Yorkshire Customs Part 2 – The Great Knaresborough Bed Race

by Jonathan Rudd How did this come about? The Great Bed Race began in 1966 when members of the newly formed Knaresborough Round Table wished to create a fundraising event which made the town stand out from the rest. The first race consisted of just four teams from local military institutions, RAF Linton on Ouse,

Yorkshire Folk Part 15 – Captain James Cook

Captain James Cook was an 18th Century explorer who discovered and mapped parts of the word, such as Australia, New Zealand and North America, His discoveries gave Britain and Europe a better knowledge of the planet’s geography and people in parts of the world which were previously unreachable. Early Life and Seafaring Career In 1728, Captain

Great Yorkshire Customs Part 1- Welly Wanging

by Jonathan Rudd What on earth? The custom of Welly wanging is a sport in which competitors have to throw a Wellington boot, or welly as far as they can. The person who can throw it the furthest is the winner. How did this happen? The spiritual home of welly wanging is in Upperthong, near

In search of Yorkshire’s oldest building

by Jonathan Rudd Have you ever wondered what the oldest building in Yorkshire is? Find out below as we take a journey through the county’s historic buildings. To qualify at least some of the original building must exist, even if there have been more modern additions. Secondly ruins are counted, even if only fragments of

Yorkshire Folk Part 14 – Jarvis Cocker

Musician, Jarvis Cocker was born in Sheffield on 19th September 1963. He shot to fame in the 1990s with his band, Pulp, who became a major force in the Britpop era. There have also been moments of controversy during his rise to fame too… Early Music Career Cocker’s childhood was spent with his sister and

5 Lost Yorkshire Stately Homes

They were once magnificent residencies built in an age of British wealth and prosperity, but for varying reasons were abandoned and destroyed, permanently erased from the Yorkshire landscape. 1. Howley Hall This once magnificent house, located between Morley and Batley in West Yorkshire, was once one of the area’s most elegant stately homes. Boasting panoramic

5 Yorkshire Christmas Customs

The re-invention of Christmas in the 19th Century also started some rather curious customs in Yorkshire, some of which still continue to this day, or are still within living memory. 1. Poor Old Hoss The bizarre “Poor old Hoss” ritual takes place every Christmas Eve in Richmond’s marketplace. A person wearing a horse’s head made of

A Very Yorkshire Christmas

 “Nowhere are the traditions of Christmas kept up with such splendour as in Yorkshire.” (Visitor to the county 1812) Yorkshire is a fantastic place to be all year round, but at Christmas it is extra special. It has always been an area full of tradition, none more so than over the festive period. Throughout history

Yorkshire Folk Part 13 – George Hudson

Have you ever wondered why railways and the City of York go hand in hand? It is largely down to the work of George Hudson, the Railway King. Early Life George Hudson was born in the small village of Howsham, just twelve miles north of York in 1800. He had a tragic childhood when both

5 Great Yorkshire estate Villages

An estate village is a settlement which is part of a larger tract of land, which is owned by an individual wealthy family, often through several generations. Once commonplace throughout Yorkshire, these villages have since dwindled to only a few which still remain to this day.  1. Londesborough In the heart of the East Riding and at the