted to do, I realised at that moment. Not look at a queue and know what everyone would order, but be by the sea and paint.”

That’s what he was born to do. Since then he has exhibited in New York, London and Tokyo and exhibited and sold work in the Royal Academy. With one particular piece selling for almost £10,000. Rob has painted Staithes since the mid-1990s, “If you wander around the village, you see something different every time.

Staithes has become a haven for me. I don’t think I could ever get bored of Staithes or of painting it. I’ve sold work in different countries but Staithes Gallery is the only place I now show my art.”

picture this... international artists in yorkshire

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Master Class Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing consists of twelve drawings by the Renaissance master, in an exhibition marking the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death. 1 February - 5 May 2019. Leeds Art Gallery and Millennium Gallery, Sheffield

CELEBRATING ART

EXPERIENCE See art inspired by huddled cottages, lofty cliffs and moody seas and the skies of Staithes. Staithes Gallery provides a beautiful showcase right in the heart of the old village for the immense wealth and variety of their work.

An absolute must for lovers of art and of the region’s landscapes and coastal views.

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On Home Turf To celebrate the 80th birthday of Bradford’s very own David Hockney, a 2017 permanent display of works by the renowned artist is currently at the city’s stunning Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.

Which brings us to the Staithes Festival, a now annual event in the village. Rob says: “Seven years ago a group of us sat around a table and discussed the fact that it would be good to celebrate art in Staithes and the heritage of art in the area. That year we ran our first festival, around 40 artists exhibited in the village’s cottages that were turned into ‘popup galleries’.” Fast forward to 2018 and that had grown to 170 artists in over 100 cottages all around Staithes.

“We thought it would be a nice thing to do to bring people here and show them some art but in a way that’s respectful to the village and its residents,” says Rob. “This year we had about 7,000 people over one weekend.”

Rob looks a little sheepish. “We don’t want to turn it into Glastonbury. Maybe it will grow geographically outside of Staithes, but it’s great to bring so many people here to see the place.”

He’s saying the words, but I know there’s a part of his heart that wants to keep the extraordinary secret that is Staithes to himself.

With the festival already in the diary for 2019 and artists booking some cottages up to 2021, I think we all know now that the Staithes secret is out.

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Talking Music When All is Quiet – Kaiser Chiefs in Conversation with York Art Gallery is the Yorkshire band’s unique and experimental exhibition at York Art Gallery until 10 March 2019.

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View Shoes Step into designer Vivienne Westwood’s inspirational prized private collection of shoes, chosen for their beauty, innovation and artistry until 28 April 2019 at York Castle Museum.

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Images left to right: Rob at work in his Staithes studio. The Cod & Lobster on the seafront.

Emma Stothard’s blue lobster on the rock armour in Staithes.

Traditional fisherman’s cottages in the village.

Rob’s finished picture.

Staithes Art Gallery.

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WELCOME TO HULL & EAST YORKSHIRE

Left to right: Hull Fruit Market © Tom Arran.

Amazing views in the Yorkshire Wolds.

Eastern promise East Yorkshire has had plenty to shout about in recent years with Hull’s UK City of Culture status in 2017 ensuring the region was catapulted into the spotlight. Historic market towns, stunning shorelines and the undulating hills of the Yorkshire Wolds all combine to form a captivating collaboration of contrasts, guaranteed to ensure you set your path in an easterly direction.

Hull’s historic Old Town made it into TravelSupermarket’s ‘Top Ten Hippest Destinations in the UK’ in 2018, which, with an abundance of independent coffee shops, vegan cafés, vinyl shops and art galleries, it is easy to see why. Add to that a feudal mix of medieval streets, gothic architecture in the form of the mighty Hull Minster and more historic pubs than you can shake a stick at and you’ve got yourself a destination with something to suit all tastes.

The fabulous Fruit Market is the place to be seen with new bars and restaurants popping up all the time. The ever-popular Humber Street Distillery is a must for all gin lovers; it has an on-site distillery and stocks over 100 different varieties of the much-celebrated spirit. If you’re feeling creative, head to Hotham’s Gin School and have a go at creating your own.

Anyone looking to soak up some of Hull’s prestigious nautical history will find what they’re looking for within the city’s network of museums and galleries. The Maritime Museum covers all the seaworthy topics, including whaling, fishing and the merchant trade, or head to The Deep for a further marine life fix. Visit Hull Marina to spot some shipshape sail boats, or follow the fun Fish Trail, a unique pavement of fish that runs through the Old Town.

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The famous Ferens Art Gallery is also worth a trip whilst you’re in the vicinity, having recently acquired a sculpture by Australian artist Ron Mueck, one of very few galleries in the UK where you can view a piece by this enigmatic artist. The gallery also houses a magnificent collection of works by some of the best known artists, new and old.

If you prefer your entertainment live and loud then the Bonus Arena is a welcome addition to Hull’s lively leisure scene. This fantastic new venue will play host to an assortment of bands, comedians and sports events; everything from the hilarious Bill Bailey to Strictly Come Dancing - The Professionals Tour. Make a weekend of it and book into the Doubletree

by Hilton, Hull, so you can really let your hair down. Once you’ve taken in a show, why not indulge in a gourmet dinner in the hotel’s Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill or start the evening off with a cocktail or two from The Lexington roof top bar.

DON'T MISS Gallery 12 contains the Ferens important and unique collection of maritime painting, including works by John Ward and William Frederick Settle, both of whom depicted Hull.

The gallery also includes Herbert Draper’s impressive canvas, Ulysses and the Sirens (1909) which is now requested on loan by museums and galleries around the world.

The nearby market town of Beverley is a great place to visit for anyone seeking a more relaxed day out. There’s still plenty to do, but you can take your time strolling around the historic market place (Saturday is market day), exploring the quaint arcades, high-end shops and antique merchants. Be sure to pay a visit to the spectacular Beverley Minster, one of the

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Clockwise from top left: The Deep. A puffin at Bempton Cliffs. The magnificent Beverley Minster © VHEY. A picturesque village in the Yorkshire Wolds. High Stacks, Flamborough Head at sunrise.

largest churches in England located on a site that has been dated as far back as the 8th century. If fine dining is top of your list, look for one of Beverley’s many gastro pubs, or book into the Pipe & Glass, one of Yorkshire’s five Michelinstarred restaurants.

Thrill seekers may want to visit Beverley Races for a cheeky flutter, or head out to the coast to blow the cobwebs away with a breath of fresh sea air. The stunning heritage coastline of Bempton Cliffs, Flamborough and Spurn offer magnificent views for nature lovers and photographers alike, whereas the seaside town of Bridlington has everything to keep traditionalists happy, with plenty of top fish and chip restaurants, beautiful beaches and the iconic John Bull World of Rock for sweet-toothed trippers. If you’re keen to see green whilst you’re out this way, you can also take a trip to Sewerby Hall and Gardens, a Grade I listed country house set in 50 acres of landscaped gardens.

Outdoor adventurers will find the striking scenery of the Yorkshire Wolds doesn’t disappoint. Why not have a go at the Wolds Way? If the 79-mile walk doesn’t appeal, try taking a bike and seeing some of the county’s most impressive scenery from the comfort of the saddle. Take a few well-earned pit stops at some of this area’s most magnificent stately homes, with Burton Agnes and Burton Constable topping the list as two of the most striking examples of country houses in Yorkshire, or Sledmere House in Driffield, a magnificent estate that exudes grandeur.

After all that exercise, find one of the area’s many cosy, country pubs to relax in for the evening and reflect upon your day over a well-earned glass of wine.

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ADVERTORIAL

FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR AZUMA LNER is to launch its brand new Azuma fleet in 2019 on the east coast mainline, stretching the length of the country from Inverness, through Edinburgh, York and Leeds all the way down to London. The state of the art trains will create the ultimate experience for everyone who steps on board.

COMPETITION Win a night’s stay in Leeds, York or Doncaster and travel First Class with LNER. Competition closes on 30 September 2019. To enter go to www.lner.co.uk/ ThisisYcompetition where you can also find all of the T&Cs.

Image: © Steve Brammer

The brand new, high specification trains have been specially designed to provide a superb travelling experience for all, being faster, smoother, quieter and more reliable.

Once fully launched, there will be more opportunities for passengers to journey to and from smaller stations across Yorkshire, including Skipton, Bradford, Harrogate and Hull. One service per day will be increased to six, significantly increasing the regions interconnectivity.

Each train across the 65-strong fleet will have 20% more capacity which translates to about 100 more seats on each service. An increase in seating as well as more trains, means that better value fares will be available for customers travelling to and from Yorkshire (and the rest of the east coast).

Power sockets will be installed at every seat, with improved Wi-Fi allowing passengers to stay connected whilst on the move. There will be more legroom for added comfort, ergonomically designed seats, plus plenty of overhead and under seat storage space.

“Working from LNER’s Head Office in York, we’ve taken inspiration from our Azuma trains’ Japanese origins and worked with new materials and techniques to create a bespoke interior for our new trains”, explains Gareth Peate, Studio Designer. “Being in York means that we’re perfectly placed to work with many of the rail industry’s best and most innovative suppliers, many of which are based in Yorkshire!”

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As part of LNER’s approach to introducing the new fleet, they have involved colleagues from across the business by appointing 50 Azuma Pioneers. These pioneers contribute to the overall project and are able to influence decisions based on their specialist knowledge.

The trains which are being built at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe, Durham site will have their finishing touches made at the state of the art depot in Doncaster. Hitachi has drawn on its experience of cutting edge bullet train technology in the design and manufacturing of the new fleet.

“Azuma will bring a new era of style in long distance rail travel” enthuses David Horne, LNER Managing Director. “We’re excited to see preparations gather pace that will help transform services for passengers across Yorkshire.”

The distinctive and memorable 65-train Azuma fleet will be introduced on the Leeds to London route in 2019.

LNER operate 30 trains every weekday from Leeds to London King’s Cross and 53 trains every weekday from Doncaster to London King’s Cross. London King’s Cross to York journey times from 1hr 48mins. To find out more about Azuma go to www.lner.co.uk/Azuma

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DELICIOUS

The world at your eat

Food, glorious food! Elaine Lemm serves up a taster of the best Yorkshire dining.

It’s out of this world and will leave you wanting more.

orkshire is England’s biggest county, one of the most beautiful and also one of the nation’s largest producers of food. There are over 7,000 places to eat and drink from pubs, cafés and tearooms to Michelin-starred restaurants and everything in-between.

No other area outside London has as many highly recommended places to dine listed in leading food guides. Chefs and cooks create food more vibrant and diverse than anywhere else in Britain, using foods from Yorkshire’s magnificent coastline, vast countryside, cities and towns coupled with culinary inspiration from across the planet.

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A gastronomic journey through Yorkshire is absurdly delicious, exciting and immensely varied.

Expect to have your senses assaulted with an untold amount of tastes, scents and textures on a voyage rich with much-loved traditional foods from many cultures - not just Britain - through to the inventive creations of trailblazing chefs. Here are some of the best eateries in Yorkshire this year, many of which are favourites of mine and amongst them you will find everything from street food style through to the finest of fine dining, from world-renowned restaurants.

Exciting foodie innovation around the county

Yorkshire Restaurant of the Year The White Rose Awards are the most significant tourism awards in the UK, so winning one of these is acclaim indeed. The White Rose Restaurant of the Year 2018 is Skosh on Micklegate in York which opened in 2016 in the talented hands of renowned Chef Neil Bentinck. The word Skosh comes from the Japanese sukoshi for “a little” or “small amount” which neatly sums up the premise of this hugely popular restaurant.

Exquisite food comes on small to medium plates with a range of influences not least from Japan and the Middle East, but don’t be surprised to trip over Galician or Punjabi and many others. My favourite is what is now considered Skosh’s signature dish of Hen’s Egg, Dale End Cheddar, Mushroom and PX Sherry. The atmosphere here is relaxed, prices are sensible if not bordering on cheap for food of this quality. An eclectic offer from one of Yorkshire’s most talented chefs.

Le Cochon Aveugle, York

Do not be fooled by the simplicity of the tiny restaurant on Walmgate serving a blind tasting menu of contemporary European foods deeply rooted in classical French techniques.

Josh Overington delivers big and to impress, this was arguably one of my best meals of the last year.

Horto Restaurant at Rudding Park, Harrogate

This place oozes individuality and serious style in food from Murray Wilson, with many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs grown at the hotel and influences from around the world. Fabulous!

Home, Leeds

Clockwise from left: Skosh on Micklegate in York. Incredible desserts at Skosh.

Creative cooking at The Westwood Restaurant. Right top to bottom: Le Cochon Aveugle delivers big.

Elizabeth Cottam of Home in Leeds.

Mark Owens and Elizabeth Cottam (above) are delivering seriously good food with the aim to redefine classic British flavours through their many groundbreaking dishes at this buzzing Leeds Restaurant.

The Park Restaurant, York

Looking for a tasting menu packed with excitement, challenge and culinary adventures then head here for the food of the brilliant chef Adam Jackson and his team.

The Westwood Restaurant, Beverley

Making the most of locally sourced produce across the seasons, from land and sea, with their constantly changing menu.

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Traditional foods are still very much the backbone of the county and what epitomises this better than a classic Sunday lunch of roast beef, Yorkshire puds and all the trimmings in a pretty country pub. If like me this is your dream way to spend a lazy Sunday, rest assured there are many, many to choose from here.

The winner of the World’s Best Sunday Lunch 2018 in the Lonely Planet Guide is also right here in our midst at The Star Inn at Harome.

The stunningly pretty thatched inn is also one of Yorkshire’s five Michelin-starred restaurants, though at its heart, is still an inn and legendary Chef Andrew Pern is one of the county’s principal supporters of local foods and producers.

Fabulous Sunday lunches Leave the washing up to someone else with these exceptional Sunday lunches in great Yorkshire pubs.

Shibden Mill Inn

Enjoy fresh from the garden and locally sourced ingredients at this multi-awardwinning, 17th century, picture-postcard inn, nestled in idyllic countryside.

The Clarendon Hotel

A traditional countryside inn, ideal for gorgeous food, the finest real ale from local breweries and the perfect place from which to explore the Yorkshire Dales.

The White Swan

Ride to The White Swan for a Sunday lunch treat, enjoy a gastronomic delight, in a stunning setting, just a stone’s throw from the beautiful, historic Ampleforth Abbey.

The Dunkirk

The Dunkirk spirit (gin) is alive and well at this stylishly refurbished village pub.

Settle down to a Sunday lunch alongside a roaring log fire or on the roof terrace.

The Railway Inn

Get on track and stop off at this fantastic East Yorkshire eatery in New Ellerby, Hull, the perfect platform for indulging in a hearty Sunday lunch.

The Best Fish and Chips in the UK Though the number of ‘chippies’ is fewer than my childhood when it seemed there was one on almost every street corner, you do not have to travel far to find one. You could do no better as many do, than to head for the winner of The Best National Fish and Chips Shop 2018 with Millers Fish and Chips in Haxby just north of York. The 50-year-old, three generation, chip shop is well worth the trip for not just delicious

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You will be hard−pushed to not find the perfect curry in Bradford, The Curry Capital of the UK.

The World’s Best Sunday Lunch 2019

fish and chips but their sustainability credentials are astounding and if you have a restricted diet, Millers have it covered. There’s more incredible fish dishes on offer at The Star Inn the Harbour.

Located right on Whitby’s harbourside - so naturally fish features high alongside countless other great Yorkshire dishes.

World Cuisine

With Bradford repeatedly winning Curry Capital of the UK you will be hard-pushed to not find the perfect curry in and amongst the hundreds on offer. That Bradford can justifiably boast the finest Asian food in the UK and Yorkshire can also claim that outside of the capital the diversity of world cuisine in the county is impressive, here is just the briefest of glances at some of the best, showing the sheer quality of what is on offer.

Tattu, Leeds Easily some of the most contemporary Chinese food on offer in the county, in a sublimely sophisticated setting. There is a clever mix of tradition with modern cooking techniques and stylish food on the plate.

Brocco Kitchen, Sheffield Housed in the award-winning Brocco on the Park in Sheffield, the kitchen boasts being ‘always seasonal, a little bit Scandinavian and unmistakably Sheffield’. The kitchen is steeped in Nordic influence.

1884 Wine & Tapas Bar, Hull A taste of the Mediterranean in the Humber Riviera, serving local produce with a tapas twist, accompanied by a variety of wines and Spanish beers. Many diners travel further to this waterside eatery than the food on their plate!

Las Iguanas, York Las Iguanas retain their independence and continue to deliver the flavours, colour and spirit of South American food to York diners, also in Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield.

Mango, Wetherby This superb vegetarian Indian restaurant has quietly done its thing since 2008 under the watchful eye of Rekha Sonigra, originally from the West Indian state of Gujarat.

Sous Le Nez, Leeds A Yorkshire institution of the highest order and the place to go for cracking, French food married with great Yorkshire produce.

Snuggle down in the basement for a great meal.

Lanterna Ristorante, Scarborough Chef-patron Giorgio Alessio has been wowing the coastal town and pulling in the crowds from across the UK with his authentic Italian food since 1997.

All Siam Thai, Sheffield This small family restaurant is considered the place to find the authentic flavours and texture of all things Thai in Sheffield. Well worth a visit.

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Left top to bottom: Tattu in Leeds Š Joe Giacomet. Las Iguanas. Giorgio Alessio.

Middle top to bottom: 1884 Wine & Tapas in Hull. ScandiSheffield at Brocco Kitchen.

Tapas at 1884. Lanterna Ristorante in Scarborough.

Right top to bottom: Sous Le Nez. Showstopping food at Tattu. All Siam Thai. Perfect pots at Brocco Kitchen.

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Š Colin Murdoch Studio: colinmurdochstudio.co.uk

Clockwise from top left: Yorebridge House in Bainbridge.

Colourful breakfast creations at Estbek House. The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa on the Bolton Abbey Estate. Perfect dishes at the multi-awardwinning Yorebridge House. Incredible chocolate desserts at The Burlington Restaurant.

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World-Renowned There are a handful of restaurants in Yorkshire which are both award-winning within the county and the UK, but also have caught the attention further afield and are known way beyond these shores. Amongst that illustrious bunch are:

Yorebridge House, Bainbridge This multi-award-winning luxury hotel also holds an impressive 3 AA Rosettes. Expect to find consummate service, exciting food and stunning individually styled sumptuous rooms, with several having outdoor hot tubs with views of the Dales.

Estbek House, Sandsend Twice winner of the White Rose Award for Inns and Restaurants with Rooms and a multitude of other accolades, this small coastal hotel is a haven of relaxation, fabulous service and lovely food with an emphasis on the sea.

The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey Part of the Devonshire Estate in a stunning location the Dev (as it is fondly known) boasts not one but two award-winning eateries. The Burlington Restaurant with 4 AA Rosettes for innovative food and more formal dining. The more relaxed Brasserie & Bar is perfect after a beautiful walk along the river.

EXPERIENCE Discover the remains of the historic alum industry that was once important at Sandsend.

You can walk along the disused coastal railway through the heart of this quarried landscape and an excellent guide to the Sandsend Trail has been published by the National Park Authority.

Discover Yorkshire’s world-class Michelin Stars Yorkshire is proud to boast an incredible five Michelin Stars across the county bearing testament to the excellence of food on offer here. The Star Inn, Harome continues to wow diners far and wide with the perfect cooking of the finest of local Yorkshire ingredients from Chef Andrew Pern. Where The Star has led, many have followed. James Mackenzie and his team at The Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton have brought worldwide attention to this quiet corner of East Yorkshire. This is another chocolate-box inn which holds on firmly to its roots as an inn while delivering stunning food. Frances Atkins is the only female chef in Yorkshire to boast a Michelin star at the beautiful The Yorke Arms nestled in a truly stunning location near Pateley Bridge. Her use of Yorkshire ingredients is legendary. At the family run Black Swan at Oldstead you will find the UK’s youngest Michelin-starred Chef Tommy Banks. His place on the stage of the UK’s best chefs is firmly set. The only city-based Michelin star in Yorkshire is held by Chef Michael O’Hare at The Man Behind the Curtain in Leeds. No chocolate-box inns here, just a cool city centre location where Michael creates his sensational, innovative food.

Clockwise from top left: The Star Inn. The Man Behind the Curtain. The Pipe and Glass Inn. Black Swan at Oldstead.

The Yorke Arms.

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WELCOME TO NORTHALLERTON

The great country escape Set in the rich farmland of Herriot Country, you would be forgiven for thinking Northallerton is the perfect place for a sedate country escape. But instead this thriving and bustling market town is full of life and is an ideal base for visitors to explore the nearby moors, historical cities and picturesque villages.

Northallerton has a rich and varied heritage, with some beautiful buildings including the All Saints Church, which presents a 15th century perpendicular style, however inside the Norman origins are still clear through the north aisle arcade as are the grooves left by medieval archers in the arched doorway and for some truly arresting architecture, then Mount Grace Priory is well worth checking out - it’s considered to be the best preserved Carthusian house in England.

The town has a rich legacy of arts and culture. Set over two floors, the team at Joe Cornish Galleries have married the character of the building with a warm and welcoming feel.

The gallery holds a permanent exhibition of Joe’s work, as well as his print archive. Committed to providing exciting arts, leisure and education opportunities for the people of Northallerton and beyond, The Forum provides the main venue in the town for a wide range of performances, including top class comedy and a

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cinema equipped with multiplexstandard digital cinema equipment.

Take your pick from awardwinning restaurants, welcoming gastropubs, cosy cafés, chilled out bars, thriving local producers and passionate artisans. Elegant Georgian architecture, majestic skylights and a secret suntrap terrace give Bettys Café Tea Rooms a unique character.

Their traditional Afternoon Tea is famous the world over!

For more than a century the Lewis & Cooper name has been associated with the finest foods and wines.

Explore the nooks and crannies of the store and discover thousands of rare treats. Located on High Street, The Potting Shed is a modern gastro pub with a stunning indoor to outdoor fluent garden theme. At Tejanos, they are proud to source produce locally and make all their food from scratch including sauces and relishes. In the heart of Northallerton, The Tithe offers fine craft ales and locally sourced food with a fresh, modern interior. Indulge

Clockwise from left: Northallerton Market Cross and High Street.

Bettys Café Tea Rooms. The famous Barkers clock on the high street. Mount Grace Priory.

in a hearty classic dish at The Golden Lion Hotel before sinking in to a comfy bed for the night or alternatively, stay in splendour at the Porch House, an historic Elizabethan town house built in 1584 where Charles I was imprisoned by Parliamentarian forces in the Civil War. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the market is on in the High Street; full of stalls selling fresh food, clothing and hardware and on the fourth Wednesday of each month, a farmer’s market joins the regular weekly stalls. The busy High Street has a wealth of retail shops. Barkers offer an incredible range of fashion, lingerie and cosmetics. It has not one but two restaurants. Montana has an impressive selection of quality clothing for people who have a love of the countryside. Discerning shoppers choose The Classic Touch on Market Row for high quality shoes and accessories and for a fantastic selection of jewellery, a visit to renowned fine jewellers Bradleys is a must.

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ADVERTORIAL

iAT A GLANCE i Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries are transforming lives across the county and giving hope to thousands. One volunteer describes how working with the project has changed his life.

Driving through Cottingham, East Yorkshire this strikes you as a typical English village. A beautiful church, a bustling high street, quaint village pubs. But what is not such a typical site appears to be the amount of bicycles all around Cottingham.

R-evolution is the answer to where you’ll find all these bikes. A charity local to the East Riding of Yorkshire since 2015, they opened their first Yorkshire Bank Bike Library in the same year and to date, have opened 18 across East Yorkshire in partnership with East Riding Council.

Each Library provides bicycles to children who don’t have access to their own. They also cater for adults, where bicycles enable them to be out and about in the community.

The Cottingham HQ is also where the main training workshop is based. Their aim is to get as many unused bikes back into the community to increase safe cycling, social inclusion and exercise. Through public training courses, R-evolution also teach people how to fix their own bikes, whilst offering servicing for larger repairs.

Each year, they refurbish over 1,500 bikes carried out by a fully qualified team of mechanics and volunteers.

One such volunteer is Neil who has been with R-evolution for over a year. “I didn’t realise I had mental health problems until three years ago, when I had a major breakdown. Since then I was struggling, having a lack of concentration, motivation and taking antidepressants.

Finding a scheme like the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries is brilliant. It just gives you the impetus to get up and to get going. Finding the motivation with a charity like R-evolution has been fantastic.”

John Marshall MBE, CEO of R-evolution started the charity to help people just like Neil.

“Our initial aim was to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get into work, to learn about employment and help people build their self-esteem. I am very proud of what the staff, volunteers and trainees are achieving here in partnership with the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries. We are helping to change people’s lives for the better in so many ways from a small child in school learning to ride their bike safely, to providing purpose and better futures for our trainees in the workshops.”

For Neil, finding the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries stand at 2017’s Tour de Yorkshire has had a major impact on his life.

“Absolutely fantastic! If I hadn’t found it, I would probably be sitting at home in a very dark place. This has given me my life back.”

What?

Simply a location with a fleet of bikes that are available for loan to children and families. There are almost 60 Bike Libraries across Yorkshire and over 6,000 bikes have been donated so far.

Can anyone borrow one?

Yes. Just find your local bike library (see the link below) and get in touch.

The libraries often arrange activities such as guided bike rides, basic bike skills and maintenance courses.

Or you can just have the freedom to ride on a safe route, where you want, with family and friends.

Where can I donate a bike?

Donation stations are popping up around Yorkshire all the time - for full details of your local drop off point see the website below. If you can’t see a local donation station near you, keep checking - more are added all the time as the scheme develops.

To donate a bike, borrow a bike, start a bike library or become a volunteer visit bikelibraries.co.uk

Top to bottom: Neil is now a fully trained volunteer bike mechanic. Lizzie Deignan supports the project. Launch of the new R-evolution site in Cottingham. Training at the new Cottingham HQ.

For more information on where you can find your local Yorkshire Bank Bike Library go to www.bikelibraries.yorkshire.com

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CULTURAL

What are you

looking at?

Living in one of the world’s most populated cities, travelling as editor-in-chief of Vogue China to the most fabulous fashion destinations across the globe...just where does Angelica Cheung head to when taking a break from catwalks and cutting edge couture?

Carolyn Nicoll found out. ngelica Cheung, the founding editor-inchief of Vogue China, is described by Forbes magazine as “the high priestess of China’s fashion scene” and presided over the prestigious magazine’s launch fourteen years ago. It has become the most influential fashion publication in the country, featuring the work of international A-list photographers, models, designers and stylists. Vogue China’s phenomenal influence and industry clout has gained Cheung respect and admiration throughout the global luxury industry. She has more than five million followers on the popular Chinese social media feed Weibo.

What are your first memories of Yorkshire?

I have been visiting Yorkshire for more than twenty years. One of my earliest memories is of watching The Full Monty, when it first came out, at a cinema in Sheffield, close to where the opening canal scenes were filmed. The audience were rolling in the aisles even as the opening credits came on and carried on

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laughing loudly throughout the film. It was a great atmosphere and of course, a very funny film, even though I couldn’t follow all the Yorkshire vernacular at the time. My daughter Hayley, who is very proud of her Yorkshire roots, can do a spot on South Yorkshire accent, with all the right inflections and slang. “Y’all right luv,” is her favourite.

What’s the main difference between Beijing, where you live and Yorkshire?

Where to start? Beijing is a crowded city of more than 21 million people, which I think is

People were surprised on social media to find a Vogue editor downing a pint in a Yorkshire pub.

Clockwise from top left: Angelica and Hayley at a waterfall close to Malham Cove.

Hayley running in Wickersley in South Yorkshire.

A family trip to Aysgarth Falls.

Bolton Castle.

Yorkshire Dales.

The Tan Hill Inn in Arkengarthdale.

Jumping for joy in the heart of the Dales. The amazing waterfalls at Aysgarth.

around four times the entire population of Yorkshire. Part of the attraction of visiting Yorkshire, particularly the Dales, is the open space, ruggedness and lack of people. You can go for a ten kilometre hike along trails in the Dales and not see a single person, only sheep. I love the big skies and rugged hills and each Dale is a little different. Last time we stayed in Arkengarthdale and it was a great experience, especially visiting the Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in Britain. That got a lot of amused reaction on my social media feeds, people were surprised to find a Vogue editor downing a pint of Theakston’s in

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an isolated Yorkshire pub. Part of the appeal is that it is so different from my usual life. My schedule regularly takes me to fashion shows in Paris, Milan, London, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

My husband Mark Graham is a Yorkshireman and a journalist, so pubs feature a lot on our visits.

I love the really old and quaint coaching inns: we once stayed in the tiny village of Askrigg where I think there are three pubs. I was intrigued to see that the fish and chip van came round every week and people waited patiently for their turn, including me. Last time I was in Hawes, a shopkeeper recognised me. She had seen a feature on me in The Times, where I had mentioned in passing that I liked visiting the Yorkshire Dales.

As I was paying, she looked at me carefully and then asked me if I was editor of Vogue China.

One year we rented a charming 17th century stone cottage in a small village called Thoralby, which is really handy for West Burton, a beautiful village and Aysgarth Falls, which is also a favourite. We were there after torrential rains and did a long walk, past stretches where the river was really raging.

It always amazes me that there are so many different kinds of stiles: stone ones that you climb over, or squeeze through, wooden ones and metal ones.

Another hike in that part of the world took us past Bolton Castle, which dates back to medieval times and has been in the family for hundreds of years.

It is still pretty much intact. We had afternoon tea there and the waitress told us that the man at the next table was the current Lord Bolton!

Any particular favourite hotels?

Staying at Yorebridge House in Wensleydale was a real treat.

The owners have done a really good job of incorporating modern and even Asian styles into a traditional Dales stone building. The food was of a very high standard, using the best local produce.

Another favourite was Swinton Park Hotel, which is a real picture book castle, complete with ivy on the walls and swans gliding on the lake. We watched a display

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I KNOW YORKSHIRE BETTER THAN ANY VOGUE EDITOR EVER HAS!

of birds of prey in the grounds and my daughter – who was then about six – was thrilled to take part, holding out a gloved hand as an owl swooped down. The handler, a young woman, did an excellent job of explaining all about birds of prey and how they hunt.

Hayley also enjoyed The Forbidden Corner, one of those really quirky English follies with all kinds of nooks and crannies and mazes. She bought a traditional wimple there, which she wore for ages and ages. I often drive in the Dales and have had a few close-up encounters with tractors on the bends of single track roads and a number of stand offs with the sheep, who sit down nonchalantly in the middle of the road.

Are there any Yorkshire fashion connections?

Well, two people I know very well in the business are from Yorkshire.

Christopher Bailey was in charge at Burberry for many years and we used to swap notes on places we had been in Yorkshire. He came to Beijing often and was a great ambassador for Yorkshire. Another very talented Yorkshireman is Stuart Vevers, who grew up in Doncaster and is now designer for the American brand Coach. He was formerly with Loewe and has become a friend over the years.

They are both plain-speaking northerners, like me.

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Images top to bottom: Nishiki, the Oriental room at Yorebridge House, is furnished with stunning oriental wallpaper in black, silver and cream and with a large mango wood four-poster bed.

Stanage Edge is a popular place for walkers and for rock climbing with stunning views of the Peak District moorlands. The gritstone edge stretches for approximately 4 miles and was featured in the classic film ‘Pride & Prejudice’ starring Keira Knightley.

MUST SEE From pretty moorland, rolling hills and dales to scented meadows and leafy forests, the Peak District is home to some of the country’s finest scenery and was designated as Britain’s first National Park.

As well as natural wonders, the area is steeped with culture and award-winning attractions.

You often visit Yorkshire with your husband and daughter? Yes, my husband is from South Yorkshire.

We met 24 years ago in Hong Kong and now live in Beijing. Our daughter, Hayley, who is now 11, just loves to visit, in fact she has probably seen more of the county than most Yorkshire-born kids.

We took Hayley to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at a very early age and she has been to York, where she climbed the city walls, although she was not quite as impressed with the National Railway Museum’s fabulous steam engines as her dad had hoped. She has ridden donkeys on the magnificent Filey Beach and been to the Dales many times. She loved jumping across the limestone rocks at Malham Cove which featured in Harry Potter and of course, she is a big fan of fish and chips and would eat them for five nights running if we let her. I like fish and chips too, but I have resisted my husband’s urging to sample mushy peas and pickled onions. Likewise with black pudding.

What about shopping?

I don’t do much myself, just the odd piece for the home, but my daughter always insists on a trip to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield, which has a great range of brands for kids her age. In fact, if she had a choice she would probably spend all the holiday in Meadowhall! She also likes walking in Wickersley Wood, close to where her dad grew up, hiking the trails around Roche Abbey. She has done a couple of fun run races in Sheffield and also completed a two-week acting summer school at the Crucible. On her last day, she walked across the courtyard when Ian McKellen was coming the other way, on the way to a Pinter play rehearsal. She is learning guitar right now and has developed a fondness for Def Leppard, who are from Sheffield.

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We regularly go to Chatsworth House, only half an hour from the centre of Sheffield. Hayley loved playing in the cascade, a tiered water feature, when she was younger. I took my mum to visit – and she also accompanied us to the Dales and really enjoyed her visit to Bettys Café Tea Rooms in Harrogate, an experience that is really quintessentially English, something that you just can’t find in China. Last year we did a hike around Stanage Edge and recreated the famous Keira Knightley scene from Pride and Prejudice, where she is filmed standing on a distinctive rock that juts out.

Yorebridge House have done a really good job incorporating modern, and even asian, styles into a traditional stone building.

Yorkshire gets a large amount of visitors from China. What do you think it is that appeals to Chinese holidaymakers, which makes them want to see the county?

I think mainstream tourists love places such as York, with its centuries of history and the glorious York Minster. Also the Brontë village in Haworth, where I have been several times. Chinese are familiar with the Brontë sisters and find it fascinating to visit the parsonage where they grew up. China has more and more affluent individual travellers, they are the ones who appreciate boutique hotels, fine dining and really special experiences, such as hiking in the Yorkshire Dales. I think those kind of travellers would really enjoy the adventurous side of things.

Can you describe a perfect visit to Yorkshire?

It is difficult to nominate one place, as part of the appeal of Yorkshire is its variety, it has wild places, countryside, cultural attractions, seaside resorts and cities. One place that holds very fond memories is Whitby, for its fabulous light. I remember sitting by the harbour there once and, in the space of an hour, it went from sunshine, to cloud, to rain and back again. That is the reason the artist J.M.W. Turner found it so captivating.

Whitby Abbey is special too. Another spot is Salts Mill, in Saltaire, where there is a fantastic collection of David Hockney paintings.

I have never had a proper tour of Castle Howard, which they say is one of the most magnificent stately homes, or visited Fountains Abbey. There are many Yorkshire Dales hikes that we would like to do now that Hayley is older. But I think it is fair to say that I know Yorkshire pretty well, possibly better than any Vogue editor ever has!

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INDULGENCE

Ten ways to treat yourself 1

Flying High

Enjoy a truly unforgettable experience at The Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa with a full Champagne Afternoon Tea preceded by an incredible sightseeing helicopter ride over the picturesque Yorkshire Dales, taking in sights such as Bolton Abbey, Burnsall and Grassington along the way. Sat amidst 30,000 acres of natural beauty, courtesy of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the quintessential country house character of The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa is guaranteed to exceed expectations. www.thedevonshirearms.co.uk

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VIP Experience

See a show in style by booking a VIP Hospitality Suite at Sheffield’s FlyDSA Arena. The luxurious private suites are available for groups of up to 12 people and include exclusive facilities such as a bar, tv and fine

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dining. Open since 1991, the Arena has hosted legendary international musical superstars and the world’s biggest sporting greats. With 2019 being no exception, everyone’s sure to have a night to remember. www.flydsaarena.co.uk

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City Slicker

For a luxury city break, head to The Bells. These stylish, contemporary serviced apartments based in the centre of Leeds offer beautifully designed interiors, relaxing bedrooms and generous living space. In two of the apartments, guests can enjoy the use of a deluxe hot tub on their very own balcony. The magnificent Victorian building has been transformed to provide the ultimate five-star accommodation with unique elegance, in an ideal location to enjoy all that this vibrant city has to offer. www.thebellsleeds.com

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Fish Supper

5

Canal Cruising

Dive in for some fine dining at The Deep. Situated in the tunnel, the exclusive dining experience offers a chance to marvel at the spectacular sea creatures after hours and enjoy a three-course meal. For those looking for a truly unforgettable daytime memory, there’s an opportunity to hire a diver to hold up a ‘special sign’! www.thedeep.co.uk Drift through Yorkshire in style on the five-star gold Lady Teal Hotel Boat, where guests can sit back and relax in elegant surroundings. Enjoy a glass of wine or a Yorkshire beer whilst cruising along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Take a seat on the upper deck or in the salon with panoramic windows, then watch the sun set whilst enjoying a superb four-course meal - it’s all included. www.ladyteal.co.uk

10 WAYS TO TREAT YOURS

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Tiger Feat

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Lake Side

Experience the sights, sounds and smells of open cockpit flying in the unique Tiger Moth plane. In collaboration with the RAF Benevolent Fund, the flight experience ensures passengers are thrilled with bird’s-eye views of the stunning Yorkshire countryside and aerobatic manoeuvres - so buckle up and prepare for take off! www.tigermothexperience.co.uk

SELF

Clockwise from left: Fly over picturesque sights including Burnsall in a helicopter ride over the Yorkshire Dales with The Devonshire Hotel and Spa. Take a thrilling flight in a Tiger Moth.

Book yourself into a luxury apartment at the beautiful Fountains Abbey Estate. Luxury at Brompton Lakes.

Special spa days at The Feversham Arms & Verbena Spa. The Tunnel at The Deep in Hull transforms into a unique dining experience.

Brompton Lakes is a unique, natural retreat of luxury lodges, offering spectacular panoramic views of the Yorkshire countryside. Take in the beauty of the two stunning lakes, which are surrounded by 26 acres of fabulous open countryside and woodland - just two miles from the historic market town of Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales.

Any troubles will simply float away on this luxury break of peace and tranquillity. www.holidayathome.co.uk

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Spa Day

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Endeavour Experience

There are luxurious beauty treatments and rejuvenating experiences to enjoy throughout the county, including the Verbena Spa at The Feversham Arms.

Nestled in the picturesque market town of Helmsley, it’s surrounded by stunning countryside and boasts a heated outdoor pool. www.fevershamarmshotel.com Climb aboard the shipshape replica of Captain James Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour for a unique private dining experience in The Great Cabin. Located in Whitby Harbour with views of the stunning coastline, the luxurious private restaurant can host up to 26 guests. A perfect opportunity to see the sun set in this famous port. www.hmbarkendeavour.co.uk

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A Matter of Trust

Get close to nature by taking a break at one of Yorkshire’s National Trust properties. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Estate offers historic and luxurious accommodation. For the perfect coastal escape, Boatman’s Loft at Robin Hood’s Bay has unforgettable beach views. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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WELCOME TO REDCAR AND CLEVELAND

Industry and inspiration Famed for its breathtaking landscapes, picturesque beaches and endless coastlines, Redcar truly is an idyllic seaside resort. Add in the delightful Victorian charm of Saltburn-by-the-Sea and the relatively small, but activity packed Guisborough and it quickly becomes evident that Redcar and Cleveland is one of Yorkshire’s finest gems.

One thing that many people may not know about this area of the county is just how much industrial heritage it has. The Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum at Skinningrove offers visitors the opportunity to experience the underground world of a real ironstone mine and to learn all about the skills, customs and life of the Cleveland miner. It was these very miners who helped to establish the area as the most important ironstone mining district in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

The Ironstone Heritage Trail is yet another way in which the iron and steel history of the borough is celebrated; the trail follows public footpaths past storied industrial sites that were integral to the industry.

So steeped in history is Redcar, that its inhabitants champion heritage and through this play host to the Zetland Lifeboat Museum & Heritage Centre. The museum, that has existed in its present form since 1980, after being saved from closure, tells the story of The Zetland; the oldest surviving lifeboat in the world. Listed within the National Historic Ship Register as part of the Nation’s Historic Fleet and built in 1802, she saw 78 years of service and saved over 500 lives on the Redcar coast.

Sticking with the theme of ‘the oldest’, the Saltburn Cliff Tramway is the oldest water balanced funicular still in operation in Great Britain. It was in 1924 that an electrically operated water pump was installed before 2018 saw a full restoration of the tramway to its former Victorian glory. The tramway links the town of Saltburn with the only remaining pleasure pier on the whole North East and Yorkshire Coast – making this an historic, yet extremely relevant piece of machinery.

For a treasure trove of artefacts and exhibitions that will really tell the history of the borough of Redcar and Cleveland a visit to the Kirkleatham Museum is a must.

Set over three floors and housed within

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the magnificent Queen Anne building, the museum features semi-permanent displays covering local and social history as well as maritime and industrial heritage. Here you will also find the Kirkleatham Owl Centre; home to a wide variety of birds, bugs and creatures from across the globe.

Redcar and Cleveland is an area of incredible variety and diversity, ranging from country to coastline and a mainstay of this feature is Guisborough and its wonderful priory. Steeped in history, ‘Gighesbore’, as it was listed in the Domesday Book and the ruins of Gisborough Priory date back to the 12th century. It has also been suggested that the area could have ties to the Roman occupation of Britain, with items such as the Guisborough Helmet, that of a Roman cavalryman, being used as evidence.

Guisborough also offers a gateway to the North York Moors National Park and with it, the chance to experience a host of beautiful scenery including Guisborough Forest and Roseberry Topping.

Guisborough Museum helps to tell the story of this ancient town. Here you can find out how the priory was built 800 years ago, peer into the windows of old pawnbroker’s and chemist’s stores and take a look at the old town stocks. The museum has over a thousand objects, all of which represent the area’s social history.

Modern architecture can also be found here as the Redcar Beacon erected in 2013 stands at 80ft. This £1.6m tower was built as part of the town’s wider seafront regeneration scheme and houses both office space and a bar.

For a unique ‘hands-on’ experience, visit Winkies Castle, a 450-year-old half cruck cottage with an English cottage garden.

Run and managed entirely by volunteers, Winkies encourages visitors to get handson and explore their various artefacts for a truly tactile experience.

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Clockwise from top left: Watersports on Redcar Beach.

The Saltburn Cliff Tramway. Kirkleatham Museum. Sunset behind Roseberry Topping on the Cleveland Way. Zetland Lifeboat Museum & Heritage Centre. Gisborough Priory.

There is a great range of coastline and wide open spaces accessible in the area, with eight miles of sandy beaches stretching from South Gare to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, plus a wide range of outdoor pursuits to take part in from surfing and boogie boarding to windsurfing, sailing and fishing. Here, you’ll find Saltburn Surf School, which is the only surf school on the east coast approved by Surfing Great Britain and the International Surfing Association.

If you’re spoilt for choice between dramatic coastline and heather moorland – don’t be.

The Cleveland Way is the perfect trail to make sure you get to see it all! This 110-mile walking route follows the fantastic scenery of the North York Moors National Park all the way up to Saltburn-by-the-Sea. You can’t venture to this part of the world without visiting Redcar Racecourse and taking in some top-quality racing. The unique atmosphere created here, coupled with excellent facilities, guarantees that you’ll have a truly memorable day out.

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OUTDOORS

A little more conservation, a little more action With this year marking 10 years of animal magic, Sarah Freeman meets the team – and the star attractions – at Yorkshire Wildlife Park as it prepares to double in size with a £50m makeover.

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Clockwise from left: GrÊvy’s Zebra is the most threatened species of Zebra in the world. Rough and tumble grizzly style. Stunning Amur Tigers.

Project Polar.

The largest Amur leopard facility in Europe. Get up close and personal at Meerkat and Mongoose Manor.

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A longside promotions for grooming services and offers of second-hand saddles for sale, every so often the classified section of Horse & Hound throws up something a little more unusual.

And in 2008 it was also where an advertisement for a Doncaster riding school accidentally led to this corner of Yorkshire becoming a home to polar bears, big cats and two of the world’s last remaining black rhinos.

“All this was never supposed to happen,” says John Minion, looking out across the acres of lakes, woods and grasslands which are now the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

“Ten years ago, if you’d told us that we would be running our own animal park, I don’t think we’d have believed you.”

Back in 2008 John was a senior member of the Animal Department at Woburn Safari Park and along with the attraction’s Marketing Manager Cheryl Williams and her husband Neville, the trio came up to view the school and livery yard thinking it would potentially be a nice ‘lifestyle business’.

However, when they arrived all three had the same thought – they had stumbled on the perfect site for a new kind of wildlife attraction.

“We knew that visitors driving through safari parks liked the fact the animals had lots of space, but they often said they wished they didn’t have to spend so much time in their cars,” says John, now CEO of Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

“The three of us decided that this was the ideal place to create a park, which people could walk through and where you could get really close up to the animals.”

With the recession biting it wasn’t the best time to be going to the banks, but against the odds they managed to secure the finance and with already good contacts with leading breeding and conservation programmes, the seeds of YWP were sown.

Lemurs and painted dogs were among the first animals to arrive and having opened its doors to the public in 2009, the park began to quietly build its reputation. Then came the lions.

“That was the game changer,” says Cheryl, now Director at YWP. “A zoo in Romania was closing and it had put out a plea for help. With little income they’d barely been able to afford to feed any of the animals and the lions had survived on a diet of chicken scraps. The enclosures were also incredibly cramped and all they had known were concrete floors and metal bars.”

YWP was determined to help and as word of the lions’ plight reached Britain the now defunct News of the World launched a fundraising campaign on the park’s behalf.

The money rolled in. However, while YWP soon had the £150,000 it needed to build the new enclosures, the move wasn’t entirely seamless.

Clockwise from above left: Snakes are just some of more than 400 animals and 70 different species at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Into Africa is home to Behansin, Jengo, Jambo and Palle the giraffes. The lions live happily, roaming their seven acre reserve. The giraffes love posing for a picture.

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“Yes, we are a tourist attraction, but underpinning everything we do is a concern for animal welfare.”

There was a mass of bureaucracy to get through before the rescue was even possible and the team were still building the last of the fences on the seven-acre enclosure on the day the 13 lions, including two eight-month-old cubs, Dani and Simba, were flown over from Budapest in February 2010.

“When they arrived, they were in a bad way,” says Simon Marsh, the park’s animal collections manager. “They had been kept in such poor conditions that they had ulcers on their paws, they needed a specialist dentist and no one could be sure how they would adapt to their new home.

However, it was amazing to see how quickly they improved and how easily they settled in. They are incredibly resilient and they soon began to thrive.

“Since then we have rescued numerous other animals, but the lions will always be special as it was the first time we really made a difference on a major scale. The world was

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watching and it really demonstrated what we were about.

“Yes, we are a tourist attraction, but underpinning everything we do is a concern for animal welfare.”

Since the arrival of those lions, YWP has established an international reputation for its conservation work and breeding programmes. Now home to 400 animals, from armadillos to zebras, it is known the world over for its expertise and 2014 represented another landmark when the park opened one of the world’s largest polar bear reserves.

“Isn’t he beautiful,” says Kim Wilkins as Victor, who was the first of the park’s four bears to arrive, strides across a reserve the size of eight football pitches. “Doncaster might not be the Arctic, but what people don’t realise is that in their native habitat polar bears spend long periods of time throughout the year on ground like this rather than on snow and ice, plus summer temperatures in the Arctic tundra can get quite high.”

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“This was the ideal place to create a park, which people could walk through and where you could get really close up to the animals.” im, who as carnivore team leader has arguably the best job title in the park, began her career at Bristol Zoo and worked with dolphins in Turkey as part of a therapy programme for autistic children before joining YWP. A specialist in behavioural training, her role is to ensure that the animals are mentally as well as physically fit.

“Each day, the easiest thing for us would be to say, ‘Right, you two are going to be together in this reserve and you two are going to go in this one’, but that’s boring for the polar bears and it’s not how we work. We want to keep them engaged and we want to make sure they are stimulated.

“That’s why we change where we put their food and we encourage them to take the initiative when it comes to deciding who they are going to hang out with. We can’t exactly replicate their native environment, but we can get pretty close.”

Kim has also trained the polar bears to present themselves for treatment if they need to receive medication and she has also been instrumental in reversing destructive behaviour often learnt as a result of being poorly treated.

It’s painstaking work.

“We recently rehomed four brown bears from Japan and when they arrived one of them used to spend hours spinning around in a circle. It was heartbreaking to watch, but from the day they arrived we began working with them to reverse all that repetitive behaviour.

Left to right: The distinctivelymarked Okapi is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list of threatened species and two-year-olds Ruby and Nuru will play an important role in a global conservation effort. The pride of lions at Yorkshire Wildlife Park were rehomed from Oradea Zoo in Romania where they were kept in very poor conditions.

“Instead of putting food in their house, we put it outside so they had to forage for it. We rewarded positive behaviour and we ignored negative or destructive behaviour. Little by little we saw them change. You don’t get that kind of satisfaction in most jobs.”

There are more exciting times ahead for the park.

This year a £50m expansion programme will see the park double in size. Plans include the building of a new visitor hub, restaurants and a hotel and of course, extra space for some new arrivals.

“When it comes to acquiring new species you don’t go out with a shopping list,” adds John. “It’s about working out where we can make a difference and which animals need our support. We don’t want to reveal too much, but it’s going to be an exciting 12 months.”

While John and the rest of the team at YWP are keeping tight-lipped, if the last 10 years are anything to go by, this next chapter looks set to be spectacular. Watch this space.

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Going wild Take a walk on the wild side and check out some of Yorkshire’s other animal adventures.

Llama speed dating Match up with a llama or an alpaca and take a hike in North Yorkshire.

You could be paired with drama llama, greedy llama, laid-back llama, teenage rebel llama or there are plenty more llamas and alpacas to best suit your personality. Trekking is primarily an adult activity, children must be over 10 years to take part and pre-booking is essential. As featured on ITV’s The Dales and Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet. www.nidderdalellamas.org

Seal of approval In East Yorkshire, you’ll find the UK’s largest mainland colony of gannets, plenty of puffins, birds of prey, otters, seals, whales, dolphins and so much more, against a backdrop of stunning scenery and hidden gems of countryside. For the best times and places to visit check out www.yorkshirenaturetriangle.org.uk

In deep Dedicated to increasing the knowledge and understanding of the world’s oceans through research and conservation schemes across the world, explore Hull’s The Deep and whilst you’re taking a look at the sharks, penguins, jellyfish, rays, turtles and other sea creatures, rest easy in the knowledge you’re helping future generations to be able to enjoy them too. www.thedeep.co.uk

Typically tropical Embark on an unforgettable adventure discovering amazing creatures and their habitats– spot a croc, peer at the meerkats and check out the monkeys, butterflies, bats and snakes at Leeds’ Tropical World. www.tropicalworld.leeds.gov.uk

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“It’s about working out where we can make a difference and which animals need our support.”

A question of conservation In 2013 the YWP Foundation was established with the aim of making the world a better place for wild animals. As part of the charity’s work it supports numerous projects across the world – on every continent except Antarctica.

The foundation has funded a £34,500 initiative to protect lions at Mozambique’s Niassa National Reserve. As well as recruiting more rangers to monitor the lions, it is also coordinating a computer mapping and data sharing system. YWPF also supports rhino protection projects in Kenya, polar bear conservation projects in Norway and North America and giant otters in Brazil.

With fewer than 1,000 living in the wild, Madagascar’s blue-eyed black lemurs are one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates. YWPF is funding a reserve to protect their habitat, ecotourism education projects and promoting research into these at-risk animals.

Breeding healthy populations YWP works with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria to determine which animals it should breed and it has had numerous successes over the years. In November 2016, Thabo, one of YWP’s painted dogs gave birth to seven puppies. In the 1900s more than 500,000 roamed across 39 African counties. Today there are fewer than 5,000 and they are the second most endangered carnivores in Africa.

Almost hunted to extinction, in the 1940s there were just 40 Amur tigers left in the world. Now numbers are gradually increasing and YWP is also playing its part. Last year one of its tigers was moved to a Scottish safari park so she could be paired with a male and hopefully have cubs of her own.

YWP is also part of an international breeding programme for Amur leopards. Two cubs, Anadyr and Teva, were born at the park in 2015 and will play a key role in the big cat reintroduction programme.

Don’t miss Walk past the okapi enclosure and you’ll hear the same question being asked again and again.

“They are beautiful, but what exactly are they?”

The bemusement is understandable. Okapi have the legs of a zebra, the face of a giraffe, the body of a small horse – in short they look as though they have been hurriedly put together from the parts of a dozen other animals.

YWP’s okapis, Ruby and Nuru, arrived in 2018 and immediately became one of the park’s star attractions.

Native to Central Africa these intriguing creatures were only discovered in 1901, but today only 10,000 are believed to be left in the wild. Okapis can only make three sounds, so listen closely and you might just hear them chuff, moan or make a little bleat.

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COVER STORY

SOUTHGATE UP

NORTH Over 500 football league matches, 57 appearances for England and now the England team manager, but where does Gareth Southgate head to when he’s ‘coming home’?

Carolyn Nicoll met up with the dapper England manager at Yorkshire’s stunning Rudding Park Hotel near Harrogate.

PICTURES BY DAN PRINCE

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hy did you move to Yorkshire in the early noughties?

When I signed for Middlesbrough a friend recommended Harrogate. I drove through and knew my wife and I would love it, we’ve now lived here longer than anywhere else.

What do you love about the county?

The people and their hardworking, no nonsense attitude, good values, honesty and humility that really shines through. All things I associate with. I also love to come away from matches, to the calm of living in the countryside and being able to clear my head.

What do you like to do in Yorkshire?

See different parts of it with family.

My daughter played a lot of netball in Sheffield, we visit Hull, my son is frequently in York and we like to walk the dogs at Bolton Abbey and around reservoirs near home. We’ve got a Labrador who I’m happy to be associated with, not so sure about being seen out in daylight with the cockapoo though (laughs).

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GARETH SOUTHGATE

AWAY FROM THE GAME Your pastimes away from football?

There isn’t a lot of spare time, so being with family and watching the children play sport. We’ve got a close circle of friends, none of whom are involved in football.

I hear you play a bit of cricket?

My son plays for a local team and if short, they’ve asked me to step in.

It’s good fun. I think the opposition were a bit surprised to see me wheeled out, but it’s lovely to sit and chat with people. I rarely get the chance to play in a team with my son but that’s the beauty of cricket.

I know they say Lords is the home of cricket, but Yorkshire is really, isn’t it?

How do you keep fit?

I mix it up between running and the gym. I don’t play a lot of competitive team sport, although we occasionally have the odd social game at work.

Exercise is part vanity and part keeping my head clear.

It’s a big year for Harrogate, hosting the UCI Road World Championships.

Will you be there?

Certainly! We went to watch a couple of the stages of the Tour de France Grand Départ, it was remarkable to walk not far from the end of our road and watch a worldfamous race. It’s notable how much tourism the cycling has brought to the area and the number of cyclists has increased massively. It’s also nice if we get the roads done too!

Another Harrogate celebration will be Bettys 100th anniversary.

Are you a Fat Rascal fan?

You’ve nailed it, spot on, a Fat Rascal is my favourite! There are two Bettys in Harrogate and we’ll often pop along for breakfast.

It’s an institution and if I speak to anybody about Harrogate it’s the first thing they mention.

Where would you send a first time visitor to Yorkshire?

To the Dales for its spectacular views, lovely villages and pubs.

York Minster is an incredible building and the developments in Leeds are impressive, with great shops and restaurants.

MY AMBITION AS A KID WAS TO PLAY FOR ENGLAND. PLAYING IN THE EUROS WAS AMAZING, PLAYING IN A WORLD CUP WAS INCREDIBLE. 54

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England’s future

The next chapter in the Southgate story

iLocal ladsi

AN ENGLAND MAN Is there anything that would surprise people about Gareth Southgate?

Not really. I am as I am. You have to be authentic and lead the way that suits your personality, people will smell very quickly if they don’t think you’re genuine. However, I do accept that at home I’m lower in the pecking order, below the kids and the dogs.

You were born in Watford, but recently given the accolade of Honorary Yorkshireman It’s nice to feel that people have accepted me, I guess because of the length of time I’ve lived here, I’m now viewed as one of their own.

I know how proud people are to come from Yorkshire and I’ve embraced and recognise what a strong county it is. When England played Costa Rica at Leeds United it was one of the best experiences I’ve had as manager.

Have you got any amusing stories from your playing days? Ones that we can print?

I played for England with people like Paul Gascoigne, so everyday something was going on.

Summer 2018, all eyes were on Russia at the start of the World Cup. How did you think the England team would perform?

We didn’t know. Many of the players were quite inexperienced at international level. We had the second youngest team and in terms of international caps the least experienced team, but we had belief in their talent and a group of players who embraced everything and played at a high level.

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What were the main things that propelled England to that World Cup semi-final?

They were a tight, close team, not wanting to let the person next to them down, as well as being clear on their roles and how to play; maximising strengths and minimising weaknesses. We talked about attacking the tournament, our mindset and seeing each player’s character, especially when dealing with the media, telling their own stories and communicating with supporters.

How did it feel to have such intense support for the team from the nation?

I’m not certain we realised just how big it was until Fabian Delph travelled back to England from Russia during the tournament, for the birth of his child and when he came back he explained how huge the support was back home. Sport brings people together, the team feel pride in playing and are even more determined to get the right results.

Did you ever think the waistcoat would be such a massive hit?

Not a chance! I had all my stuff out on the day I was leaving and I said to my kids “I think it’s going to be too hot to put on a jacket and I don’t want to wear just the shirt, do you think I can get away with the waistcoat?”

My son looked and went “Yeah, you’ll be fine Dad, don’t worry” and it’s as simple as that, but there were theories that it was power dressing, it really wasn’t and no way did I think it would have such a big impact.

Six members of the 2018 World Cup team; Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Fabian Delph and Jamie Vardy, plus reserve Lewis Cook, were all born in Yorkshire. What is it about Yorkshire that’s created so much talent on the pitch?

Yorkshire values, very little ego with grit and determination to improve.

iGoing forwardi What are your hopes for the England team going forward?

We’ve experienced what success could feel like and the players have belief they can achieve. Our challenge is to integrate some of the exciting young players coming into the squad, keep learning from the best and succeed in a high pressure environment.

iTrophy teami What are your thoughts ahead of UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Incredibly exciting. The Euros is a unique tournament played across a number of countries. If we progress, we know that the semi-finals and final will be at Wembley.

Home sporting events create an incredible feeling in the country. The majority of players from the last World Cup will be close to their peak in 2022. The opportunity is there and experience wise we should be in a better place.

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SPORT

A WORLD-CLASS

Clockwise from top left: Alejandro Valverde of Spain wins the 2018 Elite Men’s Road Race.

Chris Froome in the Individual Time Trial.

Sprinting champion Peter Sagan. Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands winning Gold in the 2018 Elite Women’s Road Race.

Yorkshire will once again be the centre of the cycling universe in September as the county hosts the 2019 UCI Road World Championships. We’ve tasked Nick Howes with telling us just how big a coup this is and why we should be excited.

While football fans might describe the Tour de France as the Champions League of cycling, the UCI Road World Championships could easily be likened to the World Cup where riders represent their countries and battle it out for one of the biggest prizes in the sport – the iconic rainbow jersey.

While riders only enjoy a brief stint in the yellow jersey whilst leading the Tour de France, the winner of the rainbow jersey gets to wear that particular garment for a full year of competition. The jersey itself is striking – bright white with five horizontal bands representing the UCI colours around its chest.

The colours (blue, red, black, yellow and green) are the same as those which appear in the rings on the Olympic flag and even after the rider has relinquished his or her jersey at the end of their 12-month reign, they will be able to don the rainbow bands on the sleeves and collars of their regular team kit for the remainder of their career. The Road World Championships are taking place between

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22-29 September with 11 races over eight days of competition for Junior (U18), Under 23 and Elite athletes. In order to encompass as much of the county as possible, Bradford, Doncaster, Leeds, Northallerton, Richmond and Ripon will each host race starts but every event on the programme will culminate in Harrogate - the main competition town. Three different types of cycling are on offer – mass road races, individual time trials and for the first time ever, a mixed team time trial relay (see opposite page for more information).

If that wasn’t enough, a ground-breaking para-cycling event will also take place the day before the Championships kick off on Saturday 21 September with races starting in Beverley, Tadcaster, Wetherby and Harrogate and all culminating on the same finish line along Parliament Street. This is set to be one of the largest para-cycling events ever held and it will act as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – guaranteeing another world-class field.

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Never before will Yorkshire have experienced such a party! Over three million fans are set to descend on the county. Everywhere you look there’ll be people sporting their national kit and Yorkshire will be awash with colour.

These Championships aren’t just for cycling purists however, there are a whole host of other attractions being laid on to ensure everyone has fun.

The Fanzone on Harrogate’s world-famous Stray will feature a giant stage and a wide variety of performers that will wow the crowds when they’re not engrossed in the action.

Never before will Yorkshire have experienced such a party! Over three million fans are set to descend on the county and they will be joined by approximately 7,000 riders, support staff and delegates from every corner of the globe. Everywhere you look there’ll be people sporting their national kit and Yorkshire will be awash with colour.

The races explained

Unmissable racing on Yorkshire’s roads

Para-cycling Road Races This includes races for four groups of disabled riders - blind and visually impaired, people with cerebral palsy, locomotor disabilities and handcyclists.

Regular bikes, tandems, tricycles and handbikes will all be used and the towns where the athletes start will be based on their functional capacity.

Team Time Trial Mixed Relay Yorkshire will be making history by hosting the first-ever Team Time Trial Mixed Relay. This ground breaking format will see teams consisting of three male riders and three female riders working together as a team. Final timings will then be taken when the second female rider crosses the finish line and the fastest team will be declared the winner.

Individual Time Trials In this discipline cyclists don’t ride in a peloton, but alone against the clock and the fact that they set off at regular intervals means you’ll be treated to non-stop action. The athlete who crosses the finish line in the fastest time is declared the winner.

Road Races This is the most familiar type of cycling and involves a mass start event where national teams come together in a peloton and compete against each other. The winning rider is the first athlete to cross the finish line at the end of the full race distance.

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ON YOUR

BIKE

From the young to the more mature, get in the saddle and enjoy a pedal in the countryside, on the city routes or explore the coastal paths. Yorkshire has so much to offer for all cycling abilities.

Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route Top to bottom: Britain’s Lizzie Diegnan in 2015 and Mark Cavendish in 2010.

And while the host towns are the obvious place to base yourself if you do fancy sampling what this fantastic event has to offer, we’d also suggest spending some time along the race routes where you’ll be able to watch the riders doing their thing at amazingly close quarters. That’s the great thing about cycling – in no other sport can you get within touching distance of the world’s best athletes as they are actually competing – and it’s all absolutely free!

The climbs are the obvious place to start as that’s where the riders will be at their slowest, grinding their way past you with pain etched on their faces and sweat barrelling from their brows. Kidstones Bank on the Men’s Junior Road Race is one particularly tough ascent, while Greenhow, Norwood Edge and Lofthouse (which feature on the Men’s Under 23 Road Race and Women’s Elite Road Race respectively) will even strike fear into the most experienced riders. If the 2014 Tour de France is anything to go by too, the Men’s Elite peloton will struggle to pick their way through the throngs of people as they battle their way up to the summits at Cray, Buttertubs and Grinton Moor.

Wherever you base yourself though, you’re sure to be in for a warm welcome. Every village, town and city along the race routes will be swathed in the rainbow bands, so make sure you get yourself out around the county and join in the fun!

Do you have what it takes to be a Yorkshire Champion? If you want to volunteer to be part of the team welcoming millions of fans from all over the world to the UCI Road World Championships then register your interest today at www.yorkshirechampions.com

A 146-mile circular route passing through 47 towns and villages, including historic Beverley, the market town of Malton and the spectacular coastline. The quiet country lanes are a treat for cyclists of all levels, with stunning views and attractions at every stage.

The Yorkshire Dales Cycleway

Superb but challenging 130-mile circular route giving cyclists a chance to explore the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Riding through charming villages including Hawes and Grassington, taking in the magnificent beauty of Malham Cove and Aysgarth Falls.

BikeAbout Filey

Voted Beach of the Year 2018 by The Sunday Times, picturesque Filey is enjoyed all year round. Take a leisurely ride around historic villages, a challenging climb to experience spectacular views or just getting from A to B, experts at BikeAbout Filey are on hand for advice on bike hire and routes.

CityConnect Cycle Superhighway

The longest continuous route of its kind in the UK, stretching 14km to connect the cities of Leeds and Bradford. Cycle this route to attractions such as the National Science and Media Museum and Leeds’ Royal Armouries Museum with a towpath running by Salts Mill.

Dalby Forest

On the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park, Dalby Forest has six varied cycle trails. From gentle forest lanes to fast flowing tracks, technical descents and steep climbs and the family-friendly Adderstone Cycle Trail. Bike hire is available from Dalby Forest Cycle Hub.

River Don

A lovely traffic free trail following the River Don, from the bustling town of Doncaster to the spectacular 12th century Conisbrough Castle, passing Cusworth Hall - an imposing 18th century country house set in extensive landscaped parklands. This is just one of the routes from Sustrans’ Slow Tour of Yorkshire.

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WELCOME TO HARROGATE

Harrogate Welcomes the World

2019 is an important year as all roads will lead to Harrogate when the 2019 UCI Road World Championships come to town in September. Harrogate Welcomes the World is a year long festival of events and installations to celebrate Harrogate’s place at the centre of the 2019 cycling championships.

The stunning district of Harrogate is one of the most spectacular areas in the UK, boasting a host of attractive towns and villages; housing castles, abbeys and beautiful countryside.

The district not only includes a World Heritage Site but also an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The elegant town of Harrogate is famed for its spa heritage and here you can immerse yourself in Britain’s most fully restored Victorian Turkish Baths. It is also a town where history can be found juxtaposed with modern life as Harrogate’s shopping scene, and in particular, the Montpellier Quarter allows visitors to explore a variety of independent shops and cafés, where you can shop until you drop.

There are not too many areas in the world that can boast a UNESCO World Heritage Site or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but Harrogate district plays proud host to one of each. The World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden near Ripon has a 12th century Cistercian abbey, 18th century Georgian water garden and a medieval deer park. It is situated in the Nidderdale AONB which has walking trails and cycle routes that offer a great way to explore the countryside of this beautiful area.

Outdoor exploration is a key theme in this part of the world, How Stean Gorge is a spectacular limestone ravine in the Yorkshire Dales, carved out over thousands of years by water. Here explorers can traverse waterfalls and plunge into deep pools as they make their way down this geological wonder. Brimham Rocks is an amazing collection of weird and wonderful rock formations, sculpted

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over centuries by ice, wind and rain leaving behind an extraordinary feature that offers a great day out for families, climbers and walkers.

Top to bottom: Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal near Ripon. Brimham Rocks. Ripon Cathedral.

Harrogate Turkish Baths.

Knaresborough also offers a family day out that includes riverside walks, boat hire and stunning views from the castle rock of the River Nidd and the breathtaking viaduct. Stockeld Park has outdoor fun for all the family with differing adventures depending on the time of year.

The cathedral city of Ripon has history that dates back to 672AD. Ripon Cathedral has one of the oldest Saxon crypts in the country and many other interesting features including the medieval woodcarvings that are said to have inspired Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland. It wasn’t always the city you see before you today, the Ripon Workhouse Museum shows the harsh life and often the only option, of the city’s former inhabitants. Together with the Prison and Courthouse Museums, here people get to experience the life story for the least fortunate of 19th century Ripon.

Harrogate district is home to some of Yorkshire’s most relaxing and innovative gardens. RHS Garden Harlow Carr showcases horticultural excellence all year round. Newby Hall is one of England’s finest houses, set in 25 acres of spectacular gardens, full of rare and beautiful plants and also home to one of the finest collections of dolls houses, miniatures and Gyles Brandreth’s famous teddy bear collection. On the outskirts of Harrogate with eight acres of gardens is Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens; this 18th century mansion is a real treat to enjoy all year round.

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Sneak peak You can’t think Yorkshire without thinking Dales, the two go together like Wensleydale Cheese and Christmas Cake.

Whilst the valleys, rolling hills and sheep are in plentiful supply, be sure to explore beyond the crags and find out what else this glorious part of the county has to offer.

The dramatic landscape of the Yorkshire Dales is as plentiful as it is iconic and a striking spectacle of contrasts to boot. At its heart is the 841 square mile Yorkshire Dales National Park, so special it was designated for the nation in 1954 for its stunning natural scenery and wildlife and its fantastic opportunities for outdoor recreation. Whernside is, at 2,415ft, the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the other two being Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent. Adventurers can ascend the magnificent mountain and take in the breathtaking views of the hills and valleys of the county.

If you don’t have a head for heights, the Dales-famed Gaping Gill is one of the largest underground caves in Britain and twice a year in late May and August, local potholing clubs erect winches to take visitors into the chamber.

Nearby, Ribblehead Viaduct is a majestic sight in this quiet corner of the Yorkshire Dales. Enjoy a guided walk below the spectacular structure and discover more about its construction and the lives of the navvies and families who lived here whilst the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway line was being built. Steam train enthusiasts will be pleased to find that excursions regularly run along this famous line offering a nostalgic day out for all. Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway also offer family fun with steam trains operating every Sunday throughout the year with extra days during school holidays and for special themed events. Wensleydale Railway has trains running from the Vale of Mowbray through market towns, villages and beautiful countryside, a wonderful way to see the glorious Dales.

The impressive Kirkby Malham Church is a large Grade I listed building built around 1490 on the site of an earlier

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church founded by monks from the Abbey of West Dereham in Norfolk in 1199. Known locally as ‘the Cathedral of the Dales’ it’s recognised as one of the most outstanding churches in the Yorkshire Dales and definitely worth a trip.

At the heart of Bolton Abbey Estate lies the Priory Church and ruins of an Augustinian Priory in a beautiful riverside setting. History lovers will enjoy the story of Prior Moone and how he negotiated with Cromwell to secure the nave as a place of worship for the local community (a church that continues to thrive to this day).

Follow a seasonal trail (Easter, Halloween and Christmas are the popular ones) through the Abbey Estate or even book tickets for an open-air performance; live theatre, cinema and concerts frequently take place in these fabulous grounds.

At over 900 years old, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England and well worth a visit at any time of year. Skipton High Street was recently voted ‘Street of The Year’ and has a wide variety of independent shops, boutiques and cute cafés.

Special events regularly take place and are a chance to experience history brought to life in a truly superb setting.

The traditional towns and villages of Craven are also home to a wealth of artisan shops, providing a unique shopping experience where you can ‘meet the makers’. Watch the potters throw their clay in Bentham, take a peek into a smithy in Malham or discover the art of kiln formed glass in Ingleton and Settle.

If farm shops are your passion you won’t be disappointed.

Skipton’s Keelham Farm Shop has a bakery, juicery, alehouse,

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WELCOME TO THE DALES & HERRIOT COUNTRY

Main image: Ribblehead Viaduct. Images this page top to bottom: Starry skies above Malham. Keelham Farm Shop.

Skipton Castle. Hunton Steam Gathering. Peaks and Pods.

flower shop, award-winning butchers and barn stocked with popular seasonal produce. Town End Farm Shop in Malhamdale (as seen on BBC2’s Top of the Shop) produces traditional sausages, cured meats and a range of charcuterie in addition to regular Yorkshire Dales cuts.

The magnificent Berry’s Farm Shop & Café in Leyburn offers farm tours in addition to selling and serving local produce and also has a pretty packed events calendar all year round.

A trip to Thirsk is a must do activity for fans of local author James Herriot. Known as the heart of Yorkshire, Herriot Country spreads far and wide in the areas surrounding this prominent town, but Thirsk was the home of the writer’s veterinary practice and provides the base for the World of James Herriot, the ultimate attraction for fans of the esteemed animal lover.

Richmondshire Museum is also worth a trip; it houses the surgery part of the original film set for All Creatures Great and Small along with some other interesting artefacts from the local area. It’s worth sticking around to explore further as Richmond is one of Yorkshire’s most picturesque and historic market towns. The Georgian Theatre Royal dates back to 1788 and is one of the oldest of its kind in existence, whilst nearby Richmond Castle was built circa 1066, offering incredible views of the surrounding countryside. Easby Abbey (an English Heritage site along with the castle) sits on the bank of the River Swale and though technically ruins, is considered to be one of the best preserved monasteries of its time.

Outdoorsy types should head to the Coniston Estate for a whole host of activities and pursuits set in an impressive 1,400 acres. Try your hand at off-road driving with the Coniston 4X4 Experience or clay pigeon shooting at the CPSA Premier Plus Shooting Ground.

Learn about birds of prey at The Falconry Centre, which features a new white-tailed sea eagle, now on show to the public. Fly fishing is also available for those wanting a more sedate endeavour.

You can also find an impressive events calendar in this neck of the woods, with the popular Yorkshire Dales Festival of Food and Drink, Dales Festival of Food and Swaledale Festival which sees music and performances take place across the district in a number of different and unique venues and Hunton Steam Gathering, is one for fans of classic cars and vintage vehicles. The annual Dark Skies Festival is great for stargazers; with large areas completely free from local light pollution, it’s a fantastic place to start your astronomy adventure. In most places it’s also possible to see the Milky Way as well as planets, meteors and even the Northern Lights when activity and conditions are right.

When bedtime calls, Peaks and Pods in Rathmell near Settle is a ‘green’ business with a Gold Award from Green Tourism. Here you can swap tents for luxury pods specially designed to be used all year round, with heating, insulation, double glazing and indoor cooking.

Glamping at its best!

The Fleece Hotel in Richmond recently opened its doors offering 12 boutique rooms, a restaurant with a delectable menu of local foods and a bar with a classic selection of cocktails.

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HERITAGE

Victoria

Secrets It’s the bicentenary year of Queen Victoria’s birth, so what better way to find out more about one of the world’s longest reigning monarchs and her connections to Yorkshire, than getting the low down from historian, TV presenter and writer Lucy Worsley.

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B

y the time of her death, Queen Victoria, Empress of India, ruled over nearly a quarter of the population of the globe. But not least among them were her subjects in Yorkshire, a county she particularly admired.

Two hundred years on from Victoria’s birth on 24 May 1819 it’s almost as if the queen still makes royal progresses to the county, in the form of actress Jenna Coleman. Coleman plays Victoria as a captivating, complex character in the ITV drama series Victoria, much of which is filmed in a huge set of Buckingham Palace erected in an aircraft hangar at Leeds East Airport. But how often did the real Queen Victoria visit Yorkshire and what did she think of it? Her life

is wonderfully rewarding for a historian to study because of her immensely detailed diary, which she kept up to date each and every day. These journals were a key source for my new biography, Queen Victoria, Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow, and they also reveal happy - and sometimes stressful - times she spent visiting God’s Own County.

‘The streets are very narrow and the crowd was immense,’ wrote the sixteen-year-old future queen in September 1835, ‘but very good-humoured and extremely friendly.’ The Princess Victoria was visiting York for the first time, beginning a succession of stays in Yorkshire that would continue until a final goodbye to the county in 1897 when she was aged 77.

During this first visit, she stayed with the Archbishop of York in his palace and each day went with her mother to the Minster to hear the concerts of the York Music Festival. What a fine church, she wrote in her diary, ‘much finer than Westminster Abbey’ and she was thrilled to hear the opera stars she admired so much, soprano Giulia Grisi and bass Luigi Lablache.

Left to right: Her Majesty leaving Leeds railway station en route to Woodsley House, 1858.

Beverley Minster, also was used as Westminster Abbey and St James' Palace for the coronation and wedding scenes in ITV’s Victoria.

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Left to right: Queen Victoria passing through Boar Lane, Leeds in 1858. Queen Victoria.

Royal connections at Castle Howard.

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ork was just the first stop on a tour that the young princess was making of the area’s great houses. This was a kind of publicity circuit carefully organised by her guardians to present their future queen to the county’s aristocrats, in order to build anticipation for her coming reign and she commented upon the fine, hilly park of her host the Earl, at Harewood.

But just as any teenager would, she grew restless with the requirement to be ‘on duty,’ with having to meet and greet her loyal subjects. Her diary also records the difficulty she found in facing up to the challenges of her role: a dinner for 300, the people crowding round her carriage, the tour’s accumulated ‘fatigues which were not slight and which I begin to feel.’ Nevertheless, she paid a sad ‘final adieu to Yorkshire’ upon leaving. She’d decided that this part of her future kingdom was ‘a very pleasant county’.

In 1835, she’d journeyed to Yorkshire by carriage, with frequent stops for the changing of horses, yet many of her subsequent visits were stops for ‘luncheon’ at York while whistling through on the new railway up to or down from Scotland. It’s striking how much Britain seems to

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shrink during the course of the queen’s long reign. When she visited Leeds in 1858, for example, for the opening of its Town Hall, she started out from her holiday home at Osborne on the Isle of Wight in the morning. A carriage, a steamer and a couple of fast trains got her to Yorkshire by half past six the same day.

An estimated half-a-million people turned out to see Victoria in Leeds and her time in Yorkshire was usually spent in pursuit of official duties. Indeed, as she became queen, then married and then became the mother of nine children, she couldn’t keep them all up. She handed over some of her responsibilities to her husband, Prince Albert, who became known as the ‘Prince of Trowels’ for the vast collection of tools with which he had ceremonially laid the first stone of ever so many public buildings. It was the Prince, not the Queen, who travelled to York in 1848, to visit the ‘Show of Implements’ at the county show and to eat his dinner with 1,400 farmers.

Two years later, they were both back in Yorkshire for more of a pleasure visit, staying at Castle Howard. Here the scholarly Prince Albert was ‘enchanted’ by the house’s collection of art and antiques. But it was not all fun: after lunch, the family had to show themselves on the steps of the house, to the delight of ‘an immense crowd’ that had gathered for the purpose, cheering ‘vehemently’. It was particularly important that the ‘children should be seen,’ said their host, Lord Carlisle. So her young ones, like royal children through the ages, must have stood awkwardly on the steps getting used to being stared at.

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ittle did Victoria suspect it, as she visited Castle Howard in 1850 aged just 31, that her happy family life was not to last much longer. She and her husband employed substantial medical staff and had the problem of too much rather than too little food. They could have expected to long outlive the average 40-year lifespan of their subjects, but Albert died at just 42 and the second half of Victoria’s life, the forty long years she lived without him, began. For that period she dressed in everlasting mourning black, of a cut and inky colour she described to her daughter as the dress ‘for ever, for mine.’

And here, once again, Yorkshire helped her out. The ornaments and jewellery favoured by widows in Victorian mourning included items in the jet that was a staple product of Whitby on the coast. There, at the high point of the fashion for jet in the 1870s, a thousand men and boys were employed in searching the local beaches for washed-up chunks of the petrified wood and crafting it into saleable form.

The Victorians to us today seem extreme in their devotion to mourning, but theirs was a commercial society and they were always looking for opportunities to buy and to sell each other new clothes. Having to acquire a new outfit of black clothes and ornaments for the first year, followed by half-mourning of grey, lilac or white thereafter,

was very good for the economy. Jet jewellery worn upon a dress of black also had the advantage of signalling, visually, when a person was bereaved. In a modern age when we treat grief as a sickness, something to be disguised or overcome, you can see a certain amount of logic in making it clearer who should be entitled to special consideration.

In the queen’s case, it was also what would be today called terrific visual branding. Everyone knows exactly what Victoria looked like, because she always looked the same. As the nation’s most prominent widow, pitied by many for the loss she never allowed them to forget, she seemed to march on indomitably through the decades.

Even though by then many of her subjects could not remember a time before Victoria queen, she could not of course live forever. When visiting Castle Howard in 1850, she’d admired the family’s beautiful, circular mausoleum, standing on its lonely hill a little distance from the house.

‘It is just the sort of thing,’ she wrote in her journal that night, ‘I wish one day to build for ourselves.’

And that’s exactly what she did do. Her corpse now rests next to Albert’s, in a similar mausoleum in the great park at Windsor, inspired by the one she’d encountered as a happy young wife and mother, long ago in Yorkshire.

An estimated half-amillion people turned out to see Victoria in Leeds in 1858, for the opening of the Town Hall.

Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow by Lucy Worsley is published by Hodder & Stoughton

Victoria’s timeline 1835: York Sixteen-year-old future queen visited the city of York ‘The streets are very narrow and the crowd immense.’ Each day she visited the Minster with her mother.

1835: Harewood House and Wentworth Woodhouse Visits to Harewood House with ‘A fine, hilly park’ and Wentworth

Woodhouse ‘immense’ and ‘splendid’, the country house with the longest façade in Europe.

1850: Castle Howard Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visit the stunning Castle Howard with their children.

The scholarly prince was ‘enchanted’ by the house’s collection of art and antiques.

1858: Leeds Opening of the Town Hall on The Headrow, her journey started out from her holiday home at Osborne on the Isle of Wight in the morning, a carriage, a steamer, and a couple of fast trains got her to Yorkshire by half past six the same day.

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1861: Windsor Castle

visited Yorkshire to open Sheffield’s Town Hall.

The monarch’s beloved Prince Albert passed away. Queen Victoria then dressed in ‘everlasting’ black and Whitby Jet.

1901: Isle of Wight

1897: Sheffield Now the longest-reigning monarch in British history, Queen Victoria was in the sixtieth year of her reign when she

22 January - Queen Victoria died at Osborne House. In February she was buried at Windsor in the Frogmore Mausoleum, inspired by the building she’d so admired on her visit to Castle Howard.

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HERITAGE

ead east to picturesque Beverley and you’ll have the Wolds at your feet.

The stunning market town oozes history and is an ideal location for a meander around its medieval streets or to explore the surrounding Yorkshire Wolds’ undulating hills, inspiration for some of renowned Yorkshire artist, David Hockney’s, famous creations.

For boutique luxury in a historic setting, check in to The Beverley Arms and check out the impressive recent £6.5m revamp.

The splendid hotel now offers 38 beautiful bedrooms and for delicious dining or a tempting tipple, there’s an inviting bar and restaurant, plus private rooms for eating and meeting, as well as an outdoor courtyard area complete with fire pit. All tastefully restored with contemporary additions, yet retaining stunning period features, a well-deserved nod to the building’s impressive heritage.

The 18th century former coaching inn, has been welcoming visitors to the area since opening its doors back in 1794. Situated in the Georgian Quarter, St Mary’s Church opposite boasts a 1335 carving of a rabbit, said to be one of the inspirations for Lewis Carroll’s March Hare in Alice in Wonderland.

Originally a posting house, where horses would be changed after the turnpike road journey between Beverley and Hull, legend has it that infamous highwayman, Dick Turpin, allegedly stayed at The Beverley Arms (then known as The Blue Bell Inn) before his 1738 appearance in front of the town’s magistrates.

Fast forward to the 20th century and it’s said to have been a favourite haunt of the late poet and literary legend, Philip Larkin.

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UP IN ARMS Travelling around England’s largest county, whether you’re Yorkshire born and bred or a first time visitor, there’s so much to see and do, ensuring new discoveries in all directions.

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© Hull Daily Mail

© Tony Bartholomew

From café bars to restaurants, shopping to sporting attractions, the Minster to market day, the town first became a tourist attraction in the 12th century and continues to be a hit today with visitors from all over the world.

A Day at the Races

Starred attraction

Pedal Pushers Pit Stop

For over 300 years the thundering of hooves have provided equestrian entertainment at Beverley Racecourse.

Set in the stunning surroundings of The Westwood, there’s always a warm welcome at Beverley. Hosting annual flat racing from April through to September and enjoyed by race enthusiasts, as well as the more casual racegoer, you can sip champagne in the Premier Enclosure and dine in style at The Attraction Restaurant or simply soak up the atmosphere and picnic in the heart of the race action. Watch this popular sport in a fabulous setting with far-reaching views across the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds.

It’s just a ten-minute drive from the centre of Beverley to the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass where food-lovers can dine at this multi-award-winning restaurant. There’s also the opportunity for the truly dedicated cuisine connoisseur to spend the day experiencing a cookery demonstration by Michelin-starred chef, James Mackenzie and relishing the results! Parties of between six and ten are invited to ‘Dine with James’ in the intimate first floor private dining suite and James will prepare a two-course meal to a menu decided in advance. You can stay overnight in one of five luxurious rooms with first class facilities too.

It’s another big year for cycling in Yorkshire with the annual Tour de Yorkshire and the UCI Road World Championships. Last year, Beverley impressively hosted the start of the Tour de Yorkshire’s Stage 1, when cyclists and bike fans descended on the town square en masse for a truly spectacular event. However, a more permanent sporting fixture in the town is Café Velo, a cycling themed stop-off serving tasty homemade food and a popular place to take a break from shopping or to start and finish a ride out into the fantastic Yorkshire Wolds.

www.beverley-racecourse.co.uk

www.pipeandglass.co.uk

Wake-Up To Sleepers

Café Culture and Deli Delights

Serving great freshly prepared food and fantastic homemade desserts, from brunch to dinner, pop in to Sleepers Bar and Kitchen for a relaxing coffee, a delicious three course meal with friends and family or enjoy a scrumptious Sunday lunch to finish off a busy week. With a fantastic range of food you’ll be spoilt for choice and the beef stroganoff comes highly recommended. There are yummy kids dishes on the menu, as well as vegan and gluten free options. With an impressive range of cocktails, gins, wine and local beers, there’s something to keep you propping up the bar until late in the evening. www.sleepersbar.com/beverley

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www.cafevelobeverley.co.uk

Scream for Ice Cream

The old Market Cross newsagent has been lovingly restored and is full of character, charm and friendly welcoming staff. Supporting over 30 local farmers and passionate about top quality fabulous food, Vanessa Delicatessen and Café serve a wide range of edible goodies. Pop in and tuck into cheeses from around the world, Sunday roasts, olives, local honey, chutneys, cured and cooked meats, plus freshly baked cakes and scones, alongside superb sausage rolls and pies. Ideal for a relaxing sit down and a bite to eat or to purchase those perfect picnic products.

Let’s face it, a day out’s not complete without an ice cream treat. Nestled in the heart of the independent boutique area of Beverley, in the shadow of the historic North Bar, Poma Piccolo’s dedicated gelato chef learned her craft at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna and continually strives to deliver a high quality mixture of classic Italian flavours alongside delicious offerings using local, seasonal fruits, with fresh whole milk and double cream from a neighbouring farm.

There’s a café too on Beverley’s Walkergate, serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon treats every day of the week, including ‘sundaes’.

www.vanessadelicafe.co.uk

www.facebook.com/pomabeverley

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WELCOME TO SHEFFIELD

Chic metal

A vibrant city bursting with character and creativity, Sheffield has something for everyone. Not only is it a thriving hub for music, art, food, drink and culture, it’s just a stone’s throw away from the exciting wilderness of the Peak District National Park.

Clockwise from above: Beautiful summer sunset from the top of Higger Tor near Sheffield in the Peak District National Park. Craft & Dough at Kelham Island. Sheffield Beer Week. Sheffield’s green landscape. Burn off some energy at Jump Inc. Kelham Island Museum.

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Also known as ‘The Outdoor City’ due to the sheer volume of activities on offer and a third of it being nestled within the stunning Peak District National Park, Sheffield is a haven for walkers, climbers and cyclists. Just ten minutes away from the city centre, outdoor enthusiasts can spend days exploring and taking in the breathtaking scenery.

Sheffield has recently been awarded funding from VisitEngland to develop a new type of city break which aims to inspire young European travellers to take a trip that combines the best of the city and countryside. The Outdoor City Adventure Breaks will allow outdoor enthusiasts to indulge their passion for adventure alongside the culture, community and nightlife of the city.

On a typical day, around 400 unique beers are available to enjoy in Sheffield’s rustic pubs and quirky bars. Sheffield Beer Week celebrates the region’s brewing landscape with a week-long festival, highlighting the wonderful world of beer. The week will see breweries hold open days for visitors to explore, pubs hosting beer festivals, bars having tap takeovers and restaurants offering menus with tailored beer pairings. Sheffield Beer Week 2019 is celebrating its fifth year in March, with events taking place across the city in multiple venues.

One of Sheffield’s oldest manufacturing sites, Kelham Island has long been at the forefront of Sheffield’s brewing reputation and has become a mecca for renowned pubs

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such as The Riverside (taken over by True North Brew Co in 2015) and craft beer specialists like Craft & Dough (who also serve artisan pizzas). Named one of the coolest places in Britain in 2017, it’s now a well established inner city destination with home-cooked food, cocktails and hipsters.

The birthplace of Arctic Monkeys, Pulp and The Human League (to name a few), Sheffield’s well known for its thriving local music scene. One of the UK’s leading ‘Music Cities’, it boasts 465 active bands, 65 recording studios and 69 venues, including FlyDSA Arena, a venue that has hosted everything from sell-out concerts to boxing matches.

If you’re looking to burn off some energy make your way to Jump Inc, a huge arena with over 120 interconnected trampolines. It can be as easy or as challenging as you like; a training ground for athletes, a place to kick back and bounce for fun or a hardcore, high-flying cardio workout.

Sheffield is also home to an acclaimed community of street artists, who are leading the way in transforming the city’s streets with their colourful and intricate work. Walk through any part of the city centre and you’ll stumble across a riot of colour interrupting the urban skyline. With many hidden gems waiting to be found around every corner and new pieces constantly emerging, the city is rapidly gaining a prolific reputation for its impressive ‘gallery with no doors’, open for all to enjoy.

One of the largest and most accessible literary festivals in the UK, Off the Shelf brings the biggest names in literature, media and the arts to Sheffield. Running annually in autumn since 1991, the event has established itself as one of the highlights of the cultural calendar promising uplifting, entertaining experiences for all.

Venues around the city will showcase a wide range of fiction, politics, journalism, art, music, history, sport, science, poetry, theatre and more.

Events are taking place around the city to celebrate the bicentenary of the great Victorian writer, reformer and artist, John Ruskin, who was born on 8 February 1819. Artwork from Ruskin in Sheffield community projects will be on display throughout 2019 to show how his ideas are still inspiring better lives for people in Sheffield today.

Known the world over as ‘The Steel City’, Sheffield was famed for its industry in the heyday of the 1900s and remains a city of outstanding innovation, attracting culture vultures, history buffs, adrenaline junkies and foodies from across the globe. A true all-rounder set against the stunning backdrop of the Peak District National Park, Sheffield has it all.

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Juggling family life with a busy career and domestic duties can become something of a plate spinning exercise at times. Taking a break to enjoy time with the youngsters in your life is a treat for not only the children but the ‘big kids’ too. Broadcaster Rob Walker makes a date in his diary for that all-important annual jaunt.

GenerationGames FAMILY FUN

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Left to right: Gouthwaite Reservoir near Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale. Rob and Arthur at Coldstones Cut. Amazing rock formations at How Stean Gorge.

or almost 20 years I’ve worked in TV, popping up on Channel 4 or the BBC at some of the biggest events in the sporting calendar. Commentating is what I dreamt I would do as child and I’m aware how lucky I am to be doing something I love.

However, it’s also a job which by its very nature dominates a family’s schedule. Last year with the Winter Olympic Games and Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympic Games, Invictus Games plus snooker and darts commitments, it’s not unusual for me to spend 4-5 months away from the Cotswolds home where I live with my wife and Arthur, our four year old son.

So, as soon as Arthur turned two I made a decision that once a year he and I would have a week’s “boys only holiday,” allowing us quality time and giving my wife a complete break.

Although tiring, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and our trip to the Yorkshire Dales back in July was one of the most memorable and best weeks of my life.

As a family we’ve enjoyed superb holidays in wonderful Yorkshire, but this time heading further north in the county I was amazed at the range of activities for children, the spectacular scenery and of course the friendliness of the people.

Day One: Wednesday We arrived at The Gamekeeper, a superb two bedroom cottage booked through Gorgeous Cottages, a couple of miles down a quiet bridleway, just outside the picturesque market town of Pateley Bridge. You’d never stumble upon it, you’d have to know it’s there, hence

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the privacy is first class. Arthur loved his double sized bunk bed and the sloping secret back garden with a hidden rope swing dangling from a magnificent oak tree, which became our half hour pre-breakfast routine each morning.

As well as being surrounded by the natural beauty of Nidderdale, the town itself was friendly, atmospheric and had a superb children’s playground.

Day Two: Thursday Holiday excitement meant normal rules went out of the window and the day began at 5.30am (I got used to going to bed early).

Only three miles out of town are Stump Cross Caverns caves, where back in 1963 Geoffrey Workman set a world record, spending 105 days beneath ground. With hard hats and a map to find a set of tiny “fairy doors,” we set off learning about the difference between stalagmites and stalactites, an ideal activity with children.

After an hour beneath ground in the dark, we emerged and walked up Greenhow Hill near Appletreewick, to a beautiful set of rocks for a picnic lunch. For what seemed like miles in all directions, we couldn’t see a soul and sat for an hour chatting over cheese sandwiches and crisps, warmed by the rocks beneath us on a very hot day. Both tired after an early start we headed back to the cottage for the afternoon to play Lego and watch The Jungle Book.

The old classics still resonate with children, proving the old adage that class is permanent.

The area around the town is hilly but by the river it’s flat and perfect for a wobbly young rider who’d just

got to grips with cycling. Arthur rode along the banks of the river on a beautiful early summer’s evening, while I ran alongside making sure there were no mishaps, we hardly saw a soul.

Day Three: Friday Another crack of dawn start beckoned. We’d read about a brilliant place called How Stean Gorge with lots of activities on offer including abseiling or putting on a wetsuit to scramble in the pools of water. Armed with a map and excellent signage, the self-guided gorge walk and a paddle was perfect for us, there was even a small cave walk for which you needed a phone torch. It was pitch black inside but a lot of fun, looking for hidden pirate treasure...but it wasn’t to be on this occasion.

Following a footpath at the top of the gorge, heading up towards Middlesmoor on a scorching day, I suspected a meltdown was imminent. We couldn’t see any shade and then Arthur spotted a tree in the distance. It became the carrot to dangle for our picnic stop. It’s now known as the “Shawshank tree,” in our house. If you’re not familiar with the classic 1994 prison break film The Shawshank Redemption, the main character, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), urges his best friend Red (Morgan Freeman) to find a particular tree and look for something he’s buried there if ever he gets out. It’s a seminal moment in the film. The hidden gem of the tree we found that day wasn’t a box full of dollars and directions to a beach in Mexico, as it was for Red, it was simply the view back down this stunning Yorkshire Dales valley. I suspect we’ll return.

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iJust kiddingi

Day Four: Saturday The weather turned, but the blustery wind added to the experience as we drove away from the town to Coldstones Cut for a walk. The sheer scale of the quarry and the sensitive way it’s hidden from sight of the nearby roads and fields was impressive. Arthur was in his element, clambering over rocks.

Then a highlight...it was the Pateley Bridge annual 40s weekend, a tribute to the war spirit which was evident across Yorkshire and the entire country. A superb afternoon with so many people in authentic dress and lots of army jeeps from the era, it was difficult to know where to look first! It’s a proper carnival atmosphere with dancers and crooners on street corners, bunting and brass bands.

Arthur wanted some chocolate peanuts, so we visited The Oldest Sweet Shop in England and it was like stepping back in time.

Day Five: Sunday The cottage was so good we were sad to leave but had plans to head to Camp Kátur in Bedale, a superb glamping location on an impressive country estate. First impression is the amount of space around each tent, they’ve deliberately kept numbers down so you have

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some privacy in very peaceful woodland and open fields. We were in a teepee with full use of an outdoor kitchen and all the utensils you could need. There’s a great outdoor children’s play area, with THE biggest wooden fort I’ve ever seen. That night was Arthur’s first-time sleeping in a tent, it didn’t get dark until almost 10pm, way beyond his bedtime, so he was awake late.

Day Six: Monday

Don’t miss these other amazing family attractions in Yorkshire

Weston Park Sheffield, South Yorkshire An interactive experience that brings history to life. The five family trails lead you on a weird and wonderful journey.

Eureka! The National Children’s Museum

William’s Den North Cave, East Yorkshire Set in the rolling landscape of the Yorkshire Wolds, this is a unique indoor-meets-outdoor adventure playscape.

Go Ape! Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire Soar above the trees as you fly down zip wires, leap off Tarzan Swings and tackle crossings high above the ground.

Halifax, West Yorkshire After a late-night/early The only fully interactive museum rise we had a quiet day, totally dedicated to children aged 0-11 anywhere in the UK. with such a lovely site to explore, it was nice to have time to use the facilities. Such an idyllic site for families, with a host I’ve always found talking to locals of activities, including quad biking a hugely underutilised source of and a brilliant zip wire. information and after a chance In the evening, as we were conversation, I found out about camping I did cheesy hot dogs the Wensleydale Railway and its followed by fruit with yoghurt. beautifully restored steam engines, Thankfully Arthur went to sleep that run for selected periods very early that night as we had a of the year. For our last day we special treat for our last full day.

Day Seven: Tuesday

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The whole Wensleydale Railway line and operation is a triumph, a shining example of homegrown passion. planned to catch one from Bedale, heading down a stunning section of track to Redmire. The impressive surrounding area inspired the artist Turner and was the setting for TV’s All Creatures Great and Small.

As with many boys, trains and steam engines are right near the top of the excitement pile for Arthur. We left the campsite early and tickets sorted, we had time to fill before the splendid engine puffed onto the platform.

I was planning an impromptu walk around Bedale to contain excitement levels, when just to the right of the station I spotted a sign for Big Sheep and Little Cow Farm. Within walking distance from the platform it was brilliant, with lots of animals and feeding times, plus an indoor play barn for when the rain lets everyone down.

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After being told to take about 100 photos to prove to Mummy that we did actually go on a steam train, we were on our way. The whole line and operation is a triumph, a shining example of Yorkshire’s homegrown passion.

Halfway through the train journey in one of those lovely old-fashioned carriages, Arthur took his shoes off, stretched out and fell asleep. This rare twenty minutes of peace allowed me a moment of reflection. This year’s trip had an added poignancy which didn’t register with Arthur but certainly did with me.

The previous year we’d cancelled our annual father and son trip when he suddenly woke one morning in a lot of pain and unable to walk. He’d developed a serious infection in his thigh bone called acute osteomyelitis

Clockwise from top left: Wensleydale Railway. Coldstones Cut. The Walkers take a holiday selfie.

Opportunities for medieval dress up at Bolton Castle.

Hanging around in the forest. Glamping at Camp Katur.

EXPERIENCE Why not enjoy the renowned high-class afternoon tea service on the Wensleydale Railway. Afternoon tea is served in a luxurious London and North Western Railway Directors’ Saloon built in 1912 as the train winds its way through Wensleydale.

(we’d never heard of it either!), after seven weeks of brilliant NHS treatment, he gradually regained movement and strength.

Hence seeing him restored and so active on this holiday was very special.

Off at Redmire station and a small uphill walk/cycle to the brilliant Bolton Castle, with some lovely vantage points en route, the castle is well-geared for children with a wonderful maze, a costume room where kids can dress up as knights and maidens of old and the pièce de résistance, a superb, informative and fun birds of prey demonstration.

The vista across the valley is breathtaking.

That night, just to round off in style, we upgraded from the teepee to a safari tent, a cross between a log cabin and a massive two bedroom canvas lodge. Luxury indeed. We returned back home the following morning with incredible memories to cherish. Reflecting on our holiday to write this, I was reminded of a simple yet powerful quote from Shakespeare - “It is a wise man that knows his own child.” Like all parents, I’m still learning about my son and what it actually means to be a dad. As this fascinating journey of discovery continues for Arthur and I, so too will our relationship with this most stunning and surprising of counties.

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Clockwise from top left: TV helicopters hover over the women’s peloton.

Amazing crowds at the finish in Leeds on day four. The peloton winds its way through stunning locations. Greg Van Avermaet celebrates winning the overall race. Megan Guarnier takes the win on Stage 2 on the Côte de Cow and Calf in Ilkley.

TOUR DE FORCE Yorkshire is gearing up for its biggest cycling year to date, as not only the host of the UCI Road World Championships but also the fifth edition of the annual Tour de Yorkshire.

Tom Ashurst gets us in the mood for what’s to come with a look back at the county’s fourth edition of the world-class cycling extravaganza.

The 2018 Tour de Yorkshire could hardly have been better. It all began in the gorgeous market town of Beverley, host for a race start back in 2016. However, this time, ponchos were exchanged for parasols as the only things teeming down were glorious golden rays.

Yorkshire is magnificent all year round, but there’s nothing quite like Yorkshire in the sunshine – it’s not called God’s Own County for nothing.

After a pulsating day in the saddle, history repeated itself in the Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race as Dutch powerhouse Kirsten Wild continued her love affair with Doncaster with a perfectly timed sprint finish to take stage one. Wild’s balance, raw power and timing were impeccable as per her victory in this town two years earlier. In the men’s race it was a completely different story. A five-man breakaway held off a talent-packed peloton,

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which included a certain Mark Cavendish, but Great Ayton’s Harry Tanfield emerged victorious. To quote the man himself, “scenes!”.

Barnsley’s exemplary Town Hall was the backdrop for the start of Stage 2 as the bunch rolled out in earnest again. The heavyweights exchanged punches on the day’s numerous climbs, but it was on the final climb, the Ilkley Cow & Calf, that the fireworks really started.

Megan Guarnier could not be passed on her birthday and held on to take the stage and with it, the overall 2018 title. This would prove to be the final professional victory in the glittering career of Guarnier – and what a way to finish.

In her words “That was really hard, but I can only say, I have never had a crowd like the one coming up that climb. It was so loud, they were so amazing and it was so cool to win after all those cheers.”

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TOUR DE YORKSHIRE

iTDY not?i Dates Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 May Starts and finishes The four race starts are Doncaster, Barnsley, Bridlington and Halifax with the finishes being Selby, Scarborough, Leeds and for the first time, Bedale.

Harrogate Circuit The circuit which will play a major role in the 2019 UCI Road World Championships is also featured in TDY 2019.

Therefore, expect plenty of the World’s top riders to be present in May to get an early glimpse of what’s in store for later in the year.

Get involved Want to be at the heart of the Tour de Yorkshire action? Then why not apply to be part of the Tour Maker volunteer army.

Head to letouryorkshire.com/ tourmakers to find out more.

For maps and more information go to letouryorkshire.com

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Later that afternoon, another champion in Yorkshire, Serge Pauwels, made his move on this climb in an attempt to recreate his 2017 success.

It looked like it would pay off, until the great Dane, Magnus Cort, showed his finishing prowess to peel around Pauwels to reach the line first.

Stage 3 saw the Tour de Yorkshire visit Richmond for the first time, where a remarkable number of spectators turned out to cheer on the peloton. Huge crowds have become synonymous with this bike race, but this particular day was something else. For anyone who remains cynical of the financial impact of this event, this was the day that all eight cash machines in Richmond ran out of money as fans poured into local tea rooms, restaurants and shops once the cyclists were on their way.

Another day of sunshine brought out yet more crowds, as towns and villages all the way through to Scarborough turned out in huge numbers to watch Max Walscheid raise his hand in the air victoriously. On finishing, Walscheid commented “I’ve never seen it like this before, at Roubaix there were massive crowds but this was incredible.”

The toughest test was left until last.

Stage 4, from Halifax to Leeds, saw the riders take on over 3,300m of climbing across beautiful yet brutal Yorkshire terrain. Stephané Rossetto delivered the most incredible victory seen in the short history of the race, as the bold baroudeur rode solo for over 100km to win on The Headrow. The beers were certainly on Rossetto too, as he was first past the “Black Sheep Straight” en route to glory, thus securing himself his height in ale.

The General Classification came down to a battle of strength between Magnus Cort and Greg Van Avermaet.

It looked as though the Astana man would hold on but the final climb up Otley Chevin proved one peak too many, which allowed for Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet to add the Tour de Yorkshire title to his glittering palmarès. Afterwards, Van Avermaet was effusive with praise for the race “The crowds throughout the week have been amazing. I remember the Tour de France here and the Tour de Yorkshire in 2015. This year we were so lucky with the weather and the crowds came out even more. The race really has its place on the calendar and it’s pretty amazing, so I hope to be back here again next year.”

2018 will be difficult to beat, but as Yorkshire’s cycling revolution continues to grow, you wouldn’t put it past 2019 being even better.

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Walking on Aire This vibrant and vivacious city has got it all, from music to museums, festivals to food and shopping to shows. The sky’s the limit once you’ve set foot in Yorkshire’s most sophisticated city.

Leeds is undoubtedly one of the hottest spots for food and drink in Yorkshire right now and in recent years, has seen a huge influx of independent cafés, bars and restaurants. Trinity Kitchen is a lively location housing gastronomic delights from all over the globe, with street food vans on a six-week rotation – perfect for those who like to mix up their mealtimes. Fine dining fans will love the divine rooftop restaurant Crafthouse, a culinary showcase of Yorkshire-inspired delicacies and décor, or Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill, an outstanding Brazilian restaurant where you control the portions.

The festival scene is definitely one for the foodies with events like Leeds Indie Food Fest, Leeds Food and Drink Festival and Leeds International

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Beer Festival, all popular additions to a burgeoning sustenance scene. Music lovers needn’t feel left out though, Leeds has one of the most dynamic live music scenes in the UK. The first direct arena tends to host the heavyweight headliners but you can always find other fantastic performances at numerous other pubs and venues across the city.

You’ll want to look out for Live at Leeds, an award-winning annual music festival featuring local bands, established names and music-inspired events, or The Millennium Square Summer Series, an energetic timetable of live music, screenings and unique collaborations.

Those looking for something different will enjoy the spectacular Light Night, a magical exploration of light and sound, or the Leeds West Indian Carnival, an explosion of Caribbean

colour. Leeds Pride is regarded as the UK’s friendliest Pride event and is also free to attend. Graphic novel enthusiasts won’t want to miss the Thought Bubble Festival, the largest comic book gathering in the country.

Sport is also an integral part of Leeds life with the city having hosted some world-class events over the years. 2019 sees two huge sporting spectacles come to town, the Cricket World Cup Carnival and the UCI Road World Championship. The cricket tournament takes place in England and Wales with four of the matches being held at Headingley Stadium, whilst the UCI Championships will see Leeds used as a starting hub for this pinnacle cycling event. Those wishing to swap spectating for participation can join in the action of the ITU World Triathalon

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WELCOME TO LEEDS

Clockwise from top left: Victoria Gate.

Kirkgate Market is the largest indoor market in Europe. first direct arena. Striking exhibitions at The Tetley. Leeds West Indian Carnival. Jousting at The Royal Armouries Museum. Harewood House. Phoenix Dance Theatre at Opera North.

Series, an opportunity for amateurs to get involved in a thrilling showcase of endurance and strategy.

Did you know that Leeds has more listed buildings than any city outside of London? A regal range of historic houses is on offer with Harewood House, Lotherton Hall and Temple Newsam, as just a few of the highlights.

Kirkgate Market in the city centre dates back to 1857 and has the prestigious honour of being the birthplace of Marks & Spencer, a British institution!

Leeds is also home to a wealth of museums and art galleries, including the recently refurbished Leeds Art Gallery, the flagship venue for visual art in Leeds. Conveniently located next door is the Henry Moore Institute, a gallery dedicated to sculpture and one of the venues for Yorkshire

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Sculpture International, the largest event celebrating sculpture in the UK in 2019. If you prefer your art more contemporary, The Tetley, located in the headquarters of the former Tetley Brewery, is the place for you.

The award-winning Thackray Medical Museum is a gory but great day out, as is The Royal Armouries Museum - the UK’s largest collection of arms, armour and artillery (including the original battle regalia of Henry VIII).

With three outstanding theatres; Leeds Grand Theatre (home to Opera North and favoured venue of Northern Ballet), the Grade II listed City Varieties Music Hall and the Leeds Playhouse (which has undergone a huge redevelopment), you won’t struggle to find a venue to whet your dramatic and cultural appetite.

Retail therapists will be delighted to learn that Leeds is the third largest shopping destination in the UK outside of the capital. Never more than a few steps away from a great shopping experience you can hit the high street brands in Trinity Leeds or, if you’re looking for something a bit more luxurious, the Victoria Quarter and Victoria Gate are the places to go. For vintage goods and boutique shops visit Kirkgate Market and its surrounding area.

Leeds is also full of first-class accommodation whether you’re after a bijou B&B or a grand hotel. With plenty of options available for the budget-conscious as well as those seeking a little extravagance, this is definitely a city break you need to add to your bucket list.

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ANNIVERSARIES

When Harry met Gary...

AS WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY, BBC LOOK NORTH’S HARRY GRATION MBE CATCHES UP WITH ITS CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SIR GARY VERITY DL. THINK SHEEP, CYCLING AND SO MUCH MORE.

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Define what it means to be a Yorkshire person.

A love of the whole of the county and its diversity, the coast, countryside, cities and an appreciation of arts and sport. Pride is a big thing too.

How much did your childhood shape your future? I was brought up in Leeds and travelled extensively in Yorkshire with my parents, giving me an appreciation of all it has to offer.

How did you end up in a North Yorkshire farm?

I wanted to be a vet but I could never get my head around physics. I’ve always loved animals and the Yorkshire Dales and was inspired by the Dales vet James Herriot’s books. I thought if I can’t become a vet, then I’ll become a Dales sheep farmer!

When you took over as Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire ten years ago, things were very different? The role was not as broad, certainly not as high profile and it functioned in a different culture with a different set of objectives. We needed to put Yorkshire on the map and help the county’s businesses realise their full potential and to raise the profile of Yorkshire but change perceptions too.

Your outstanding ability is getting ‘summat for nowt’? Welcome to Yorkshire has an amazing team of people continually working with very limited resources, to do the excellent things we’ve achieved and what we’ll continue to do. That’s a fact! We have to beg, borrow and cajole people to give us as much support as possible. We’re a not-for-profit organisation and none of us do it for the money. It’s not a job, it’s a mission. We love what we do and it’s an honour and pleasure to do it but we do it for the benefit of everyone in Yorkshire.

When did the passion for cycling start?

Ten years ago it became clear that the London Olympic Games in 2012 were going to be a huge success, with massive resources and tremendously talented people involved. The games would fuel an economic boom in London and the south-east, plus there was going to be an independence referendum in Scotland. The concern was that Yorkshire could become the forgotten bit and the county needed a big event to put it on the map once and for all.

The biggest sporting event in the world is the Olympic Games, next is the FIFA World Cup, third is the Tour de France, so the obvious

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thing was cycling! In 2014 we did it and it was a game changer for Yorkshire.

Since then the love and passion for cycling has developed rapidly.

The Tour de France Grand Départ could easily have been the sporting pinnacle, but it’s actually been the spur for making Yorkshire something of a cycling HQ. Following on from the Grand Départ, Welcome to Yorkshire created the annual Tour de Yorkshire international cycling race and it’s gone from strength to strength. In 2018 the race boosted the county’s economy by a massive £98 million, with a record 2.6 million spectators lining the route over four days and it was televised in 190 countries, watched by 12.5 million viewers. For eight days in September we’ll also be welcoming the UCI Road World Championships to Yorkshire.

Cycling can be the catalyst for so many things … it helps promote the county’s food and drink businesses, as well as art and culture, plus it can encourage social change and build economic development. The Grand Départ was the start, not the end, of the cycling journey.

What have been the other highlights of Welcome to Yorkshire’s last ten years? So many, including the multiaward-winning Yorkshire garden at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 61 bike libraries providing over 6,000 bikes and the White Rose Awards - the UK’s largest tourism awards ceremony. Our involvement with The Railway Children production, Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, the Olivier award-winning pantomime Dick Whittington at the London Palladium produced by Scarborough’s Qdos Entertainment. International partnerships with Yorkshire County Cricket Club, sponsoring the team’s Twenty20 tour of South Africa in 2012, plus promoting Yorkshire all over the world; in Australia at the Tour Down Under, the Tour de France, at Spain’s Vuelta a España, in New York, Singapore and Berlin for the Leeds International Piano Competition, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and Innsbruck, Austria for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships.

Happy anniversary As Welcome to Yorkshire celebrates its 10th anniversary many other great and much loved Yorkshire institutions and landmarks are reaching monumental milestones.

Here’s the county countdown.

Selby Abbey 950

Founded in 1069 by French monk Benedict of Auxerre after a vision he apparently had to establish a monastery in Yorkshire, Selby Abbey then went on to be built by the de Lacy family. It is one of the few surviving abbey churches from medieval times and although not a cathedral, it’s one of the biggest and most impressive. Not only will the historic building be celebrating its 950th anniversary this year, but also 50 years since becoming the first parish church to hold the annual service for the distribution of the Royal Maundy back in 1969 when it was visited by the Queen. In 2015, Jay Chou, Taiwanese musician, actor, director and producer, married his model/ actress girlfriend at Selby Abbey.

Gisborough Priory 900

The dramatic skeleton ruins of this imposing priory in the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, are dominated by the 14th century church’s east end, an impressive example of early Gothic architecture. Dating back to 1119, Gisborough Priory is one of the first Augustinian buildings in England and was founded by the Bruce family, ancestors of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. The canons rebuilt their church no fewer than three times and what survives of the English Heritage structure gives a tantalising glimpse of the priory’s former riches.

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Happy anniversary

“ CYCLING CAN BE THE CATALYST FOR SO MANY THINGS...THE GRAND DÉPART WAS THE START, NOT THE END, OF THE CYCLING JOURNEY.”

Bettys Café Tea Rooms 100

Swiss confectioner and baker Frederick Belmont, came to England, boarded a train and travelled to Yorkshire. The rest is history. In 1919 he opened the first Bettys (no apostrophe) Café in Harrogate and no one knows where its name came from.

The first example of Bettys’ Afternoon Tea was introduced in 1927. In 1937 Bettys, York was launched, the interior inspired by the rooms on the Queen Mary liner and a favourite haunt during WWII for airmen stationed nearby, many signing the ‘Bettys’ Mirror’ with their rings, part of which still hangs in the café. Bettys Café Tea Rooms later opened in Ilkley, Northallerton and Harlow Carr, Harrogate and in 1977 Bettys made a cake for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee that was displayed at Buckingham Palace.

You’ll only find Bettys in Yorkshire and they’re cooking up some great celebrations for 2019.

Forestry Commission 100

Established in 1919 to nurture and expand Britain’s forests and woodland after depletion during the First World War, the Forestry Commission purchased vast amounts of former agricultural land, soon becoming Britain’s largest land owner. Numerous centenary celebrations are taking place throughout Yorkshire, including tree planting, forest trail events and commissioned pieces from artists and writers. Turner prize-winning Rachel Whiteread’s new Nissen Hut sculpture is on display in the Dalby Forest, deep in the heart of the woodland, the wartime inspired creation is a moving testament to the lasting relationship with the changing landscape over the past hundred years.

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I’m also lucky to meet so many different, interesting, nice and genuine people who are so inspiring. It sounds a bit cheesy but every day is a highlight.

For example, a group wanting to raise money for charity, wondered if Welcome to Yorkshire could help.

In walked the ladies, dressed in everyday work gear and said “We’re going to row across the Atlantic!” I thought it was a crazy idea, but we got behind them, put Welcome to Yorkshire branding on their boat, encouraged and supported the team.

The Yorkshire Rows went on to be the first women to row across the North Sea and hold the Guinness World Record for rowing 3000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Four working Yorkshire mums smashed the world’s toughest rowing race.

That’s what sometimes happens in these meetings, it’s wonderful. Could it happen anywhere else? Probably not...only in Yorkshire.

What have been your personal Yorkshire highlights?

The day my daughter Lily was born, being knighted in 2015 for services to tourism...AND Leeds United winning the First Division title in 1991/92!

Anything you’ve wanted to achieve but haven’t achieved yet? I’d like to have had the Grand Départ of the Tour de France back again sooner than we’re going to get it, but that’s because I’m naturally impatient.

Is Yorkshire getting another Grand Départ?

Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France, has said publicly and privately that Yorkshire will get another Grand Départ and he’s the boss!

There’s so much to look forward to from Welcome to Yorkshire and the second Grand Départ in Yorkshire will be even bigger than the first, which, in the words of the French was ‘THE grandest of Grand Départs in the history of the Tour de France’. To do an even grander Grand Départ will be very special.

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Happy anniversary

Leeds United Football Club 100

The Whites will celebrate their centenary during the 2019-20 season. The club’s rich heritage includes three Football League titles, League Cup and FA Cup wins, two Charity Shield successes and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cup crowns.

The teams manager Don Revie assembled in the 60s and 70s have become legendary in the sport and United fans will never forget the eras when Howard Wilkinson wrapped up the title in 1992 and David O’Leary took his youthful side to the Champions League semi-final in 2001. Leeds’ Elland Road stadium is also steeped in history and has featured in films such as The Damned United and multi-Oscar nominated The King’s Speech. Legendary Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs will be rocking out there on 8 June as part of the club’s milestone celebrations.

Sutcliffe Gallery Collection 60

Back in 1959, the late photographer Bill Eglon Shaw became the owner of the Sutcliffe collection and opened The Sutcliffe Gallery in Whitby, displaying the beautiful sepia images of the fisherfolk and sailing boats taken in the late 1800s by photographer, Frank Meadow Sutcliffe (1853-1941). In his day Sutcliffe won awards all over the world, making him one of the most famous photographers of the Victorian period. Bill’s son Mike was born in 1959 and now owns the gallery that welcomes visitors from all over the world, but he’s not sure if his birth 60 years ago was perhaps slightly overshadowed by his father purchasing the full collection of Sutcliffe’s 1500 glass plate negatives. Don’t be negative Mike!

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A festival of events

Whether it’s food or music, outdoor or indoor, with the family or by yourself, we have an event that’s perfect for you. For a complete list, go to yorkshire.com/events

CLEVELAND WAY 50TH ANNIVERSARY North York Moors National Park May - June 2019 The North York Moors National Park is home to the nation’s favourite national trail, the Cleveland Way. The 109-mile-long route meanders through dramatic coastline and heather moorland, whilst offering stunning views of castles, ancient stone crosses and

WAKEFIELD FESTIVAL OF FOOD, DRINK & RHUBARB Wakefield, West Yorkshire 22-24 February 2019 Rhubarb becomes the stalk of the town, as the city comes alive with a vibrant celebration of the pink vegetable. The streets will be bursting with colourful market stalls selling speciality food and drink, with tasty samples to try.

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fishing villages tucked into tiny coves, it really does have it all!

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Cleveland Way and to celebrate, they are hosting a series of events, walks, talks, competitions and exhibitions, including a Cleveland Way dedicated Walking Festival in May, WalkFest 2019 (25-27 May 2019).

Celebrating the milestone anniversary, all routes will be themed around the UK’s favourite National Trail and will open with a special anniversary walk

on 24 May 2019 following one of the Trail’s most popular stretches from Helmsley to Rievaulx Abbey.

Other events include the “109 Miles” exhibition at the Inspired by... gallery in Danby (11 May-9 June 2019), featuring works by the Cleveland Way’s official artist, Debbie Loane, the Redcar and Cleveland Walking Festival and a film competition.

The Cleveland Way was the second National Trail to open and was launched on 24 May 1969.

It runs in a loop across much of the North York Moors National Park between Helmsley and Filey.

Discover memorable days out on and around the trail. From a day out in the charming English market town of Helmsley, to the peace and tranquillity of Rievaulx Abbey, the impressive ruins of one of England’s most powerful Cistercian monasteries, or from one of the most famous landmarks in Yorkshire, the White Horse of Kilburn, to Staithes, with its higgledy-piggledy cottages and winding streets.

MALTON FOOD LOVERS FESTIVAL

PONTEFRACT YUM! FESTIVAL LIQUORICE FESTIVAL OF FOOD & DRINK

Malton, North Yorkshire 25 - 26 May 2019

Pontefract, West Yorkshire 7 July 2019

Hull, East Yorkshire August 2019

Set across the streets of Yorkshire’s food capital, the festival is a celebration of Yorkshire’s finest produce and cooking. Expect heaving stalls, delicious street food, talks, tastings and celebrity chefs.

A family foodie extravaganza, it’s not known as ‘Yorkshire’s Foodie Glastonbury’ for nothing!

Sweet lovers can enjoy a tempting array of liquorice food and drink while browsing the food, craft and gift stalls at the colourful street market. Dancers, musicians and street entertainers delight the crowds throughout the day, while craft activities and fairground rides keep the kids amused.

Come and see what’s on the menu at Hull city centre’s celebration of food and drink – from traditional dishes to worldwide culinary creations. Enjoy three days of tasty street food, fresh local produce and delicious beverages, as well as live music, cooking demonstrations and children’s entertainment.

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WHAT’S ON

BLANKET

BY DAVID MURPHY

CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL

HARROGATE FLOWER SHOWS

TOMORROW’S GHOSTS FESTIVAL

Halifax, West Yorkshire 25 January - 7 April 2019

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, South Yorkshire 2 - 13 April 2019

Harrogate, North Yorkshire 25 - 28 April and 13 - 15 September 2019

Whitby, North Yorkshire 26 - 28 April 2019

By Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, the musical tells the true story of Yorkshire’s own Calendar Girls.

The musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary. This marvellous musical comedy which received fantastic five-star reviews in London’s West End comes home to Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre before continuing on its tour to tell the story to the rest of the UK. The new tour stars novelist and television presenter Fern Britton, alongside Anna-Jane Casey, Sara Crowe, Karen Dunbar, Ruth Madoc, Rebecca Storm and Denise Welch. The theatre hosts a regular programme of arts and cultural events.

Harrogate Flower Shows, in the spring and autumn, celebrate the seasons with amazing floral displays, beautiful blooms, wonderful fruit and veg, plus plenty of ideas and inspiration for planning a new year in the garden. This spring, stroll along The Avenue for great ideas and show garden inspiration, or over in the Plant Nursery Pavilion, there are plants for every space in your garden, from hostas to hydrangeas and air plants to acers. If flower arranging and floristry are your thing, view over 150 fabulous individual works of art and many amazing large-scale arrangements in the Floral Pavilion. Look forward to a mouth-watering selection of seasonal dishes from a fantastic line-up of talented chefs in the Feast! Food Theatre.

In partnership with Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The Piece Hall Trust present a newly commissioned sculpture exhibition for spring 2019. Blanket is suggestive of a magnified textile weave, centrally located in the Grade I listed former cloth hall’s immense open-air courtyard. The Piece Hall was the most ambitious and prestigious of its type. It is one of Britain’s most outstanding Georgian buildings. It hosts a huge array of events, from contemporary and classical music concerts, to intimate site-specific performances, circus spectacles and street theatre. Seasonal festivities include markets alongside special food and drink celebrations and fairs. Visual arts, outdoor sculpture and video mapping all bring the building to life. The events programme is a mix of free events and charged admission.

Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival is a celebration of all things Gothic whilst embracing a wide-range of alternative culture. The festival hosts both established and up and coming bands to reflect the diversity of the goth and alternative music scene as well as including film, art and the spoken word. At the Dark Days Alternative Market, visitors can browse amongst curiosities and interesting finds.

STEAMPUNK Doncaster, South Yorkshire 25 - 26 May 2019 Doncaster is gearing up for the unusual! The town will be transported back in time to the Victorian era with science fiction for the Steampunk event. There will be stalls selling an array of goods from clothing to gifts to trinkets and memorabilia, alongside live music and entertainment, as well as exhibition stalls for visitors to immerse themselves in yesteryear.

HARROGATE MUSIC FESTIVAL

UNDERNEATH THE STARS

Harrogate, North Yorkshire 1 - 31 July 2019

Barnsley, South Yorkshire 2 - 4 August 2019

A month-long festival bringing the best of chamber, classical, jazz and contemporary music to Harrogate and nurturing emerging talent through the Young Musician’s Platform. As well as world-class performers the festival features guest curators, artist residencies, masterclasses, cross-arts performances, family events, lectures and pre-concert talks.

South Yorkshire’s stellar music and arts festival returns this summer. Enjoy an exciting line-up of talent across the folk, jazz, roots, bluegrass, fusion and Americana music worlds, as well as the promise of enticing workshops and arts and crafts stalls. A fantastic selection of street food vendors have been handpicked for their creativity.

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HUDDERSFIELD CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 15 - 24 November 2019 The UK’s largest festival of new and experimental music brings an international mix of performers to Huddersfield.

A stunning ten-day programme of over 50 world-class events including ‘Free Monday’, a day of free performances across various venues.

THE ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP Leeds, West Yorkshire 30 May - 14 July 2019 The Cricket World Cup carnival is coming to Leeds! The tournament takes place in England and Wales from 30 May to 14 July 2019 and four of the matches will be held at Headingley. The format for the 2019 competition sees the ten best teams in the world go head to head in a round robin format. Set to be one of the biggest cricket carnivals ever to take place, it will see the best players from all over the globe going head to head.

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WHAT’S ON

SCARBOROUGH GREAT ARMED FORCES DAY YORKSHIRE SHOW Scarborough, North Yorkshire 29 June 2019

Harrogate, North Yorkshire 9 - 11 July 2019

Scarborough Armed Forces Day returns for the 11th year, providing an opportunity for you to thank the British Armed Forces for their selfless bravery and heroism. South Bay will close to traffic for the event as the Foreshore, West Pier and Sandside prepare to welcome over 30,000 visitors to this free event, which is set to be the biggest and most popular Armed Forces Day yet. The day will include aerial displays, a showcase of military vehicles, a variety of vintage stalls, demonstrations, marching bands and a service of thanksgiving. Come along, for what will be an incredible day and show your support for the men and women of the Armed Forces community; from currently serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets. A thank you to past, present and future in uniform.

One of the biggest agricultural events in the English calendar, the show features the best of British farming. Every year, more than 130,000 visitors and over 8,500 animals converge on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate to compete, socialise and celebrate. It gives first-hand experience of agriculture and rural life through demonstrations and exhibitions as well as the very latest in the agricultural industry. A real celebration of food, countryside and agriculture, the Great Yorkshire Show really does have something for everyone of every age, while keeping farming at its heart. From highend hospitality to food court favourites, there’s something to suit every taste and budget at the show. Don’t forget their very own permanent café Fodder.

BBC COUNTRYFILE LIVE

© BBC / Tom Dulat

Castle Howard, North Yorkshire 15 - 18 August 2019

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Following two successful years at Blenheim Palace, 2019 will see events staged at both Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. The event at Castle Howard, representing the best of the northern countryside and celebrating regional farming, will include the Village Green, the Countryfile Experience featuring the programme’s presenters, the Wildlife Zone, Farming in Action and Passion for British Livestock. BBC’s Countryfile is one Britain’s most loved TV programmes, attracting over 5 million viewers each week and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Countryfile Live will showcase the huge variety of Yorkshire food and drink, stunning rural destinations and exciting attractions that the county is famous for at one of Britain’s finest stately homes. Marvel at the unique architectural design of the 18th century house and enjoy the 1,000 acres of rolling parkland.

WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE EBOR FESTIVAL York, North Yorkshire 21 - 24 August 2019 The Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival is the sporting and social highlight of the year. The stellar racing action forms the centrepiece of a festival brimming with award-winning hospitality, high summer fashion and all that contributes to the fabulous atmosphere of the flagship meeting at Britain’s Racecourse of the Year. The festival is the racecourse’s oldest, richest, fastest and most famous race.

The jewel in the crown is the Juddmonte International on the Wednesday, the richest race of York Racecourse’s season, ranked number one of all thoroughbred horse races in the world 2012 – 14.

Throughout the festival, stand side racegoers will be able to visit the Ebor Fashion Lawn.

HULL FREEDOM FESTIVAL Hull, East Yorkshire 27 - 29 September 2019 A weekend of wonder, with events and shows for the whole family to enjoy. Born out of the William Wilberforce commemorations, which celebrated the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade led by Hull’s most famous son, the festival has evolved into one of the UK’s most distinctive international arts festivals. Explore themes of freedom and the best of local talent and upcoming international artists.

THE WILLIAM HILL ST LEGER FESTIVAL Doncaster, South Yorkshire 11 - 14 September 2019 You can enjoy a unique blend of history, top-class horse racing and live entertainment during this September extravaganza. The St. Leger is celebrated with festivities in stunning surroundings, giving a sense of the very latest style and spectacle. First run in 1776, it’s the oldest classic in the world and a premier sporting occasion in the autumn calendar.

OFF THE SHELF Sheffield, South Yorkshire October 2019 Off the Shelf is one of the largest and most accessible literary festivals in the UK, bringing the biggest names in literature and the arts to Sheffield. Enjoy three weeks packed with talks and readings from world-renowned authors and poets, famous faces and even some locals. The festival absorbs audiences in topics ranging from pop music to politics, fine art to feminism.

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Worldclass cycling Yorkshire’s love of cycling and pride in celebrating world class cycling events has become legendary.

The best cyclists in the world love coming to Yorkshire, because the races and the riders are welcomed like nowhere else.

TOUR DE YORKSHIRE Starts and finishes in locations across Yorkshire 2 - 5 May 2019 Welcome to Yorkshire and A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation) are thrilled to be hosting the fifth edition of the Tour de Yorkshire, a race which is now widely considered one of cycling’s most dramatic and best supported events. Last year the men’s race grew from three to four days and the women’s race doubled in size from one day to two. The race promises to attract a star-studded field. The men’s race has been upgraded to a 2.HC UCI Europe Tour classification and the 2019 women’s race will once again be one of the most lucrative races in the sport.

UCI 2019 ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Yorkshire 21 - 29 September 2019 For nine days in September, all eyes will be on Yorkshire. The finish line of the races in Harrogate will be the very heart of the cycling universe.

The whole county of Yorkshire will be involved, with start locations in Beverley, Bradford, Doncaster, Leeds, Northallerton, Richmond, Ripon, Tadcaster and Wetherby all connecting to the finish in Harrogate like the spokes of a wheel.

CYCLE EXPO 2019 Harrogate, North Yorkshire 21 - 22 September 2019 Cycle Expo will be an officially affiliated event of the UCI Road World Championships in 2019. With all races set to finish in Harrogate, it will provide great entertainment, exhibitors and will also transmit live, big screen action from the races during its opening days. With fantastic indoor exhibition halls displaying a range of bikes, clothing and accessories, here you will be able to buy the latest and hottest products available. Within the Yorkshire Event Centre land, there will be a number of races and competitions covering all cycling disciplines including an international pro-rider flatland competition.

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Parklife

The North York Moors National Park is one of the UK’s most extraordinary places, established in 1952 to protect 554 square miles of fabulous countryside, open heather moorland and rugged coast.

Top to bottom: Ana Cross above Rosedale © Ebor Images.

Helmsley Castle © Ebor Images.

Fossil hunting on the Jurassic coastline © Tony Bartholomew.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway © Graham Staples/NYMR. Beautiful forest walks at Roseberry Topping.

From rolling panoramas and big skies to enchanting forests and idyllic dales, there’s a sense of peace and tranquillity here that’s hard to beat – and all this just 20 miles or so north of York.

Head to the National Park to experience one of the largest continuous expanses of heather moorland in England which turns a magnificent shade of purple in late summer. Listen out for the call of the red grouse and look out for other moorland birds such as golden plover or merlin at dramatic moorland sites including Levisham Moor and the Hole of Horcum.

Why not take an unforgettable wildlife trip? North York Moors Wildlife Photography Tours promise a memorable day out, join whale spotting adventures from Staithes, or go on a nature safari or rock pooling expeditions with the Hidden Horizons team.

Exploring the National Park’s 26-mile Jurassic coastline – from historic, picture-postcard fishing villages like Runswick Bay to hideaway coves and soaring cliffs with breathtaking views, is an absolute must. The atmospheric cobbled alleyways of Robin Hood’s Bay are yearning to be discovered and you can even follow a set of clues to uncover its ancient smuggling secrets.

The Moors National Park Centre near Danby offers ideas aplenty for adventure play areas, woodland and riverside trails (complete with a five-metre long dragon!), family events and activities, and Inspired by… a beautiful contemporary art gallery with regularly changing exhibitions.

From spring 2019, experience the dramatic story of Victorian ironstone extraction and the ingenuity of the moorland railways in the brand new, fully immersive ‘Land of Iron’ exhibition; part of a £4m Heritage Lottery Fund project.

At Sutton Bank National Park Centre, soak up ‘England’s finest view’ from the spectacular panoramic viewpoint. Let the kids go wild in the natural adventure play area and investigate the many hands-on exhibits, crafts and activities available.

The beautiful valleys in this area have inspired monastic communities for centuries – see why with a visit to the haunting ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, Byland Abbey and Mount Grace Priory, House and Gardens where you can discover your own place of contemplation. Other heritage gems include Helmsley Castle and Pickering Castle and Helmsley Walled Garden (a key location for a new film adaptation of ‘The Secret Garden’ starring Julie Walters and Colin Firth).

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the 109-mile Cleveland Way National Trail is a walkers’ delight. Free downloadable route guides on the National Park website take you on step by step adventures to tumbling waterfalls, timeless stone villages, moorland crags and historic monuments.

Follow the Moor to Sea Cycle Network, the National Park’s flagship long-distance bike route, which connects

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WELCOME TO THE NORTH YORK MOORS NATIONAL PARK

Clockwise from left: Cycling past Byland Abbey.

Staithes at dusk © Ebor Images. Family Fun at Runswick Bay.

Scarborough, Whitby, Dalby Forest, Pickering and Great Ayton in a stunning series of moorland, forest and coastal loops – that’s 150 miles of pedal-powered freedom on quiet roads, woodland tracks and bridleways. Hit the bike trails at Dalby Forest – one of the best places in the UK for mountain biking – or spend a more leisurely day walking the forest and moorland tracks, picnicking in the grassy meadows or having a fun-filled adventure under the canopy at Go Ape! Tree Top Adventures.

DON’T MISS With vast expanses of unpolluted skies and the drier climate on the eastern side of the country, the North York Moors National Park is a great place to glimpse meteor showers and gaze at the stars.

With Dark Sky Discovery Sites at Sutton Bank, Dalby Forest and The Moors National Park Centre in Danby, the National Park is also a fabulous place to glimpse our own Milky Way with the naked eye. The Dark Skies Festival will return for a fourth time in February / March 2019, with a fortnight of events, workshops, stargazing, star parties, wildlife watching, dark skies runs, bike rides and all things that celebrate the night.

Great journeys await you by train and bus around the North York Moors. Jump on board the Esk Valley Railway, linking moorland villages to the sea at Whitby or the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the most popular heritage line in the world which sees steam and heritage diesel services running right through the heart of the moors. Be sure to head to Goathland Station, famously portrayed as

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Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film. Take a journey on the 840 Coastliner service from Malton to Whitby, voted Britain’s most scenic bus route in 2018.

History, heritage and culture all come together at Ryedale Folk Museum, the 6-acre open-air museum whose 20 reconstructed buildings shine a light on the way people once lived in the North York Moors. Located in Hutton le Hole, it’s one of the most photogenic of all the moorland villages, with sheep-cropped greens and a babbling river. For more historical encounters head further north to the ruins of Gisborough Priory, celebrating its 900th anniversary with special events planned throughout the year.

Explore the quiet villages, rolling countryside, country inns and majestic Castle Howard in the neighbouring Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area’s market towns and villages are also thriving communities full of historic and culinary interest.

Weekly markets in Helmsley (a previous winner of Britain’s Best Market Town in the Great British High Street Awards), Kirkbymoorside, Pickering, Thirsk, Stokesley and Northallerton are always worth catching, while Malton is carving out a fast-growing foodie reputation, from artisan food producers in Talbot Yard Food Court to its annual food fest.

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EXPERIENCE

DRIVE TIME

When you live ‘life in the fast lane’, there’s a great way to ‘take it easy’. Rally co-driver Seb Marshall gets behind the wheel.

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Clockwise from top right: Amazing views en route. Seb winds his way through fields and hedgerows. Checking the map as he picks up the route in Pickering. The keys to the 1960 Morris Minor 1000. Getting familiar with Betty in Thornton-le-Dale.

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ndeavour, Adventure, Resolution, Discovery, the evocative names given to the great ships captained

by British explorer James Cook. The famous Yorkshire pioneer has a long association with Whitby and so it’s perhaps appropriate that today we should be on our own journey of discovery, tracing the route of the 840 Coastliner bus on a road trip across the North York Moors to Whitby.

This however, is no ordinary bus route.

Tourists and commuters alike were so taken with the scenic journey, that the stretch from Pickering to the coast, was last year voted Britain’s most scenic bus route - beating off stiff competition from over 100 other routes, including Scottish favourites like Glencoe, Skye and Loch Ness, plus the renowned Dorset coastal trail.

The 840 takes passengers from the centre of Leeds to the dramatic Yorkshire coast via sites as diverse as Eden Camp, a heritage railway, a national park and literary legend locations. It all seemed like the perfect excuse for a day trip to see what made this part of my home county deserving of such an accolade.

It’s fair to say I’m more accustomed to a faster mode of transport in my day job, competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC), navigating for New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon as part of the Hyundai Motorsport team. Today however, I’ve swapped calling the notes in our 380 bhp Hyundai i20 WRC rally car over rock-strewn gravel tracks,

to a far more comfortable and sedate pace driving a fabulous 1960 Morris Minor 1000, courtesy of Classic Car Hire North.

At the start of my journey I meet my ride for the day, affectionately known as ‘Betty’, at her home at Ampleforth Plus – a social enterprise business set up by Yorkshire based charity Autism Plus. The charity is seeking to create welcoming and stimulating environments, where adults with autism and associated learning disabilities are given the opportunity to experience work in a variety of commercial ventures, from horticulture to chocolatiers. Having ‘road tested’ some of their aforementioned confectionery as part of the car hire package, it certainly passed the taste test. Yum! I pick up the award-winning route in Pickering, home to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, something that I’ll cross paths with several times today and head out along the A170 towards Scarborough. A more agreeable start to the journey is hard to imagine, as I’m surrounded by the winding hedgerows and thickly blanketed crop fields, similar to those of the neighbouring Wolds, immortalised so vividly

by Yorkshire’s David Hockney. In no time, we roll into the picturesque village of Thornton-le-Dale.

Clichés here are hard to avoid. It really is the stuff of chocolate boxes (those again) and picture postcards, with an immaculate village green flanked by a babbling brook, a row of quaint Almshouses and its famous thatched cottage, a quintessentially tranquil English scene.

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THE HOLE OF HORCUM IS A VAST NATURAL AMPHITHEATRE 120M DEEP AND 1.2KM WIDE.

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t would be oh so easy to linger, but the road beckons. Leaving Thornton-le-Dale and the relatively flat landscape of the Vale of Pickering, we immediately start climbing through the dappled light of wooded lanes, up onto the wild moorland. Seeing a sign for Dalby Forest, I can’t resist a short diversion onto the Forest Drive.

The forests of North Yorkshire are somewhere I’m well acquainted with, having marshalled and competed on many motor rallies along these fast and fearless gravel tracks at the very start of my career. Today the forests are a little quieter - if no less adrenaline fuelled - as Dalby has established itself as one of the country’s top destinations for thrill seekers, with an extensive network of mountain bike trails and the exciting Go Ape! aerial adventure course.

Detour complete and nostalgia fully indulged, ‘Betty’ and I emerge from the forest and rejoin the open expanse of the moors, as the road gradually climbs towards one of the highlights of our route. One can’t help but do a double take as the Hole of Horcum rears into view; in place of the summit I’m expecting, a vast natural amphitheatre some 120m deep and 1.2km wide arcs away from the side of the road. Folklore has it that this ancient geological depression was formed when Wade the Giant scooped up a handful of earth to throw at his wife during an argument. We’ll not dare to contest that one!

Taking the chance to stop off at the panoramic viewpoint near Saltergate and marvel at Yorkshire’s very own mini-Grand

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DISCOVER Dalby, The Great Yorkshire Forest hides a secret world of offbeat experiences. Offering over 8,000 acres of woodland to explore and enjoy, including play areas for children, barbecues for the family and plenty of waymarked cycling and walking trails.

Clockwise from top left: The stunning Hole of Horcum surrounded by heather © Richard Wood.

Driving through chocolate box villages.

‘Aidensfield’ Garage in Goathland - home of Heartbeat. Waiting for a train on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Exploring Britain’s ‘most scenic’ bus route. Mirror man Seb is transported back in time.

Canyon, its sheer scale is truly a sight to behold.

It’s surely enjoyed even further by the footpath that traverses its depths - the perfect trail for any budding explorer. Yet our imaginary bus conductor again calls time, so I swiftly return to the car and continue on my journey of discovery bearing north, onto the most rugged yet beautiful part of the route.

Plunging downhill through hairpin bends and onto a mini roller-coaster of a road, flowing curves and gradients take us past the dramatic presence of RAF Fylingdales. There’s been a military base here since the early 60s and the Cold War looms large in the form of its distinctive, towering brutalist ‘wedge’ structure (a cheese shaped one, at a push). Part of the country’s early warning radar defence system, its motto is “Vigilamus” – latin for ‘we are watching’. Yet for all its utilitarian looks and controversial purpose, it actually appears strangely peaceful and sculptural up here in its lofty and isolated spot.

At this point, we spear left off the A169 and follow a smaller but no less enjoyable road to Goathland. Progress may not be the most rapid aboard Betty but with the hood down, sunglasses on and the wind in my hair I don’t mind in the slightest – and neither it seems do the vehicles who pass and give a friendly wave as we continue on our way through the vibrant purple-hued heather moorland. Driving towards the Mallyan Spout Hotel I spot another Morris Minor parked outside, so figure it’s the perfect time to park up for a spot of lunch whilst soaking up the sunshine in the hotel’s garden.

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If this pretty little village with its tearooms and vintage petrol pumps has an air of familiarity, it’s for good reason. It is probably better known to many as Aidensfield, the fictional village at the centre of TV drama Heartbeat. Eagle-eyed Harry Potter fans will be able to spot Hogsmeade Station from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone too. With a distinctive toot toot echoing across the village and steam rising from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, it’s hard not to feel as though I’ve been transported back on set – certainly ‘Betty’ is receiving a lot of attention as we pass through! The village really has a look straight out of a Hornby Model Railway catalogue and whilst by rail is a fantastic way to see the beautiful scenery between Pickering and Whitby, today is, mostly, about four wheels.

Leaving Goathland we launch straight into a wickedly steep hill back up towards the A169.

Despite having only 4 gears and nearly 60 years of service behind her ‘Betty’ is more than up to the challenge provided by the taxing gradient; however, my memories of this hill are somewhat slower and more painful. It was by pedal power alone that I last ascended this fearsome gradient, just ahead of the professionals in the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire - they managed to make the ‘Côte de Goathland’ look as effortless then as it was for me driving up it today. It’s testament to the spectacular landscapes here that the North York Moors has become a firm favourite for the annual cycling extravaganza to visit, with the roads providing a challenging and exciting route to welcome some of the world’s best bike riders.

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aving spent the majority of our route in the uplands it’s time to head back to sea level as we crest the ridge of Sleights Moor and begin the long descent. This is the point at which it’d definitely be an advantage to be sat on the top deck of the 840 bus and take the time to appreciate the superb vista over to our final destination in Whitby and out to the North Sea. I decide though, it’s best to keep my eyes on the road!

Upon reaching the bottom of Blue Bank Hill we follow the banks of the River Esk (look out for leaping salmon), then on to Ruswarp. One final twisting climb takes us back up hill to the fringes of Whitby and the climax of our road trip. Whilst the bus service terminates at the station I make a short loop around the town before parking up for a wander on foot; exploring the small cobbled streets, a photo at the iconic Whalebone Arch and visit the memorial to the most celebrated former resident, Captain James Cook. Navigating across oceans, after a torturous two-year voyage he became the first recorded European to set foot in East Australia in 1770, having travelled thousands of miles… it’s certainly a very long way from Whitby.

Teatime is now upon us and as they say, when in Rome! With the late summer sun still providing plenty of warmth, it’s surely compulsory to sit by the water’s edge and indulge in a portion of Whitby’s finest fish and chips. Out on the balcony at Abbey Wharf restaurant, I’m afforded a view of what makes this such a much loved seaside destination for so many. Fishing boats sail past on their way to the historic harbour mouth, seagulls circle looking for a chip or two and the red-tile roofed cottages pile one upon

Left to right: Looking out to the North Sea from Whitby Harbour © Richard Wood.

Seb at Whitby Abbey.

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DISCOVER Climb aboard the HM Bark Endeavour and dive into her rich history as a discovery vessel on the high seas!

Inside the fantastic recreated vessel, both the upper and lower decks have been renovated to look shipshape, with an exhibition full of interactive displays.

another, climbing vertiginously up to the crowning gothic glory of the ruined abbey.

Breathing in fresh salty sea air whilst tucking into some of the tastiest cod I’ve ever had, I’m not sure it gets much better than this.

Having been sat down most of the day and now feeling a little gluttonous, I resolve to round off my trip by burning some calories climbing the leg-busting 199 steps to the clifftop and paying a visit to the striking 7th century Whitby Abbey, perched above the town. Writers, artists and romantic-minded visitors have been drawn to Whitby for centuries and Irish writer Bram Stoker visited in 1890. So taken was he with the atmospheric setting and steeped local lore of smugglers and shipwrecks, it was here that his most famous character of Count Dracula was born.

As the shadows lengthen and such stories stirred my imagination, it’s almost time for home. A fitting place to reach the end of one of Britain’s most scenic ribbons of road.

Returning from a fantastic day out I can’t help but think that, despite being fortunate enough to see some of the most challenging terrain in the world as I navigate the stages of the WRC, it’s clear from today’s drive that you don’t have to venture far for an unforgettable road trip experience right on the doorstep.

Make mine a return ticket.

TAKE TIME TO APPRECIATE THE SUPERB VISTA OVER TO WHITBY AND OUT TO THE NORTH SEA.

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West side story West Yorkshire is a rich tapestry of culture and heritage with museums and galleries in ample supply. A tantalising timetable of events, exhibitions and festivals reflect the history and creativity the area has become synonymous with. All against a breathtaking backdrop of blue skies and rolling hills.

Bradford is a well-loved centre of culture and activity and a UNESCO City of Film, so where better to start your visit than a trip to the National Science and Media Museum. With six floors of exhibitions and galleries, including the thrilling Wonderlab, it’s an interactive world of live experiments and extraordinary experiences. Just minutes away is the palatial Alhambra Theatre, a major venue for all manner of acts including stage shows, ballet, opera, musicals and the good old British pantomime.

UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saltaire, holds the legacy of Sir Titus Salt. This is apparent in the magnificent Salts Mill, a former hive of industry that now hosts a range of shops, restaurants and galleries. Possibly its most famous exhibit is a showcase of work by David Hockney, one of the most influential Yorkshire-born artists of the 20th and 21st century.

Cartwright Hall is situated in the Green Flag-awarded Lister Park and was a childhood favourite of the man himself. It currently houses more of Hockney’s work with an exhibition detailing his early life and works, including a look at his techniques as well as unseen footage of him in his Bridlington studio.

Bookworms will want to head to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth to see where the famous literary family spent their formative years. Look out for literature festivals throughout the year, a chance to participate in a wide range of scholarly events designed to inspire and delight.

Food fanatics won’t go hungry in Bradford either, in addition to The Box Tree restaurant in Ilkley, the city also has over 200 Asian restaurants and boasts the title ‘Curry Capital of Britain’.

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Nearby Calderdale is home to the spectacular Piece Hall in Halifax, the only surviving intact cloth hall in Britain and a unique venue that could easily be mistaken for an Italian piazza. In addition to artisan craft shops, charming cafes and bijou boutiques, the Piece Hall is also working with a variety of cultural partners to host an impressive programme of events throughout 2019. One of Europe’s leading learningdisabled arts companies, Mind the Gap who will launch ‘Zara’, a large scale, immersive project providing opportunities for people with learning disabilities to work in the arts. There will also be some striking outdoor performances from national and international artists such as ‘FierS à Cheval’

by French company Quidams, featuring a magical troupe of glowing white horses. These giant puppet-like costumes will make the most of the building’s space and lead the way in a calendar of dazzling shows designed to commemorate the hall’s second anniversary since being restored. The adjacent Square Chapel Arts Centre is a vibrant arts space offering the best in live music, dance, workshops, art classes and Youth Theatre, all from within a stunning Grade II listed Georgian chapel.

If you’re looking for entertainment a little more hands-on, Eureka!

The National Children’s Museum is a place like no other. The only fully interactive museum in the UK devoted to children aged 0-11, everything here is readily available to be touched and explored by curious little fingers. Or, why not scale the country’s highest manmade outdoor climbing wall at ROKT Climbing Gym in Brighouse?

Children and adults can clamber at levels to suit experience in this action-packed spot that also boasts escape rooms, yoga,

trampolining and the first-class Millers Bar, a family-run pub you can even take your fourlegged friend to.

History buffs won’t want to miss a trip to Shibden Hall, a Grade II listed estate that was once home to 19th century diarist Anne Lister, soon to be featured in a BBC/HBO drama called ‘Gentleman Jack’ a remarkable and unlikely love story, set in the complex, changing world of Halifax - the cradle of the industrial revolution. The drama will explore Anne Lister’s relationships at home with her family, servants, tenants and industrial rivals, who will use any dirty tricks they can to bring her down.

With fantastic walks and cycle routes aplenty, Huddersfield is full of wide open spaces, steep contours and the waterways of the Holme and Colne valleys. Cyclists can visit Holme Moss in the Peak District National Park for a challenging climb or Sunday strollers can take a walk around the flatter terrain of Denby Dale and its surrounding villages. Over in the National Trust’s Marsden Moor Estate the landscape stretches high across the Pennines and Pule Hill is an

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WELCOME TO WEST YORKSHIRE

outstanding rocky outcrop that will give you 360° views of this arresting vista.

Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre is the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in the country. Take a guided boat trip, have a bite to eat in the café or let the kids run free in the playground and wildlife gardens. Visit one of the multi award-winning spas, including Titanic Spa and Alexandra House Spa, perfect for relaxing and recharging your batteries.

Gourmets can get back to basics at Coddy’s Farm in picturesque Holmfirth, a family-run venture that lets you experience a full on tour and learn new skills with seasonal cookery and butchery courses. Let someone else do the cooking and check in to the Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival, a world showcase of edible eats and delectable drinks.

If you’re feeling more arty than peckish, Huddersfield’s portfolio of festivals won’t disappoint, with the Contemporary Music Festival (an international mix of new and experimental music), Marsden Jazz Festival (one of the most established and wellloved events in the UK) or the Huddersfield Literature Festival, a celebration of big name authors and local talent.

Carry on the culture theme with a trip to The Hepworth Wakefield, an award-winning art gallery atop Wakefield’s historic waterfront.

Named after famed local artist Barbara Hepworth, the venue hosts some of the world’s leading exhibitions of international modern and contemporary art. Not too far away stands the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, one of the world’s leading open-air galleries. Set amongst 500

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acres of ever-changing, beautiful countryside, visitors can share world-class contemporary sculptures with one or two Yorkshire sheep.

Be sure to add the Yorkshire Sculpture International to your diary for this year, a collaboration between the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery and the forementioned galleries to present the UK’s largest event celebrating sculpture and the first of its kind in Britain.

Images left to right: Saltaire was a former hive of industry. Cartwright Hall in Bradford. Man on the moors, Kirklees © Gary Stevenson.

Bouncing on a giant tongue at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax.

Rhubarb rooters will enjoy the Wakefield Festival of Food, Drink & Rhubarb where the city centre streets will be bursting with colourful market stalls selling speciality food and drink with an abundance of tasty samples to try. Step inside the demonstration marquee and watch talented chefs create delectable rhubarb dishes.

Having recently undergone a £3.5 million restoration thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Pontefract Castle is a great place to go for those seeking historical enlightenment.

A 19th century barn is now a state of the art visitor centre and gift shop, offering regular dungeon tours and family activities. Known as the liquorice capital of the country, the liquorice for the first Pontefract Cakes was probably grown within the castle grounds, though you can now enjoy it beyond the walls as part of the Pontefract Liquorice Festival, an annual event dedicated to the popular confection.

NEARBY Feeling lucky? Head to Pontefract Racecourse with the longest flat, circular course in Europe. Racing has taken place in the town since 1648. They host three evening meetings and three Sunday meetings each year.

The superb racing is matched by great family entertainment.

End your day in one of West Yorkshire’s many incredible hotels, apartments or B&Bs, from the heavenly Holdsworth House in Halifax, a 4-Star 17th century Jacobean manor to a hotel with its own lake, Waterton Park Hotel in Walton.

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SPORT

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KEEP ON Follow in Ben’s footsteps: 1 The Stray in Harrogate, 200 acres of parkland in this beautiful spa town, a favourite for dog walking, games and relaxation.

2 Stanage Edge, the Peak District National Park, just outside Sheffield with running trails alongside rivers, reservoirs and through breathtaking moorland.

3 Vast expanse of golden sand at Kilnsea in East Yorkshire, great for spotting wildlife, simply stunning and at times secluded.

4 Coastline, countryside, castles and coves, the amazing 109 mile Cleveland Way offers perfect paths for running or a gentle stroll.

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They say that running can be therapeutic, it can clear the mind and allow crucial thinking time. So just how did one man’s thoughts on a regular run in the picturesque spa town of Harrogate, lead to local lad Ben Davis, running almost 500 miles around Yorkshire in just 18 days? That’s over a marathon every day. Oh and 41,000 feet of elevation, higher than Mount Everest!

Carolyn Nicoll caught up with Ben (he was static at the time) for the rundown.

Why did you decide to run around Yorkshire?

I’m a keen runner and I craved a new challenge.

It had to be big, it had to be unique and it had to be an adventure. In the past I’ve had battles with depression and mental health issues, I felt isolated and needed to do something. I wanted to raise money for CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably, that tackles male suicide.

When did you get the idea?

Whilst running around The Stray (200 acres of public parkland) in my home town of Harrogate, an area I’ve been exercising in on countless occasions. I was wondering what the biggest loop would be that I could run locally.

Then it came to me; a lap of Yorkshire!

along the banks of the Thames and I knew I was going to finish and become an actual marathon runner. The incredible magic of that day was coupled with some uncertainty but also an intense relief at the finish line and I wanted that feeling again. The Dublin Marathon followed that same year and then in 2017 I ran six marathons, but I knew that I needed to up the stakes. I’d looked into multi-day marathons in various locations across the world but some would have ended up costing me thousands of pounds to enter and to get there. The answer turned out to be on my doorstep. I set off from Scarborough on 1 August 2018, Yorkshire Day, finishing in exactly the same spot eighteen days later.

When did you start running?

Three years ago and it literally changed my life. I was about five stone heavier then and I was smoking a couple of packets of cigarettes a day. Something had to change. In 2016 I ran my first ever marathon, the London Marathon.

I’ll never forget the feeling at mile 25, running

How did you feel before the challenge?

Incredibly nervous. The whole thing had been built up so much and many people knew about the challenge. Although I’d trained heavily, I’d never run such a long distance before on consecutive days and I honestly didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it.

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“The feeling of adventure was absolutely massive. The Yorkshire landscape is so varied, from coast to countryside. ” Support along the way? It was amazing from start to finish. On the first day so many people turned up to South Bay Beach in Scarborough and members of the Welcome to Yorkshire team started off with me. That first night I camped up beyond Whitby and I got an email from a chap named Jonathan. He’d seen my details on the tracker and wanted to join me the next morning. At 5am we met up, watched the incredible sunrise and set off on the run. Then at Staithes eight more runners turned up and we headed for Redcar. There was so much support and encouragement and it just kept on coming.

What were the best bits?

The feeling of adventure was absolutely massive.

I’m aware that I was actually never really that far from home but the life that I was living over the

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DISCOVER Its breathtaking landscapes, picturesque beaches, and endless coastline make Redcar a truly idyllic seaside resort and the perfect place to go for a run.

Once a famous fishing village, Redcar has a rich heritage and history.

eighteen days was so different, carrying my kit, camping out and discovering so much about Yorkshire. A really brilliant experience!

The people that I met en route were amazing. As I ran into Hull I was suddenly joined by a whole group of runners from a local athletics club who had heard what I was doing and wanted to be part of it. Their enthusiasm and encouragement was fantastic.

The Yorkshire landscape is so varied, from coast to countryside and at times I was even running through industrial estates that made me feel like I was on a film set. The ten miles from Redcar to Middlesbrough turned out to be particularly enjoyable.

The most challenging bits?

The toughest part was actually one of my favourite parts, from Tan Hill Inn (the highest pub in the British Isles) to Whernside (the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks). It was the most challenging 32 miles ever! I was running around the edge of Yorkshire and this sometimes meant taking a route that had no actual paths. This particular stretch was hard core, over rough terrain, up and down, but I loved it.

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Heading out of Hull I hit a big problem. I ran the first seven miles, then slowed to a walk and a hobble. It was 17.6 miles between me and Kilnsea with nothing in between, no villages, no houses. My leg was seriously injured and I knew that I still had 100 miles to go to the finish. The poles came out and I walked with sticks for 20 miles. News had spread on social media about my predicament and Lucas Meagor, Race Director of the Hull Marathon had heard about my dilemma and was on the case, then out of nowhere, turned up physiotherapist Laura. We’d never met before and she’d driven for miles to come to my rescue. After working on my leg for two hours, I was then able to run the remaining miles.

Were there times on the run when you thought you may not make it?

The Tan Hill to Whernside part of the run was particularly tricky, over moorland and hills, the fog was dense and I could only see 2 metres in front of me. I felt completely alone and that I just didn’t have the proper navigation equipment with me. I then fell into a bog, up to my waist in water and I was completely disorientated. I couldn’t work out east from west and eventually got a call from my sister who had been tracking my progress. She informed me that I was actually now running in completely the wrong direction!

What motivated you to keep on running?

The support from so many individuals, in person during the run but online too. So many people had opened up to me about their own depression and some of the stories were harrowing. I knew I couldn’t give up, emotions were overwhelming and money for the charity was pouring in too.

Clockwise from left: Running through spectacular scenery.

Finishing in Scarborough.

Supporters gave Ben a lift in tough times.

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What areas of Yorkshire impressed you the most on your run? There were so many, but Stanage Edge in the Peak District, just outside

“So many people had opened up to me about their own depression.

I knew I couldn’t give up, emotions were overwhelming and money for the charity was pouring in too.”

Sheffield was particularly breathtaking, with amazing views. Running through the area, over moorland and away from the paths took me back to my geography class days.

Any parts of Yorkshire you hadn’t been to before? Loads! I’m a regular to The Dales but there were parts of it that I’d never been to and I saw it from a completely different perspective this time, as I was off the beaten track. I’d never been to the Peak District but I was blown away with its beauty and the gorgeous beaches near Kilnsea in East Yorkshire with their sweeping golden sand, that I had all to myself, were stunning.

Where in Yorkshire would you send people to visit? The Cleveland Way with its dramatic coastline and colourful heather moorland was very impressive. Whitby and Staithes with all that history and the sea views, just gorgeous and as for the sunrises!!!

How much have you raised to date?

Over £26,000. The original target was £10,000. but people were so generous it was upped to £15,000 then £20,000. I’m still doing talks and people are still donating. It’s amazing. Now for my next challenge. Watch this space.

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WELCOME TO YORK

True Norse Famed for its role as a vibrant hub of Viking activity, Yorkshire’s most famous city is a much more civilised place these days. Its colourful past is easy to explore whilst its modern-day charms make this majestic city a must-see destination when planning a trip to God’s Own County.

York has an eclectic calendar of festivals and events meaning there’s always something exciting going on for everyone to enjoy. Highlights include the popular Early Music Festival, the cutting-edge Aesthetica Short Film Festival and, this year sees the 35th JORVIK Viking Festival, a raucous eight day celebration of all things Norse.

York Races is a high point in the social calendar for many people and with several meets a year including the ever-popular Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, planning a fabulous day out is an absolute must. Get your festive on in the winter months with the enchanting St. Nicholas Fair when the city transforms into a magical winter wonderland, a perfect start to the season of goodwill. With markets, comedy nights, exhibitions and a diverse range of cultural venues and theatres, there’s plenty of activity to keep you busy.

No trip to York would be complete without a visit to the iconic York Minster.

Guided tours run regularly throughout the day and are a fascinating insight into the rich and varied history of this magnificent cathedral. York Art Gallery has a wide-ranging collection of artwork and exhibitions for those seeking some cultural enlightenment, including ‘When All is Quiet – Kaiser Chiefs in Conversation’, an innovative installation bringing together works by internationally regarded audio artists which have inspired the band to look at sound in new ways. Why not invest in a York Museums Trust Card so you can allow yourself 12 months of unlimited access to the gallery as well as York Castle Museum and the Yorkshire Museum, two of York’s other most popular visitor spots?

Fans of the macabre won’t want to miss out on the infamous York Dungeon, an epic journey into 2000 years of York’s most horrible history. This fully immersive experience will take you back in time to hang out with all the grisly greats, including Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin and some pretty fearsome Vikings! Paranormal buffs will be pleased to find that York has been hailed as the most haunted city in Europe. Pubs with poltergeists and haunted hotels are very much the norm with daily ghost walks

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as common as the cobbles on the streets.

The Original Ghost Walk of York is a nightly one for the adults whereas the Great York Ghost Search is an enjoyable family-friendly event each October with more emphasis on fun than fright.

Shopaholics will be delighted to find that retail therapy in York is second to none.

Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or indulge in a gift for someone special, a unique shopping experience awaits you. The winsome, winding streets are brimming with bewitching boutiques and conveniently set out in speciality areas making it that little bit easier to spoil yourself. Parliament Street, Coppergate and Coney Street are the go-to spots for high-street shops, with Stonegate and Swinegate housing a variety of stores set amongst quirky medieval and Georgian architecture. If you fancy exploring whilst scouting for bargains, head off the beaten track to Gillygate and Petergate for a wealth of independent shops. The renowned Shambles Market has more than 85 stalls offering an incredibly diverse range of goodies.

If food tops your list of priorities you’re not going to struggle for options. Whether you seek world cuisines or something closer to home, afternoon tea for two or fine dining, there are eateries to suit every palate. If you’re in the mood for casual dining or looking for something to grab and go, York’s fantastic street food offerings won’t disappoint. Craving a crepe or seeking flavourful North African & Levantine cuisine? There’s something to cater for all tastes in this scrumptious city. Look out for the offbeat Spark York, a hip hub built from shipping containers and encompassing a whole host of flavourful foods (as well as retail, arts and culture businesses).

The more discerning palate will appreciate Roots York, an exciting new venture by Tommy Banks encompassing the chef’s family farming ethos by only incorporating local produce into seasonal gourmet dishes. Le Cochon Aveugle is a fresh, modern restaurant in the heart of York serving an innovative and frequently evolving tasting menu to delight one and all. The Star Inn The City, located

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in an enviable riverside location, is one of top chef Andrew Pern’s highly acclaimed restaurants and is guaranteed to provide a unique dining experience whatever the occasion.

Tea devotees will be thrilled to learn there’s not one but two Bettys establishments in the city and this year marks their centenary – 100 years of Yorkshire’s most tempting tea room!

If you prefer to dabble before you dine then the new cookery school at The Grand Hotel & Spa opens in March.

Over 2,500 square feet of space has been devoted to food fanatics wishing to up their game in the kitchen.

In addition to the sights and sounds of the city, you can also use York as a base and journey beyond the City Walls to experience some of the region’s most exciting attractions.

Animal lovers can meet farmyard favourites at Piglets Adventure Farm Park, cheeky chinchillas at Askham Bryan Wildlife & Conservation Park or visit the regal eagles at the National Centre for Birds of Prey. It’s no wonder BBC Countryfile Live has chosen this corner of Yorkshire to broadcast from.

With the programme celebrating its 30th anniversary, the spectacular Castle Howard has been selected as the venue for this well-loved wildlife show.

At the world famous and award-winning JORVIK Viking Centre 1,000 year old houses are revealed beneath your feet, objects taken from excavations are explored and Viking-age timbers are brought before your eyes. Discover York’s fascinating Viking legacy.

Clockwise from top: The incredible Shambles was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. Delicious food at Roots York. The Grand Hotel & Spa. Come face to face with the Viking residents of York at the JORVIK Viking Festival. Castle Howard.

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CULTURAL

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he first pantomime Nick Thomas ever produced, the unlikely named Robinson Crusoe in Outer Space, was a resounding flop. He lost about £25,000 and it was slammed by the critics. Fast forward 36 years and how things have changed. Thomas is now the undisputed king of panto, producing 35 shows at theatres across the country, including record-breaking productions at Bradford Alhambra and Hull New Theatre and the Olivier awardwinning spectacular at the London Palladium.

“I learnt a lot from that early experience in Preston,” laughed Thomas. “It was a complete disaster but got me into the panto business.

And it shows how persistence can pay off.”

Scarborough is at the heart of his story. He moved to the town when he was six and has lived there ever since, with wife Sandra and two grownup daughters.

Qdos Entertainment, the company he founded and one of the largest entertainment groups in Europe, is based there, employing more than 50 people. A 25,000 sq ft storage space in Beverley houses a vast array of scenery and costumes, from fairy coaches to man-eating crocodiles.

With apologies to the Qdos creative team based in London’s Drury Lane, the 58-year-old describes the Palladium productions as “essentially made in Yorkshire”.

The first show Thomas ever saw was in Scarborough when he was 10 and it captivated him. He can still remember the names of the acts and the heady aroma of Jeyes cleaning fluid, scenic paint and eau de cologne wafting from the 16-stong chorus of Tiller Girls.

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Main image and left: © Nigel Hillier

© Steve Hill Photography

There are certain traditions that you may be willing to put ‘behind you’...but not this one. Julie Henry takes a look at the booming business of Yorkshire panto. Oh yes she does!

This early brush with theatre and a meeting with Ken Dodd, who was to be his inspiration, marked the start of an abiding passion.

At 15 he devised a puppet act and won the hit ITV talent show New Faces, going on to perform in seaside summer shows. Crossing the footlights, he began to produce shows at theatres including the Futurist, the Opera House and the Spa in Scarborough, starring Keith Harris and Orville the Duck and later comic Bobby Davro, among others.

As the era of summer shows waned, pantomime became the main focus. And after three decades in the business, Thomas is now the world’s most prolific producer of the form.

Much of the resurgence of the genre in recent years has been attributed to Qdos; working with Lord Lloyd Webber, Thomas brought the panto back to the Palladium after a 30 year absence.

The focus on quality and reinvention means Qdos can attract big names, from Elaine Paige to Dawn French, who starred in the Snow White run at the Palladium.

“Panto is something that will go on way beyond my lifetime but you have to refresh it,” explains Thomas. “If it stays still, it gets stale.

You have to do different things. It’s a creative challenge, but it’s vital.”

Celebrity sign ups, whether they be Joan Collins, Henry “The Fonz” Winkler, or Pamela Anderson - can bring in a legion of fans, but Thomas sounds a note of caution.

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THEATRES OF DREAMS Yorkshire has an array of spectacular theatres featuring multi-award-winning, internationally renowned shows, as well as top-class performances from local production companies. Take your seats, it’s curtain time.

JACK LEAR

Hull, East Yorkshire A gritty reworking of Shakespeare’s King Lear, set on the River Humber with rivalry that is stormier than the dark North Sea. Barrie Rutter OBE directs and plays the title role and there’s live music from Eliza Carthy MBE. Hull Truck Theatre, 17 January - 2 February.

KES

Leeds, West Yorkshire Fifty years after Kes was released on the big screen, the theatre adaptation of Barnsley writer Barry Hines’ much loved, 1960s Yorkshire story of friendship, can be seen at Leeds Playhouse, 25 January - 16 February.

LIFE OF PI WISE CHILDREN

York, North Yorkshire On tour after rave reviews at London’s Old Vic, Wise Children is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope, with showgirls, Shakespeare, scandal, music, mischief and butterflies by the thousand!

York Theatre Royal, 5 - 16 March.

Sheffield, South Yorkshire Based on one of the most extraordinary and much-loved novels, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide, Life of Pi is a dazzling new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope. Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 28 June - 20 July.

TAKE TWO MATILDA

Bradford, West Yorkshire Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre is the only Yorkshire venue to see Matilda The Musical this year. The multi-awardwinning production from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by Roald Dahl’s beloved book will be in the city. 19 February - 23 March.

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Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre has a double treat from the multi-awardwinning playwright and director Alan Ayckbourn, first with Season’s Greetings 1 August - 12 October and then the world premiere of Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present 11 September 11 October.

“The first rule of engagement for a pantomime artist is they have to want to do it. Dawn French or Julian Clary don’t need to do it, they want to do it. If you hire the kid from Big Brother or the American celebrity and they’re rubbish on the night, you’ve wasted your money. “ Yorkshire has a tradition of holding on to its best-loved names, building the production around them year on year. Comic Billy Pearce has headlined at the Bradford Alhambra panto, a Qdos production, for 20 seasons. At York Theatre Royal, Berwick Kaler, has written, co-directed and appeared as the dame for a staggering 40 years.

“The northern audience is warmer than any other audience in the country,” said Thomas.

“They get in to it. They want a good night out and a laugh. They love their own. You watch Billy Pearce come on the stage in Bradford and as soon as he appears they cheer. They want to see him – he’s one of them.”

“The northern audience is warmer than any other audience. They get in to it.

They want a good night out and a laugh.”

For Pearce, last seen as Wishee Washee in the Alhambra’s Aladdin, building up a rapport with the regular audience is the key to his success.

“We’ve developed a really loyal base for which I’m very grateful,” said the comedian.

Born in Leeds and still living there in Tingley, the 67-year-old can sometimes get direct feedback from fans – whether he wants it or not.

“The production has to be good because we’re in Yorkshire and they’ll soon tell you if it’s rubbish,” he joked. “When I go round the shops, they’ll come up to me and say ‘by gum you’re looking old’ or ‘you’ve put some weight on’.”

Despite the Mickey-taking, Pearce knows that panto has a “place in people’s hearts”. He has broken fingers, toes and ribs “from throwing myself about” on stage, but the show must go on.

Even an outbreak of norovirus, necessitating sick buckets in the wings one year, could not bring the curtain down.

In York, audiences too are prepared to make a few sacrifices to keep panto alive. When tickets go on sale on March 1st each year, hundreds of people turn out to wait in line, rain or shine.

“The queue goes right round to York Minster that’s what it means to people,” said Berwick Kaler, who after 40 years of playing the dame, will be bowing out when the curtain comes down on his final performance in The Grand Old Dame of York.

The 72-year-old’s idiosyncratic Dame – make-up free and minus the high pitched voice - was described by one Guardian writer as the butchest dame he’d ever seen, with an “increasing resemblance to Sir Alex Ferguson”.

Kaler, who lives in and “absolutely adores” York, has become an adopted son of the county and was awarded the Freedom of the City in 2003.

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Previous page: Billy Pearce in Cinderella. Nick Thomas.

Billy with his co-stars Biggins and Simon Webbe.

This page top to bottom: Berwick Kaler in and out of character. Kaler rehearsing for a show © Anthony Robling.

Billy Pearce was joined by Blue star Simon Webbe in Aladdin at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford © Nigel Hillier.

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“I left Sunderland at 15 and I never felt like ‘this is my home’ until I got to North Yorkshire,” he recalls. “Through the Theatre Royal, I’ve been part of the lives of a few thousand people. You don’t get that from any other medium.

For people who come every year, the pantomime is very much part of their Christmas. It belongs to them and it’s written for them.”

And the writing never stops.

The first night and the last night are like two different shows, according to Kaler.

“I ad lib, we put in lastminute jokes and it gives every performance an excitement,” he said. “I keep it current. But if you mention Brexit it better be a good joke because some of the audience might well be thinking ‘I thought we were coming to get away from all that’. You’ve got to strike a balance.”

Despite prophecies of doom over the years and competition from myriad alternatives, panto has survived and according to a recent analysis of the business by The Stage magazine, is more popular than ever.

It has endured because of its communal appeal, Thomas believes: “It can take kids from five to 95 and that is why it still works,” he said. “It is a collective experience. You are all in it together and that is very rare these days. One great advance is that audiences in the big cities are increasingly cross-cultural.”

Thomas has been careful to try and retain the innocent, cheeky charm of panto at a time when increased sensitivities combine with commercial pressures. A sponsorship deal from an online bingo company was turned down and council concerns about the

obesity problem put paid to a potential oven chip endorsement.

Sweets are still flung in to the audience but after the odd complaint, the harder varieties have been replaced with softer ones, such as marshmallows.

Investment in the genre is helping it thrive. The London Palladium production of Dick Whittington, which won the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment & Family, cost £4 million to stage, had a 55-strong cast and special effects galore, including a red double-decker bus flying out over the heads of the audience. Venue refurbishments, such as the £16 million transformation of Hull New Theatre, are giving modern audiences the stylish surroundings they expect.

And keeping the panto in rude health is not just about the survival of the genre – it is the life blood of live performance full stop.

Pantomime is the “get out of jail card” of the theatre, according to Thomas, who also runs 12 theatres, mostly in the south of England.

“A healthy regional theatre has to have a healthy pantomime,” he said. “With a successful panto under their belt, theatres can be more creative with their programming.

Every theatre manager is fixated on the panto because their whole year relies on it.”

Testimony to the success of theatre in Yorkshire is the decision to bring a stunning multimillionpound production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Bradford this year. “There are lots of fantastic surprises already planned in what promises to be another unmissable pantomime season at the Alhambra,” said Thomas. “Billy is very excited. He’s getting that ‘Tingley’ feeling.”

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SPORT

Good sports

Yorkshire’s reputation as a worldclass sporting destination has never been higher and that standing is sure to be strengthened with venues across the county being used for the Rugby League World Cup 2021.

her European President’s Cup success in Greece and back-to-back Dutch Open Championships wins. The Huddersfield-born, Penistone trained, fighter then rounded off last year by reaching the quarter finals of the Youth Olympics in Argentina. The future certainly looks bright as she prepares to make her step up to the elite ranks in this popular martial art.

Ben Coad – Cricket

Image: © GB Taekwondo

Aaliyah Powell – Taekwondo

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Aaliyah burst onto the scene when she became a Junior World Champion at just 15 years old in 2018. That achievement came on the back of her silver medal at the Junior European Championships,

Barclay Brown – Golf Barclay marked himself out as one of golf’s hottest properties when he battled back from six penalty shots in his opening round to win the 2018 English Under-18 Boys’ Open Championship. He had the honour of captaining the winning Great Britain and Ireland team in the Jacques Léglise Trophy and with the prestigious Douglas Johns Trophy also sitting on his growing list of successes it seems the golfing world is the Hallamshire local’s oyster. His achievements have already garnered attention in the United States and in September he will begin a golf scholarship at Stanford University, following in the footsteps of luminaries such as Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.

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Image: © Leaderboard Photography

s well as providing a spectacular backdrop to the action Yorkshire is also consistently rolling out its own production line of elite sporting talent. No less than six Yorkshireborn players made the England squad for last year’s FIFA World Cup and if Yorkshire were a country, it would have finished 14th in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games medal table. Joe Root, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Nicola Adams, Lizzie Deignan and the Brownlee Brothers are just some of the household names hailing from the county and there are countless others working hard to follow in their footsteps.

Here are 10 top talents we think you should be keeping your eye on in 2019.

Despite the fact he turned 25 in January, Ben deserves his place on this list as he is right on the cusp of international cricket stardom.

Coad made his county debut for Yorkshire at the tender age of 19 and in 2017 enjoyed a breakthrough year where he scooped three end-of-season awards. Those accolades helped him secure a first-team cap before the 2018 campaign was out and if the Harrogate-born bowler keeps progressing, it seems highly likely the England selectors will soon be calling.

Georgia Roche – Rugby League

Matty Lee – Diving

Georgia is the hottest property in women’s rugby league right now and enjoyed a remarkable 2018. In just 12 short months the Castleford Tigers Women player made her Super League debut, scored in the Challenge Cup Final, was called up to the England squad and crowned the first-ever Woman of Steel – one of the highest honours in the sport. Not bad for someone under the age of 18! The rugby world is at Georgia’s feet and we’re expecting big things from her as she consolidates her place as one of the game’s top stars.

Yorkshire is rich in diving talent right now with Lois Toulson and the Haslam brothers (Ross and Jack) having all scooped major medals in 2018. It is Matty Lee who is likely to gain the most headlines over the next few years though after it was announced he will be Tom Daley’s synchro partner in the run-up to the 2020 Olympic Games. Matty is a star in his own right having already earned golds at both the European Games and European Diving Championships and teaming up with Daley should ensure he is in with a great shot of another medal in Tokyo.

Georgie Brayshaw – Rowing Georgie’s journey to sporting excellence is one of true Yorkshire grit. At just 15 years old she was involved in a serious horse riding accident which left her with severe brain damage, a spell in a coma, and numerous other injuries. Her recovery was truly remarkable though and since taking up rowing at university in 2014 her progress has been brisk.

In just two years she was handpicked for a place on the GB Rowing Development Programme and since then has competed at a range of illustrious events such as the Henley Royal Regatta. A place in Team GB’s Tokyo 2020 squad is now a very real possibility and that achievement would represent a massive triumph over adversity.

Max Burgin – Athletics Not since Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill has Yorkshire produced an athletics prospect as hot as Max Burgin. His nomination for the 2018 Young Sports Personality of the Year award came as no surprise after the Halifax-born starlet broke the 800m world record for a 15-year-old at the BMC Grand Prix and claimed the European Under-18s title. Not bad for someone who also had to fit his training in around GCSEs! It remains to be seen whether the Tokyo Olympics will come around too soon for Max but he’s a great early tip for Paris 2024!

Clockwise from top left: Tom Pidcock in Cyclo-cross action © SWPix. Matty Lee. Georgia Roche playing for Featherstone Rovers © SWPix. Barclay Brown. Ben Coad. Junior World Taekwondo Champion Aaliyah Powell.

Safron Gordon – Para Powerlifting At 39 years old many athletes are usually winding down their careers, but not Safron Gordon – his sporting adventure is only just beginning. Born with cerebral palsy, he only started para powerlifting in 2016 but has risen through the ranks sharply. Within months of commencing his training he had won the Welsh Open title and last year added a silver medal at the Para Spring Open to his growing list of achievements. His remarkable progress was honoured at the 2018 Legacy Awards and after time out recovering from a shoulder injury, his goal now is to represent Team GB at the Paralympics in 2020.

Tom Pidcock – Cycling Hope Price – Boxing Nicola Adams and Josh Warrington have been flying the Yorkshire flag proudly on the elite boxing scene over the last few years and Hope Price is now set to join them. A European Gold winner in March 2018, Hope then put the disappointment of defeat in the World Youth Championships final (courtesy of a surprise judge’s decision) firmly behind him last June by becoming the first-ever British boxer to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games, stopping his rival inside the very first round. Now this Leeds-based flyweight star has his eyes set on Tokyo 2020 and the road to sporting stardom certainly looks rosy.

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With the UCI Road World Championships coming to the county this year, Tom could well secure his place in Yorkshire sporting folklore. The Leeds-born cyclist has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last few years and is seemingly able to turn his hand to any two-wheeled discipline. Tom held National, European and World Junior Cyclo-cross titles before winning the Men’s Junior Individual Time Trial at the 2017 Road World Championships. Success at that year’s Junior Paris-Roubaix confirmed his all-round credentials and in 2018 Tom launched his own cyclo-cross team, won the European Championships and he’ll race the 2019 road season with Team Wiggins. Tom will be among the favourites to take the rainbow jersey in the Men’s Under 23 Road Race event on home turf. www.tompidcock.co.uk

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South specific South Yorkshire has a wealth of history and heritage with a lot to offer anyone looking to delve into the depths of the county’s diverse and culture-rich past. With plenty of new developments also on the horizon, you’ll want to add a trip down south to your list of places to go.

Barnsley is home to some incredible museums whether it’s artefacts and exhibitions you’re after or something more interactive. Elsecar Heritage Centre, set within a conservation village that was once a thriving industry for iron and coal, is a fantastic day out for everyone in the family to enjoy. This prodigious place even houses the world’s oldest steam engine, in its original location. The newly restored 1795 Newcomen Beam engine is described as the most important piece of industrial heritage in the world.

If you’re looking to combine history and a tranquil setting, Worsbrough Mill and Country Park is the perfect place to visit.

A 17th century working water mill set in 240 acres of country park and nature reserve, you’ll be able to watch wildlife and see history come alive. Discover centuries of milling and bread making and follow the process from beginning to end.

Barnsley’s historic town hall is home to the award-winning Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre, dedicated to the history and people of the town. Uncover its incredible story told through centuries-old artefacts, documents, films and recordings that have been donated by the people who have lived and worked in the borough over multiple generations.

Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens is a stunning Georgian country house set in 70 acres of spectacular parkland and gardens. The museum houses an outstanding collection of fine and decorative arts and is home to the De Morgan Collection. A programme of exhibitions and a variety of activities for children such as crafts and even baking sessions in the Victorian kitchen are on offer. The parkland and lakes are currently undergoing a £3 million restoration to transform them back to the splendour of Georgian times.

If it’s animal antics you are after, next to the museum you’ll find Cannon Hall Farm. Opened in 1989, the farmyard has recently undergone a £1.5 million renovation and is home to hundreds of animals including llamas, piglets, Shetland ponies and adorable pygmy goats.

Art aficionados will love the Cooper Gallery which has an outstanding permanent collection and an exciting programme of touring exhibitions featuring work by international, national and local artists. A vibrant and creative art-space in the heart of Barnsley town centre it also offers a variety of events, talks and workshops.

Be sure to keep an eye on the re-development of Barnsley town centre, a multi-million-pound transformation named ‘The Glass Works’ that will create markets, food stalls, an illuminating library (quite literally!), restaurants and a reimagined town square that will act as a central hub for all the new activity.

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WELCOME TO SOUTH YORKSHIRE

One of the country’s greatest 18th century landscapes and the only Grade I listed park and gardens in South Yorkshire - Wentworth Castle Gardens will be reopening in summer 2019, thanks to the National Trust. Wentworth Woodhouse has been given a new life as it opens its doors at the start of a £7.6m restorations project – see how the project develops with house tours and events.

Make your way to debonair Doncaster and stop off at the magnificent Brodsworth Hall and Gardens along the way. Built in the 1860s, the house has remained largely unaltered and the enchanting, award-winning grand gardens have been restored to their former Victorian glory along with the rare game larder. Nearby Cusworth Hall is also a spectacular building set in picturesque parkland and is often described as the jewel in Doncaster’s crown.

Take a walk on the wild side and head to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, the UK’s No.1 walkthrough wildlife adventure. With nearly 400 animals and 70 different species, you can get up-close and personal with some of the world’s most magnificent animals, including lions, tigers, black rhinos and the only polar bears in England. Look out for the Park’s newest arrivals; the endangered Ussuri brown bears, carefully rescued from a Japanese zoo. Largely extinct across Asia, the bears are the first residents of

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a brand-new Rehabilitation Centre designed to house rescued animals on a short-term basis whilst the park creates a natural habitat for each rehomed species to inhabit.

Doncaster Racecourse hosts 36 national hunt and flat race meetings throughout the year, including the world’s oldest classic horserace, the St Leger Festival, so racing fans will have plenty of opportunity to get dressed up and have a flutter. If you’d rather sit back and relax, the Cast Theatre is a multipurpose venue where you can watch incredible shows, share creative ideas or feel generally inspired. With a huge range of performances taking place throughout the year you can experience everything from comedy to jazz, drama to ballet and gigs to family shows. Definitely something everyone will be able to enjoy!

Stay tuned for another exciting new development as the famous and historic Wool Market gets transformed. The new design will see Doncaster Market transform into a vibrant and bustling location all week long from day to night. As part of the plans, the renovated Wool Market will become an attractive and welcoming destination providing a new and enhanced offer to retail traders and customers.

The makeover will also enable the market to host more events, encouraging more people to visit the area.

Clockwise from top left: Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Wentworth Castle Gardens.

Cast Theatre. Brodsworth Hall and Gardens. Cannon Hall. Cusworth Hall.

Worsborough Mill.

DON’T MISS In the garden at Brodsworth Hall, wind your way through the colourful formal flower beds to get a great view from the summerhouse.

Trip-trap over and under the bridges of the fern dell, sniff your way through the wild rose dell and be sure to have a peek at the historic outdoor loo!

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Eat, drink be married Just last year the opening of Wharfedale Grange was a spectacular affair, the fizz was flowing, a helicopter hovered beside the heart-shaped lake and the whole event was simply breathtaking. Nestled in rolling countryside between Leeds and Harrogate, it’s hard to believe that the luxury four barns and stunning farmhouse wedding venue, not so long ago, was a full on, high-yielding, working farm.

Clockwise from top left: Weddings are magical events at Wharefdale Grange. Leafy Couture are on site and on hand to produce stunning floral displays. Owner and interior designer Claire Thomas. The obligatary (and gold) glitterball.

Events Manager, Zach Williamson.

The converted barns are now a stunning wedding venue.

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WEDDINGS

ts sumptuous transformation is all down to the vision of owner and interior designer Claire Thomas, “It was a lot of hard work but the result is absolutely amazing and everything I wanted it to be. There’s a real joy in hosting weddings for people, not just from the UK, but from all over the world who want to get married in stylish surroundings in a picturesque location. International guests are certainly impressed by Yorkshire and all it has to offer too.”

Wharfedale Grange is home to mother of four Claire and the place she spent many happy years with her partner Richard Snowden on their 200 acre farm, producing wheat, oats, micro vegetables, soft fruits and 10,000 lettuces each week! The sprawling agricultural hub had been in artist and farmer Richard’s family for decades and as he cultivated the land, Claire was kept busy with her interior design business, revamping top of the range properties and stately homes.

Sometimes though, life throws a catastrophic curveball and in 2010 Richard was diagnosed with cancer and given just six months to live. “I needed to spend what precious time we had left together and put my design business on hold, but I had to do something at home to keep things ticking over financially,” explains Claire.

A marquee was borrowed and promptly erected in one of the fields and the determined entrepreneur put her creative skills to full use, decorating to a high standard and ensuring the stunning setting appealed to couples wanting to tie the knot in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside.

It was a huge sell-out success and weddings were arranged with brides and grooms from across the globe. “One couple from Sweden had seen the beautiful images of Yorkshire on TV when watching the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2014 and knew that their perfect marriage location was right here.

They were not disappointed.” Claire explains.

Richard went on to receive treatment for the next 4 1/2 years, continuing to work as an artist and on the farm, as Claire arranged stylish weddings, allowing time for the pair to be side by side and a crucial support for one another. After Richard’s passing, Claire realised that farming wasn’t for her. “Not with my nails!” she exclaims.

One thing she knew she could do and do well, was arranging wonderful weddings and parties. Claire had four barns, acres of land and a fabulous farmhouse, plus the enthusiasm and skills to completely convert the place into not only a luxury wedding location but an ideal events venue too. “From bar mitzvahs to birthday bashes, we’re open for business,” Claire proudly declares.

Proud, she should be too, after many stressful months of jumping through hoops and planning permission challenges, the result is astounding and final details were being finished to the highest standard right down to the wire. As the first bride and groom to celebrate their nuptials at the newly renovated Wharfedale Grange arrived and the crunching of wedding car wheels could be heard on the sweeping gravel drive, Claire was bustling workers, still fixing the final skirting boards to the walls, out of the back door.

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nter the wonderful world of Wharfedale Grange, with a stunning ceremony room complete with a cascade of twinkling lights, a chic cocktail bar stacked with spirits, champers and so many more tipples, a marvellous mezzanine sprinkled with sparkling chandeliers and elegant, soft velvet furnishings, parties from 50 – 250 can be catered for in the vast dining hall with spectacular views. There’s even a private luxury suite for the bride and bridesmaids to dress and make those flawless final touches. Decadent design dominates in the ladies loo too with Prosecco on tap for that all important top-up!

Working closely with specially selected local businesses to make sure that every requirement for a perfect party has been catered for, from caterers to music performers, photography to floristry and an impressive on-site kitchen, the team at Wharfedale Grange are on hand for that all important advice and to accommodate suggested requests.

“We work closely together and our sole aim is to make everyone’s occasion the best it can possibly be in fabulous surroundings,” explains Zach Williamson, Events Manager, with vast experience in bar and restaurant businesses, as well as modelling for international brands!

Floral designers at on-site Leafy Couture can create everything that’s fresh flower and foliage fantastic, from intricate buttonholes to jaw-dropping floral installations.

“We really couldn’t be in a more beautiful and inspiring location”, enthuses expert florist and Leafy Couture owner Sarah Richardson.

“We’re a team who love what we do and we work with flowers to produce a range of designs from cutting edge to timeless elegance, taking inspiration from fashion, art and nature, using the best quality blooms from locally sourced growers and international suppliers.”

They say it’s the best day of your life but what do the newlyweds really think?

“It was magical! When we first visited it was still an old barn with no roof and stairs leading to nowhere. We only had to have one conversation with Claire to know that this was going to be the most exquisite and

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perfect venue for us. We believed in her vision and we couldn’t have been happier with the spectacular transformation into the most impressive wedding venue we have ever seen,” Emily Allen and her husband Luke reminisce.

“The best thing about Wharfedale Grange is the attention to detail and the glamorous décor. Claire has truly thought of everything and her style is impeccable. The dedicated team are so kind and really couldn’t have done any more for us. Everything was under control.

It was perfection.” Luke and Emily were married on 11 August and guests flew in from the USA, Australia and all corners of England and Scotland and fell in love with Yorkshire.

Emma Gray and Adam Mulroy were married in September, “We were not only blown away by the stunning venue and the views, but the local suppliers were top-quality and the friendly staff at Wharfedale Grange made everything special, right down to the last detail. It was a fabulous day and we had guests arriving from Scotland, Ireland and the Dordogne, all stunning places but they adored Yorkshire and most stayed on to explore the surrounding area, visiting Harewood House, shopping in boutiques and generally having the best time.”

Asked if they’d recommend Wharfedale Grange to prospective wedding couples, the unanimous response? “I do.”

INSPIRATION From country, coastal and city to quirky or traditional, when it comes to planning one of the most important days of your life, Yorkshire has a whole range of venues and suppliers guaranteed to make your day extra special.

To find out more go to yorkshire.com/ weddings

Clockwise from top: Emma and Adam on their big day © Cream Photography. Emily and Luke © Linda Blann Photography. Wharfedale Grange is nestled in the emerald fields between Leeds and Harrogate.

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WELCOME TO THE YORKSHIRE COAST

Clockwise from top left: Some of the best surfing in the country. Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. The view from Ravenscar towards Robin Hood’s Bay. Filey Bay.

Vitamin sea

The traditional seaside towns that make up Yorkshire’s shoreline are a characterful collective of everything that makes a trip to the coast so rewarding. Come rain or shine, there’s something for everyone in these spectacular spots.

More British holidaymakers have visited the Yorkshire coast in recent years than any other part of the country outside of London and it’s easy to see why. Filey is home to Britain’s Best Beach (The Times, 2018) a 5-mile stretch of glorious golden sands, quirky beach huts and rousing rock pools. It’s not uncommon to see a snoozing seal in early spring and porpoises regularly hug the shoreline when the summer sun comes out.

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than a scaler, Alpamare is the place for you. Their state of the art chutes will keep adrenalin junkies happy and with an assortment of pools and a new spa on site, it won’t be difficult to keep everyone amused.

Head up the coast to Scarborough and take your pick of adventures and activities. Go fossil hunting with the Hidden Horizons team and maybe see a dinosaur footprint or two.

Scarborough SEA LIFE Sanctuary is full of family-friendly exhibits and marine displays, plenty to keep the little ones interested in finding out more about life under the sea.

Landlubbers will enjoy a trip up the Central Tramway, a Victorian tramway that will take you from the beach to the town, where you will find shops and restaurants aplenty. Look out for the Stephen Joseph Theatre, home of notable playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn, CBE, which has a variety of productions on all year round to keep everyone in the family entertained. The Open Air Theatre is the largest of its kind in Europe and, having hosted big names like Britney Spears and Lionel Richie, it’s definitely worth checking to see which superstars are queuing up to play there next.

Learn to surf, paddleboard, or master the art of ‘coasteering’ with Scarborough Surf School, or visit the North Yorkshire Water Park, a floating inflatable obstacle course, guaranteed to provide a ‘total wipeout’ style experience! If you’re more of a slider

North of Scarborough is the picturesque Robin Hood’s Bay, a stunning seaside resort brimming with activity. Beautiful in its own right, the Bay is a great place to visit if you’re looking for somewhere new to walk, cycle or horse ride including

Farsyde Riding Centre. It’s also full of charming eateries and hotels like the resplendent Victoria Hotel, located in a prime spot with striking panoramic views of the captivating coastline. History buffs will find the Bay’s smuggling past of interest and can follow the trail to learn more about the sort of contraband that used to illegally make its way into Yorkshire.

Even further north is the iconic town of Whitby. Dracula, Goth, Steampunk, whatever you envisage when you think of this famed harbour town, there’s something on offer for all interests and pursuits. Climb the 199 steps to the English Heritage site of Whitby Abbey, or visit the new Endeavour Experience, a life-size replica of Captain Cook’s time-honoured ship. With two decks of interactive features and displays you can step back in time and see what life was like for the crew members who sailed aboard this distinguished vessel.

You can also head to the Captain Cook Memorial Museum if you’d like to find out more about the man himself and see where he spent his formative years.

Why not follow in his footsteps (so to speak!) and head for the sea with a Whitby Whale Watching trip? Or get creative at The Whitby Jet Heritage Centre, where you can learn all about the town’s most notable gemstone (loved by Queen Victoria) and even have a go at making your own jewellery.

Fish & chip connoisseurs should head to Fusco’s Royal Fisheries who celebrated their 50th year of business in 2018. The Fusco family also own the traditional Quayside restaurant, as well Fish Box, who have a second shop on the clifftop in Robin Hood’s Bay. If you’re just looking to relax after all that activity, treat yourself to a round of golf and a comfy stay at the quirky Pinewood Park for a luxury glamping lodge with hot tubs, tipis and more.

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And the winner is...

Gareth Southgate was made an Honorary Yorkshireman and the best of Yorkshire scored high at the White Rose Awards, the UK’s largest tourism celebration.

Alice Bailey looks at some of the winning businesses who attract millions of visitors every year to the county. orkshire has been fertile ground for writers for centuries, from the enduring talent of the globally lauded Brontë sisters to the powerful works of former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and the razor sharp observational wit of Leeds playwright Alan Bennett. So, while every finalist at this year’s White Rose Awards impressed the judges, perhaps it’s no surprise there were a number of strong connections amongst the winners to literature and the spoken word.

The county has had more to celebrate than ever over the last 12 months. Yorkshire experienced a record-breaking number of international visits during the first half of 2018 and the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth was just one of the attractions reporting a rise in people coming from overseas.

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The Bradford district has long been a hub for literature, diversity and culture, from the Brontë’s themselves to J.B. Priestley and Andrea Dunbar, plus newer talent like A A Dhand and Fiona Mozley. All these writers have featured in the Bradford Literature Festival - winner of the 2018 Tourism Event of the Year Award.

A literary extravaganza celebrating the written and spoken word, it’s grown from two days and 25 events to 10 days and 300 events, in just three years. The judges described this as a phenomenal achievement and called the event one of the most inspiring in the UK. With more than 50,000 people visiting, of all ages and diverse backgrounds, it’s a cultural pearl for Bradford which the whole of Yorkshire can be incredibly proud of.

In South Yorkshire the county’s literary heritage is inspiring a new generation. The 2018 Small Attraction of the Year Award winner Grimm & Co, uses the power of writing and storytelling to entertain and inspire; its strap line is “changing lives one story at a time”. This unique attraction would not look out of place on Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, with a secret door and children’s only writing room. The judges

described it as “a magical world in the heart of Rotherham that helps children reconnect with the awe and wonder of their imaginations by building their writing skills and confidence. In an instant, digital age, children get the chance to truly engage with traditional storytelling and the joy of seeing their own story printed in book form at the end.”

With Yorkshire writers Barry Hines (A Kestrel for a Knave) and Joanne Harris (Chocolat) both trustees of the charity which runs it, it’s only to be expected that this is a wonderful addition to Yorkshire’s tourism offer and brings so much more than just a great day out.

This year’s Arts and Culture Award was won by the recently renamed Leeds Playhouse, the judges commenting on how it had “grown and delighted audiences of all ages for almost five decades”. One

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WHITE ROSE AWARDS WINNERS 2018 Arts and Culture Award Leeds Playhouse Business Tourism Award Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate Guest Accommodation Cambridge House, Reeth Holiday Park Vale of Pickering Caravan Park Inns and Restaurants with Rooms Estbek House, Sandsend Large Attraction of the Year Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley Large Hotel of the Year The Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa, Bolton Abbey Outstanding Customer Service Team York Maze Producers and Makers Tipple Tails, Sheffield Pub of the Year The Dunkirk, Denby Dale Restaurant of the Year Skosh, York Self-Catering Accommodation Broadgate Farm Cottages, Beverley Small Attraction of the Year Grimm & Co, Rotherham of its final productions, before work started on a multi-millionpound redevelopment, was of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads – which they toured across the city of Leeds in the homes of local residents – highlighting perfectly one of its award-winning qualities - engaging with, and involving, local communities.

The White Rose judges noted other recent highlights included a groundbreaking dementia festival with a big focus on accessibility and theatre for all. But this doesn’t detract from the venue’s ability to pull a crowd. The highly creative Christmas show - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - smashed the venue’s box office record.

Yorkshire in 2019 is an essential visit for lovers of culture and literature as the scene continues to thrive, and the county’s literary heroes and heroines continue to inspire people to visit the county that so inspired them.

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Small Hotel of the Year Brocco on the Park, Sheffield Taste of Yorkshire Yummy Yorkshire, Denby Dale Tourism Event of the Year Bradford Literature Festival Visitor Information Award Aysgarth Falls Tourist Information Centre

Clockwise from left: Stunning rooms at Brocco on the Park in Sheffield.

Venue filling performances at the Bradford Literature Festival. Yorkshire Event Centre. Breakfast at Yummy Yorkshire. Cannon Hall Farm in Barnsley.

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WELCOME TO SELBY

Hidden gem At the heart of Yorkshire, the district of Selby is one of Yorkshire’s hidden gems and encompasses the bustling market towns of Selby and Tadcaster.

Why not head off the beaten track and explore the huge and truly breathtaking medieval Abbey, discover a crumbling 15th century gatehouse and then settle down for a memorable meal in one of the many fine restaurants.

Overflowing with heritage and culture, the jewel in the district’s crown is the great Norman Selby Abbey, founded under William the Conqueror by Royal Charter, which celebrates its 950th anniversary in 2019. Special events to commemorate this will include the Abbey bell peal, organ recitals, a celebration of St. Germain (the patron saint of the Abbey) and spectacular illuminations set against the dramatic backdrop of this striking edifice. The Abbey is not just a building, it’s a living and vibrant part of the local community providing a space that allows the visitor and the worshipper alike to find peace and tranquillity. Families can discover more about the Abbey by following the Benedict Trail. Nearby Abbot’s Staith, a 15th century medieval storehouse and scheduled monument, is believed to have been built by the Benedictine monks and used as a storage space for the Abbey. Other historical sites in the area include Tadcaster’s spectacular viaduct, St Mary’s in Tadcaster, Cawood Castle and Monk Fryston Hall.

Clockwise from top left: Selby Abbey. Field of Dreams Festival, Escrick Park Estate. Luxurious interiors at Carlton Towers. RSPB Fairburn Ings.

Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens. Selby Abbey’s 950th anniversary in 2019.

Summit Indoor Adventure.

Tadcaster is a delightful market town surrounded by beautiful North Yorkshire countryside. You can walk along the Wharfe or head to the site of the Battle of Towton, considered to be one of the key conflicts in the Wars of the Roses. With a fantastic array of cosy pubs selling fine ales and three historic breweries, including Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, the oldest brewery in Yorkshire, it’s the perfect place to stop off for a relaxing afternoon.

For an alternative day out, why not discover the local power station that’s responsible for generating 6% of the UK’s electricity and 15% of its total renewable electricity; Drax Power Station. Electricity is at the heart of everything we do, but how often do we stop and think about how it’s produced? It’s a fascinating process and it’s not just the power station that’s open to visitors. You’ll also be able to explore the Skylark Centre and Nature Reserve, to see local wildlife on a stunning reserve built and maintained by Drax.

Selby also has a diverse cultural offer. The award-winning arts centre at Selby Town Hall is an intimate venue hosting world-class performances across a range of art forms including music, comedy and theatre. The town’s Selby Globe Community Cinema (based in the Town Hall) presents a series of contemporary and classic films, shown as they should be, on the big screen.

Become one with nature and explore your wild side in an area abundant with woodland, wildlife and the great outdoors. Walkers and cyclists will love the scenery around

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Selby, in particular the Trans Pennine Trail cycleway with its direct path into the heart of York. The district is flat and offers quiet country roads that are ideal for cycling. The area hosts numerous other cycling sportive and challenges for all abilities, there’ll definitely be something to keep everyone busy!

The Selby Horseshoe Walk involves a nine-mile route starting at Selby Abbey. The route includes the Selby Canal towpath, Brayton Barff, field paths and the Selby Dam. This walk is particularly good in spring when a variety of wild flowers and birds can be seen. The Selby Canal is a quiet backwater from the Aire & Calder Navigation, providing a peaceful setting for boating, walking and cycling.

RSPB Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve is an exciting site for family activities and serious wildlife watching. Shaped by a long history of coal mining, Fairburn Ings protects a mixture of habitats.

For a more culinary experience, head to the spectacular Carlton Towers. Hidden away in a quiet corner of rural Yorkshire, it combines history and beauty on an epic scale. Cooks School of Food will enable you to learn and master the culinary arts from leading chefs in state of the art facilities that have been lovingly restored to reflect their original appearance. The house itself, which is the royal home of the Duke of Norfolk, is a wonderful suite of rooms where you can eat, drink and relax with friends, family or colleagues.

As well as hosting a regular programme of seasonal events to get involved in, it is often used as a backdrop for film and TV dramas, such as the recent costume drama, Victoria. Follow this with a gentle stroll around Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens, a quintessentially English garden, managed to be as wildlife friendly as possible. It is a family garden, lovingly planted over 40 years ago and now comprises a series of small gardens surrounding a family home, opening out into an avenue that leads to a wild flower meadow.

Ever wanted to see what you’re made of and try something new and exciting? Perhaps pick up a new hobby? You can do all this and more at Summit Indoor Adventure. They’ve got thrilling indoor climbing walls, aerial trekking, tenpin bowling, a fantastic skate park, a sprawling adventure play zone for little ones and a stylish bar and diner for grown-up kids. For more outdoorsy activities, the Escrick Park Estate offers air rifle shoots, cross-country horse riding and various events including the popular VW Festival. Or, to get your adrenaline really pumping, take part in a range of flying experiences with Sherburn Aero Club.

Why not challenge yourself and your friends to complete a series of puzzles and challenges with one of the escape rooms’ experiences at The Escapologist. Escape rooms are designed as an immersive adventure within a themed room, for groups of between 2-6 players. The ultimate goal is to work through the puzzles and clues in the room within 60 minutes and ultimately ‘escape’, before rewarding yourself with delicious food and drink in the steampunk themed bar and artisan kitchen.

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YO R K S H I R E I S WHO I AM. IT’S IN M Y B LO O D A N D H A S A LWAY S B E E N PA R T O F MY LIFE. Bradford-born presenter Anita Rani tells us about her roots, Countryfile highs and what she’s looking forward to in 2019.

Yorkshire is who I am and has always been a part of my life.

Bradford is such a handsome city and it’s where I spent a lot of my time as a kid, walking up and down the hilly streets. My mum and dad had a factory in the heart of Bradford and I’d be there pretty much every day after school. One early memory I do have is of starlings, lots of them, in the city centre.

I moved to London in 2001 but there are so many things I enjoy when I come back. Bradford is located in the middle of beautiful surrounding countryside, there’s Ilkley Moor, Baildon Moor and Shipley Glen, all great places for walking. There’s also so much culture, with the Alhambra Theatre, the newly renovated St George’s Hall for concerts and you can always get a great curry.

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© Simon Webb photography

Yorkshire is in my blood. It’s in my accent. I grew up amongst wonderful culture, humour and friendly chat, experiencing a lot of this when I was little and spending time on Yorkshire markets.

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INTERVIEW

© BBC Studios Pete Dadds

Whitby is my favourite place in Yorkshire. It’s like stepping back in time and I love its mysterious feel.

I have strong childhood memories of regular trips there. There’s phenomenal history all around the county but Saltaire is spectacular, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the creation of manufacturer and philanthropist Sir Titus Salt.

What a character, with such vision.

“ W H E N I M OV E D T O L O N D O N I WA S T O L D T H AT T H E R E ’ S LO T S O F C O U N T R Y S I D E I N T H E C A P I TA L B U T I T H O U G H T ‘ W H AT ? ’ N O T W H E N YO U ’ V E L I V E D I N YO R K S H I R E . ” There’s a very strong feeling of cultural identity in Yorkshire, it’s the biggest county in England, it’s stunningly beautiful and there’s a distinct sense of humour that I love. I always have a running joke when I meet somebody new “How can you tell if someone’s from Yorkshire?

They’ll tell you in the first five minutes.” That’s me, that’s what I do (laughs). From Hull Truck Theatre to Northern Ballet, of which I’m honoured to be on the Board of Directors and although I never had a tutu or even danced as a child, I love the arts and dance. Yorkshire is Hockney country, Henry Moore’s from the county and there are so many creative people.

Countryfile is a gift of a programme and is so loved.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel the length and breadth of the country and I got to rock-climb in Malham, but when filming in Yorkshire, I feel I’ve come home, so it doesn’t feel like work. In August BBC Countryfile Live will be at the stunningly beautiful Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.

It’ll be like a homecoming and fantastic fun. I’ll be having a wander, meeting people and

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sampling gorgeous food. It’s a fabulous country fair but it appeals to city people too.

The Brontës are inspirational Yorkshire people. I grew up so close to Haworth where they lived and wrote their amazing stories. Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is my favourite book.

It’s dark and broody with a wonderful description of the moors and landscape, a mixture of romance and eeriness. I find it all deeply romantic.

Jodie Whittaker, Doctor Who, is flying the flag for Yorkshire in a brilliant way. I saw her being interviewed recently and she was talking about Wakefield but she called it Wakey. (laughs) The Yorkshire countryside is dramatic and varied. There’s a real contrast from the Yorkshire Dales to the North York Moors and it’s such a stunning drive out to the coast. When I moved to London I was told that there’s lots of countryside in the capital but I thought ‘what?’ Not when you’ve lived in Yorkshire. There are so many places to explore but I did walk the Dales Way over five days when I was young.

Yorkshire is the best place in Britain! It’s quintessentially English and there’s so much variety with gorgeous villages, stunning countryside, fabulous cities and there are airports so people can easily get to it.

My perfect day out would be going to Saltaire and Salts Mill, followed by a drive to Bolton Abbey, then up to Malham and it’s essential to fit in a Bradford curry at some point. Rudding Park is a beautiful hotel and I’d love to stay at The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa near Bolton Abbey.

I’d still love to visit many places in Yorkshire. My husband’s a southerner and I want to take him to lots of the little villages in the Dales and to make sure it includes great food in an old inn with an open fire. I’ve also read about the Michelin-starred The Star Inn at Harome, it looks beautiful.

People are always surprised that I love underground drum and bass music. When I was at Leeds Uni I loved going clubbing and I have a huge CD collection that I need to digitise.

I got married in 2009 so that was a good year and in 2015 I took part in the amazing Strictly Come Dancing, I was on Who Do You Think You Are and I started work on Countryfile, not bad There’s so much I’d still love to achieve, including writing. I’m a firm believer that there are no limits to what you can do and that the best is yet to come.

I’m excited about my podcast It’s Anita Rani that’s happening now. Of course I’m looking forward to Countryfile Live in August at Castle Howard and I’m presenting Blue Planet II on an arena tour in March and it’s coming to Leeds and Sheffield.

I’ll be with an 80-piece orchestra, but don’t worry, I won’t be conducting. (laughs)

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REDCAR SALTBURN

REDCAR

TO THE M6 FOR BIRMINGHAM AND CUMBRIA

STAITHES SALTBURN MIDDLESBROUGH MIDDLESBROUGH BARNARD CASTLE BARNARD CASTLE STAITHES GUISBOROUGH WHITBY YARM A171 A1 BOWES GUISBOROUGH A67 WHITBY KIRKBY A171 YARM A66 DANBY STEPHEN A66 DANBY A172 A685 A19 RICHMOND GOATHLAND KIRKBY BOWES ROBIN HOOD’S BAY A1 TEBAY STEPHEN A172OSMOTHERLEY A685 REETH NORTH YORK ROBIN HOOD’S BAY RICHMOND MOORS OSMOTHERLEY CATTERICK TEBAY NORTHALLERTON LEYBURN NORTHALLERTON REETH A169 NORTH YORK SEDBERGH A684 YORKSHIRE SCARBOROUGH MOORS SEDBERGH LEYBURN BEDALE A683 DALES HAWES PICKERING SCARBOROUGH SUTTON BANK A170 SEAMER DENT A6108 A1 SUTTON BANK A684 YORKSHIRE A170 A683 HELMSLEY DALES PICKERING HAWES FILEY THIRSK MASHAM HELMSLEY KIRKBY LONSDALE MASHAM DENT SEAMER THIRSK FILEY LOFTHOUSE HORTON-IN-RIBBLESDALE KIRKBY LONSDALE FLAMBOROUGH A19 INGLETON MALTON A165 HORTON-IN-RIBBLESDALE HEAD A165 GRASSINGTON PATELEY BRIDGE INGLETON A19 A61 BOROUGHBRIDGE MALTON BRIDLINGTON RIPLEY A64 FLAMBOROUGH SETTLE GRASSINGTON MALHAM A64 DRIFFIELD HEAD KNARESBOROUGH A65 DRIFFIELD BRIDLINGTON SETTLE BOLTON PATELEYABBEY BRIDGEA59 A166 MALHAM KNARESBOROUGH HARROGATE A166 A614 A1079 A165 SKIPTON A59 WETHERBY A658 HARROGATE A65 SKIPTON HORNSEA POCKLINGTON MARKET A629 ILKLEY ILKLEY WETHERBY A614WEIGHTON A658 OTLEY A1079 A64 A1 A65 A61 A629 KEIGHLEY OTLEY SALTAIRE HORNSEA BEVERLEY A19 BEVERLEY HAWORTH KEIGHLEY A64 SELBY A19 SALTAIRE M1 HAWORTH A164 M606 M621 SELBY A63 A63

RIPON

RIPON

YORK YORK

LEEDS BRADFORDLEEDS

BRADFORD

HEBDEN HALIFAX TODMORDEN BRIDGE HEBDEN BRIDGE MIRFIELD HALIFAX M62 HUDDERSFIELD TODMORDEN MIRFIELD

WAKEFIELD PONTEFRACT A1

WAKEFIELD BARNSLEY

HUDDERSFIELD HOLMFIRTH

A1

HULL

A164

PONTEFRACT A63 M62

GOOLE

A63

HULL HUMBER BRIDGE

HUMBER BRIDGE

M18

GOOLE

A15

A180

M180 SCUNTHORPE

DONCASTER M1 HOLMFIRTH BARNSLEY DONCASTER ROTHERHAM PENISTONE PEAK M18 DISTRICT

WITHERNSEA

WITHERNSEA

GRIMSBY

PENISTONE

CLEETHORPES BRIGG

A18

PEAK ROTHERHAM A57 DISTRICT

SHEFFIELD

SHEFFIELD TO LONDON

BY RAIL

PLAN YOUR JOURNEY Wherever you’re coming from, getting to Yorkshire by rail, road, sea or air couldn’t be easier – and the journey takes you through some of our most stunning scenery on the way.

TO LONDON

BY RAIL

A57

N

KEY Motorways A Roads Rail Routes Airports Heritage Coasts Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Parks Ferryport

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YORKSHIRE BY RAIL

YORKSHIRE BY ROAD

YORKSHIRE BY AIR AND SEA

You can get to Yorkshire by high-speed train from London or Edinburgh in less than two hours. The Midlands is even nearer to Yorkshire’s cities, and TransPennine services offer direct links from the North West and North East.

Britain’s biggest and fastest highways cross Yorkshire from north to south and east to west, making getting here with your own car or by coach very simple indeed.

The Yorkshire county is served by a number of airports, providing daily flights to and from many destinations. With excellent transport links, Yorkshire is also easily accessible from many other airports throughout the UK, through high speed train links and an extensive motorway network.

For timetables and reservations contact: London North Eastern Railway (www.lner.co.uk) Grand Central (www.grandcentralrail.com) National Rail Enquiries (tel 08457 484950 www.nationalrail.co.uk) East Midlands Trains (www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk) Hull Trains (www.hulltrains.co.uk) Northern Rail (www.northernrail.org) Supertram Sheffield (www.supertram.com) Transpennine Express (www.tpexpress.co.uk) Metro (www.wymetro.com) And you can explore Yorkshire’s hills, moors and valleys on some of Britain’s best loved and most spectacular leisure trains, with lovingly preserved vintage rolling stock and historic steam locomotives.

These include the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, Middleton Railway, Wensleydale Railway, Fellsman (for the Settle-Carlisle Railway) and Kirklees Light Railway. To discover more about these super train trips go to www.yorkshire.com.

The A1 and M1 connect from the north and south, while the M6 and M62 link Yorkshire with the Midlands and the North West and the M18/M180 gives easy access to the coast and countryside of northern Lincolnshire.

For details of the quickest (or the most scenic) driving routes see the AA or RAC websites www.theaa.com and www.rac.co.uk.

Coach and bus companies with services to (and within) Yorkshire include: Arriva (www.arrivabus.co.uk/yorkshire) Transdev Blazefield (www.transdevplc.co.uk) East Yorkshire Motor Services (www.eyms.co.uk) First (www.firstgroup.com) Dalesbus (www.dalesbus.org) Moorsbus (www.moorsbus.org) Coastliner (www.yorkbus.co.uk) Brontë Bus (www.keighleybus.co.uk) Connexions Buses (www.connexionsbuses.com) Find further information on regional and local bus and train services from Traveline Yorkshire (www.yorkshiretravel.net).

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (tel 0871 2202210 www.flydsa.co.uk) Leeds Bradford Yorkshire’s Airport (tel 0871 2882288 www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk) Humberside Airport (tel 0844 8877747 www.humbersideairport.com) Manchester Airport (tel 08712 710711 www.manchesterairport.co.uk) Don’t forget P&O Ferries operate direct overnight links into Yorkshire from Rotterdam, Holland and Zeebrugge, Belgium. For more information visit www.poferries.com.

INFORMATION CENTRES Tourist Information Centres can offer plenty of great ideas so you can make the most of your visit. For all the Tourist Information Centres in Yorkshire; www.yorkshire.com/tic.

Find a wide choice of guide books and maps with lots of dedicated walking and cycling routes at Tourist Information Centres across the county, or more ideas from Welcome to Yorkshire at www.yorkshire.com/outdoors.

With thanks to our corporate partners:

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS T WI STE D.. .

RE MA KE H ISTO RY The Land Rover Defender. The most iconic vehicle ever to be created. Steeped in heritage. Rooted in modern British history. The undisputed beast of the green lane.

When the first one was built in 1948, Land Rover gave birth to an icon.

When production ceased in 2016, a legend was born. Now you can own a Twisted modern interpretation of the most significant Defender ever made. www.twistedautomotive.com

A GIN EX PLOS I O N Spirit of Harrogate are excited to announce the launch of their NEW Master Distiller Gin Experience at their Harrogate store, where visitors can distil their own gin and bottle it to take home. This new addition comes after a significant expansion in 2018, taking over the neighbouring property, enabling them to enhance their retail and gin experience offering. www.spiritofharrogate.co.uk

YO RK EX PAN S I O N Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP have opened new offices in York, alongside several senior appointments.

Managing partner, Mark PearsonKendall said: “This move marks the end of a very busy year of growth for the firm in York. Individuals and businesses have more choice than previously in the legal market place, but we believe that success in our profession is built on great relationships, quality advice and tailoring to meet clients aims. www.andrewjackson.co.uk

WAST E EM E RG E N CY Fly-tipping of waste around Yorkshire causes unsightly environmental issues, but also affects homes and businesses. A survey commissioned

by Biffa, a leading national recycling and waste management provider, found that almost half of UK SMEs

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lose up to 10.5 days of time a year removing emergency waste, including illegal fly-tipping, from their premises.

Biffa offers a solution for businesses needing removal of unexpected general, electrical or hazardous waste with its emergency service, OneCall. www.biffa.co.uk

A T RAD ITIO N O F S ERVICE Brewin Dolphin’s Leeds office continues its long tradition of service to clients across Yorkshire. Drawing on the strength of a nationwide network, the office’s 25 financial planners and investment managers look after over 3,000 families and manage over £2 billion for individuals, charities and financial advisers.

To find out how Brewin Dolphin’s experience providing personalised wealth management services can help meet your financial needs go to www.brewin.co.uk

C U L I NARY D E L I GH TS Sheffield’s Fox Valley, is building on its reputation as a great place for eating out with an expansion of the award-winning retail destination’s restaurant offer. Already home to the first Ponti’s Italian Kitchen outside London, it has created further restaurant opportunities to its line-up including a stylish Zorro Lounge.

Zorro Lounge is based in Fox Valley’s iconic umbrella shaped building, at the entrance to the site. www.foxvalleysheffield.co.uk

U N FORGETTABLE R E V ELRY Bramall Lane is one of only two stadiums to have staged the FA Cup Final and Ashes Test Cricket; a legend of a venue! Famed throughout football for its warm welcome, the team will ensure that you and your guests have a day you won’t forget.

Hospitality packages are tailored to your needs; from celebrating a birthday or anniversary, to large parties entertaining corporate guests or conferences. www.sufcconferenceandevents.co.uk

FRO M TE A TO TREES To celebrate 100 years of Bettys, the family business has launched a Centenary Trees for Life fund to help communities around Yorkshire make a difference to their landscape.

The £100,000 fund will support projects that increase tree cover, improve woodland access, enhance habitats and provide environmental education. Bettys, who have a long-term commitment to trees, are working with the Two Ridings Community Foundation providing up to £4000 grants for a variety of environmental projects. They’re welcoming applications from small charities, community and voluntary groups and schools until August. www.bettys.co.uk

ADAP TABILITY Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa, Leeds, is investing £30,000 on developing a meeting room into a more adaptable space. The Gallery Suite will be a welcome addition to the hotel’s business centre, offering a multi-use room for up to 60 people, with its own private bar facility. Part of an ongoing programme of investment in the hotel’s conference space, they’re developing a series of creative event spaces that can be individually tailored. www.thorpeparkhotel.co.uk

TERM INAL RE LIEF Leeds Bradford Yorkshire’s Airport is looking to the future! 2018 saw them welcome new shareholders, update their brand and make vast changes to the departure lounge.

After the success of their new outbound facilities, they’re looking to break ground on Phase Two of redevelopment works. This will see improvements to the inbound passenger experience, with a new arrivals hall, border facilities and baggage reclaim. The shareholders and Chief Executive David Laws, are determined to create an airport Yorkshire can be proud of. www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS INDE PE N D E N T LI V I N G

D U E CARE A N D ATTE NTIO N

TH E RIGH T S K ILLS

Eversheds Sutherland are supporting St George’s Crypt’s ‘Angels Campaign’, which provides emergency accommodation to Leeds rough sleepers. The Crypt supports individuals to develop their wellbeing, employability skills and independence. With a housing shortage for those ready to leave, it has launched a £5m project to build 40 self-contained units for those transitioning to independent living.

Eversheds-Sutherland has promised to support the crypt raise £650,000. www.eversheds-sutherland.com

September saw the first trainee nurses on the Yorkshire Coast for 23 years when CU Scarborough launched their BSc Adult Nursing course. Demand was so high from applicants, they had to increase the places offered. Emily Harrison, Course Leader in Nursing said, “It is very positive that we have already been able to expand the places on the course, further addressing the skills shortages in the area.” www.coventry.ac.uk/cus

With an eye on the future, Christeyns, the Bradford-based detergent, hygiene and construction chemical manufacturer, is investing further in developing its staff to meet future growth. 2018 saw its intake of apprentices double, bringing the total to ten. Providing young people with the right skills and opportunities is vital for the prosperity of the company and industry. As Christeyns works towards its goals for the next decade, a Leadership Development Programme has been introduced to recognise emerging talent and enhance skills. www.christeyns.com

A KE Y P L AY E R As a regional economic champion and partner of the Northern Powerhouse Partners Programme, Yorkshire Bank is committed to the success of Yorkshire and the Humber’s SMEs. They play a pivotal role in supporting Yorkshire’s businesses and pledged to lend £900 million to the region’s SMEs in the last three years. They’re on track, announcing in April 2018 that in 2017, lending surpassed £305 million. In 2019, they’ll compete for a slice of the RBS Alternative Remedies Package, boosting competition in the business banking sector. www.ybonline.co.uk

A TI ME FO R G ROW T H Yorkshire-headquartered workplace design company Chameleon Business Interiors is looking ahead to further expansion in Toronto in 2019. It has had a base there since 2015, offering the same high-quality refurbishments, relocations, redesigns and fit-outs as its UK-wide operation. CBI chairman Shaun Watts believes demand will continue on the other side of the Atlantic and here. “Toronto is an exciting and thriving city where we are proud to have made an impact on business performance through excellent design which enhances company culture”. www.chameleonbusiness-interiors.co.uk

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B R OO K TAVERNER G R OW TH Retail and corporate wear company Brook Taverner, achieved another strong trading performance in 2018.

Against a backdrop of high street upheaval, the online business has again seen an increase in sales. The company has three standalone stores where customers can ‘try before they buy’, ‘click & collect’ and drop off for free returns. With another 12 stores planned. It makes a point of using Yorkshire fabrics where possible and has strong links with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the Great Yorkshire Show and Welcome to Yorkshire and supplies fine tweed garments to the latter. www.brooktaverner.co.uk

YO RKS H IRE’S T H REE P E AKS A team of six from Gateley Plc Leeds walked 26 miles overnight as they tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks for Candlelighters, raising over £1,500.

After work, they travelled to Horton, before taking in Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent. Walking through the night, they caught the train back to Leeds the following morning. Candlelighters is a local charity that works with children fighting cancer and their families throughout Yorkshire. www.gateleyplc.com

TIM BE RRRR! !

Arnold Laver has launched a beautiful new range of oak furniture, that is designed and handcrafted in Yorkshire. Perfect for both a traditional and a modern setting, this range is manufactured from premium French and American timbers. All pieces are available in a choice of colours and finishes.

The collection includes: tables, firesurrounds, mantels, shelving, mirrors, flooring, mouldings and doors.

Visit www.oakforhome.co.uk for more information. For general timber products quote code WTY10OFF to take advantage of a special 10% discount at www.laveronline.co.uk

INNOVATIO N The University of Leeds will build on a year in which it secured £175m of new research awards with the opening of its new £40m Nexus Innovation Centre, supporting stronger connections with business to create world-leading research centred around real-world, market-based problems. Work will continue on a £96m facility for physical sciences and engineering that will create a step change in the University’s expertise in next generation materials. The University continues to be one of the country’s top institutions for the size and diversity of its student intake. www.leeds.ac.uk

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS SU PPORTI N G NE W VE NTURE S The Opportunity Centre in York is pleased to announce the opening of York Office Hub, offering friendly co-working spaces for new startups, freelancers, remote workers and growing businesses. The space has been set up after identifying the need to give local businesses a home, providing those who work independently the opportunity to join a community of diverse professionals to support their business growth.

York Office Hub will be offered on a no contract basis and simple monthly payment. Contact 01904 656655. www.aspire-igen.com

PERFECT SH O PPI NG DESTI N AT IO N Scotch Corner Designer Village will be the leading outlet shopping and leisure destination in the North of England when it opens in 2020. The 25-acre site will comprise over 80 stores and ten restaurants and cafés.

It will be home to a mix of premium and best of high street stores and a number of premium Yorkshire brands. The ambition is to introduce an extensive leisure offer to create a destination offering a fantastic dayout experience. www.scotchcorner designervillage.com

B LO OM I NG MA RV E L LO U S BREAD Hull’s Jacksons bakery has expanded production with a new £40m stateof-the-art bakery. The new bakery can make around 10,000 loaves of bread an hour and has been built to support Jacksons’ main bakery in Hull, which makes sandwich bread and Jacksons’ Yorkshire’s Champion Bread. Part of the family-owned William Jackson Food Group, which owns Abel & Cole, Wellocks, MyFresh and The Food Doctor. www.wjfg.co.uk

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P E R FE CT H AVEN Spring sees the opening of the luxury 47-bedroom hotel and wellness retreat Grantley Hall. The 17th century Grade II listed mansion house has been lavishly renovated and will boast a diverse range of bars and restaurants plus a new spa, ELITE luxury gym and wellness facilities.

In addition, a design led stand-alone building, The Garden Pavilion, has been created, which houses the principal wedding and function suite, a champagne and cocktail bar and a vibrant pan-Asian bar and restaurant. www.grantleyhall.co.uk

WO RLD CLASS Synergy Automotive is outperforming household names globally to measure customer loyalty. The vehicle leasing business has a consistent ‘world-class’ Net Promoter Score of 94 which exceeds Apple’s score of 63 and Netflix with 62 and achieved its Gold Trusted Service Award for delivering a 5-star customer experience for the fourth consecutive year. www.synergyautomotive.co.uk

C E L EBRATING S U CC ESS A significant year for the food manufacturer Symington’s. They invested heavily in their brands, running a highly successful TV campaign for Mugshot and introducing category leading NPD for their number one Authentic brand Naked. Strategic partnerships with their Free From brand ilumi and Disney have helped drive further growth. In addition to this they recently launched a tie up with St George’s Crypt to help support the homeless and vulnerable in Leeds www.symingtons.com

CO N SU LATE O F PAK ISTAN To enhance relations and serving the community, the Consulate of Pakistan in Bradford is working to promote people to people contacts, trade, tourism, culture and interfaith harmony. Pakistan is a natural

destination for British entrepreneurs and investments arising out of economic growth of the Pakistani economy due to China-Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC). www.pakistanconsulatebradford.com

NE W OW NERS Following Sky Betting and Gaming’s acquisition by The Stars Group Inc., the Yorkshire-based tech business heads into 2019 as part of one of the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming companies. The transaction will allow SBG to offer best in-class products to a truly global audience from Leeds. A continued record of job creation and investment in Yorkshire, with talented people and high-quality tech expertise here have been key to recent growth. www.skybetcareers.com

LAND M ARK RE CYC LING ADVANCE Harrogate Water, Britain’s oldest bottled water brand, has announced a switch to more than 50% recycled content in its PET bottles. The industry-leading move matches the recycled content of its glass bottles.

CEO James Cain said: “It is not an inevitability that PET bottles end up in our rivers and oceans. We’re all responsible for ensuring that we dispose of our packaging properly and recycle our bottles so that they can go on to become another bottle.” www.harrogatespring.com

JO INING TH E FAM ILY JCT600 are delighted to have been chosen by luxury brand Rolls-Royce as their representative in Yorkshire.

Bringing this world-leading motor marque back to Yorkshire after an absence of almost 20 years, JCT600 will offer both new and pre-owned Rolls-Royce cars, as well as full aftersales services from its new home at their flagship specialist cars location in Leeds. JCT600 has a long heritage of partnering with leading car marques. www.jct600.co.uk/rolls-royce

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS P ROPE RT Y A N D PL AC E S Caddick Group start the first phase of development on the £300m mixeduse scheme at Quarry Hill in Leeds.

SOYO Leeds, will be part of the cultural quarter, with the six-acre site filled with bars, restaurants and new homes. Caddick Group’s Construction arm is overseeing the final phase of the new combined Rugby and Cricket stand, the Emerald Headingley Stadium in Headingley, Leeds. www.caddick.co.uk

WHEELIE GOOD Esh Construction recently completed the construction of Ravenscliffe High School’s Sixth Form College, opened

by Lord Sebastian Coe and Hannah Cockroft MBE. The new facility is set alongside the existing Spring Hall Sports Track and will benefit students with special educational needs.

Esh continue to see strong growth in the region with secured turnover into 2019 of upward of £25m split equally between commercial developments and social housing. www.eshgroup.co.uk

INV E STM E N T A N D G R OW T H Barclays has launched a new £500m growth fund for SMEs in the North of England as part of its commitment to support the Northern Powerhouse initiative and will inject investment into Yorkshire businesses. Launching the fund, Jes Staley, CEO said: “Barclays has been helping businesses across the

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north to succeed since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and that is why I’m delighted to announce our £500m Northern Powerhouse Growth Fund.” www.barclays.co.uk

R A IS ING FU NDS Addleshaw Goddard has announced a new charity partnership with leading children’s charity NSPCC Leeds, aligning with the firm’s focus of ‘Unlocking Young Potential’.

Simon Kamstra, Head of the Leeds office, adds: “As a firm, CSR remains incredibly important to us. We look forward to raising funds and awareness for the work that NSPCC Leeds does in our community.” www.addleshawgoddard.com

SP RING IN TO 2019 A £3.5m investment expansion plan is set to begin in 2019 at Tong Garden Centre, creating a family destination, with a new 1,200 m2 soft-play facility that includes a 200-seat restaurant and the creation of a multipurpose event space. In addition, an improved shopping experience in time for the gardening season in spring. www.tonggardencentre.co.uk

O N TRACK Progeny continued on its growth track in 2018. Group headcount now exceeds 100 and its Wealth business has grown assets under management to more than £1.5bn.

They have continued to further their charity partnerships, with Dreams

Come True and Leeds Community Foundation, along with individual charities selected by each office.

Group MD Neil Moles said “2019 is a very exciting year for us, as we look to cement our nationwide expansion”. www.theprogenygroup.com

CHAMPIONING THE EXTRAORDINARY As Official Vehicle Partner to the Tour de Yorkshire, Leeds United FC and Leeds Rhinos RUFC, Global are privileged to showcase our shared values for success and ambition by supporting elite sports in the region.

As a world-class corporate mobility and fleet management provider with UK-wide coverage, we’re delighted to be the Official Vehicle Sponsor to the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire. www.globalautocare.co.uk

INC RE AS E D TU RNOVER Irwin Mitchell has announced turnover growth for the eighth successive year to £241.8m for 2017-18, representing a rise of 53% and 3% year-on-year growth. Profit before tax in 2017-18 of £12.1m was as per the previous year.

As well as a market-leading personal injury division, Irwin Mitchell’s Private Wealth division has grown and was named as a top-tier firm in the eprivateclient rankings. The Business Legal Services division continues to grow, being named in Experian’s top 10 most active UK M&A legal advisers in 2017. www.irwinmitchell.com

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