I have a confession to make. I’ve been unfaithful. I didn’t stay in Yorkshire for my latest holiday. I went to Bruges. And Amsterdam. And Mainz, Heidelberg and the Black Forest in Germany, Luzern in Switzerland, and finally Paris. It was one of those ‘if it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium’ escorted coach tours, and it packed an awful lot into eight days. I now know, at least in theory, how to polish a diamond, carve a clog, make cheese and assemble a cuckoo clock. It was great in its way, but you know what? It wasn’t Yorkshire.

If you want a proper cup of tea, or a full-on cooked breakfast with all the trimmings (from farms just a few miles from your hotel), don’t head for Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland or France this summer.

If, on the other hand, you want to savour our black pudding, home-laid eggs, Yorkshire tea, bacon, fresh-baked bread, real ale and a whole lot more, remember: you don’t need to pack your passport to have a fantastic holiday here. And from most of the UK, we’re no more than a few hours away by road or rail.

Looking ahead, there’s a week’s worth of racing coming up when the Ebor Festival begins on August 14, and more thundering hooves at the St Leger in Doncaster in September. There’s still time to plan for a visit to Whitby to combine thrilling events at the Whitby Regatta with foot-tapping music at Whitby Folk Week, while Moorfest brings a waft of alternative entertainment to the great outdoors. We’ll be celebrating all that’s best in food and drink in Huddersfield this month, and in Rotherham and in York in September, when Harrogate also blossoms for its autumn flower show. And now, we’ve even got our own regional anthem, A Symphony for Yorkshire, created by the BBC along with a huge cast of local people, including carrillonneurs from York Minster to Colombian drummers, brass band musicians and a 98-year-old great granny from Harrogate. As usual, there’s almost too much to choose from. See you soon.

Yorkshire’s own anthem premiered earlier this week on August 1st, continuing a grand tradition of orchestral and classical music, opera and ballet.

Not many people hear their own lyrics performed at the age of 98 – but a Harrogate great-grandmother made a piece of musical history this month.

The BBC’s ambitious A Symphony for Yorkshire involved the making of a short musical film, to be broadcast this autumn on BBC Four, and the first performance of the 15-minute symphony by more than 200 musicians, to celebrate Yorkshire Day.

Players included an eclectic ensemble of musicians from all over Yorkshire, including a brass band from Sheffield, carillonneurs from York Minster, and Colombian drummers from Leeds, to mention just a few.

And the lyrics were written by Doreen Brigham, aged 98, from Harrogate, whose poem was chosen from a field of 150 entrants by author Gervase Phinn, poet Ian McMillan, and the composer of A Symphony for Yorkshire, Benjamin Till.

“Yorkshire people have to be among the proudest people on the planet,” says Benjamin Till, who composed the work and describes it as the most difficult, complicated and ambitious project he’s ever done.

“It’s been an enormous thrill and a great honour to be able to write a piece of music which brings so many Yorkshire-based musicians from so many musical traditions together and I really hope I’ve done the county proud.”

The musical heritage that Till talks about embraces everything from the brass band traditions of the 19th century to grand opera and ballet.

Founded in 1817, Halifax Choral Society is the world’s oldest choral society and with Leeds-based Opera North this summer took part in the gala opening of Scarborough Open Air Theatre, a historic landmark which celebrated its re-birth with a gala performance by Jose Carreras and Dame Kiri te Kanawa. Back in Leeds, the Howard Assembly Rooms goes from strength to strength with its programme of audience-friendly open rehearsals from Opera North, with the orchestra developing its ‘Opera in Concert’ series.

Both Opera North and Northern Ballet have one of`Leeds’s cultural landmarks, the Grand Theatre, as their home. Leeds Town Hall is another lynchpin for concert performance, and there are so many new, exciting venues across the region.

Be inspired by A Symphony for Yorkshire on the BBC websites for York and North Yorkshire, Sheffield and South Yorkshire, Leeds, Bradford and West Yorkshire, and Humberside – and find out so much more about what’s happening on our classical, opera and choral scene at yorkshire.com.

The Great Yorkshire Show is a high point of the county’s eventual summer season – and this year’s show is set to be a record-breaker.

This year’s Great Yorkshire Show opens today, Tuesday 13th July, and it’s set to be the biggest and best ever, with something to delight and inspire every one of the 130,000 visitors who are expected to attend Yorkshire’s flagship countryside event.
“We’re on track for a wonderful show,” says Bill Cowling, Honorary Show Director.
“We have record entries in eight different sections, and ticket sales are incredibly good. I’m sure our 152nd show will be a great three days.”

Over the next three days, the Harrogate venue will play host to royalty, television stars and Olympic hopefuls. HRH The Princess Royal is guest of honour on opening day, when she will meet livestock exhibitors, visitors and staff.

Christine Walden, resident gardener of BBC’s The One Show, will get a taste of Yorkshire from a crew of keen young gardeners when she judges the Show’s new Vegetable Garden Competition on Wednesday.

There’s a new look garden show, too, where one of the star exhibits is Welcome to Yorkshire’s surreal and amusing Rhubarb Custard and Crumble Garden, fresh from winning a Silver Award and People’s Choice Award at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Yorkshire Olympic hopefuls will walk on the catwalk in the Skipton Building Society Fashion Pavilion, dressed up to the nines and showing off honed physiques that may just inspire some of us less athletic visitors totake out a new gym membership. Celebrity chefs Rosemary Shrager and Ainsley Harriott, tempting us to indulge, eat well and stay healthy in the vast food hall which is crammed with every conceivable variety of the best food and drink that the region can offer, and Northern Ballet Theatre and Phoenix Dance will give visitors the chance to burn off calories while improving their dance techniques through a series of workshops.

But you could argue that the human stars are just the supporting cast. The real superstars of the Great Yorkshire Show have fleece, fur hooves and feathers – and there are more than 8,000 of them, from fluffy bunnies and clever collies to massive stud bulls and sleek thoroughbred racehorses.
More than 1,800 horses and ponies have been entered for the Show’s Equestrian Section, with the Ripon Select Foods Cock o’ the North championship as the ultimate goal in the show jumping section. And, as always, the livestock classes will be at the heart of the event, with record numbers of entries in the cattle and sheep classes and more pigs than have been on show for more than 50 years – underlining that the Great Yokshire Show isn’t just the greatest in Yorkshire, but the greatest country show in England.

Come and see Welcome to Yorkshire at stand 643 – for further details visit Yorkshire.com

Midsummer Night has come and gone, but up here in Yorkshire we think summer’s only just starting, with two months of action-packed events and festivals kicking off in July.

England may be out of the World Cup, but Yorkshire is still hoping for victory at sea as the Clipper 09-10 race enters its final stretch with the clipper Hull & Humber still in with a chance. Hull & Humber was lying fifth as the flotilla reached Kinsale in Ireland on June 28th , but there’s still hope of catching up with the leaders as the clippers race through the English Channel and the North Sea to the finish line in Hull on July 17th.
If you’re in Bridlington or up on the cliffs of Flamborough Head on July 16th, look out for the sails as the fleet sails down the East Riding Coast, or join the crowds on the Humber for the final challenge of the 35,000 mile round-the-world race.

And it doesn’t matter which clipper is first across the finish line on the Humber on the Saturday, because there’s still going to be a great welcome-home party in Hull, with a display by the Red Devils parachute display team at Hull Marina and live music and street performances all round town, all weekend.
There’s more excitement as the Great Yorkshire Show opens on July 13th, with exhibitors showing off the finest pedigree livestock (from rabbits and pigeons to pigs, sheep, cattle and heavy horses, all immaculately groomed to impress the judges) and lots of opportunities to sample the tastiest locally-grown produce and every kind of Yorkshire speciality – and visitors will also be welcomed to Welcome to Yorkshire’s charmingly quirky, award-winning Rhubarb and Crumble Garden, fresh from winning a silver medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

And if you fancy a flutter, there’s the Yorkshire Summer Racing Festival, with nine days of top quality racing, live music, great family entertainment and fabulous prizes at legendary equestrian venues including Redcar, Beverley, Catterick, Doncaster, Thirsk and York, beginning on July 17th and reaching an exciting climax at Pontefract on July 25.

Just some of the great reasons to come to Yorkshire in the next few weeks – but there’s a whole lot more going on in Yorkshire all through the summer holidays, and we’ll be keeping you up to date with latest events on this blog, and at yorkshire.com.
Have a great summer!

Robin Gauldie, Editor

The latest addition to Yorkshire’s portfolio of award-winning gardens makes its triumphant homecoming this summer, when it takes pride of place at the Great Yorkshire Show.
The Welcome to Yorkshire Rhubarb Crumble and Custard Garden was awarded a Silver Medal and also won People’s Choice Award at the 2010 Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show. The garden will delight visitors to the Great Yorkshire Show (July 13-15) before taking up permanent residence at RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate.

SLICE OF YORKSHIRE
“This garden celebrates everything that is great about Yorkshire,” says Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity.

“It’s a real slice of what Yorkshire has to offer visitors; it has quality and iconic craftsmanship, world-renowned food, and stunning scenery. We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing the garden and the silver medal back to Yorkshire with us.”

In the garden, a mouthwatering bowl of Yorkshire rhubarb takes pride of place centre stage, with yellow sedum symbolising a generous serving of overflowing custard and crumble represented by a traditional dry stone wall to complete the picture. A Yorkshire handcrafted oak spoon, made by furniture designer Peter Cummings at his studio in Reeth, doubles as a garden chair on the York stone patio. Rhubarb forcing pots create focal points throughout a relaxing, informal space using traditional and natural materials to celebrate Yorkshire produce, craftsmanship and its famous landscape.
Kate Dundas from Gillespies LLP, who designed the garden, says she was thrilled to have been give the opportunity to design her first Yorkshire garden for the Chelsea show.

“I was asked to design a garden that really summed up Yorkshire and all it has to offer – delicious local produce, the friendly welcome that visitors to Yorkshire receive, and of course our warm sense of humour,” she says.

GREAT GREEN SPACES
Yorkshire is famed for its green spaces, and the fine open parks and gorgeous gardens laid out in and around the region’s great cities and historic country houses provide perfect settings for inspiring cultural events.
One of the joys of a Yorkshire summer is sitting with friends and a bottle of wine in the grounds of a Yorkshire stately home, enjoying the high points of season of concerts, proms and musical treats.
But outdoor art is also on display all year round here. Yorkshire Sculpture Park is one of the world’s most important showcases for modern sculpture, with scores of works and visiting exhibitions in 500 acres of beautiful 18th-century landscape. Sculptures by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Elisabeth Frink, David Nash and Anthony Gormley are sited wonderfully on grassy slopes and among trees, and among them you can stroll, picnic and enjoy poetry readings and live musical performances.

GRANDEUR IN THE PARK
Beyond city limits, the grounds of Yorkshire’s great country houses are venues for some simply stunning events. Castle Howard, 15 miles outside York, is one of Britain’s most awe-inspiring country houses, an 18th century palace standing grandly in 1,000 acres of magnificent gardens graced by lakes, fountains and fine statuary. Castle Howard hosts a constant stream of events, and the high point of its season of outdoor concerts is the Proms Spectacular, culminating in a truly unforgettable musical fireworks extravanganza.

There’s more open-air sculpture in the grounds of majestic Harewood House, tucked away on the rural northern edge of Leeds. Harewood’s Proms Spectacular, at the end of August, is a celebration of popular classics performed by leading orchestras, culminating in a pyrotechnic climax and an outburst of flag-waving musical patriotism as the orchestra strikes up Land of Hope and Glory.
Like the gardens of Harewood, the 1,500 acres of superb woodland and parkland that surround Temple Newsam are the work of one of the greatest of all English landscape artists, ‘Capability’ Brown and this glorious 18th century setting is a major national venue for lavish outdoor events such as the hugely popular Opera in the Park in July. It’s a perfect place to relax, picnic and enjoy some well-known favourites presented by leading choral names like Opera North.

There’s something especially spellbinding about a play acted in the great outdoors, and the lovely gardens of medieval Ripley Castle provide a magical setting this summer (June 22-July 11), when Sprite Productions transforms Ripley Woods into the Forest of Arden, setting for Shakespeare’s delightful comedy As You Like It, performed entirely in the open air.
“I am really looking forward to this production,” says Sir Thomas Ingilby, Ripley’s , owner. “The scenery is magnificent and will inspire the actors, and the audience. This is going to be something very special.”

Discover more Yorkshire Gardens at www.yorkshire.com/gardens

Surf and sand, rock pools and crabs, fish and chips, kites and dolphins – it may not feel like it yet, but summer is nearly here (trust us). So pack your wellies, buckets and spades and shrimping nets and get ready to hit the beach. From surfing and sea-fishing to clifftop walks, cycling and kite-buggying, it’s all go at the seaside.

The wave washed coast and zingy salt air of Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington and Whitby lie just a short distance from Yorkshire’s big cities.
Whitby has to be one of the best places in Britain for old-fashioned seaside fun. Enjoy the sweeping view from haunted Whitby Abbey before traipsing down the famous 199 steps that lead to the bustling, higgledy-piggledy streets of the old town and the harbour.

This is heaven for kids. Do some serious crabbing from the old stone walls of the harbour, then head for the beach for an afternoon of kite-flying, fossil hunting and exploring the rock pools.

Traditional seaside fun rubs shoulders in Whitby with more sophisticated shopping and eating. The justifiably famous Magpie Café is consistently rated one of Britain’s best fish and chip shops, or for slightly more sophisticated dining there are spots such as the waterside Moon and Sixpence Brasserie. Round off the day with a twilight cruise around the bay aboard the Esk Belle II (also known as the Big Yellow Boat).
For golden sand (and miles of it), head for Filey, where the beach is backed by an Edwardian esplanade and Glen Gardens, with its boating lake, is the perfect place for a family picnic.

Just north along the coast, Scarborough is another fun family beach. It’s guarded by the imposing ruins of the medieval Scarborough Castle, and from the battlement viewing platforms there are stunning views of the cliffs and coastline below. Hire a beach hut for the day, watch the donkeys amble up and down the strand, or take a miniature railway to the Sea Life Marine Sanctuary, where colourful tropical fish and real live sharks will thrill and delight young visitors.
Scarborough was once a world centre for tuna fishing, where fish weighing as much as 800lbs were pulled out of the North Sea, and you can still hop aboard a fishing boat and spend an afternoon on the water in search of smaller fry such as mackerel.
Picturesque Staithes is postcard-pretty, and worth a visit just for a stroll along the beach, but it’s the waves that attract bolder souls. These North Sea combers have made Staithes a magnet for surfers from all over the UK and further afield.

Heading south, Bridlington sums up the whole history of seaside tourism, from its gracious Georgian old town to brand new facilities such as the Bayside Pleasure Park. But carry on southward and you leave the holiday bustle behind to enter the wild, primal landscape of Spurn Head, a gigantic, spit of sand that is 3.5 miles long but only 50 yards wide, creating a unique environment of international importance as a refuge for migrant birds and rare plants. It’s a delight for beachcombers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has opened the one and only on-foot lion safari in Britain, as three prides of rescued lions are, for the first time in their lives, released into the open air.

The lions, who were brought to the Doncaster attraction from a run-down zoo in Romania earlier this year, join meerkats, wallabies, lemurs, and wild dogs in the open spaces of the 55-acre park.
The thirteen lions – ranging in age from 18-month-old-cubs to the 27-year-old ‘Johnny Senior’- were rescued from poor conditions at Oradea Zoo, in Romania.

Now, they are getting used to Yorkshire summer sunshine and are staking out their territory in the nine-acre Lion Country reserve. And walking through Lion Country, along an 800-metre secure pathway, will allow visitors to watch the lions as they interact with their new environment.
The lions have already divided themselves into three separate prides, says Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s animal director, John Minion.
“We don’t really know how the different lions will react to their new environment, whether they will be curious or worried to come out,” John says.
“Just like people, they have different characters. They have lived in cages all of their lives. For the youngsters, it might not be such a challenge, but Johnny Senior is very old for a lion and it will be a challenge for him.

The lions are set to become a highlight of the park, which already has an array of wildlife including a clan of lively meerkats, wallabies, a pack of painted hunting dogs – the most endangered carnivore in Africa – and four rare addax antelope. Three species of lemur live in the woodland walkthrough Lemur Woods.

Key member of the Monty Python crew, actor and author Michael Palin re-created himself as a travel writer and maker of travel documentaries. Now, he’s backing Sheffield’s bid to be the first UK City of Culture in 2013.

When John Cleese was interviewed on the BBC’s Desert Islands Discs some years ago, Sue Lawley asked him what he would take as his one permitted luxury to his desert island. Cleese went silent for a few seconds. Then he asked: “Can I have Palin?”
The answer, sadly, was “No.”
Michael Palin’s sunny disposition is as much a part of the Monty Python mythos as John Cleese’s legendary gloom. He does seem to be a man for whom every cloud has a silver lining, and now he has put that sense of optimism behind his home town’s audition for the coveted City of Culture role.

“Growing up in Sheffield, I was very much aware of the close-knit character of the city and its very strong sense of identity,” he says.
“Because of the geography of the city, its hills and valleys, I grew up absorbing the very independent spirit of the place, and this independent spirit helped me very much in my career. Coming from Sheffield gave me fresh and unconventional outlook on life.”

Sheffield, Palin says, remains a welcoming city, with core values that have enabled it to move from its metal-bashing roots to become a creative city of the future.
“Deep down, Sheffield has always been welcoming. I see its future as that of a city that combines strong character with hospitality, openness and tolerance. Things are going to happen here!”

Indeed, they already are happening. With the UK City of Culture field narrowed down to four contenders, Sheffield’s rivals are Birmingham, Derry and Norwich. Whatever the outcome, the bid will put the spotlight on a whole lot more going on in Sheffield, and in Yorkshire.

Find out more about Sheffeld’s bid as City of Culture at sheffieldcityofculture.com.

Mela Magic on its way to Yorkshire!

Adil Rashid and Anthony McGrath launch Yorkshire Cricket Mela

The Yorkshire Cricket Mela, a series of events to celebrate cricket, culture, diversity, community and commerce in the region, launched in Millennium Square last week. The Mela takes place ahead of this summer’s 2nd MCC Spirit of Cricket Test Match between Pakistan and Australia at the Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground (21st – 25th July 2010), which will be the first time a neutral Test Series has been played on English soil for 98 years.

Last Friday’s launch saw representatives from the Bradford Cricket League participate in an exhibition match in Millennium Square, with Bollywood dancers, provided by Sunrise FM, on hand to add Eastern flair to the event. Players from the Bradford Cricket League, Adil Rashid, the first Yorkshire CCC player of Pakistani origin to represent England and Anthony McGrath, current Yorkshire CCC batsman and former Bradford Cricket League star, were on hand to assist with the launch.

The Yorkshire Film Archive, working in partnership with Screen Yorkshire, showed historic footage of people enjoying the game on the BBC Big Screen. As part of the event, the Yorkshire Film Archive launched their ‘Caught on Film’ initiative. The campaign will encourage local people to dig deep into their own cricket movies from the past, or make new films for future generations to watch.

The Yorkshire Cricket Mela will take place between 10th – 25th July 2010 in the build up to and during the Test Match. A host of major events will take place across the region as part of the Mela programme. Highlights include The Business of Sport Event, a national panel debate featuring high profile celebrity speakers, an exhibition at the Bradford Industrial Museum to celebrate the 107th anniversary of the Bradford Cricket League, the Business Link Eve of Test Match Dinner with special guest, Wasim Akram, at the Aagrah Mid Point restaurant and cook-off between Leeds City College and Bradford City College, which kicks off at the Leeds Loves Food Festival.

Stewart Regan, chief executive at the Yorkshire County Cricket Cub, said: “The Cricket Mela is a great way to celebrate the region’s diverse culture and will mark the historic 2nd MCC Spirit of Cricket Test Match between Pakistan and Australia at Headingley Carnegie this summer in style.  

“The Mela will provide plenty of fun and educational activities for local businesses and Yorkshire folk and I’m really looking forward to it all kicking off.”

The 2nd MCC Spirit of Cricket Test Match between Pakistan and Australia was secured for the region with the help of a number of key partners, which include: Leeds City Council, City of Bradford Metropolitan Council, Welcome to Yorkshire, Marketing Leeds and the host for the Test Match itself, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

The Mela supporters represent a wide range of sectors including education, business and community to ensure that the Yorkshire Cricket Mela will be broad in its appeal, these include: Business Link, Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Bradford, Leeds City College, ATL, Bradford College, Northern, Yorkshire Evening Post, Sunrise RadioScreen Yorkshire.

For more information, the Yorkshire Cricket Mela website (www.theyorkshirecricketmela.com) provides full details of all activities taking place as part of the Mela, together with details of how tickets can be obtained to see the historic match at Headingley.

The Yorkshire Cricket Mela is on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CricketMela) and Twitter (www.Twitter.com/CricketMela).

Clipper Homecoming

Breathtaking displays, sea shanties and the sounds of celebrated Jazz artists will welcome the colourful Clipper boats back to the Humber on Saturday 17 July.

The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race fleet including our very own Hull & Humber will finish their 35,000 nautical mile circumnavigation to the cheers of family, friends and visitors when they return to Hull. Funded by Yorkshire Forward, the colourful site will be made even more spectacular with a display from the Red Devil Parachute display team at the marina. Meanwhile, the rest of the city will be alive with performances and street entertainment in Jameson and King Edward Street, Queen Victoria Square, Whitefriargate, Princes Dock Side, Museums Quarter and Trinity Square.

Before the yachts make their way to Hull, they will sail down the East Riding of Yorkshire coastline between 4 – 10pm on Friday 16 July. The cliff tops of Flamborough Head and the harbour area of Bridlington will provide excellent vantage points of the Race across the Bay.

Events on Saturday 17 July will start when the Clipper fleet take part in the final race of their journey, The John Harrison Race, celebrating the life on the Humber great, who solved the problem of determining longitude at sea in the 18th Century, will depart from King George Dock at 9.30am up to St Andrew’s Quay and back as the Red Devils parachute in over the Humber at approximately 11am. The city’s Jazz and Maritime festivals will be part of the events in the marina and will continue on Sunday 18 July providing a weekend of entertainment for residents and visitors.

Itinerary for Saturday 17th July:

9.30am John Harrison Race from King George Dock to St Andrew’s Quay.
10.30am Red Devils Freefall Parachute Display Team

11am – Six of the Clipper fleet will come in on the free-flow tide
11.45am – Winner of John Harrison Race to lock in
12 noon – 3rd place overall to lock in
12.15pm – 2nd place overall to lock in
12.30pm – Overall winner to lock in

12.45pm – Julian Smith Saxophonist will play on the Clipper stage
1pm – All boats to be berthed
1.30pm – Black Cat Helicopter Display Team
2pm – Clipper 09-10 presentations on the Clipper stage
3.30pm – Music on the Clipper stage from Mitch Winehouse and others

The arrival of the region’s Hull & Humber Clipper yacht sailing into New York Harbor on its final leg of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race.

Clipper boat sails by the Statue of Liberty, New York

Clipper boat sails under the Brooklyn Bridge, New York