Y Magazine 2018

LIFE ON THE EDGE

Seabirds, whales and seals - go on a coastal adventure

13 BEST WAYS TO YUGGA

Jorvik The Vikings are back

Find your inner Hygge Yorkshire style

How high can you go?

Climb the tallest wall in the UK

INTERVIEW

JODIE WHITTAKER

What's On Top events for 2018

on becoming Yorkshire's first Doctor Who and a Sci-Fi icon (oh and she's a woman)

Heaven on Earth

Out of this World

Sculpture Club

Combine a luxurious spa break with ‘forest bathing’ in top rural retreats.

Reach for the stars and discover some of the best stargazing in the country.

Explore amazing indoor and outdoor art on an incredible sculpture safari.

MEE T THE WR ITERS On the cover Skelsmansthorpe-born actress Jodie Whittaker on keeping secrets, telling lies, the Yorkshire accent and becoming an icon. Page 14.

Front cover image: Photograph: © BBC / Colin Hutton www.huttonimages.com Colin took the iconic Dr Who shot of Jodie Whittaker on the front cover. Other credits include Broadchurch, Sherlock and Humans.

Sarah Freeman

Nick Ahad

Joe Shute

Give Piece a Chance (page 42)

Ones to Watch (page 82)

Bottoms Up (page 54)

Born and raised in Leeds.

Sarah’s the features editor of the Yorkshire Post and editor of YP magazine.

My Yorkshire favourite: A sneaky glass at The House of Trembling Madness, York.

Nick is an arts writer for the Yorkshire Post and presents for BBC Radio Leeds.

My Yorkshire favourite: Playing at Airedale Cricket Club, next to stunning East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley.

An award winning features writer for the Daily Telegraph and author of their travel guide to Yorkshire. My Yorkshire favourite: Walking the cobbled streets of Staithes.

Claude Duval

William Fotheringham

Tony Greenway

Other cover images from left: Relaxing at Swinton Spa. A stunning night for stargazing at Malham. Henry Moore: Upright Motives No. 1 (Glenkiln Cross): No 2; No 7 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park © Jonty Wilde.

Page 5 images clockwise from top left: Skipton Castle. Go Ape Dalby Forest. The Grand Hotel & Spa, York. National Railway Museum. The Yorkshire Wolds. The Yorkshire Dales. Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Sutton Bank. Eureka! The National Children’s Museum. Norland Moor. Colourful beach huts in Scarborough.

Phoenix Dance Theatre. Roche Abbey near Doncaster.

RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Page 6 image: Sunset behind Roseberry Topping in the North York Moors National Park.

Published by: Welcome to Yorkshire Dry Sand Foundry Foundry Square Holbeck Leeds LS11 5DL © Welcome to Yorkshire 2018 Designed and produced by: Will Hodgson at Welcome to Yorkshire Printed by: Garnett Dickinson Print Ltd, South Yorkshire www.gdprint.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, and fantastic local arts and craft producers. You'll be sure of a tasty Yorkshire experience. And don't forget to take something home to treat your friends and family.

The Muhammad Ali of Racing (page 118)

Wheels on Fire (page 112)

Hull’s Maritime Mojo (page 120)

Claude was racing correspondent for The Sun newspaper for 47 years.

My Yorkshire favourite: Attending the Gimcrack Dinner at York Racecourse.

Cycling correspondent at the Guardian and author of best-selling cycling biographies. My Yorkshire favourite: Cycling between Danby Beacon and Lealholm.

A York-based freelance journalist and editor specialising in arts and travel. My Yorkshire favourite: I like to stroll beside the river in York with my family and greyhound.

Elaine Lemm

Paul Miles

Mark Bailey

Northern Star (page 26)

Canal Culture (page 64)

Don’t Look Down (page 34)

A former chef and now an award winning writer for many leading food titles.

My Yorkshire favourite: As the author of a book on Yorkshire puddings, guess what my choice would be…?

A freelance travel writer, contributing to Conde Naste Traveller among others. My Yorkshire favourite: Walking up to Stoodley Pike in the Calder Valley with my labradors.

Mark writes for The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness.

My Yorkshire favourite: Cycling the Yorkshire Dales and visiting Bolton Abbey.

Stephen McClarence

Jonathan Turner

Ian McMillan

Sculpture Club (page 48)

Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat (page 96)

Yorkshire by the Book (page 90)

Stephen won Travel Article of the Year award in the 2015 VisitEngland awards for a piece in The Times on Malton. My Yorkshire favourite: A winter walk around York’s city walls.

A sports journalist and former Head of Digital for Team Sky. He rides in Yorkshire whenever he can.

My Yorkshire favourite: My mum was Miss August in the original Calendar Girls.

A poet, broadcaster, playwright and comedian from Barnsley. He’s written poems, plays and a verse autobiography. My Yorkshire favourite: It has to be my Yorkshire puddings of course.

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

Need to get in touch?

Editor Fiona Wright Production and advertising Kerry Forbes kforbes@yorkshire.com Become a member of Welcome to Yorkshire Laura Kirk lkirk@yorkshire.com

@welcome2yorks welcometoyorkshire welcometoyorkshire

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YORKSHIRE HAS IT ALL A very warm welcome to the newest edition. There are some incredibly exciting events this year that we can’t wait to share with you. Yorkshire has once again surpassed itself in bringing you world class sports, arts, heritage and culture.

The first ever female Dr Who, Yorkshire’s Jodie Whittaker (born and raised in Skelmansthorpe near Huddersfield) graces our cover. She tells us about landing the iconic role and how her roots in the county have influenced her work.

The Tour de Yorkshire is even bigger and better, stretching over a fabulous four days and including routes that are more challenging and adventurous than ever before.

The UK’s first pop up Shakespearean theatre has its debut in York this summer. The city is bursting with history and culture and performances at the Rose Theatre will delight and amaze.

One of the world’s oldest hobbies, stargazing, is back on trend and there’s no better place to see the Milky Way and even the Northern Lights than Yorkshire’s clear, dark skies.

Hull has had the most fantastic year in 2017 and its renaissance continues as it becomes Yorkshire’s maritime capital. Its museums and heritage sites are all undergoing massive multi-million pound re-development, while two historic boats, the Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship, will become huge attractions.

Bempton Cliffs are a must if staggering scenery and birdlife are your thing, while the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle will tick all your arts boxes. And with the fare on offer in our award winning restaurants, world class theatre, opera and dance productions, the best stately homes and breathtaking countryside, you’ll never want to leave.

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive Welcome to Yorkshire

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CONTENTS 9 YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS The latest Yorkshire news.

14 YORKSHIRE’S FIRST DOCTOR WHO The fantastic Jodie Whittaker talks about her new role.

16 OUT OF THIS WORLD Star gazing at some of the best dark sky spots the UK has to offer.

22 WELCOME TO THE NORTH YORK MOORS NATIONAL PARK 26 NORTHERN STAR Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern on Yorkshire coast produce.

30 YORKSHIRE HYGGE No one does cosy like Yorkshire.

Find the best places and products to make you feel snug.

32 WELCOME TO SOUTH YORKSHIRE 34 DON’T LOOK DOWN Discover one of the best climbing centres in the UK. 40 WELCOME TO WEST YORKSHIRE 42 GIVE PIECE A CHANCE Explore the amazing regeneration of Halifax’s Piece Hall.

48 SCULPTURE CLUB Discover the best indoor and outdoor art Yorkshire has to offer.

52 HIGHER, LONGER, FASTER The Tour de Yorkshire is bigger and better in 2018.

54 BOTTOMS UP Yorkshire’s breweries are creating unique beers and spirits.

60 WELCOME TO SHEFFIELD 64 CANAL CULTURE For a relaxing holiday, a canal boat cruise is hard to beat.

68 ROYAL YORKSHIRE Step back in time and savour Yorkshire’s royal atmosphere.

70 WELCOME TO LEEDS 72 NORSING AROUND The UK’s first immersive experience museum is open again.

78 WELCOME TO YORK 80 HEAVEN ON EARTH Forest bathing is the latest spa craze to indulge in.

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82 ONES TO WATCH The leading lights putting Yorkshire on the map.

86 WELCOME TO SELBY 88 WHAT’S ON EVENTS AND FESTIVALS 90 YORKSHIRE BY THE BOOK The Bard of Barnsley takes us on his own literary tour of Yorkshire.

95 WELCOME TO THE YORKSHIRE COAST 96 RUN, EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT Running is the latest way to tackle the Coast to Coast route.

102 RAE OF LIGHT Leeds-born Corinne Bailey Rae talks love, loss and music.

104 LIFE ON THE EDGE Bempton Cliffs and Spurn Point are a treasure trove of wildlife.

110 WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE DALES AND HERRIOT COUNTRY 112 WHEELS ON FIRE The UCI Road World Championships are coming to Yorkshire.

114 PRODUCERS AND MAKERS Some of the best artisan and gourmet foods in the county.

116 WELCOME TO REDCAR AND CLEVELAND 118 THE MUHAMMAD ALI OF RACING Peter Easterby is the unsung hero of horse race trainers.

120 HULL’S MARITIME MOJO Yorkshire’s cultural hub is going back to its nautical roots.

122 WELCOME TO HULL AND EAST YORKSHIRE 124 THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE NORTH Showcasing great art and culture, design and innovation.

128 WELCOME TO HARROGATE 130 WHITE ROSE AWARDS The crème de la crème of Yorkshire.

132 PLAN YOUR JOURNEY Plan your next trip to Yorkshire.

134 YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

hot list

Here are a few things you should put at the top of your Yorkshire hit list.

Saving grace Celebrity gardener, BBC’s Chris Beardshaw, is leading teams to transform the gardens at Mount Grace Priory. The project includes renovation of the arts and crafts style garden, creating a wildflower meadow and replanting existing space.

Soak up the atmosphere of one of the most beautiful examples of a Carthusian medieval monastery.

Lucy Pittaway Yorkshire’s award winning Lucy Pittaway, is the official artist for the Tour de Yorkshire, for her third year. Her iconic, witty cycling-themed works will feature some of Yorkshire’s most famous landmarks. Visit her art galleries in Brompton-on-Swale or Richmond, North Yorkshire.

ICONIC EATERY 2018 is The Ivy’s centenary year. Don’t miss a host of special events lined up to celebrate both the past and future of this unique and iconic restaurant.

Iconic Ivy One of Britain’s most exclusive restaurants, The Ivy, has come to Yorkshire. The fine diner, which became an iconic eatery in London’s West End, has opened the Ivy Collection brasseries: The Ivy Harrogate and The Ivy York. Opening later this year is The Ivy Leeds.

Rock and Hull For years Hull’s been missed off the circuit for hosting the biggest names in music – now that’s all about to change.

Its £36 million state-of-the-art music and events complex, Hull Venue, with up to 3,500 seats opens its doors this year.

Keep an eye out for big stars and events.

Fat Friends on tour A slimming club where members confessed their inner most secrets, while desperately trying to shed a few more pounds proved an ITV ratings winner. And now Fat Friends, by Yorkshire screenwriter Kay Mellor, has become a musical showing at many Yorkshire theatres.

Very Victoria Fancy visiting the sights that Queen Victoria frequented over 100 years ago? Yorkshire’s Best Adventures, an experience-curating website, has put together an historic mini-break package, in partnership with Carlton Towers hotel, inspired by the TV series Victoria.

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

LOVELY LOTHERTON Enjoy a great value family day out, with a country house, bird garden, café, woodland walks, adventure playground and much more.

best bits Discover something new in Yorkshire with these 2018 highlights.

Novel approach

Animal magic

A new town square, revamped market hall and shopping boulevard are all coming to Barnsley shortly, but the most exciting development is putting a library at the heart of the community. TheLibrary@ TheLightbox will have a striking design and glass exterior.

Tapirs, red pandas, flamingos, capybaras and penguins are coming to Lotherton Hall’s new Wildlife World Visitors Centre.

The £1.2 million development will include coastal, forest and tropical ‘zones’, inspired by the travels of the Gascoigne family, the former owners of the estate. Future plans also include conservation facilities and a children’s zone with farm animals.

Casting a spell

NATURAL NOSTELL Explore Nostell’s parkland gardens stretching over 300 acres which include wildflower meadows, lakes and woodland.

From the outside, it looks like a spooky apothecary where Harry Potter buys spell ingredients, but Grimm & Co is in fact a cleverly disguised children’s writing centre, promoting literacy skills in Rotherham and surrounding areas.

Explore Nostell Discover parts of the Nostell Estate that you’ve never seen before. The National Trust property, close to Wakefield has developed a 4km figure-of-eight loop, which features two new bike-only sections.

Clockwise from top left: Lotherton Wildlife World. TheLibrary@ TheLightbox. Grimm & Co. Ben Lawson in action. Meadowhall in Sheffield. New cycling experiences in Nostell.

Champion coach Get your helmet on and grab the opportunity to be coached

by British mountain biking champion Ben Lawson. Ben will put you through your paces at No Limits Cycling, based in Malton, North Yorkshire, taking you through some of the most challenging and stunning countryside in the UK.

Shop ‘til you drop Meadowhall in Sheffield has been transformed into a smarter, brighter and more vibrant shopping centre with themed areas. The ‘High Street’ is great for families, the ‘Arcade’ will host shows and displays and ‘Park Lane’ is the high fashion zone.

Pitchers and pictures Pickering’s first gin emporium, the Wonky Pitcher, (formerly Pickering Art Gallery) now has a licence to sell alcohol alongside it’s art. The gallery exhibits images by local photographers, original artworks and prints.

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

Rugby royalty Really wild plans New species and 300 extra job opportunities have been announced at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. It’s undergoing a £50 million expansion to grow and continue conservation work.

The award winning park at Branton, near Doncaster already has over 400 animals and 70 different species. It will nearly double in size and plans include a hotel, more restaurants and a shopping venue, making it one of the most exciting wildlife parks to visit in the UK.

All major domestic rugby league trophies are held by Yorkshire teams for the first time in league history, including The Challenge Cup (Hull), League Leaders Shield (Castleford), Super League Trophy (Leeds) and the Women’s Super League trophy by Bradford Bulls women’s team. Go Yorkshire!

Secret history

300 years of history

Flamingo football

A stay at the races

The Mansion House in York has re-opened after its biggest restoration since it was built in 1732. Visitors can experience the story of York’s past and see how every Lord Mayor from the middle ages to the present day has danced, dined and entertained. Uncover civic secrets hidden within its thick, stone walls, marvel at the extensive gold and silver collections and discover what life was like downstairs in the fully restored Georgian kitchen.

Did you know the Yorkshire Regiment is the only true County regiment remaining in the British Army? With over 300 years of history and achievements behind them, they are the infantry regiment of choice for young men and women looking to join the army. There is also a reserve battalion based in towns across Yorkshire. Soldiers from the regiment have been deployed on every recent operation and training mission across the globe.

Flamingo Land is the sponsor of Scarborough Athletic football team’s new home ground. The stadium will also become the new home of Scarborough Ladies Football Club and will also be used for community football at all levels. The facility will be known as Flamingo Land Stadium. Scarborough Athletic has shared Bridlington Town’s ground, but now it finally has a home ground of its own.

Flamingo Land has a history of sponsoring Yorkshire clubs.

Horse fans don’t even need to leave their rooms to watch the races at Doncaster. A 150 bedroom Hilton Garden Inn Hotel opens at its racecourse in June. The venue will have extensive views over the course and will also have a restaurant and viewing terrace. This sporting venue is steeped in heritage and plays an important role in the local community.

The hotel will help boost visitor numbers in the town and at the racecourse.

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

Captain Cook celebrations

Whitby is celebrating the anniversary of legendary Captain James Cook’s first voyage, 250 years ago, on HMS Bark Endeavour.

An Italian treat An open kitchen, games room, photo booth and roof terrace are some of the delights waiting for you at Gino D’Acampo’s new eatery, My Restaurant, in Harrogate. Watch the chefs cook up all your favourite Italian flavours with a cheeky twist, from lunch until late.

Captain Cook made the first recorded contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands aboard HMS Bark Endeavour 250 years ago from Whitby. Cook also plotted the first circumnavigation and mapping of New Zealand. Commemorative events are taking place at Captain Cook Memorial Museum, which was once the home of Cook’s Maritime employers.

Cool caviar A Yorkshire company is the first in the world to sell ethicallyproduced, no-cruelty caviar.

KC Caviar in Leeds boasts unique five-star facilities.

A life size replica of HMS Bark Endeavour is to get a new home in Whitby. The ship, which is one of only two full-scale replicas in the world, has been berthed in Stockton for more than 20 years. Its new owner, Whitbybased Andrew Fiddler, plans to spend three quarters of a million pounds refurbishing the vessel. It will then be berthed at Endeavour Wharf in Whitby and crewed by actors.

Two for joy The Magpie, a much-loved seaside restaurant in Whitby that was almost completely destroyed by fire, has re-opened. It’s hoping to welcome customers back with a fully refurbed restaurant and popular menu.

Tasty new trail A new map has been launched by Visit York guiding visitors around historic chocolate hotspots in York. The trail covers 11 venues, including chocolate factories, museums, shops, stately homes and even a church. It tells the story of how cocoa and chocolate came to be so important for the city.

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YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

Brilliant blooms

© National Trust images

Award winning landscape designer Andy Sturgeon has been appointed by the National Trust to revitalise the gardens at Beningbrough Hall. He plans to maintain historic views, introduce new planting schemes and re-invent some areas.

Wishing on a spa Get your diaries out and start planning next year’s indulgent spa break right now. Work has begun on a luxury hotel and well-being centre at grade ll listed, 17th century Grantley Hall, in Ripon. The existing mansion will be completely revamped and a spa and wellness centre is being built with 52 suite-style bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and private lounge. It’s set in 30 acres of wooded parkland and grounds, great for walking off all that delicious food.

It’s a scoop Choose from a selection of 18 ice cream flavours at Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream Parlour in Denby Dale. Made fresh on the farm every day right next door to the milking parlour.

Black garlic and dark chocolate, beetroot, marmalade cheesecake and basil are just some of the unusual, award winning flavours you can try.

Fit for a King Pontefract Castle has undergone a £3.5 million project to preserve its ruins and improve facilities funded by the Heritage Lottery. The 19th century barn, once home to a blacksmith’s workshop is now a café, gift shop and museum. It’s launching a programme of events this spring including workshops, talks, demonstrations and activities for adults and children.

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“ YO U F I G H T F O R A ROLE LIKE THIS, IT STILL FEELS INCREDIBLE T O B E D O I N G I T. ” Jodie Whittaker became the first female Dr Who on Christmas Day. Here, the Skelmansthorpeborn actress talks about what it was like to get the role and how coming from Yorkshire has influenced her work.

Getting the role of Dr Who feels completely overwhelming, as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It still feels incredible to be doing it.

© BBC

It certainly was NOT handed to me on a plate. There was a long process, as there should be. You have to put yourself in a position where you’re going to fight for a role like this - you want someone who’s fighting for it, because it’s such an honour. You can’t just be blasé about it.

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COVER STORY

I was the attention-seeking child in class who needed everyone to look at meee! Luckily that got channelled into acting, because I would have been terrible at anything else. I would have been a nightmare in any kind of office, because I wouldn’t have had any friends in any environment other than performing. I’m quite loud and quite overconfident.

© Lara Jade Photography

A lot of actors think that they can pull off a Yorkshire accent, but I never believe that they truly get it, it always turns out as a slightly cod “Eeee bah gum” thing that could be from anywhere north of Watford.

It should be “accents”, in the plural, Bradford is different from Huddersfield, which is different from Hull, which is different from Richmond. They all have a distinctive burr.

“ I WA S J U S T LY I N G , L E F T RIGHT AND CENTRE, TO KEEP I T A S E C R E T B E F O R E I T WA S ANNOUNCED” When I learned I’d got it, it was really tricky. I didn’t know the details, but I knew there was going to be an attempt at a really brilliant ‘reveal’. I had to try and keep everything under wraps until July (2017), which was to my benefit, because I’d been lucky enough to lead quite an anonymous life until then.

I was just lying, left right and centre, to keep it a secret before it was announced. Having been in Broadchurch and other big shows where I can’t give storylines away, I’m always in a panic about what I can and can’t say and wondering, when I’m interviewed, if I’ve said too much.

I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender, because this is a really exciting time and Doctor Who represents

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everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.

As a child, all I wanted to do was be an actor. I wanted to do it because I wanted to play pretend and this is the ultimate role. As you grow up, you watch adventure films and TV shows that make it look as if anything is possible. That’s the job I wanted to do and now I’m doing it!

My upbringing in West Yorkshire was and is hugely influential.

I think everyone brings a bit of themselves to every job.

Particularly when you are acting – you feed off all sorts of internal things. Things that have influenced you or which give you a different ‘take’ on something.

Every time I come home to Yorkshire, I have a chicken makhani and peshwari naan from my favourite Indian restaurant in my village. Going there is a fixture of any home visit, without fail. They are lovely people and the food is superb. It’s an absolute must and I never have anything else on the menu.

How unadventurous is that?

My favourite book is Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, which I actually read when I was in Thailand. Someone had left it there, I picked it up and I was totally hooked.

I love Jarvis Cocker, he’s a Sheffield legend. My favourite album is Different Class by Pulp, which reminds me, every time I hear it, of when I was in my teens, hanging out at my mate Gareth’s house because we were all far too young to go to the pub. Again, a lot of very fond memories.

My roots are in Skelmansthorpe where I was born and raised.

Going back there is all about family and getting back to who I am.

There is an absolutely gorgeous walk around Langsett Reservoir (on the edge of the Peak District in South Yorkshire) which I always do. There’s certainly nothing down south to match it.

Jodie Whittaker stars in Series 11 of Dr Who on BBC1 this autumn.

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OUTDOORS

Out of this World

Astronomy may be the oldest science but it’s the latest trend.

Becky Kay wraps up and heads outside to reach for the stars.

The Northern Lights over Saltwick Bay in the North York Moors National Park. © Andy Dawson Photography.

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It’s rare to find an activity that appeals to all ages and all walks of life, but stargazing might just be one of them.

Check out these...

Astronomy events

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Dark Skies Festival The Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North York Moors National Park organise an annual Dark Skies Festival jointly. The festival runs in February and events include night runs, cycling, caving and talks by expert astronomers.

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Dalby Forest Scarborough and Ryedale Astronomical Society (SARAS) holds stargazing events in Dalby Forest on the first Friday of most months between October and March between 8pm and 10pm.

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Starfest An annual three night star camp run by SARAS at Dalby Forest (every August), which attracts amateur astronomers from around the UK (9-12 August).

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Hidden Horizons Join Hidden Horizons for one of their stargazing events which start in September and run all winter. Booking is essential (Adults: £12; under 16s: £8, including hot chocolate/snacks); All under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Top to bottom: Getting the best views for some spectacular stargazing.

Baxtons Road, Helmsley Star Trail © Steve Bell NYMNPA. Above top: Rosedale Chimney Bank © Andy Dawson.

Above bottom: Whitby Abbey © Andy Dawson Opposite: A stunning night at Malham.

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I

’m lying in a warm, dark room with 20 strangers, zig-zagged under cosy duvets and gazing up at an amazing, space-themed film projected across a domed ceiling. It’s relaxing, fun and informative, if slightly surreal. I’m at the Dalby Forest Dark Sky Discovery Site on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park for an evening of stargazing. My host, Andy Exton, is an expert astronomer and runs the astral Hidden Horizons event I’m attending. Lasting from 7pm until 9pm, all you need to bring is a warm jacket, everything else is provided including hot chocolate, marshmallows and a cosy campfire on which to toast them.

The centre provides everything including hot chocolate, marshmallows and a cosy campfire on which to toast them.

The centre really has thought of everything and, despite it boasting some of the darkest skies and least light pollution, it’s mindful of UK weather and has an indoor ‘immersive star dome’ where you can watch a stunning show and virtual tour of the skies if it starts to cloud over.

Outside it’s chilly, but the sky is miraculously clear and I’ve just seen the Milky Way Galaxy live, with my naked eye, for the first time ever. For the uninitiated, such as me, it’s awe-inspiring; a river of light smudged across the sky, showing one of the spiral arms of our own galaxy. It’s very humbling and makes me feel reassuringly small and unimportant.

Peering through the large telescope under the tuition of Andy, I can make sense of the endless black map of stars. I have a helpful leaflet with a constellation guide, but Andy also blows my mind with facts such as the light from the star I’m seeing is travelling from millions of years ago, so I’m actually seeing it in the past, or that some stars are so dense, a teaspoon of one of them would equate to the weight of the earth’s whole population. Just grasping the idea that we’re an important and integral part of this huge galaxy is enough for me - fairly heavy stuff in my first hour of this new hobby.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North York Moors National Park both have some of the darkest skies in the country, so they’re obvious places to have a stargazing centre. Word has already spread about the fact that on a clear night it’s possible to see not only the Milky Way, but up to 2000 stars, a meteor shower or two and our neighbouring planets. If you’re really lucky, you might even see the multi-hued, shimmering Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

It’s rare to find an activity that appeals to all ages and all walks of life, but stargazing might just be one of them. Back inside the centre’s sky dome I can see young

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See the stars... the best dark skies Discovery Sites Yorkshire Dales National Park

Some of the world’s best stargazing locations are closer to home and the Yorkshire Dales National Park has four Dark Sky Discovery Sites – areas with minimal light pollution and great sightlines of the sky. “One of my favourite places is at Keldy in North Yorkshire,” reveals Colin Daley at the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society. “It’s within Forestry Commission land, where there’s very little light pollution.”

The Moors National Park Centre Danby, North Yorkshire

Located on the banks of the River Esk, near Danby, this centre is surrounded by moorland, woodland, farmland and historic buildings. It’s a quiet spot in the North York Moors far away from light pollution, making it another special place to view the stars at night.

Sutton Bank National Park Centre

Hambleton, North Yorkshire Famous Yorkshire vet James Herriot named a view from Sutton Bank over the Vale of Mowbray and the Vale of York as the “Finest in England” - but the view at night is just as spectacular. This area is also named as an official Dark Sky Discovery Site.

The Tan Hill Inn

near Keld, Swaledale As the highest pub in Britain, the Tan Hill Inn is unsurprisingly a brilliant place to stargaze. It stands at 1,732 feet above sea level and is situated near the village of Keld. It’s also a top spot to catch a glimmer of the Northern Lights.

Hawes National Park Centre

Hawes, Richmondshire The car park at the Dales Countryside Museum, just outside Hawes, is an area with particularly minimal light pollution. Stargazers can park here for free between 7pm and 6am.

Buckden National Park car park

Buckden, North Yorkshire Another great spot to start off your stargazing is Buckden.

As a Dark Sky Discovery Site, this location is accessible to all members of the public and is a great place to view the night sky. Check the weather forecast before you set out to ensure you’ll have a clear night.

Malham National Park Centre

Malham, North Yorkshire This is a busy tourist office during the day, but at night the car park transforms into an impressive spot to view the inky, dark skies. There’s free parking in the evenings and it’s fully accessible on foot or by bicycle.

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Top to bottom: Andy Exton guides visitors.

Milky Way above Young Ralphs Cross © Steve Bell.

Planet projections. Amazing skies above Ribblehead Viaduct © Matthew Savage.

The Milky Way is a river of light smudged across the sky, showing one of the spiral arms of our own galaxy. children, parents, teenage couples, grandparents, expert astronomers and complete novices all listening, rapt, as Andy helps us navigate the cosmos.

After the amazing dome experience, it’s time to get warm jackets back on and step outside again. The sky is definitely cloudier, but this isn’t just about trying to get a perfect view of the stars.

Being outside at night makes me really aware of the nocturnal wildlife. I can see hundreds of tiny bats flitting about and hear several owls hooting very close by and the rustling of small night mammals in the undergrowth. I love the cosiness of the black all around me as I huddle next to the cosy campfire.

The dark forest seems a million miles from any town or city, but in reality, it’s no distance at all to the nearest town from here and this is what makes Yorkshire stand out for stargazing – the ease of access between the bright lights of the cities and the dark sky sites in the national parks.

Discovering dark skies uncovers a buzzy world of events and enthusiasm in Yorkshire.

Children become enthralled by the natural world and interested in science and adults re-discover their childlike wonder. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy it and I’m even considering giving this year’s mini-break in Yorkshire with my chap a twist, with a bit of romantic star-gazing.

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WELCOME TO THE NORTH YORK MOORS

Left to right: The spectacular view from Sutton Bank © Paul D Hunter/NYMNPA. Family fun at Byland Abbey.

More, more, moor With its fabulous countryside, heather moorland and rugged Jurassic coast, the North York Moors National Park is one of Britain’s most treasured places. From rolling landscapes to enchanting forests, there’s a sense of peace and tranquillity that’s hard to beat.

Soak up ‘England’s finest view’ from the panoramic viewpoint at Sutton Bank National Park Centre before letting the kids go wild in the natural play area and exploring the hands-on exhibits, crafts and activities. Set in an idyllic spot near Danby, The Moors National Park Centre offers visitors adventure play areas, woodland and riverside trails and Inspired by… a beautiful contemporary art gallery with changing exhibitions.

Hop aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and experience one of the most popular heritage railway lines in the world. Running through the heart of the moors starting at either Whitby or Pickering, this 24-mile journey will take you through areas of incredible, natural beauty such as Newtondale, Levisham Moor and under Larpool Viaduct.

Choose from an abundance of heritage sites.

Discover your own place of contemplation at the haunting ruins of Rievaulx Abbey with its newly refurbished museum. Byland Abbey is a perfect example of early gothic architecture and Mount Grace Priory with its Arts and Crafts gardens and brand-new café provides a peaceful retreat. Surrounded by over 1,000 acres of spectacular countryside, Castle Howard near Malton is one of Britain’s finest stately homes, attracting visitors from all over the world.

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At the eastern edge of the National Park, the land meets the North Sea. Explore the 26-mile Jurassic-age coastline – from picture-postcard fishing villages like Robin Hood’s Bay and Staithes to hideaway coves and soaring cliffs.

Elsewhere, you’ll find wild flowers, nesting seabirds and abundant shore life.

Enjoy a fun-filled action-packed holiday at Dalby Forest. Ladders, walkways, bridges, rope crossings, Tarzan swings and zip wires will all get you from start to finish at Go Ape, or discover the forest balancing on two wheels, with an all-terrain Forest Segway. For a more leisurely day, take up a walking trail along the forest and moorland tracks including The Highway Rat activity trail, where the latest Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler book is brought to life.

DON'T MISS The pretty seaside community of Robin Hood’s Bay was once the heart of smuggling operations. Goods were whisked up from ships to caves, houses or coastal farms and then moved inland. Take a tour of the twisting streets and hidden alleyways that gave this smugglers’ town its fearsome reputation.

You can see the best of the National Park on the Moor to Sea Cycle Network – 150 miles of pedal-powered freedom. The route connects Scarborough, Whitby, Dalby Forest, Pickering and Great Ayton in a stunning series of moorland, forest and coastal loops. Yorkshire Cycle Hub is a new cycle centre offering fantastic views down Fryup Dale, with café, bike shop and mountain bikes to hire, plus accommodation. Head out on two wheels with Sutton Bank Bikes, along spectacular trails that offer a mix of family cycling and more adventurous off-road thrills.

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Clockwise from top left: The North Yorkshire Moors Railway © Graham Staples. The South Lawn at Castle Howard © Andy Bulmer. Cycling on the old railway line above Farndale © Russell Burton. Staithes © Tony Bartholomew. Boggle Hole Beach © Tony Bartholomew.

Walkers can enjoy anything from a one-mile easy access stroll, to the 109 mile Cleveland Way National Trail. Take a spring walk in Farndale, the ‘Daffodil Dale’, to see one of nature’s most spectacular shows or enjoy magnificent views from Sutton Bank on the White Horse Walk.

Taking place each February, the Dark Skies Festival is a full fortnight of events. Discover the thrills, fun and nocturnal wildlife wonders that come with getting outside after dark.

From cycling, walking and running to wildlife-watching, stargazing parties and daytime rocket-making workshops, learn more about the sky above you.

The market towns of Kirkbymoorside, Pickering, Thirsk, Stokesley, Malton and Northallerton are well worth an explore, full of historic interest and packed full of independent shops, antiques and art. If food is your thing, head to Helmsley for its monthly artisan market or Ampleforth, home of Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub 2017, The White Swan. Nearby, The Black Swan at Oldstead is the Travellers Choice Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World 2017, according to TripAdvisor! Tommy Banks’ talent as a chef is truly remarkable. Not forgetting Malton, a dream destination for bon viveurs, with traditional food shops, artisan producers, restaurants, food tours and even its own cookery school, not to mention monthly food markets and annual food festivals.

For an enjoyable family day out, head over to one of Yorkshire’s top theme parks, Flamingo Land Resort Yorkshire. With seven unique themed areas, including Children’s Planet, a zoo and a busy events calendar, you’ll find one day is never enough. Voted Yorkshire’s Best Attraction, the National Centre for Birds of Prey in Helmsley houses the north’s largest collection of birds of prey.

Experience spectacular flying demonstrations as these beautiful birds take to the skies. The Forestry Commission has just opened a purpose-built wildlife hide in Cropton Forest, where Hidden Horizons are running night-time wildlife evenings for visitors to observe badgers, foxes, deer and owls.

Commemorating the centenary of the First World War and the Armistice in 1918, pay a visit to Eden Camp near Malton, an award winning tribute to the people of wartime Britain and the country’s largest museum of military and social life from 1914.

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ADVERTORIAL

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Top image: Lizzie Deignan opens a Bike Library at Fearnville Leisure Centre.

‘‘A bicycle changed my life’’ Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries are transforming lives across the county and giving hope to hundreds of users. One woman describes what access to a bike has done for her family.

ust four years ago, life was pretty miserable for Lada, 42. She’d escaped a violent marriage, leaving with her four children (now aged 22, 18, 14 and 12) and the clothes she stood up in, to go and stay in a refuge.

She had no job, no home and no hope. Even basics such as food and clothes were a struggle. “We had nothing,” she says. “We were all very low and so depressed we could barely talk to each other.”

Today, however, she is glowing. There is a smile on her face, a spring in her step, she’s re-training for a new career and has never felt more optimistic about the future. So what has made such an enormous difference?

“Simple,” she shrugs. “A bike.”

Unlikely as it sounds, bicycles iAt a glancei really are transforming lives across the county and it’s all thanks to an initiative which was a legacy from the Grand Départ 2014 (when the Tour de France started in Leeds, West Yorkshire). Funded by the Yorkshire Bank, the initiative asks for old bikes to be donated so voluntary teams What? can recondition them and lend them Simply a location with to anyone who, for whatever reason, a fleet of bikes that are can’t have a bike of their own. available for loan to children and families. There are Bike Libraries have sprung up almost 50 Bike Libraries across Yorkshire, from Middlesbrough, across Yorkshire and over right down to Sheffield and can 5,500 bikes have been donated so far. be found in church halls, schools, Can anyone borrow one? business premises, community Yes. Just find your local centres and charities. Lada found out bike library (see the link about her local Yorkshire Bank Bike below) and get in touch.

The libraries often arrange Library, ‘Streetbikes’ in Huddersfield activities such as guided from a support group. bike rides, basic bike skills “I’d never heard of anything like and maintenance courses.

Or you can just have the it,” she says. “They told me how the freedom to ride on a safe organisation lends them like books in route, where you want, with a library and often gives them as gifts family and friends. to families in need.”

Where can I donate a bike?

Lada got in touch with them, Donation stations are popping up around hoping she could just borrow some Yorkshire all the time - for bikes over a weekend to give the full details of your local drop family some exercise. But when Gill off point see the website below. If you can’t see a Greaves, Streetbikes coordinator, local donation station near heard her story, she told Lada they you, keep checking - more could gift her a bike for her daughter, are added all the time as the scheme develops. who was having her 14th birthday.

“My daughter was overjoyed.

To donate a bike, borrow a bike, start a bike library or She couldn’t believe it. It gave all of us a become a volunteer visit huge boost to see her happiness.” Not bikelibraries.co.uk only that, the Bike Library arranged to give Lada and her other children bikes to borrow for free.

“I can’t begin to tell you the difference it’s made to our lives,” says Lada. “We exercise together through beautiful countryside, we talk and laugh and feel like a proper family again. It has really bonded us and we come back from a bike ride all breathless and happy. Cycling every day, to school, to shops and just for fun gave me my confidence back and made me look into volunteering and helping other people like myself, who get into difficulties. I’m re-training at college and I know I can work towards a great career. All our futures are bright again.”

The Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries are winners of the ‘Sport Simple’ programme of the year 2017 at the prestigious Peace and Sport awards. yorkshire.com

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DELICIOUS

Northern Star A nostalgic trip to Whitby takes Elaine Lemm back to her childhood and to the latest venture of Michelin star chef Andrew Pern. He cooks up a storm for her at The Star Inn The Harbour.

PHOTOS: ANDY BULMER

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D

riving from Pickering across the North York Moors, somewhere just past Fylingdales, the A169 drops away then rises steeply. At the summit, there is the first view of the sea and the seaside town of Whitby in all its glory. As kids, we would be beside ourselves in anticipation of who would see this first and today I feel just as exhilarated as if I am the one.

Whitby is the seaside town of my childhood summers and its promise of delicious ice cream.

I remember mum buying me cockles doused in vinegar served in little pots on the harbour side, while I gazed longingly at the clairvoyant’s beach hut hoping we might go in. How well I remember the quiver of fear at the mention of Dracula and the darker, mythical side of the otherwise bright and breezy town. Little has changed. There’s

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the usual coastal kitsch but also so much fun to be had from bracing walks on the pier, to penny arcades and the glorious sandy beaches.

Whitby is still a working town with a strong sense of itself and its traditions and there is none greater than the fishing industry, the harbour and shoals of fabulous seafood it lands each year. Whitby managed another major catch recently as renowned Yorkshire chef, Andrew Pern, returned to his roots and opened The Star Inn The Harbour, a 160-seater restaurant complete with bar and the cutest ice cream parlour. He is already chef/patron of the Michelin-starred The Star Inn at Harome, North Yorkshire. His championing of local suppliers and producers on his menus has helped win many awards. Andrew brings his impressive reputation and a considerable following to Whitby. This might have sent a shudder through the independent restaurants and chippies worrying this behemoth would pull diners away from them.

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I happily tuck into a chunk of fresh lobster nestled into a pool of seafood and bathed in velvety bisque.

I can say, the sunny midweek afternoon I strolled through the town heading for the harbour, that is not the case. There is something for everyone here. Queues continue to snake outside the chip shops with cafÊs and bars packed to the gunnels; there’s a pleasant sunny-seaside-holiday feeling in the air and even the gulls looked happy.

The Star Inn The Harbour is a busy and buzzy place at lunchtime; it is not full, but numbers swell as the day progresses and continue long after the day-trippers have left. I have the best seat in the house, I feel, with a magnificent view over the fishing boats, up and over the seeming piles of higgledy-piggledy houses to the ruins of the abbey. It would be hard to find a better view from a restaurant that so well sums up its location and all that is wonderful about it.

Dragging my eyes back into the Star, I see kitsch was indeed left outside. There are light nautical touches everywhere including a gigantic lobster from Whitby sculptor Emma Stothard. Local designer Rachel McClane may be responsible for putting all of this together, but it is the magpie-like collector in Andrew Pern that we have to thank for the rest of the charming and sometimes-whacky ephemera scattered about the place.

Andrew comes from Whitby and, like a stick of rock, has Yorkshire running through him. His menus are the same, they groan under the weight of local provenance.

Andrew has been buying from the boats, fish merchants and markets up and down the coast for years and they know he demands the best. So, it is no surprise that the menu teems with fresh fish, lobster and seafood as well as local rare breed meats made into pies, roasts and even a Schnitzel.

Andrew is cooking today and I happily tuck into a chunk of fresh lobster nestled into a pool of seafood and bathed in velvety bisque. A special of the day brought a meaty halibut steak landed just that morning from The Victory Rose trawler in Whitby and showed freshness at its best. The precision of the dish was as thorough as the cooking with tiny potato scales lined up neatly on the top of the Halibut and topped off by delicious aromas of herbs, garlic and butter wafting from the plate. Dessert has to be a Knickerbocker Glory and this one is a thing of beauty to behold and to eat - layers of cream, fruit and mousse heaven in a glass.

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Coast with the most Whitby and the coast are awash with festivals and events throughout the year, here is just a selection to give you a flavour.

Seafest Maritime Festival

20th anniversary of Seafest, on West Pier, South Bay Scarborough. Music, street entertainment and over 40 stalls including street food. 20 - 22 July 2018

Captain Cook Festival

250th Anniversary of Captain Cook’s first expedition to the South Seas. Entertainment for the whole family. 6 - 8 July 2018

is team have added to H the delights of this lovely town with another layer of deliciousness and a breath of fresh air.

Whitby and District Lions Annual Beer Festival

Based at The Whitby Mission & Seafarers Centre, over 30 real ales, ciders and perries to sample from local and regional microbreweries. July 2018

Whitby Regatta

Whitby Regatta is one of the oldest sea regattas on the north east coast. A full weekend of entertainment, embracing yacht racing, rowing races and various free forms of entertainment. 11 - 13 August 2018

Whitby Folk Week

A seven-day celebration of the traditional music, dance and song of the British Isles. Boasting over 600 events from workshops, concerts, sing-arounds, dances, sessions and street entertainment to the extensive 'fringe' events that spontaneously erupt. 18 - 24 August 2018 Meandering back through the town that seems just as busy as when I arrived several hours ago, I thought my love of Whitby could not grow anymore, but it has. I will still come for those cockles, to wander the tiny streets, wrap up on a chilly day and battle the winds out on the pier.

I will climb the steps to the abbey, sit on a bench and eat fish and chips or snuggle up in a cosy pub. Who knows, I may even make it into the clairvoyant. What Andrew and his team have added to the delights of this lovely town is another layer of deliciousness and a breath of fresh air to the food. We should all be happy.

iSeafood and eat iti The Star Inn The Harbour Langborne Road, Whitby YO21 1YN Tel: 01947 821900. Open Monday to Friday, 11.30am-9pm; Saturday, 12-9.30pm; Sunday, 12-7pm (times change with the seasons).

More information: starinntheharbour.co.uk

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INDULGENCE

YUGGA STARTER KIT

Cosy candles YUGGA STARTER KIT

Yugga is all about warmth and intimacy, so candles are essential for soft light. Church candles work best (not too strongly scented), or tealights in jars.

For delicious flavours in glass tumblers, try The Sheffield Candle Company. Kemps in Malton sell natural wax candles with gentle scents in different sizes or head to White Rose Candles for cute sheep candles and large longlasting church ones.

Socks

Cold feet are not conducive to experiencing proper Yugga, so warm, comfy socks are essential. No greying polyester here, natural fibres only.

Swaledale Woollens have gorgeous knee length socks made from proper Swaledale wool.

YOU NEED YUGGA IN YOUR LIFE Hygge, the Danish for cosy, is so last year. What you need is Yugga, the rugged, yet more comfy and enjoyable Yorkshire version. Fiona Wright finds out more.

YUGGA STARTER KIT

Bicycles

YUGGA STARTER KIT

Outdoor gear

Invest in a gorgeous snuggly warm top from McNair Shirts. Perfect for Yugga, the makers say you’ll still feel the weather, but in a warm, connected way.

YUGGA STARTER KIT

Perfect PJs

Crisp cotton or brushed, depending on the season.

Victoria Gate in Leeds is the place to find the perfect pair of PJs to sleep in Yugga-style.

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YUGGA STARTER KIT

Snuggly blanket For curling up with and sharing. Nothing scratchy, only the softest lambswool or cashmere. Try the Rusty Fox in Malton for stylish cushions and beautiful grey and white wool blankets.

Cycling is very Yugga. You need to earn the cosy bit by going out in the fresh air and stunning Yorkshire countryside, preferably with family, getting out of breath in order to collapse in front of a giant log fire. Not got a bike? Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries will lend you and the family one for free.

Want to hire one and stay over at a B&B in the Dales? Try the Dales Bike Centre, Richmond, North Yorkshire. Want to buy one or need some maintenance?

Relax, repair and refuel at Your Bike Shed in York. Vern Overton Cycling in Harrogate offers bikes for hire, coaches and guides and repairs.

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Find your inner Yugga EVERYONE THINKS THAT HYGGE (PRONOUNCED HOO-GA) IS A DANISH CONCEPT. GRANTED, THEY MIGHT HAVE COME UP WITH THE WORD, BUT COSY IS IN YORKSHIRE’S DNA. Nowhere else does snug, warm and luxurious comfort quite like we do.

The Yorkshire version (Yugga obvs) is all about creating feelings of happiness and wellbeing from the simple things. There’s nothing quite like coming back from a bracing walk in the Dales to a hot chocolate by a roaring fire, or paddling in a bracing sea then rewarding yourself with piping hot Whitby fish and chips.

But Yugga’s not just for winter, summer Yugga is about sunny picnics, warm evenings round a firepit and BBQs on the beach. Sound appealing? We’ve put together seven ways you can do Yugga in and around Yorkshire. Enjoy.

1. SPEND TIME WITH FA M I LY A N D F R I E N D S We know having a good time with the people we love makes us happy. But when was the last time you sat around a big table with your nearest and dearest for no reason? Surround yourself with your loved ones and eat, drink and be merry. You don't need an excuse. For real Yugga luxury, why not hire Middleton Lodge in Richmond, North Yorkshire? Dinner will be waiting for you, along with a roaring log fire and glowing candles. After supper, wrap up in cosy blankets and watch a film or take a step outside to make s'mores (marshmallows melted on cookies) on roaring fire pits.

5 . I N D U L G E Y O U R S E L F Be kind and don’t deny yourself anything.

Be mindful and you won’t overdo it. Have that slice of cake with your coffee - you deserve it. Nothing says Yugga like a delicious cream tea or a Fat Rascal and a milky latte at Bettys Café Tea Rooms.

YO Bakehouse artisan bakery and coffee house on Market Street, Malton serves roast coffee and lovely tea alongside a selection of freshly baked delicacies.

6. SIT BY THE FIRE

3 . G O AWAY F O R A MINI-BREAK Two days of real relaxation can feel like a week abroad. The North Star Club is a luxury woodland camp retreat that has four poster beds and roll-top baths in safari style vintage tents. It doesn’t get more Yugga than this. Fancy a Georgian country hotel surrounded by gardens and meadows with lush bedrooms and stylish cosy spaces to curl up in? Tickton Grange is what you need.

A proper Yugga fire should, of course, use real wood. Yorkshire Cycle Hub have a hearty fire going in the winter and pumpkin soup if you’re lucky. The Horseshoe Inn, Levisham, The White Horse and Griffin in Whitby and 17 Burgate, Pickering, are great places to stop for a warm by the roaring grate.

4. GET OUTSIDE

2. MAKE HOT C H O C O L AT E Milk is packed with vitamins and cocoa has antioxidants. Even cream and marshmallows have health benefits. For amazing hot chocolate potions, try York Cocoa House.

Visit the café for luxurious creamy hot chocolate indulgence or buy online and create your own at home.

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Yorkshire’s made for hiking, walking, strolling and wandering so you’re spoilt for choice.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park, The North York Moors National Park, the Pennines, the Peak District; take your pick. For more inspiration go to yorkshire.com

7. T U R N Y O U R MOBILE OFF Yugga is about embracing life and living in the moment. Put down all screens and enjoy the here and now. Smell the crisp air, listen to birdsong, read a book, enjoy the crackle of a fire and the taste of something delicious.

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Southern belle

Beautiful landscapes, wild attractions and a wealth of heritage sites and historic properties; there’s lots to discover here in the south.

Stand face to face with the lions at the UK’s number one walk-through wildlife adventure.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is home to the UK’s only resident polar bears, as well as tigers and critically endangered black rhinos. The park has over 400 animals and over 70 different species, making it a truly breathtaking adventure.

Back a winner at Doncaster Racecourse, one of the oldest racing establishments in Britain.

The Doncaster Cup was first held in 1766 and is still going strong today along with the St Leger Stakes, also established in 1766.

Today Doncaster Racecourse is the busiest dual-purpose racecourse in the UK. Visitors can be casual or formal but for most it's an excuse to dress up, especially on Ladies Day - the perfect opportunity to don your fanciest frock and hat.

If you fancy a slower pace of entertainment, head over to Doncaster’s flagship theatre, Cast, for a huge range of performances throughout the year. Music, dance, children’s shows and comedy make up the programme of events and the venue also plays host to acclaimed touring companies like Northern Ballet and the National Youth Theatre.

Doncaster and its surrounding areas have some of the finest historic houses and stately homes.

Take a trip to the stunning 1860s Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, one of the best-preserved

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examples of a Victorian country house in England. Wander through its untouched rooms before enjoying a walk in the exquisite gardens, not forgetting to visit the summerhouse to savour romantic views of the grounds. Step back in time and enjoy a day of adventure at Conisbrough Castle. This medieval fort has one of England’s most complete keep towers as well as the remains of a curtain wall surrounding the inner bailey. Take a picnic to enjoy in the grounds while the kids explore the defences, ditches and banks. Cusworth Hall Museum and Park is a beautiful Grade I listed building set in acres of historic parkland, with lakes, plantations and pleasure grounds offering spectacular views across the borough. Doncaster Minster stands at the heart of the town where a church has stood for over eight centuries. The present church was built in 1854 and is home to the impressive German Edmund Schulze organ.

Doncaster hosted the first air show in England at Doncaster Racecourse in 1909. You can see a replica of the Bleriot XI aircraft that took part at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum along with modern fast jets and civil light aircraft. The interactive exhibits and variety of special events throughout the year make it a perfect place for families and air enthusiasts alike. Explore the story of the men awarded the Victoria Cross at Ashworth Barracks Museum. Listen to the veterans and former serving officers share their

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WELCOME TO SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Clockwise from top left: Conisbrough Castle.

Brodsworth Hall and Gardens. Elsecar Heritage Centre. Cusworth Hall Museum and Park.

Roaring lions at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

insightful knowledge and stories of their own military experiences. Explore the artefacts and memorabilia collections for an entertaining and educational day out. For an overnight stay in pure luxury, visit The Stable Arches at Hooton Pagnell Estate. The five beautifully stylish ensuite rooms offer a well-deserved escape from the comings and goings of city life.

Barnsley is a bustling market town full of attractions old and new. Nestled within the rolling Pennine Hills you’ll find art galleries, museums, heritage sites and beautiful stately homes and gardens to keep everyone in the family entertained.

Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre is an award winning centre where visitors can uncover the incredible story of this proud Yorkshire borough, told by the people that live and work there. Interactive galleries and exhibitions take visitors on a journey through the ages. Head into the cultural quarter of the town and visit The Cooper Gallery where you’ll find masterpieces by Ruskin and Turner as well as 20th century British artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Edward Wadsworth.

While you’re there why not take a short walk to The Civic Barnsley theatre and art gallery for a wide range of contemporary art, quality performances and innovative exhibitions.

See history come to life and discover the age old breadmaking process from start to finish at Worsbrough Mill and Country Park. This 17th century water mill is one of very few still in full working order making it a truly unique attraction. Set within a tranquil country park and nature reserve it is a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

For an excellent family day out take a trip to Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens. This beautiful Georgian country house lies within 70 acres of stunning parkland and fantastic landscaped gardens. Over at Cannon Hall Farm, children will be spoilt for choice with the biggest and best equipped playgrounds in the North of England as well as the largest tube maze in Europe, not to mention the hundreds of animals on display.

Elsecar is a remarkable conservation village with picturesque workers cottages, a beautiful church and historic pubs. Over in the Elsecar Heritage Centre visitors will find a range of individual craft workshops, artist studios, antique centres and exhibitions alongside a children’s indoor play centre, café and a historical steam railway.

Amongst the purple moorland between the Peaks and the Pennines, you will find the quaint market town of Penistone. Wonderful historic houses and gardens, countryside walks, easy cycle routes and industrial heritage sites are all on its doorstep. For a memorable family day out, walk along the Trans Pennine Trail which runs through the village along an old railway track.

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OUTDOORS

Vertigo suffe rers avert yo ur eyes now.

Olympic stan Mark Bailey dard ROKT c explores the limbing centr chats to team e in West Yo GB champio rkshire and n Luke Murp h y a b o u t h grips with th ow to get to e UK’s highe st climbing w all. limbing

becomes an Olympic even t for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Games , but at the ROKT cl imbing centre, in Brig house, West Yorksh ire, the Olympic buzz is already here. Built on the site of an old flour mill, it’s an eye-catching 4,100 metre -square clim facility where bing giant grain to wers have be converted in en to action-pa cked climbing walls that ar e luring begi nners and Te am

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GB athletes alike. Fearle ss children an nervous pare d nts inch up the colourcoordinated handholds fix ed to the ‘le climbing wal ad’ l, supported by a harness ropes. This 69 and ft facade is the tallest in climbing ch door allenge in Yo rkshire.

Other clim bers dangle off lower-leve ‘bouldering’ l walls which permit rope climbs abov -free e thick slabs of padding. real daredevi But the ls can be foun d outside. W past the entr alk ance and yo u’ll see a clus ant-like figur te r of es wriggling up ROKT Fa a vertiginou ce s 118ft outdoo r route bolte one of the en d to ormous disu sed grain silo s.

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ewly opened in 2017, it is officially the highest outdoor climbing wall in the UK. What makes ROKT so special is its range of facilities. If you could line up all the indoor climbing routes in a row they would extend for over two and a half miles. The outdoor climbing wall offers 21 unique routes, as well as some mesmerising 20-mile views across Yorkshire. The new bouldering gym is packed with over 300 different challenges. “Bouldering walls are very good for learning technical skills and improving your grip and balance so they are a good starting point for beginners,” says ROKT commercial director Euan Noble. “The bouldering climbs go up to 4.8 metres which doesn’t sound too bad, but trust me, when you’re up there, it feels much higher.”

The outdoor wall offers 21 unique routes, as well as some mesmerising 20-mile views.

Left to right: Roktagon is a fun, family friendly 3D climbing structure accessible for all abilities from two years old upwards. The UK’s highest climbing wall.

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s well as families, ROKT encourages schoolchildren, scout and guide groups, stag and hen parties and teambuilding office workers to visit with many sampling climbing for the first time. Even toddlers can enjoy the dedicated Kids Attic – a soft play den of miniature walls, climbing boulders and ball pools. Induction sessions, taster classes, themed fun nights and student evenings encourage newcomers and, with an on-site pub (Miller’s Bar) and restaurant (47 Grains), many visitors stick around for the whole day.

However, ROKT is also a pioneering destination, testing its 40,000 enthusiastic members’ skills to the limit. This year saw the opening of the Northlight Loft, a 280 metre-square bouldering gym which offers highly technical challenges for experienced climbers, including the many professional British climbers who have made Yorkshire their home in the build-up to the Olympics, lured by the proximity of stunning outdoor climbs in the surrounding countryside.

“It’s fun for families and beginners, but this is also for elite climbers who compete in regional, national and international competitions,” explains Noble. “Climbing’s arrival at the Olympics is also sure to whip up interest. It’s great seeing kids inspired and seeing parents climb with them. About 80 per cent of our members are local but we’ve had visitors from all over the country because we’re offering something unique.”

Noble hopes that ROKT will become the national hub for elite climbers. “In the six years since we opened in 2011 we have been constantly evolving. We already have Team GB athletes using the facility and we hope to get more coaches and athletes here to develop it into a centre of excellence. Kids can come and have fun but if they excel, they may well be scouted and progress to the very top of the sport.”

Climbers dangle off lower-level walls and ant-like figures wriggle up ROKT Face.

Top tips for beginners from Team GB’s Luke Murphy iGeari

iTechniquei

iStrengthi

iStay calmi

Wear comfortable clothes If you’re climbing inside, wear nothing too restrictive or baggy (that might get caught on handholds). If you’re outside, wear layers of breathable, sweat-wicking clothing rather than one bulky item.

Think before you move Stand at the bottom of the wall or crag and work out your route. Find a point where you know you can rest and shake out your arms. Don’t just go directly up, move sideways and even down to get the best position.

Don’t overuse your arms Try to keep three points of contact and lean slightly out to see where your feet are going next. Push with your legs to save energy, but just stand on the ball of your foot. This helps you gain height and a better awareness of your grip.

Stay calm and don’t look down Looking down can cause you to lose focus and panic. Look ahead and slightly up, take deep, steady breaths and always focus on your next move. When you are bouldering try to stay relaxed and loose.

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“ My ‘office’ was the side of a wall that’s higher than the Tower of London” uke Murphy, 19, from Hebden Bridge, is one of the Team GB climbers who train at ROKT. He helped set the routes on the 118ft outside climbing wall and installed some of the holds. He’s also been instrumental in setting up the climbs in the new bouldering gym. “Setting up the big outdoor wall was surreal, even for me, but it was great fun installing the holds. If you get to the top, you can tell people you’ve climbed higher than the Tower of London. Climbing is really diverse and ROKT just goes to show how many different types of climbing you can do in one place,” he says. “I’ve used ROKT since it first opened. A lot of the British climbing team is based in Yorkshire because we have great indoor facilities like ROKT and easy access to outdoor climbs in Yorkshire and the Peak District.”

iHow to become a ROKT stari How to get involved Day passes for the ROKT indoor gym start at £4.50 for under-18s and £6.50 for adults. Access to the ROKT Face outdoor wall costs £15 for visitors. A fully instructed taster session on the outdoor wall costs £17.50. Shoes and equipment for hire and details of further sessions and membership are on the website.

More information: rokt.com

Climb Outdoors fAdrenalin pumping, heart stopping,f ffear inducing! There are thousands of outdoorf fclimbing opportunities throughout Yorkshire.f

Discover inspiring climbing in Yorkshire at one of our 600 bolted routes (where metal anchors are fixed to the rock) or in the Yorkshire Dales and over 10,000 recorded climbs in the Peak District.

The gritstone outcrops of Crookrise in the Southern Yorkshire Dales are perfect for beginners, while the 70 metre-high white limestone crag of Malham Cove in Wharfedale is great for experienced enthusiasts. Further south in the Peak District, the gritstone crag of Stanage

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Edge offers over 2,000 routes and is popular with novices, while Laddow Rocks, Burbage Edge and High Tor appeal to hardier climbers.

Information on outdoor climbing locations in Yorkshire, specialised guiding services and local instructors is readily available online at UK Climbing (UKclimbing.com), Rockfax (rockfax. com), the British Mountaineering Council (bmc.com) and Welcome to Yorkshire (yorkshire.com).

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WELCOME TO WEST YORKSHIRE

Explore and imagine You’re never far from something new and exciting in West Yorkshire. There is rich heritage represented in its many museums, castles and industrial landmarks while diverse culture is celebrated in the many artists and sculptors who once called this special area of Yorkshire home.

Clockwise from above: Henry Moore: Upright Motives No. 1 (Glenkiln Cross): No 2; No 7 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park © Jonty Wilde. The David Hockney Gallery is now open at the Cartwright Hall in Bradford © Tommy London.

Titanic Spa in Huddersfield. Gibson Mill at Hardcastle Crags Nature Park near Hebden Bridge. Wonderlab at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.

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Situated within rolling hills you’ll find Calderdale’s largest town, Halifax.

In 1988 six art lovers bought the dilapidated Square Chapel Arts Centre with a view to transforming it into a home for performing arts in Halifax.

Today, 40,000 people a year visit the centre for film, theatre, live music, comedy, family shows and workshops, so it’s fair to say they have achieved what they set out to do. The only drawback is choosing what to watch first. While you’re there, why not explore a stunning example of Georgian architecture at The Piece Hall. Housing an array of independent shops, galleries, bars and restaurants as well as great events throughout the year this recently renovated landmark is a must-see.

Situated in the picturesque Shibden Valley, a mile from Halifax, you’ll find Shibden Hall. The history of this building and its residents, namely industrialist and diarist Anne Lister, has been made into a new BBC drama due to air in the autumn.

Discover the cultural wonders of Bradford city centre as well as the famous Ilkley Moor, brooding Brontë country and the Italianate-style village of Saltaire. For a truly unique day out, why not visit the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford. Enjoy the games lounge, animation gallery and their newest zone exploring light and sound through mind-bending experiments and live shows. With three cinemas, including the incredible IMAX, you can spend all day there and still want to go back for more. For a peek inside the life of one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century then head over to the fantastic

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David Hockney Gallery at Cartwright Hall in Bradford. Visitors can marvel at his incredible techniques and early work as well as watching unseen footage of him in his Bridlington studio. If this leaves you wanting more, why not take a short trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire to view more of his artwork at the Salts Mill exhibition.

To keep the youngsters entertained, hop aboard the Kirklees Light Railway for a steam filled action packed day out.

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is also a wonderful way to see the beautiful views of the county made famous by the Brontës. If you’re looking for more Brontë inspiration, make sure you pay the Brontë Parsonage Museum a visit in nearby Haworth, where you can find the world’s largest collection of this famous family’s furniture, clothes and personal possessions.

Venture 140m underground to discover the hidden world of mining at the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield. Find out more about how miners have lived and worked through the decades, enjoy a train ride to the Hope Pit and let off some steam at the brilliant new adventure playground.

Pontefract Castle is a great place to discover, explore and imagine. Enjoy a picnic in the inner Bailey while the kids run free, play games and explore the grounds. If you’re feeling brave, descend into the castle dungeons and see the names carved into the walls

by Civil War soldiers. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the new visitor centre to enjoy the museum displays, activity zones and the Liquorice Café selling a range of delicious treats.

For art lovers or anyone that wants a day of culture, head to The Hepworth Wakefield, the UK’s largest purposebuilt gallery outside of London.

The gallery celebrates the success of one of Britain’s most significant sculptors, Barbara Hepworth, as well as a regularly changing programme of contemporary exhibitions by world renowned artists. If the weather is kind, take a trip to the world’s leading open air gallery Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where you can explore world class contemporary sculptures set amongst 500 acres of beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

After a busy day at West Yorkshire’s many attractions, you’ll be ready for a well-earned break. Waterton Park Hotel & Spa is situated in a scenic valley of rolling parkland with its very own lake.

Over in Halifax, Holdsworth House Hotel is an historic Jacobean manor and is the hotel featured in Last Tango in Halifax. Originally built as a country escape for the Scott family, Wood Hall Hotel & Spa in Wetherby remains a tranquil country house hotel where today’s pressures seem an age away.

You can find the Best Luxury Destination Spa 2017 in Huddersfield.

The Titanic Spa has gained many accolades since its opening in 2006.

Pop along for a day of pampering or stay over in one of the luxury apartments for a truly relaxing break.

A wide range of first class treatments are available at this luxurious spa, the perfect place to unwind and recharge those batteries.

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ARTISTIC

Give Piece a chance TV’s Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax put Calderdale on the map. Now Sarah Freeman discovers the stunning regeneration of The Piece Hall, the buzzing cultural hub of Square Chapel and what else has put Halifax in the spotlight.

You know a place is on the up when it gets a nickname. Harvey Nics pitched up in Leeds and behold, Knightsbridge of the North was born.

The Bishy Road area of York, with its clutch of trendy delis, bars and cafés is the Notting Hill of the North.

Listen closely now and you might just hear mention of Calder-fornia. Tongue in cheek maybe and while there’s no equivalent to LA’s Venice Beach or San Fran’s Golden Gate Bridge in the valley stretch running from Todmorden to Halifax, via Hebden Bridge, Cragg Vale, Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge, the stars are definitely aligning in this part of Yorkshire.

In the last 12 months it’s been hard to move for new openings. Craft ale hipsters have descended, artisan bakers have opened up and while in other towns libraries have been closing faster than you can say ‘quiet please’, Halifax has even managed to build a brand new one, which is all beautiful glass panes and elegant angles.

Part of the renaissance can be attributed to the Sally Wainwright effect. Brought up in Sowerby Bridge, the screenwriter has mined her childhood home for inspiration.

With both Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax having been filmed up here, millions have been introduced to gritstone-built towns clinging to dramatic hillsides and imposing industrial buildings that once housed textile mills on which Calderdale’s wealth was built.

Wainwright might have done her bit, but there has also been a little serendipity at play, with a number of long-awaited developments all reaching completion at the same time.

A keystone of the regeneration is The Piece Hall. If you have never been, imagine an historic Tuscan square has been dismantled, shipped across from Italy and painstakingly rebuilt brick by brick in Halifax.

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riginally a trading hall for Yorkshire’s cloth merchants, even during the textile heyday of the 18th century, this grand old building only ever opened for a couple of hours a week and in more recent years with many of the units empty and the stonework crumbling a little, it was in danger of becoming something of a white elephant.

Thankfully money was secured for a sympathetic £19 million restoration project and while it over ran by a year, it has been worth the wait. The Grade I listed hall one of only two in the world - is now home to a small but perfectly formed museum, galleries showcasing Yorkshire artists, independent shops from jewellers to vintage clothing, an old fashioned sweet shop, vinyl record store and as is de rigeur these days, a gin bar.

More will follow throughout the year and the central square will also provide the backdrop for a programme of live events. The increased visitor numbers should also be good news for the Square Chapel Arts Centre next door.

First opened in the 1980s thanks to a group of artistic souls

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Left and above: Since 1779, The Piece Hall has stood proudly at the heart of Halifax. One of the UK’s most significant heritage projects, this Grade I listed building has been conserved and transformed.

iImagine an historic Tuscan square has beeni idismantled, shipped across from Italy andi ipainstakingly rebuilt brick by brick in Halifax.i who believed they could turn a derelict Victorian church into a performance venue, Square Chapel has also just been given a substantial makeover. With two auditoriums and a brand-new café bar, word has it one of the original founders cried tears of joy when she saw the result.

The recent boost to the area’s creative mojo shouldn’t come as any surprise as Calderdale has always had an artistic soul. Halifax was the town where in 1992 Barrie Rutter chose to found his renowned Northern Broadsides theatre company. Hebden Bridge is home to more artist studios than any other town bar St Ives and it was Calderdale that Poet Laureate Ted Hughes called home.

No wonder then that Sally Wainwright keeps getting pulled back here.

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WHERE TO GO IN CALDERDALE FOR...

A history lesson While Happy Valley was set very much in the present, Sally Wainwright’s new drama will wind back to the early decades of the 19th century to tell the story of Anne Lister, the industrialist and landowner who also dressed head to foot in black and defied convention by being openly lesbian. Gentleman Jack is due to be filmed during 2018, but before it goes out in the autumn get a sneak preview of what to expect by visiting Lister’s former home of Shibden Hall. Just a mile from Halifax, the estate is now a museum telling the history of the area and its people, recreating a traditional blacksmiths, coopers,

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Clockwise from top: The stunning foyer and striking exterior at the Square Chapel Arts Centre.

Shibden Hall. Hebden Bridge nestles into the hills. Entrance to The Piece Hall piazza © Paul White Photography. Creative Crystals at The Piece Hall.

iWith two auditoriums and a new café bar fori ithe Square Chapel, word has it one of the foundersi icried tears of joy when she saw the result.i wheelwrights and saddlers. Once you’ve had your fill of Calderdale history, the grounds also boast a miniature railway, boating lake and pitch and putt course.

WHERE TO GO IN CALDERDALE FOR...

Unforgettable food Last year, Yorkshire - and more specifically The Hinchliffe Arms, near Hebden Bridge - welcomed an export from the other side of the Pennines. Chef Robert Owen Brown, who had made his mark with a residency at the Mark Addy on Salford’s River Irwell, had been quietly content running pop-ups and supper clubs. However, when The Hinch, as it’s known locally, was bought by family run brewery company JW Lees it knew it needed a chef of note to

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put it on the map. Brown was installed and it’s proved a smart move. Make sure you order the Craggy Egg, a black pudding and sausage meat pickled scotch egg rolled in crumbled pork scratchings. A new Yorkshire classic.

WHERE TO GO IN CALDERDALE FOR...

The perfect pint The Victorian Craft Beer Café only opened in 2014, but it feels like it’s been there for decades. Occupying a prime spot just a stone’s throw from The Piece Hall, it was the brainchild of Simon Anderton, who previously ran the Puzzle Hall Inn just a few miles away in Sowerby Bridge.

A bit of a craft ale geek, he refused to stock any of the usual brands and as a result has made the Victorian

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iYou might just hear mentioni iof ‘Calder-fornia’...Part of thei irenaissance can be attributedi ito the Sally Wainwright effect.i has successfully shown that small is indeed beautiful. The acoustics are unrivalled and the intimate surroundings have proved a bit of a draw for artists like Patti Smith, Richard Hawley and Paul Weller. Regularly shortlisted for NME’s Small Venue of the Year gong, the gigs are always great, the only problem might be getting a ticket.

WHERE TO GO IN CALDERDALE FOR...

A lazy breakfast

into a bit of a beer drinker’s Mecca. There are at least 10 hand-pulled beers and ciders, 100 bottled beers and Anderton has made good on his ambition to bring the type of drinking establishment you might find in Leeds or Manchester to Halifax. We also love the fact there are whisky and Belgian beer nights on “random Thursdays” throughout the year.

WHERE TO GO IN CALDERDALE FOR...

A gig to remember If there was an annual award for most creative town in Yorkshire, Hebden Bridge would be the favourite every year. No surprise then that it is home to one of the county’s best - and tiniest - music venues. The Trades Club began life in the 1920s when it was set up by the area’s tailoring and textiles workers and their unions. As the industry declined, so did the club, but it reopened again in the 1980s and with a capacity of just 200 it

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Todmorden was the town which pioneered the Incredible Edible scheme to increase the amount of locally grown vegetables with communal allotments and the like. No surprise then, that it has grown into a bit of a foodie haven. One of the best is the Old Co-op Café bar which sits on the first floor of the equally impressive Victorian Co-operative buildings. It’s run by one of the daughters of the Incredible Edible founders and it’s vegetarian, so there is no full English on the menu. However, the meat-free dishes are impressive and much of the produce is sourced from within a few miles’ radius.

WHERE TO GO IN CALDERDALE FOR...

An adrenaline rush Want adventure for an hour, an afternoon or a full day?

Another World Adventure Centre offers outdoor activities including archery, snowboarding, mountain boarding, grass sledging, paintballing, bumper balls (roll around and crash into people whilst strapped inside a massive padded seethrough ball), go karting and shooting or test your balance and teamwork on the low ropes climbing course.

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Designed for kids What child wouldn’t want to look up a giant nose or stroke a coyote? Both are on offer at Eureka! the National Children’s Museum, designed for children aged 0-11. Nothing is behind a glass cabinet. They have over 400 interactive, hands-on exhibits designed to inspire enquiring minds to find out about themselves and the world around them.

Six unique zones Step inside giant body parts, have a chat with a robot, find out how sound is created and mix your own music. There’s even a childsize town complete with shops and a town square where kids can explore the world of work and

grown up life. Discover six unique zones each with a different theme to explore. Each zone is packed with equipment to explore, activities to do and buttons to press. During school holidays the museum offers a varied programme of workshops and activities. Eureka! was named as Number One in The Independent's 10 best hands-on museums.

Get digital An interactive digital playground called digiPlaySpace is staying at Eureka! until April. digiPlaySpace has been created by artists from across the globe and is packed full of exciting stuff for kids to touch, control and play; combining fun and learning with robots, electronics, stop-motion animation, music and gaming.

iWhat child wouldn’t want toi ilook up a giant nose or strokei ia coyote?i

iGruelling bike ridesi Memories of Le Tour There were some memorable moments when the Tour de France brought the Grand Départ to Yorkshire in 2014. There were the crowds who lined Buttertubs Pass up in the Dales, the heartbreaking finish to Stage One when Mark Cavendish crashed out in Harrogate and the sight of the peloton coming face to face with the longest continuous gradient in England. Côte de Cragg Vale, as it’s destined to be forever known, is now a magnet for amateurs hoping to emulate the likes of Wiggins and Froome. Head out of Mytholmroyd on the B6138 road and prepare to ascend 968ft in five and a half miles. It’s tough, but the views are impressive and once complete, so are the bragging rights.

A less gruelling walk Head to Sowerby Bridge and take a stroll along the towpath where the Rochdale Canal joins the Calder and Hebble Navigation. The canal reopened to boats in 2002 thanks to an ambitious restoration programme manned largely by volunteers and it’s also now a great walking route which will take you to the heart of the Pennine Hills. Hard to believe that this was once an industrial hub as it’s now one of the most peaceful and picturesque corners of Yorkshire. There are plenty of places to stop off, so take a picnic and a good book.

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© Russell Burton

Something to keep the kids amused

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ARTISTIC

SCULPTURE CLUB Stephen McClarence discovers some of the most amazing indoor and outdoor art in Yorkshire.

I

’m going on a sculpture safari, ticking off works of art rather than lions or tigers. Along the road, I pass a sign proclaiming “Arcadia”. Well, why not?

The mythical rural paradise would have had plenty in common with the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, give or take a few Henry Moores. The landscaped estate, set in glorious countryside between Wakefield and Barnsley, is the first stop on my tour of the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle - an imaginative partnership between four venues (all open free) on three sites that puts Yorkshire proudly on the world sculpture map.

Eight miles away, there’s the Hepworth Wakefield, a gallery celebrating the locally-born sculptor Barbara Hepworth and two next-door-neighbours in Leeds – the newly refurbished Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute, dedicated to the work of arguably the greatest 20th century British sculptor. He was born in nearby Castleford and grew up there in what he later called “an awful little house” (now demolished).

The Triangle helps Yorkshire reclaim Moore and Hepworth, both of whom trained at Leeds School of Art and were inspired by the county’s landscape, though they spent much of their lives in the South of England.

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I’ve visited the park before but, until now, I’ve never explored its furthest-flung corners. My safari driver Freya, a Sculpture Park programme assistant is here to guide me.

We trundle across the grass, past reclining bronze figures

by Moore. Beyond the box hedges and the trees, beyond the lakes and the tractor-busy fields, are sweeping hills.

My visit is at the tail end of the park’s 40th year of “celebrating art without walls”. It came about thanks to Peter Murray, an art education lecturer at Bretton Hall College, an 18th century country house turned teacher training college (still on the park site, but now closed).

He set up a sculpture exhibition in the college grounds and before long had the pioneering idea of expanding it into a fully-fledged sculpture park. Thanks to his vision and determination, it opened in 1977, with a £1,000 grant from the Yorkshire Arts Association.

“I’ve always believed that you should try to make art accessible – but not by dumbing it down,” he says.

It’s worked. Surrounded by grazing sheep, Highland cattle, Canada geese, playing children and visitors – there are 500,000 a year - stroll from sculpture to sculpture. Both outside and in the indoor galleries and popular restaurant and café, people are relaxing on a leisurely day out.

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Clockwise from top left: Zak Ové, Black and Blue, The Invisible Men and the Masque of Blackness, 2016-17. Courtesy Modern Forms, Vigo gallery, the artist and YSP © Jonty Wilde. Breathtaking exhibitions at the Hepworth Wakefield. Sophie Ryder, Sitting, 2007.

Courtesy the artist and Yorkshire Sculpture Park © Jonty Wilde.

Getting close to the art at the Hepworth Wakefield. Henry Moore’s Reclining Woman outside the Leeds Art Gallery.

What, I ask Murray, has been the highlight of the first 40 years? “Watching it grow. We started with 50 acres and now we manage 500. People who first came in the 1970s now bring their grandchildren.”

Back on safari, we drive to one of Hepworth’s most admired sculptures: The Family of Man, its nine abstract members skiing gamely down a grassy slope. We take in a ‘skyscape’ by the American sculptor James Turrell. Created in an 18th century deer shelter, it’s an observation chamber where, in almost meditative silence, visitors lie on benches and contemplate passing clouds through a skylight.

A posse of Elizabeth Frink sculptures looms with quiet menace and lurking in the trees or by the lake there’s an Antony Gormley here, a David Nash there, an Andy Goldsworthy and an Anthony Caro.

Their sitings are triumphs of thoughtful planning.

“You don’t just plop sculpture down,” says Murray. “If you get it in the wrong position, it can be gobbled up by the landscape.”

As for the Arcadia sign, it’s one of several dotted around the park. Created by British artist Leo Fitzmaurice, they mimic road signs and explore, as a helpful explanation puts it, the sculptural quality of lettering and ideas of Utopia.

Further north, Wakefield’s rather less utopian Kirkgate station is ten minutes’ walk from the Hepworth Wakefield, which beat Tate Modern to be named 2017 Art Fund Museum of the Year.

The judges described it as “a powerful force of energy from the moment it opened in 2011” with a “breathtaking” exhibition programme. The gallery duly pocketed £100,000, the world’s biggest museum prize.

“It’s the museum everyone would dream of having on their doorstep,” enthused one of the judges. Hepworth’s director, Simon Wallis, an enthusiastic man at the worst of times, is cocka-hoop. “We couldn’t have written it better ourselves, could we? Beating Tate Modern was wonderful,” he beams.

Hugging a bend of the River Calder and across from a boatyard, the Hepworth Wakefield is Britain’s biggest purpose-built gallery outside London. Architect Sir David Chipperfield’s angular design – an interlocking jigsaw of rooms - has always been controversial and, with its uncompromisingly grey concrete, the building has been likened to a bunker or a prison. But, as Simon Wallis says: “It’s a building that only makes sense once you’ve experienced the interior; I think this is the most beautiful suite of galleries in the UK.” He could be right. The lofty rooms have an inspiring sense of space, with skylights and huge floor-to-ceiling windows that flood it with natural light. They’re busy with visitors on the afternoon I’m there.

A coach party of seniors browse. Students sit on the floor sketching Hepworth’s Kneeling Figure, trying to capture her look of indignant

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Surrounded by grazing sheep, Highland cattle, Canada geese and playing children, visitors stroll from sculpture to sculpture. We trundle across the grass, past reclining bronze figures by Moore.

outrage. One camera-touting student strolls purposefully round an exhibition of 1940s prints and drawings – photographing the captions rather than the pictures themselves. In the far corner is what appears to be a beautifully structured sculpture of a stack of folding chairs. In the event it turns out to be just a stack of folding chairs.

The Sculpture Triangle seems to be going from strength to strength.

Arts Council England has awarded it £750,000 to launch a ground-breaking new project - Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019 across Leeds and Wakefield, which will be held every three years (the Triangle Triennial?).

This will be a series of exhibitions and commissions, archiving and academic research.

I suggest to Hepworth’s director, Simon Wallis, that sculpture sometimes has an elitist image. “Elitism is something to be wary of; expertise is something else,” he says. “Plenty of things that seem horribly pretentious go on in the art world, but we don’t want them here.

“Art isn’t just for a select group of people. Knowing nothing about art should be no obstacle to coming here and having a fruitful, inspiring visit. It’s very much about being able to relate sculpture to everyday life.

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“It’s the museum everyone would dream of having on their doorstep.”

“Look at the backgrounds Moore and Hepworth came from – tough, modest, everyday backgrounds.

Their art was guided by what we all see around us – the towns and countryside, that interesting combination of urban and rural.”

If it’s urban you want, Leeds is the place. But it hasn’t always been the place for sculpture. In a 1981 interview, Moore alleged that, when he was launching his career, the city’s art gallery “had nothing of any value” in terms of sculpture.

No longer. Leeds Art Gallery’s principal keeper, Sarah Brown, reckons that “Leeds has the best collection of sculpture outside the Tate”. It’s celebrated both here and next-door at the Henry Moore Institute, a research centre, archive and library which also stages exhibitions.

One of Moore’s reclining nudes anchors the gallery. She lounges luxuriantly outside the main entrance, leaning on her elbow and gazing wistfully across The Headrow.

Inside, one of the most striking large-scale exhibits is the bowl-like Arena, by the British sculptor Alison Wilding. Its concentric bands of transparent acrylic – “Is it a flying saucer?” asks a slightly puzzled visitor - command a substantial new exhibition space on the first floor.

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Opposite: Henry Moore Large Spindle Piece, 1968-74 © Jonty Wilde Top: The Hepworth Wakefield

by David Chipperfield. Above: Antony Gormley’s One and Other. Below: The Hepworth Wakefield is your space to explore, play and create together.

During the gallery’s recent closure (almost two years) for long-needed restoration work, a barrel-vaulted glazed roof was discovered over a false ceiling and has now become a central feature, bringing light and air to the gallery. “The city needs a gallery that feels international.” Brown says. She clearly feels it’s now got one.

She tours me round, lauding the gallery’s “amazing collection of 20th century British art” taking in plenty of big names (Lowry, Epstein, Wyndham Lewis, Stanley Spencer, Sickert, William Roberts, Francis Bacon, as well as Moore and Hepworth).

The collection is put to good use in a wall of closely hung portraits, while another room recreates the sort of exhibition staged during the decade after opening in 1888: sometimes moralistic, sentimental works. A group of busts of Victorian worthies contemplate them, doing their best to avoid each others’ gaze. The refurbished gallery has a real buzz about it, particularly in the spectacularly ornate marble-columned Tiled Hall Café, where visitors lunch under the improving gazes of Homer, Dante, Scott and Burns.

Over a contemplative coffee, I’m hard put to think of a more civilised way to spend a couple of days than exploring the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, Arcadia and all.

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TOUR DE YORKSHIRE

Higher longer faster

The Tour de Yorkshire is bigger and better in 2018.

Tom Ashurst takes a closer look at what makes it unique among world class cycle races.

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ritics of professional cycling argue that you stand at the roadside for hours, just to see the race fly past in seconds. I encourage those critics to come and take in the Tour de Yorkshire as it’s hard to imagine anything that unifies and lifts people more than this event.

In the host towns, there’s a carnival spirit as children, with smiles as wide as team buses, wave their paper flags and bang their hands on the hoardings as a euphony of cheers heightens the anticipation.

Then there are the towns and villages along the route, adorned with bunting, packed to the rafters with friends and families lined up to celebrate some of the biggest names in cycling passing through.

In the grass of the countryside and on the sand of the beaches, land art representing the best of Yorkshire, from bikes to the Brontës, enlivens the roadside.

This is a county proud of its roots, its landscape, its culture and now, its own professional bike race.

“I’ve cycled all around the world and my favourite three crowds are for the Classics in Belgium, those in the Basque Country and here in Yorkshire. Over the winter my team wanted

Clockwise from left: Riding through stunning Yorkshire scenery. Serge Pauwels wins Stage 3 and the General Classification. Home favourite Lizzie Deignan. Caleb Ewan meets a young fan.

me to take part in the Tour de Romandie to warm up for the Tour de France but I said no, I want to do the Tour de Yorkshire.”

These are the words of 2017 Tour de Yorkshire champion, Serge Pauwels and he’s not alone.

The legendary Tommy Voeckler, 2016 victor, says he “fell in love” with Yorkshire in 2014, during the Yorkshire Grand Départ and, if you speak to any of the riders in the peloton, you’ll find plenty of riders who love racing in this corner of the world.

The reasons? Well there are many. Firstly, the crowds. Over 2.2 million people stood roadside last year to cheer on these twowheeled titans. Yorkshire knows how to support a bike race. This kind of support just isn’t seen in most races in the cycling calendar.

Secondly, the terrain. Yorkshire is as beautiful as it is brutal and the riders know that taking part in the Tour de Yorkshire will be rough and rewarding in equal measure.

Cyclists want a challenge and Yorkshire provides that in abundance. As Aqua Blue Sport rider Matt Brammeier summed up quite perfectly; “Without pain and suffering we would be nothing and life would get pretty

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Clockwise from left: The infamous climb at Shibden Wall. The effects of a dramatic crash in Scarborough.

Lizzie Deignan celebrates winning the women’s title. Amazing crowds line the route.

boring. [The Tour de Yorkshire] provided a fair share for me this weekend but I bloody loved every minute.”

For the women taking part in the two-day Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race, there are other aspects of huge significance. Most important of all is the parity that the race brings. The race takes place on the same roads that the men tackle. The race has one of the largest prize pots in women’s cycling and it gets the same, full television coverage that the men’s race does – exposure that is crucial for riders, teams and sponsors alike.

The 2017 event was particularly enthralling viewing as a world class field including Olympic Road Race champion, Anna van der Breggen, lit up the roads from Tadcaster, through the Yorkshire Dales. The finishing podium was made up of a two-time World Champion, Giorgia Bronzini and American pocket rocket Coryn Rivera. However, the top spot was reserved for someone much closer to home. The Yorkshire flags in Harrogate were waved all that bit more vigorously than usual as the county’s very own hero, Lizzie Deignan, spectacularly sprung a solo attack with 15km to go and powered her way to victory.

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iTDY not?i Dates Thursday 3 - Sunday 6 May Starts and finishes The race starts at Beverley, but don’t forget you can see three further stage starts at Barnsley, Richmond and Halifax. The stages culminate in Doncaster, Ilkley, Scarborough and Leeds.

Riding the route The great thing about cycling is you can try the routes for yourself. Make sure you do it on a different day to the professionals though.

Key climbs The Côtes de Park Rash and Greenhow are two absolute beasts which feature on the final stage.

Fun for the kids At every start and finish location there are a whole host of fun activities going on.

Many places along the race route also celebrate the race in style with street parties and entertainment.

For maps and more information go to letouryorkshire.com

“The finish was so special and so surreal and it meant so much to me to receive such great support,” Deignan said afterwards. “It was incredible and I’m struggling to get my head around it. This is up there with the biggest wins of my career, definitely.”

This year sees both races move into new ground; as the Asda Women’s race doubles in length to become a two-day race and the men’s race also gains an extra day, taking it from three to four.

From a racing perspective, this is exciting as it gives both races more time to develop and it presents the stage planners with more chances to create truly spectacular stages.

From a fans perspective, it gives more people more opportunities to see their cycling heroes and allows for more of Yorkshire’s remarkable scenery and brutal climbs to be showcased too. On top of this, 50 per cent of the hosttowns for this year are first time hosts, with Barnsley, Halifax, Ilkley and Richmond joining Beverley, Doncaster, Leeds and Scarborough in welcoming this year’s race.

The Tour de Yorkshire powers on and on and I, for one, cannot wait to see what future events deliver.

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DELICIOUS

Bottoms up Yorkshire is gaining an international reputation as a centre of booze excellence. Joe Shute was given the tough job of investigating (well, someone had to).

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t is approaching 9.30am on a Monday and I am on my first pint of the day.

The beer in question is a 4.3 per cent pale ale freshly brewed from wilamette and chinook hops. “This is a fruity one so a good session ale to drink at any time,” encourages its creator, brewer Dean Hollingsworth.

The beer tastes of grapefruit and sweetened wood smoke, cutting nicely through the residual toothpaste and the lingering notes of my morning coffee. I take another sip and contemplate the scene around me: great metal vats bubble and steam while the air is thick with the heady scent of malt. The next batch of Sheffield’s finest is already on the way.

At present Dean brews 6,000 litres of beer a week in this exposed brick and beam warehouse next to the Forum on Devonshire Green. The building is a former ‘little mesters’ workshop (a little mester is a self-employed steel worker who rents factory space) where artisans would once smelt bespoke

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cutlery from Sheffield steel. Now it is owned by the True North Brew Company and used exclusively to create what is fast becoming another one of the city’s famous exports: beer. And lots of it.

Yorkshire is gaining an international reputation as a centre of booze excellence. As a region, we have always been good at drinking, but now we are making it, too, in record amounts and all manner of dizzying concoctions.

At the last count there were some 57 breweries in operation within the Sheffield city region alone.

Similarly West Yorkshire has long competed with London for the accolade of hosting more breweries than any part of the country with an explosion in microbreweries. Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show there were 73,681 jobs supported by the beer and pub sector in Yorkshire.

Beer, though, is far from the only Yorkshire tipple making a name for itself. Holmfirth Vineyard creates wonderfully quaffable reds and sparkling wines.

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Gin distilleries are springing up throughout North Yorkshire and far beyond – Slingsby of Harrogate and Masons Yorkshire Gin of Bedale to name but a few. There is even a Yorkshire single malt in production (more of which later).

The 37-year-old Dean Hollingsworth has long been at the forefront of this revolution. As a child growing up in Rotherham in the 80s he recalls his family always brewing their own alcohol.

“There wasn’t much money around then so they had to do it themselves” he says. “My parents brewed all sorts: wine, ginger wine and beer.

I remember my granddad always had strong stouts on the go and used to give me a tot when I was a boy to help me get to sleep. The smell of it has always been around me.”

Dean attempted his first homebrew as a 15-yearold. “It was a blonde ale that went terribly wrong. I had no temperature control and it got so warm that it tasted like butterscotch. Still, we drank it anyway.”

After moving into the bar trade he met a brewery owner down in Sheffield’s Kelham Island who offered him a job washing casks once a week. At the same time, he read voraciously in an attempt to understand all the myriad possibilities of the brewing process. Eventually he was appointed head brewer of a different brewery in Sheffield before moving to True North in 2016.

As he prepares for the next day’s brew Dean points out with pride the many aspects of his creation.

Bourbon barrels are piled up in one corner filled with a six per cent stout that is ageing in time for Christmas. He shows me the ‘hot liqueur’ tank where malt mixes with water; mash tuns; fermenters and the bright beer tank from which the finished product eventually spills out to be kept in casks. In between talking, he heaves sacks of malt about ready to mix into new beer. “We are brewing three days a week,” he says, wiping his brow with a heavily tattooed arm. “And our venues are so busy that we can only really keep up with demand for ourselves.”

Gin Genie

A short stagger from the brewery is a nondescript industrial unit overlooking a skate park at the bottom of Devonshire Green. Like many newcomers on the burgeoning Yorkshire booze scene it is a small operation, but punching well above its weight. This is True North Brew’s gin distillery manned by 28-year-old Ben Schultze who keeps a close eye on the copper stills.

Ben first began to experiment with distilling gin while a photography student in Sheffield. He set up the distillery for True North in 2015 and currently has four different gins to his name. His creations, he says with pride, are the first gins to be distilled in Sheffield for a hundred years.

Sheffield Dry Gin was the first released by the company and he has since made one sweetened with hops and honey, another bright pink mixture with raspberry and hibiscus and a fourth with kiwi fruit, lemongrass and mint. All are on sale throughout the 10 venues owned by True North as well as available to buy online.

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Clockwise from top left: True North creator and brewer Dean Hollingsworth talks to Joe about the brewing process. Freshly poured pints from the pumps. Checking the quality of the malt. Testing the clarity of the beer. True North's Sheffield base.

The tasting bar in the brewery. Joe 'tests' a batch of Sheffield's finest.

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When we meet he also has a new Blacka Moor gin on the go, sweetened with foraged autumn fruits from the Sheffield nature reserve of the same name.

Because of the softness of the water which flows into the city from the Peak District, Ben adds a dash of the famous Sheffield condiment Henderson’s Relish to flavour his product. At the brewery Dean buys in minerals to harden the water while elsewhere in less blessed parts of the country, brewers agonise over how better to soften theirs. “It is why I think we are really lucky to be working in Sheffield because the quality of the water is just perfect,” Ben says.

iLet the lesson be Gini Sheffield school of Gin Learn about botanicals and garnishes and even develop your own gin blend to take home at True North Brew Co’s School of Gin. Classes are three hours long on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and cost from £70 (advanced booking only), minimum six guests.

Top to bottom: The water in Sheffield is perfect for making gin.

Spirit of Yorkshire co-directors David Thompson and Tom Mellor. The distillery in Hunmanby.

More information: truenorthbrewco.uk

Whisky Galore Over on the east coast on a farm near Hunmanby just a few miles from the seaside town of Filey, work is ongoing to produce Yorkshire’s first single malt whisky. It is a bold, some may say reckless, plan, but that has not deterred the owners of the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery. They have chosen as their talisman the gannet, as they are close to Bempton Cliffs where one of the UK’s largest population of the seabird resides. It is also a fitting symbol for the extent to which they are taking the plunge.

‘It’s the business plan of nightmares,’ admits whisky director Joe Clark, a 31-year-old from York. ‘You’re looking at vast sums of money up front. Pretty enormous ongoing costs. The owners would have taken a lot of advice before embarking on this and I’m sure some people said: ‘are you mad?’. But fair play to them they’re very forward thinking and have that long view.’ If all goes to plan – and the signs, Joe says, are encouraging - from 2019 the first bottles of Yorkshire single malt will be available to buy. The distillery was started by Tom Mellor, a farmer cum brewer who set up the award winning Wold Top Brewery on his family arable farm in 2003 and his business partner David Thompson.

They invested in two of the largest Forsyth pot stills in operation in Britain (outside of Scotland) and in May 2016 fired them up for the first time. Trading regulations mean whisky must have matured for at least three years to qualify as single malt. Joe has filled up 654 casks so far.

While single malt is currently being made in the Lake District, Cotswolds, Suffolk and Wales it has never before been attempted in Yorkshire and is a complex alcohol that draws heavily on its surroundings. “I’ve always thought this is long overdue for Yorkshire,” Joe says. “We are right on the coast here. You can see the sea out the back of the distillery doors. There’s very little science [to the whisky process] really. But we have everything available here to do this well.”

Every grain of barley used in the process is grown on the family farm, while all the water used in production comes straight from boreholes that connect into chalk aquifers deep underground.

While it is an anxious wait to determine exactly how the whisky matures, Joe Clark says he has already enjoyed more than a wee dram. “I’ve had the privilege of tasting a lot of it and we have an incredibly fast maturing spirit,” he says. Such is the interest it has created that the distillery is already open to the public for tours where people can taste the unfinished product.

The distillery has also already sold 100 casks to private investors who must now wait for the whisky to mature. According to Joe Clark it may not be long before other distillers follow suit by setting up in Yorkshire. Such is the scale of our booze revolution - the possibilities are bottomless.

iDistillery Touri A taste of single malt Spirit of Yorkshire runs distillery tours seven days a week at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm (pre-booking advised), where you can sample the maturing malt. Premium tours and masterclasses coming soon.

More information: spiritofyorkshire.com

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Steeling the show Award winning theatres, a burgeoning cultural scene, an ancient cathedral and Europe’s largest urban glasshouse; there’s a great deal happening within Sheffield’s Seven Hills.

Did you know that a third of Sheffield actually sits within the stunning Peak District National Park? In addition to this, the city has over 200 parks, woodlands or public green spaces, making it one of the greenest cities in Europe. As a result the city has become a haven for climbers, walkers, cyclists and mountain bikers, earning Sheffield a reputation as The Outdoor City.

DISCOVER There are more than 250 parks, woodlands and gardens in the city and Sheffield is estimated to contain over two million trees.

A combination of urban and green landscape is what makes Sheffield so unique. Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens are a lush haven in the midst of this cityscape and give visitors the chance to explore a number of themed designs over the 19-acre site. The impressive multi award winning Winter Garden sits in the heart of the city and is home to more than 2,500 plants from around the world. Providing direct access from The Millennium Galleries and Millennium Square it provides a unique respite for visitors and city dwellers wanting a quiet moment of peace and tranquillity.

Sheffield Theatres is the largest theatre complex outside London, comprising the Crucible Theatre, Lyceum Theatre and Crucible Studio. Across three auditoria they offer a huge variety of home-grown and touring productions, with everything from West End musicals to cutting edge drama.

This page top to bottom: Sheffield Winter Garden. Cocoa Wonderland on Ecclesall Road.

Millennium Gallery.

Traditional crafts at Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet.

Opposite page: Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Peddler Night Market.

Delicious food at Jöro. Heeley Bank Antiques Centre. Sheffield's green landscape.

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Kelham Island Museum sits on a manmade island that is over 900 years old. Wander through the interactive galleries that tell the story of Sheffield’s industrial heritage and learn what it was like to live and work during the Industrial Revolution. Each year the museum hosts a celebration of real ale and cider. The Steel City Beer and Cider Festival allows visitors to sample over 250 ales, keg beers and 40 ciders at its four different bars in this iconic venue. The festival also features a variety of street food vendors, stalls and entertainment making it a highlight of the Sheffield calendar.

Over at the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet visitors can get an insight into the history of one of the oldest water powered industrial sites. The Learning Centre and Waterwheels café and shop make it an ideal place for groups or family visitors.

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WELCOME TO SHEFFIELD

Listed in the top ten coolest places in Britain in 2017, Kelham Island is a perfect mix of contemporary and traditional, industry and urban regeneration. This once booming industrial quarter is now home to residential properties, small businesses, bars and restaurants. Key features of these old factories and warehouses are celebrated and now sit alongside modern décor inside popular restaurants, coffee houses and cocktail bars. Taking inspiration from London’s Southbank, Krynkl is a revolutionary new spot offering creative space for exciting independent start-up businesses wanting to showcase their work, skills and ideas.

29 corrugated shipping containers have been converted into fantastic spaces and are now home to award winning restaurant Jöro and roof top bar I.N.C to name but a few.

Take a wander down one of Sheffield’s most famous districts, Ecclesall Road, where you’ll find designer shops and independent boutiques sitting alongside some of the best bars and restaurants in the city. Located just outside the centre, this three-and-a-half-mile stretch houses a wide array of treasures from antiques to über modern fashions. With coffee houses and restaurants opening up at a fast rate in anything from grand Victorian architecture to former car showrooms, you’re always likely to run into something new. Don’t miss your chance to stroll along the ‘Notting Hill of Sheffield’, Sharrowvale Road. This attractive street has a perfect mix of shops with an eclectic array of quirky independents. With a similar booming independent scene and a cluster of small galleries, Arundel Street is also fast becoming one of the most interesting streets in the city centre.

Peddler Night Market takes place on the first Friday and Saturday of every month.

It’s renowned for being the place to find passionate people making fabulous stuff.

Traders, makers, movers and shakers – chefs, DJs, artists, designers, musicians, bakers and brewers provide a true mix of award winning street food, craft beer, cocktails, live music and art.

Lose yourself in one of the eight antique centres in Sheffield’s incredible Antiques Quarter. Start at the Grade II listed Heeley Bank Antiques Centre where you’ll find anything from retro furniture to vintage clothing as well as original pieces of art from local artists. You can also find over 60 independent shops and emporiums full of unique finds. When you need a break from the bargain-hunt relax in one of the many cafés and bars that compliment this unique corner of the city.

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HERITAGE

CANAL CULTURE For a relaxing holiday and the antidote to boredom, a canal boat cruise is hard to beat. Paul Miles takes us for a ride.

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few canal boats with a roof strong enough to support a rooftop decking complete with safety rail, tables, chairs and planters. I relax amid sweetsmelling, fluffy hydrangeas while my captain, Nick Mead, expertly guides the vessel out of the centre of Leeds. “The Leeds and Liverpool canal is so diverse - from cities to countryside - and it has very little traffic compared to the canals of southern England,” says Nick, standing at the tiller.

Lady Teal leaves sleek canal-side restaurants behind and commences her leisurely ascent of the Pennine Hills, expertly guided by Nick via 200-year-old canal locks with just inches to spare either side. Nick’s wife, Gina, serves coffee and delicious homemade biscuits as our 60ft long, 13ft wide craft squeezes into the first

narrow lock. Water rushes in through sluices, operated by the crew. If I fancy, I can lend a hand, or just sit back and enjoy the scenery. We cruise past mills and tall mill chimneys, through the once industrial town of Saltaire, now full of David Hockney’s art and cafés with quick-wristed baristas.

I have a little go at the tiller, gliding past stationary herons and darting kingfishers, under shady boughs and in open sunshine.

At the seemingly impenetrable cliff face of gates comprising Bingley Five-Rise Locks, cheery lock-keepers help Lady Teal ascend 60ft. We pass through the Georgian town of Skipton with its Norman castle hidden among trees and between hills embroidered with drystone walls. Boats with names such as Grand as Owt cruise by.

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I have a little go at the tiller, gliding past stationary herons and darting kingfishers, under shady boughs and in open sunshine.

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t's night and we moor in the middle of nowhere to a soundtrack of owls hooting and curlews calling, while moonlight ripples on the water.

Inside the cosy vessel, wine flows freely and the food is fresh and locally sourced (sometimes from farm stalls with honesty boxes on the towpath). After dinner, I retire gladly to my bedroom (all that fresh air and pampering is exhausting). It’s one of three comfortable guest cabins with en-suite shower and proper flush toilet, cosy, snug, but very luxurious.

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Woodhouse Edale We cruise back home at a leisurely A61 Hope A57 Bamford 4mph. Despite the leisurely pace, it’s all over far too quickly for my liking. This sort of canal holiday has metaphysical dimensions, challenging perceptions of time and space. Especially when you’re sitting on a rooftop garden, Yorkshire hills and towns passing by at 4mph.

I’ll definitely be back.

The days blend into each other in a haze of lush greenery, historic towns and friendly passersby. A week - but just 35 miles - from Leeds, we reach a particularly scenic and meandering stretch through marshy fields where grazing cattle and sheep are our only company; not a house or road in sight.

“We love boating in Yorkshire,” says a fellow guest on their umpteenth cruise as we walk along the towpath to work up an appetite. “The people are so friendly and the scenery’s spectacular.

It’s moodily atmospheric in rain and mist, but we’ve had several holidays of wall to wall sunshine.”

After the final night (and the best sleep I’ve had in ages), I wake to the

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Sail your way to adventure A holiday aboard the Lady Teal is effortless, but what if you want a slightly livelier experience, a romantic trip or something to keep the kids occupied? Why not opt for a self-steer narrowboat break?

Sailing these requires an adventurous spirit and a bit of tutoring.

Of course, the boats you can hire nowadays are far better appointed than the 1950s-converted life-boats from decommissioned trans-Atlantic liners, which once carried brave holidaymakers on the waterways. However, you still need to keep your wits about you and know your windlass (tool to operate locks) from your gongoozler (canal bystander). Learning is a surprisingly straightforward procedure and it’s a bit like learning to ride a bicycle, you never forget how. But be warned, once you’ve experienced a magical journey at the helm of a canal boat you’ll be hooked for life.

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iTips and etiquettei A few things to remember on your first voyage...

Take a course Try a two-day Royal Yachting Association helmsman’s course to prepare for your canal boat holiday. You don’t need a licence and anyone over 21 can hire a boat, but it’s a good idea to have a beginner’s course.

A beautiful spot to moor up at dusk. Skipton is a lovely market town with an award winning high street and market on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

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A62

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A635

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Holmfirth

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A635

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Climbing and caving but not as you know it The Huddersfield Narrow Canal is famed for its three-mile long tunnel, the longest navigable canal tunnel in the world. The canal climbs for eight miles from Huddersfield through 42 locks before reaching the village of Marsden, once wealthy from woollen cloth and now famed for its annual jazz festival. Here, you leave daylight and trombones behind as the waterway burrows into the Stygian darkness of the Pennine Hills. Occasionally the tunnel opens out into echoing chambers.

South Elmsall

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Barnsley

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under river bridges on the top deck of a city cruiser. Whatever you fancy, there’s something for everyone on Yorkshire’s waterways.

Great Houghton A635

Goldthorpe

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Slingsby B1257

The third trans-Pennine route, is the Rochdale Canal. This 32-mile long canal

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ladyteal.co.uk Barlby Five-star rated hotel Selby boat with room Cliffe A19 Hambleton Brayton for five passengers in three cabins.

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Hemingbrough

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Howden citycruisesyork.com Barmby on A1041 A19 the Marsh Chapel Haddlesey Offers Birkin guided sightseeing cruises Drax on the Ouse Camblesforth River OuseKellington in York as well as self-drive M62 Whitley Goole Carlton Bridge boat hire.

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M62 Cruises are themed and include: Daytime City, AfternoonWomersley Tea, Floodlit Evening and Party M18 Nights Afloat. Packages can be personlised Sykehouse for any occasion.

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Askern Thorne pocklingtoncanalsociety.org Stainforth Offers free (donations welcome) narrowboat trips on the Pocklington Canal.

Trips are Hatfield Hatfield Adwick le Street Woodhouse 30 minutes and can carry 12 people.

Edenthorpe A1(M) Bentley M18 Dogs are also welcome.

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Pocklington Canal is entirely rural.

Fewer than 20 narrowboats a year visit this remote canal in a flat part of Yorkshire at the foot of the Wolds. It’s perfect for quiet canoeing, kayaking or country walks. It passes through internationally important wetlands, visited by migrating bird species.

Fifteen species of dragonflies and damselflies have been spotted and

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Eastrington

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Rural retreat

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A64 Willows there are barn owls, otters, voles and B1363 Flaxton Leavening A19 Strensall Thixendale plenty of kingfishers.

On Sundays, Claxton betweenShipton April andHaxby October, theButtercrambe Bugthorpe Ou se A64 Stockton on Skelton Amenity A166 Pocklington Canal Society the Forest Huntington Upper A166 Stamford Bishop Wilton Poppleton A59 trips on their narrowboat, runs free Bridge Fangfoss New Horizons, from a small Dunnington marina Rufforth A1237 Wilberfoss near the village of Melbourne. Groups A64 Pocklington Barmby Moor of up to 12 can book New Horizons Elvington A1079 Bilbrough Nunbu Thorne for longer trips. Donations go towards Hayton A19 Wheldrake Acaster Malbis restoration of the canal.

Melbourne Shiptont

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with 91 locks ascends from Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire through Calderdale’s steep valleys, where towns such as Hebden Bridge and Todmorden climb up hillsides hanging with beech trees. Among the mill chimneys and tall houses of Hebden Bridge are cafés and shops selling crystals and magic charms. The canal is lined with narrowboats and cats asleep on roofs among planters of vegetables. Some live-aboard boaters sell decorative tin ware or rope work from their floating homes. Vintage vessels are lovingly and brightly painted with highly polished brass bands around smoking chimneys.

Squint into the sparkling sunlight and you can imagine that you’ve been transported back two centuries.

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canalrivertrust.org.uk Information about most of the canals and navigable rivers in Yorkshire.

Bingley Five-Rise Locks staircase is arguably the most spectacular feature of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

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A64

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Along the hippie trail

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n actual fact, dear reader, you are climbing and caving in a boat.

To go through it, you need to make a booking (free) with the Canal and River Trust. A member of staff will meet you at the tunnel mouth and step aboard with various safety apparatus, including hard hats, torches and a meter to detect noxious gases.

They will chaperone you through while a van drives along a parallel disused rail tunnel connected at intervals by adits (entrances), where the driver checks your progress. If all this seems too much like an extreme sport, you can venture into the swallowing darkness of this engineering marvel on a guided trip boat from the visitors’ centre at the tunnel mouth in Marsden.

Standedge Tunnel is one of the wonders of the world’s waterways and it’s in Yorkshire.

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HERITAGE

A Royal Treat

Peacocks strut across manicured lawns, children shriek delightedly as they navigate fiendish mazes and well-kept gardens dazzle all year-round.

Kerry Forbes invites us to step back in time and savour the atmosphere in some of Yorkshire’s historic stately homes and castles.

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Unleash your inner royalty Where: Newby Hall, Ripon Why: It’s an exceptional example of well-preserved 18th century decoration. The house is full of treasures, including a rare set of Gobelins tapestries, one of the largest private collections of roman statuary in the country and some of Chippendale’s finest furniture. Its grounds are even more spectacular, with stunning herbaceous borders and sweeping lawns running down to the River Ure. Really good for: Children and teens, who will adore its miniature railway and boating lake, with adventure playground and fountains to run in and out of.

2 Revisit Brideshead

4 Admire the scenery Where: Sewerby Hall and Gardens, Bridlington Why: It’s uniquely situated in a dramatic clifftop position with spectacular views over Bridlington and set in 50 acres of early 19th century parkland. It has magnificent award winning gardens. The house has been transformed using furniture from the Victoria and Albert Museum so you can see how it would have looked in the 19th century.

Really good for: Combining culture with a visit to the seaside. The house has stunning views of the North Sea. It also has a zoo with penguins, llamas and monkeys and giant games in the gardens, including connect four, noughts and crosses, chess, draughts and table tennis to keep the kids happy.

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Where: Castle Howard, York Why: It’s one of Britain’s finest historic houses and the setting for many a Hollywood blockbuster, including Brideshead Revisited. Wander round and you might find many of the rooms and the grand staircase vaguely familiar. Aside from that, the house has breathtaking interiors with worldfamous works of art. Built over 300 years ago by Sir John Vanbrugh, the Howard family still live here. Discover the house at your own pace or follow a guided tour.

Really good for: Energetic families.

The 1,000 acres of parkland with lakeside terraces, woodlands, temples, statues and formal gardens will take all day and a picnic to cover.

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Listen to the stories Where: Ripley Castle, Ripley Why: It’s been the home of the Ingleby family for 26 generations so you get an amazing sense of history, following their lives for nearly 700 years and how they have been affected by events down the ages.

The guided tours are witty and interesting and curators make it fun for children too with a treasure hunt. The Old Tower dates from 1555 and houses impressive armour, books, panelling and a priest’s secret hiding place, together with fine paintings, china, furnishings and chandeliers collected by the family over centuries.

Really good for: Anyone interested in family history and what it was like for aristocracy living at the castle.

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Where: Harewood House, Leeds Why: The Harewood Estate is owned and managed by David and Diane Lascelles, also known as the Earl and Countess of Harewood. The Capability Brown landscape stretches across 1,000 acres which you can see from the elegant Victorian terraces. The Georgian building boasts stunning interiors with art collections spanning 300 years and elegant Chippendale furnishings.

Really good for: Royalty fans and fans of ITV’s Victoria. Inspired by the TV series, (Harewood displayed costumes from the series last year), you can see personal objects, ornaments and clothing owned by Queen Victoria and her Lady in Waiting, Charlotte Canning.

Lose yourself Where: Nostell Estate, Wakefield Why: It’s a grand Palladian mansion set in a large park and features renowned Robert Adam interiors, exquisite plasterwork, handpainted wallpaper and amazing paintings, plus a famous collection of Chippendale furniture.

There are over 300 acres of park to explore.

It’s been the home of the Winn family for over three centuries and is now cared for by the National Trust.

Really good for: Rare art afficionados. There’s a £2.5 million Brueghel (The Procession to Calvary) hanging in the gallery and Hogarth’s scene from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

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Wander through hushed galleries

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Wallow in grandeur Where: Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, Doncaster, South Yorkshire Why: You can catch a glimpse of Victorian life at this 'conserved as found' 19th century country house. Wander through its endless rooms, roam the gorgeous gardens, stop for refreshments in the tearoom and discover the children's play area. Take a stroll in the labyrinthine ‘grand gardens in miniature', now restored to their Victorian glory.

With snowdrops and winter evergreens, spring tulips and laburnum and summer roses and autumnal leaves, the gardens are open year-round with an everchanging colour palette.

Check out enchanting features like the pleasure grounds with their fountain centrepiece, the classical summerhouse or the fern dell and pet cemetery.

Really good for: Architecture and interior buffs. Have a peek at its stunning Italianate style, furnished in the opulent fashion of the 1860s.

Relax in walled gardens Where: Sledmere House near Driffield Why: Designed by Samuel Wyatt and Sir Christopher Sykes this Georgian house, with it’s immaculate walled gardens, has captivated visitors for over 200 years. It was rebuilt and redecorated in the 1790s, but in 1911 it was almost completely destroyed by fire. Fortunately, most of the contents were rescued and preserved.

Really good for: Contemporary art lovers. The Triton Gallery opened in 2008. Its aim is to provide a chance to see and purchase works of art from a range of professional and amateur Yorkshire artists.

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Clockwise from top: The incredible Leeds cityscape. The Grade I listed Kirkgate Market Š Diana Jarvis. The Royal Armouries. One of the Golden Owls at Leeds Civic Hall. Leeds West Indian Carnival Š Yorkshire Post newspapers.

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WELCOME TO LEEDS

Paradise City Explore this vibrant city and discover a wide variety of culture, museums, heritage, international sport, live music and fantastic food and drink.

With its thriving and diverse cultural scene, Leeds is positioning itself as a strong force of the North. This year is going to be a packed year for festivals and celebrations. Take your time exploring visual art and head to the recently refurbished Leeds Art Gallery which has the best 20th century collection outside London. The headquarters of the former Tetley Brewery is now a contemporary art space hosting events and exhibitions throughout the year in this fantastic art deco venue. Leeds is not only home to an opera house but also an award winning ballet company. Opera North and Northern Ballet will play host once again to an array of productions. The award winning Live at Leeds is a metropolitan festival held within a variety of spaces and venues in the city over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

Grab yourself a much-coveted wristband and enjoy.

The Leeds Indie Food Festival will return in May to celebrate the city’s diverse food and drink scene. Festival goers will be treated to over 100 events taking place in more than 50 venues throughout the city, from fine dining restaurants and street food vendors, to coffee shops and independent brewers, all offering something to suit everyone’s taste buds.

Festival fans from as far afield as the Caribbean, U.S. and Canada will be coming to enjoy the biggest, brightest and best Leeds West Indian Carnival this summer. Europe’s longest running authentic Caribbean carnival is a perfect combination of spectacular costumes, infectious tropical rhythms, delicious food, Caribbean culture and entertainment for everyone.

Leeds Pride is Yorkshire’s biggest celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans life.

Fondly regarded as the UK’s friendliest Pride, this free two-day event in August includes activities in Millennium Square, followed by a parade through the city centre with over 60 floats and five hours of entertainment. As the nights draw in, October sees the return of Light Night. This family-friendly two-night festival of arts and light transforms the city centre in to a sea of light and sound.

The live music scene in Leeds is flourishing thanks to the growing number of venues and music bars. Leeds is a city that comes alive at night whether you’re enjoying a

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cocktail, listening to live music or soaking up the atmosphere in a lively bar. Dirty Martini has something for every cocktail fan with glamourous interiors, late-night DJs and bespoke drinks. Jake’s Bar are continuing to push the envelope a decade on, with homemade liqueurs and distillates in a copper pot still. Live bands and DJs keep the atmosphere buzzing at Oporto, whilst Angelica in Trinity Leeds offer panoramic views of the city from their outdoor terrace. For a mixology masterclass, why not head over to The Shed Bar. Finally, if you want a night to remember head to First Direct Arena to see one of the many international superstars gracing the stage at Leeds’s award winning arena.

Leeds is now the third largest shopping destination in the UK outside of London. Unlike other cities, everything is within comfortable walking distance meaning you’re only a few steps away from your favourite stores. Fans of the high street can pay a visit to Trinity Leeds or if you’re after something more high-end then head over to the award winning Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter. Vintage goods and boutique shops can be found in Leeds Corn Exchange or the majestic Grade I listed Kirkgate Market.

The number of fantastic museums in Leeds means there’s always something to do. Bring the whole family along to enjoy a day of culture, history and mind blowing facts. See Henry VIII’s original armour alongside record breaking 18 stone elephant armour at The Royal Armouries at Leeds Dock. Learn all about the human body at the award winning Thackray Medical Museum where visitors can see how medicine has developed through the years in wonderful and often gory detail.

Leeds also provides a perfect base for exploring the local countryside. Jump on a bus and you’ll be at Otley Chevin Forest Park within 30 minutes. Hike or cycle through the Chevin Forest for stunning Wharfedale vistas from the 282 metre Surprise View summit.

Venture a little further to Ilkley for a walk on the famous Ilkley Moor and enjoy some indoor climbing at Clip and Climb or explore the Dales onboard a motorbike with Yorkshire Moto Tours. After all that, why not unwind with a wellearned glass of wine at The Yard or catch a film at Ilkley Cinema; the world’s smallest 4k cinema.

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FAMILY FUN

The UK’s first ‘immersive experience’ museum is open again after flood damage.

Nick Howes discovers it’s even better than before.

Jorvik Viking Centre’s USP has always been its smells. As soon as I walk through the door of the museum on a chilly Sunday morning, the pungent aroma of fires, fish and ancient feasts transports me back to my childhood visits.

It thrilled me as a wide-eyed schoolboy in the early 90s that funny smells were part of boring old history. My mates and I sniggered and held our noses, but we were secretly enchanted and it definitely drew us in to ancient Norse history.

Visiting as an adult, I’m just as intrigued and love the immersive experience that Jorvik provides. How the museum creates the smells is still top secret, but nowadays you can buy a scratch and sniff postcard from the gift shop to recreate them at home (note to self for the end of my visit).

I’ve made my long-awaited return after hearing about Jorvik’s multi-million pound ‘reimagining’ following the floods which ravaged it in Christmas 2015. The attraction was closed for 16 months back then, robbing York of one of its most popular attractions.

Far from wallowing in their misfortune, the staff at the centre focused on the positives and saw the enforced closure as a chance for a revamp, bringing in cutting-edge technology to make Viking history even more vibrant, alive and relevant to today’s audience.

Before I venture into the Viking village I meet Jorvik’s Director of Attractions, Sarah Maltby, so she can fill me in on what has changed. As she speaks, her passion and pride in the project is obvious.

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“This is a labour of love for everyone involved and as tragic as the floods were, it’s enabled us to do so much within the re-imagined experience,” she says.

“The last time we had a full-scale redevelopment was back in 2000, so this gave us the opportunity to do things again, do it better and provide our most up-to-date interpretations about how the Vikings lived.”

That meant enlisting the help of some of the best academics, archaeologists and historians in the business and an American animatronics company who work with the likes of Universal and Disney were brought in to create their uberlifelike models.

Live actors rub shoulders with newly created animatronic characters and animals.

The centre’s layout has also been transformed and the effect is impressive. As I enter the first gallery I’m greeted by an expansive glass floor which hovers above preserved Viking-age timbers. The room recreates the dig which unearthed a vast array of treasures on this exact same site in the late 70s and early 80s. On the walls, photographs and videos tell the tales of those who took part and set the scene for what is to come.

I then board a time capsule (a ride in moving cars) and am transported back to AD 960 for a tour of this famous Viking settlement. The tour is longer than ever before and what I can see is now complemented by touchscreen displays which provide narration in 14 different languages. Live actors rub shoulders with newly created animatronic characters and animals, showing domestic scenes from a Viking camp. The sounds and trademark Jorvik smells are also vastly improved, it’s a truly captivating experience.

As I exit my ride, I’m brought back to the present and able to explore some of the actual artefacts that were discovered on this very spot. The third gallery is now open plan and key finds are dotted everywhere I look.

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iTravel back in timei Four other things to look out for as you travel back in time.

The pungent aroma of fires, fish and ancient feasts transports me back to my childhood.

My favourite is a magnificently preserved sock, but it is the combs, coins and a fossilised poo that seem to get most people around me talking.

The skeletons are another highlight, with modern technology now able to yield far more information from them than ever before. From one female’s skeleton for instance, experts have been able to determine her age, height and where she came from and even the ailments she suffered at the time of her death. I can glimpse her on the ride (she’s been reconstructed) before I survey her bones up close.

Before I leave I chat to costumed interpreters who answer my questions, provide demonstrations and allow me to touch replica items, like bowls, spears and helmets.

If adults enjoy it this much, it must blow children’s minds today. “It’s been a real eye-opener for our girls,” says Emma Hudson, mother of Esme Kate (seven) and Macee Beau (four) who’ve just finished their visit.

“They were asking questions all the way through the tour and couldn’t believe the artefacts at the end were real.

“They were fascinated by the fossilised poo but the skeletons were definitely their favourite. They were mesmerised when a Viking taught them how to make coins too. I know we’ll have to come back.” I can vouch for that, having been one of the thousands of school children to visit the centre since its original opening in 1984.

“Children get so much out of it,” adds Sarah Maltby.

“But don’t forget everything we do here is based on extensive scientific research and if people want a purely academic experience, they can get that too.”

Liv Tyler, Damian Lewis and Dame Judy Dench are some of the stars that have done just that, so book your visit soon, you never know who you’ll bump into. Now, where can I buy that do-it-yourself scratch and sniff postcard again?

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Tattooed traders If you look closely at the blacksmith character on the ride, you’ll see his wrists are adorned with tattoos. Advances in technology mean the experts at Jorvik are constantly discovering new things about how the Vikings lived.

Middleton Cross York Archaeological Trust commissioned a full-scale replica of this ancient carved stone cross from the Minster stoneyard, remnants of which still sit to this day in St Andrew’s Church in Middleton, Ryedale. The design features a monstrous beast.

Padlock It was a real eye-opener to find out padlocks even existed back then, but the fact that the one on display features much of the same technology still used today was an even bigger surprise. This iron and bronze artefact definitely deserves close inspection.

Man on a toilet He’s been around for years (well, 1,058 years to be exact), but this precariously perched character peering out from his wooden outhouse remains one of the funniest and most memorable features of the ride.

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Super scandi With its chic Scandi-style café and family-friendly finishes, William’s Den, a magnificent converted barn in the village of North Cave just outside Hull, is a parentpleaser as well as a show-stopping adventure playground. It has a huge outdoor play area boasting a 50m zip wire, den-making area and a “mountains and molehills” space, but it’s inside where it really comes to life.

Explore in the forest A spectacular two-floor treehouse consumes the 475sqm play barn, with an enchanted forest-come-playground.

Children can explore the different levels by sliding from the treehouse into a sand pit, or

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climbing inside the trunk of the tree to clamber up to the top.

Wooden planks on the walls are perfectly tuned to create music with drumsticks, while a stunning waterfall trickles peacefully through the woodland.

Foodie fun And while the children are having their fun, parents can do just the same – in the gorgeous Kitchen Table restaurant. Forget your preconceptions – it boasts a mouth-watering menu and even houses its own wood-fired pizza oven. With exposed brick walls and fashionable copper lighting, it’s more trendy eatery than play area café. It’s not often you find a play centre that offers as much for parents as it does for kids – but William’s Den does just this.

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Cocoa loco Renowned for its Viking history, cobbled streets, confectionery heritage and royal connections, York is the perfect place to stay. Come and visit this beautiful city, to uncover its unique charm and character and discover why it’s known as The Original City Adventure.

Feeling brave? Then pay a visit to York Dungeon and come face to face with sinister characters from the past. This horribly historical tour will have you laughing and jumping out of your skin in equal measure. The nine live action shows leave very little to the imagination as you hear, touch, smell and feel your way through York’s gruesome past.

No trip to Yorkshire’s most famous city would be complete without a trip to the Jorvik Viking Centre where visitors can learn more about York’s Viking connections. Jump aboard the moving time travel capsule and enjoy an immersive journey 1,000 years into the past and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the Viking City. Also on display is the incredibly immersive Coppergate dig discovered in the 1970s on the very site where the museum sits today.

Why not combine your sightseeing tour with some shopping? It’s hard to browse the shops without marvelling at the buildings they are situated in and the cobbled streets they belong to. Shambles is a picturesque street in York, famed for being the inspiration behind Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. If you need somewhere to take a break when the shopping bags become too heavy, visit the world famous Bettys Café Tea Rooms where you can treat yourself to a selection of Yorkshire delights, including, of course, the much-loved Bettys Afternoon Tea and Fat Rascals.

There are plenty of great places to dine. The Michelin recommended Skosh offers contemporary dining in a relaxed atmosphere while Pairings wine bar serves delicious small plates and platters alongside their carefully selected wines and spirts. For a tour of the hidden foody gems of York, Tours in a Dish can take you on a journey to the best places to eat and drink in the city.

York is the undisputed Chocolate City. Rowntrees created the Kit Kat, Smarties and Aero while Terry’s developed the iconic Chocolate Orange and the All Gold collection and Craven's were famous for their French Almonds and Mary Ann Toffees. Terry’s recently celebrated its 250th anniversary and to mark this momentous occasion, a tour of York’s chocolatey past was created for its visitors. Take a mouthwatering trip through the city, to see the famous factories, tea rooms, gardens and all important Mansion House.

A truly unique trail not to be missed.

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WELCOME TO YORK

York loves a festival, so much so, they have one every month of the year. This July sees the return of the Great Yorkshire Fringe bringing comedy, cabaret, theatre and music to Yorkshire. Watch out, the Romans are returning!

The Eboracum Roman Festival is back this summer with family-friendly displays, exhibits, events and activities, including military parades, siege weapon demonstrations, a camp showing what domestic life was like during the period and stalls selling Roman gifts and goodies.

The National Railway Museum offers a fascinating insight into how transport by rail transformed not only York, but the whole country. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring York landmark is the Gothic behemoth of York Minster. Inside you'll find a stained glass masterpiece and interactive underground chambers and a place of worship.

The Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA) is housed in two beautiful gallery spaces on the first floor of York Art Gallery, located in the heart of York, a short walk from the railway station and other attractions. It relaunched in 2015 and shows permanent collections, changing

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exhibitions and displays, new acquisitions and commissions. While you’re there, pop over to York Castle Museum and explore Kirkgate, a painstakingly recreated Victorian high street, with shops, a schoolroom, police cell, hansom cab and cobbled street. For a chance to relax and unwind, take a stroll around the Museum Gardens and marvel at York’s best kept secret St Mary’s Abbey ruins. See inside Yorkshire’s oldest working observatory, amble through the gardens and see the vast botanical collection while trying to spot some of the 40 species of birds that live there.

With so much to see and do you may want to extend your trip and stay in one of the fantastic hotels in York. You’ll find The Principal York steps away from the train station. This grand Victorian station hotel offers the best in luxurious accommodation and also offers stunning views over York Minster. The Grand Hotel & Spa enjoys an enviable central location the hotel’s graceful Edwardian architecture is complemented with an award winning restaurant, whisky lounge and luxurious spa complex.

Clockwise from left: The beautiful fan-vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows at York Minster Chapter House. The cobbled streets of York’s Shambles.

York's Chocolate Story.

York Dungeon. York has two Bettys Café Tea Rooms.

NEARBY Castle Howard is one of Britain’s finest historic houses, situated in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Discover the house at your own pace, admiring its aweinspiring architecture, interiors and worldrenowned collections.

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INDULGENCE

Combine a luxurious spa break with the latest well-being trend, ‘forest bathing’ in Yorkshire’s top rural retreats.

You don’t need to travel halfway around the world to experience ‘forest bathing’ – a Japanese therapy known as shinrin-yoku.

There’s nowhere better than Yorkshire to benefit from the healing power of trees and lush meadows. Research has shown that even as little as 15 minutes spent immersed in greenery can boost the immune system, lower cortisol levels and reduce anxiety. It can’t harm, either, to combine forest bathing with a bit of indulgence and pampering at some of the best spas in the UK. Just remember to switch off your phone before you go and, if you must use technology, just take a camera for the fabulous scenery...

World class Wellness Swinton Estate, Masham, North Yorkshire Surrounded by lush countryside, this is the last word in spa luxury. There are 20,000 acres of stunning parkland in which to wander, take part in mindfulness walks, hike or even run. Do some forest bathing in the spa garden, with its alfresco sauna and shower.

Enjoy the green view from the 10-metre outdoor natural pool with environmentally friendly bio-filtered water. Weather a little inclement? Bask in verdant views of the garden from the 18-metre indoor pool, cleanse your pores in the steam room, take a Finnish sauna and check out the three-

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zoned relaxation rooms and eight treatment rooms including two couples’ suites.

Green Body Boost Rudding Park, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire This spa, surrounded by greenery, recently came top in a survey of the country's classiest hotel accommodation. The rooftop garden (a woodland glade in the sky made for forest bathing), chillout areas, glass-fronted sauna and indoor pool filled with natural spring water are all created with recovery from the fast lane in mind. Enjoy an indulgent afternoon in the new roof top spa garden, a 'Relax Head and Foot Heaven' treatment, followed by dinner in Horto restaurant (even the plush velvet seats are green and forest-themed) and a good night’s sleep in the sumptuous surroundings. Make use of the mind and sense experience zones after your treatment: Visual, Relax, Audio and Mind. Visual consists of comfortable seating facing a huge screen showing some of nature’s finest elements. Relax is a darkened room with comfortable beds for a bit of peace and quiet.

Audio is an area with little booths, where you can hire personal headsets and listen to meditation and personal healing tracks. Mind uses puzzles, books and games to take your mind far away from the daily grind.

Back to Nature and Luxury My Little Farm Spa, Liversedge, West Yorkshire Where better than a farm in the middle of a beautiful Yorkshire valley to bathe in greenery?

The benefits of forest bathing are down to ‘phytoncides’ – the oils and molecules thrown off by trees, grass and plants to repel insects.

These are great for our immune systems. Urban living means we don’t get as many of these as we should. So, as well as enjoying the view, you’re walking through an invisible mist of goodness. My Little Farm Spa is surrounded by far reaching views, big skies and lush fields and trees. Nature and the seasons surround this little oasis of calm. The emphasis is very much on enjoying the countryside and using it to re-energise mind, body and soul. Everyone who books in gets privacy and a feeling of exclusivity, every treatment aims to make you feel special and as if it’s tailor-made for you.

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Clockwise from left: Making the most of the lush surroundings at Swinton Estate. The Devonshire Arms. The Devonshire Arms Spa. Relaxing at Swinton Spa. Rudding Park Spa © TheTravelista.

Ancient Oaks and Verdant Vistas The Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa, North Yorkshire Just staying in the green tranquillity of the Yorkshire Dales should be enough to restore your equilibrium. Remember to indulge your senses, slow down and observe what’s around you; mint green lichen, cool wet grass, gnarled branches and damp soft earth. Touch the rough bark of trees and smell flowers. You could also squelch through rich, full-bodied mud in the fields, or, to be über indulgent, try the mud therapy at the Spa of the Devonshire Arms Hotel instead. Special mineral muds are smoothed over your hair skin and face, then you’re taken to sit in a personal steam chamber to intensify the mud properties. Rinse them away after 30 minutes and you’ll have super-soft skin. The accommodation and restaurant are top notch and there’s a fabulous pool, steam room, sauna and relaxation lounge too.

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ARTISITIC

Clockwise from top left: Phoenix Dance Theatre, dancer Sandrine Monin Š Richard Moran. Selina Thompson performs Dark & Lovely.

Abigail Prudames (r) rehearses Casanova. John Savourin in L'enfant et les sortileges. Abigail Prudames is The Little Mermaid.

ONES TO WATCH Yorkshire is the most vibrant place for performance outside London.

Nick Ahad reports on the burgeoning arts scene and talks to the bright young stars of the future.

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OPERA John Savournin, 32, from Sheffield, is a baritone with Opera North and is also artistic director of his own company, Charles Court Opera.

et me tell you about a week I had in Yorkshire recently. Sunday night took me to a one-man beatboxing show about feminism. On Monday, I watched an all-female company perform jaw-dropping theatre. Tuesday saw me at the Northern Ballet. Wednesday was a visit to Halifax for Yorkshire playwright Blake Morrison’s latest creation. On Thursday (yes, it’s only Thursday, breathe) I went to York Theatre Royal (still sparkling after its £6 million redevelopment). Friday took me to Yorkshire performer Pauline Mayers’ one-woman play. On Saturday, I chatted to writer and director Kay Mellor, directing her first ever musical, based on her megahit TV show Fat Friends. There’s more, but you get the idea? That was in a week. A single week in Yorkshire theatres. And I missed more than I saw.

One of the main reasons we’re at the top of our game is that the companies here really nurture young talent. They train, guide and invest in people and make sure they have staggering opportunities. And it really pays off because these stars of tomorrow pull in huge audiences and create the most diverse and exciting arts scene in the UK. I spoke to four of them about why we should go and watch them.

BALLET Abigail Prudames, 25, from Knaresborough, is a soloist with the Northern Ballet company.

I started dancing at the age of six in my home town of Knaresborough. I did every style of dance I possibly could and had classes every Saturday in Leeds, then became a junior associate at a dance centre. I auditioned and got into the Royal Ballet School and finished my GCSEs there. I was an apprentice at first and worked my way up to soloist. You don’t really have a life outside this sort of career, it’s 24/7.

Even though some of us are soloists, we work as a team. I am constantly learning and improving from other dancers.

I’m dancing The Little Mermaid, a part which was created just for me. It’s pushed me harder in terms of my technique and emotional expression. My costume is a different colour to everyone else’s and designed to look like water. Of course I have a tail too, so I’ve had to learn to dance with that!

I grew up in Sheffield and always sang at school. My family were big opera fans and I grew up listening to a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, like Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. I trained formally at Trinity College of Music in London and I’ve been working for UK opera companies on a variety of projects ever since. I​ was awarded the Concordia Wigmore Hall Prize by the Worshipful Company of Musicians, which I’m very proud of. I don’t just sing, I direct productions as well which makes me unusual. I’m artistic director of Charles Court Opera, which I founded. We specialise in small scale productions of operas, musicals and pantomimes. I feel privileged to be able to wear both hats interchangeably.

John will appear as Count Horn in Un Ballo in Maschera and reprise his role in Kiss Me Kate, all with Opera North this year.

DANCE Sandrine Monin, 29, based in Leeds, is a dancer and choreographer with Phoenix Dance Theatre.

I adored dancing as a child and my parents put me into classes when I was about three. I joined Phoenix Dance in 2009 when I was just 21. I was a recipient of the One Dance UK awards, which is a mentoring programme for future leaders in the dance industry and I shadowed a choreographer on an apprenticeship programme. I have worked hard to develop my choreographic skills. I was part of a choreographer and composer lab a couple of years ago, which was run by Phoenix Dance. It paired choreographers and composers to share skills and ways of thinking. It’s exciting to find new ways of working, instead of the traditional way of having the music composed and building the dance around it. I try to develop a unique way of moving that is entirely my own. I run to build up my stamina in combination with strengthening exercises and finish with stretching.

Sandrine will dance the part of Windrush this February. She’s also in Calyx, which she choreographed and will tour with this year.

Abigail will be dancing in Jane Eyre (Leeds Grand Theatre 7 – 14 March, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 10 – 14 April and nationally touring), The Little Mermaid (nationally touring) and Las Hermanas / Concerto / Gloria, a celebration of the master choreographer Kenneth MacMillan (Leeds Grand Theatre 16 - 17 March).

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THEATRE Selina Thompson, 25, is a Leeds-based performance artist and actress who won critical acclaim at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

I grew up being aware that I was ‘other’. I was adopted and my family are from four different continents.

I perform theatre that explores people who are marginalised because of their gender, shape of their body, race, age or ability.

At the Edinburgh Fringe 2017, I performed ‘Salt’, (her one-woman show) based on my time aboard a cargo ship which retraced the Atlantic slave trade routes.

I won a Stage Edinburgh Award and the inaugural Filipa Braganca Award for the Best Female Solo Performance by an emerging artist at the Fringe.

Salt isn’t a trip backwards in order to mourn, but a way to think about how the confidence, passion, dedication and vision of those that went before me, can inspire me and my generation now. It all sounds a bit heavy, but my work is playful, participatory, funny (I hope) and intimate.

Catch Selina’s performances at various venues throughout the year.

DANCE Andrew Tomlinson, 22, from Leeds, is a dancer with the Northern Ballet company.

I started dancing at the age of five where I was raised in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. I didn’t think about dance as career until I got a place on the Northern Ballet’s Centre for Advanced Training Programme.

This meant I was training in the same building as a professional company, so I was exposed to the life of a dancer from an early age.

I love the rush and excitement of performing. Dancing with Northern Ballet as a child in productions such as The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol

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Top to bottom: Sandrine Monin in Repetition (2) Change with Phoenix Dance Theatre © Bill Cooper. Andrew Tomlinson in Northern Ballet's Academy End of Year showing © Justin Slee.

Selina Thompson's Edible Women.

iArts myth busteri Five common misconceptions about the arts.

It’ll break the bank If you’re prepared to go ‘off peak’, you can get seats for as little as £10. Even without that, there are always reasonably priced seats and theatres often do offers. If you’re under 30 or a full-time student you can sign up for Opera North’s membership scheme and get tickets for just £5.00.

I’ll be sat there for hours No you won’t. Opera North run ‘shorts’ from time to time, with productions only lasting 45 minutes – the perfect introduction. Lots of dance pieces are under an hour, and many are so gripping, you won’t notice the time anyway.

I can just get the DVD or CD You can, but you won’t experience the electric atmosphere and the silence of an audience so mesmerised, you can hear a pin drop.

I’ve nothing to wear Anything goes these days. By all means dress up if you want, but no one will bat an eyelid if you wear jeans and trainers.

I won’t understand it No need to sit there baffled. Opera, dance and theatre appeal to the emotions, so you’ll always get the jist. Many operas are sung in English and when they’re not, there are often screens with subtitles. There’s something to suit every taste.

and A Simple Man, enhanced my love for the stage and passion to pursue my ambitions.

This profession requires so much dedication. Due to the physical demands, careers are notoriously short, so I aim to get as much as I can out of it and push myself to the limit.

Andrew will be dancing in Jane Eyre (Leeds Grand Theatre 7 - 14 March, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 10 - 14 April and nationally touring), The Little Mermaid (nationally touring) and Las Hermanas / Concerto / Gloria, a celebration of choreographer Kenneth MacMillan (Leeds Grand Theatre 16 - 17 March).

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i“I want to use the Rose Theatre to introducei ia new generation of children to Shakespeare.i iSeeing a live performance in an atmospheric venuei ilike this can fire the imagination for life.”i SHAKESPEARE IN YORK Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean theatre comes to York. Be the first to visit the Elizabethan-style village and see the Bard’s plays performed as he intended against York’s stunning backdrop. hat do you fancy doing in York this summer?

A stroll around the city walls? Quick battle with Jorvik Vikings? Shopping down the Shambles?

Then, perhaps, you might like to visit a Shakespearean village and stay to catch Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth at Europe’s first temporary globe theatre?

Yes folks, you read that correctly. Shakespeare arrives in York this June and he would definitely approve of the project that got him here.

Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean theatre (similar in look to the Globe in London) opens close to Clifford’s Tower, the largest remaining part of York Castle.

Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, a 950 seat, three-tiered wooden structure, will be built on the Castle car park.

Anyone who’s seen a production at the London version will know how magical it feels to experience the drama as the great writer intended. This 12-sided building – inspired by the Rose Theatre built in London in 1587 – means most audience members will sit within 15 metres of the action.

Four of, arguably, his greatest plays will be performed

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for ten weeks through the summer months. In the area around the theatre, there’s a medieval village, where you can watch free street entertainment (or ‘wagon shows’ as they were known), have a coffee or even lunch (courtesy of Yorkshire’s TV Chef Brian Turner) and walk around a medieval courtyard garden, laid out in a style popular in Shakespeare’s day.

It’s the brainchild of James Cundall, CEO of Lunchbox theatre productions, who is passionate about bringing live outdoor theatre to Yorkshire.

“I want to use the Rose Theatre to introduce a new generation of children to Shakespeare and show that his work is just as relevant today as it was 400 years ago,” he says. “Shakespeare wrote plays for everyone to enjoy, not just a small elite. People can be put off by the language, but seeing a live performance in an atmospheric venue like this can fire the imagination for life.”

Two new theatre companies will perform Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard lll. These will be performed in ‘rep’, meaning the plays will run concurrently rather than one after the other.

The Shakespeare village is important to the whole concept. “I want people to enjoy the whole Elizabethan-era experience,” says James Cundall. “Free street entertainment was very much part of life in Shakespeare’s day. Everyone lived, ate, drank and laughed on the streets. That’s how I want people to enjoy Shakespeare here.”

Shakespeare might have said that all the world’s a stage, but there’s no better place to watch his plays than here in Yorkshire.

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WELCOME TO SELBY

Clockwise from top left: Pie pride at Cooks, The Carlton School of Food. Selby Abbey.

Skylark Centre and Nature Reserve, Drax.

Tadcaster Bridge.

In the heart of Yorkshire

The delightful Selby District is not only home to one of the country’s most significant abbeys it also boasts stunning countryside, a great weekly market, a fun-filled arts festival and fantastic neighbouring towns and villages.

The jewel in Selby’s crown is the stunning Selby Abbey that sits in the centre of the town’s marketplace. The size and splendour of the building is a breathtaking sight to all that visit.

Interesting features include Norman arches, the large east window and the Washington window. Next to the Abbey, you'll find Abbey House Restaurant, offering the latest cuisine.

To see the wonders in full, take a visitor trail around the abbey and its grounds. The abbey’s programme of events, is full of concerts and theatre productions, meaning there’s always something going on for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

If you’re up for a challenge, visit The Escapologist Escape Rooms, Bar & Artisan Kitchen. This physical adventure game invites players to solve a series of

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puzzles using clues, hints and strategies in order to escape each themed room.

Don’t let the great British weather spoil your fun. Head on over to Summit Indoor Adventure to climb, ski, skate, bowl or let the kids run wild in the three-storey playhouse.

Selby Town Hall is not only home to the local council offices but is also an incredibly intimate venue for music, comedy, theatre and fantastic A-list acts. This annual nine-day festival in July transforms venues around the town making it a fun, creative, playful and exciting place to live, work and visit.

For an alternative day out why not visit the Drax Power Station? Get up close to the colossal cooling towers and learn from Drax’s experienced guides about what happens at the heart of the UK’s largest power plant.

An assortment of gardens surrounds a beautiful 19th century farmhouse at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens and Nurseries. Wander through these quintessentially English gardens before popping over to the nursery to buy your own plants, trees or shrubs, not forgetting to grab a cuppa and slice of cake from the tearoom afterwards.

Cook up a storm at Cooks, The Carlton School of Food at Carlton Towers country house hotel. This unique cooking experience can be enjoyed with a group of family and friends or in one of their masterclass courses. If you’d prefer to leave it to the professionals why not enjoy a stay at this Yorkshire hideaway where you can eat, sleep and take a tour of the wonderful venue that played the part of Windsor Castle in the recent ITV drama Victoria.

In the small, friendly market town of Tadcaster you’ll find an array of cosy pubs. Tadcaster’s history with beer goes back 800 years with one of its three iconic breweries being the oldest in England. If ale isn’t your thing why not enjoy a delicious stone baked pizza at Everything Good Goes, alongside a craft ale or cold glass of wine. For some outdoor fun, why not hire a bike and follow the route of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire that travelled through the town across the newly refurbished bridge. For the younger riders, try the nearby Solar System Cycle Route along the former route of the East Coast mainline, checking off all the models of the planets along the way.

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What's On Yorkshire’s events and festivals are exciting, unique, innovative and spectacular. Here’s just a taster of what you can expect. For a complete listing, go to yorkshire.com/events

Tim Peake’s Spacecraft lands at the National Railway Museum before taking off again on 8 March. Visitors to the museum can get up close to Soyuz TMA-19M and learn about Tim Peake’s mission aboard the International Space Station. This historic piece of engineering is joined by a space-age virtual reality experience narrated by the astronaut himself. 17 January - 8 March

Sheffield Beer Week

York Chocolate Festival

A week-long festival celebrating the region’s brewing industry – old and new. Collaboration is key with Sheffield’s bars, pubs and restaurants joining forces with local, national and international breweries to host beery events. Every day there will be a unique beer event to enjoy.

12 – 19 March

Artisan chocolatiers from across the city have been stirring, smoothing, filling and tempering to create mouth-watering treats for the York Chocolate Festival, which takes place over the Easter bank holiday weekend and celebrates all things chocolate.

30 March – 2 April

Sci-Fi Scarborough Sci-Fi Scarborough invites you all to geek beside the seaside as this unconventional convention returns. Two full days filled with comic book artists, writers, music, prop displays, steampunk, science, software developers, fan films, gaming, competitions and much more. 21 – 22 April

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Tim Peake’s Spacecraft

Tour de Yorkshire The UCI 2.1 Europe Tour cycle race is an outstanding event in the cycling calendar, featuring top teams, a four day men’s race a two day women’s race. 3 - 6 May

Swaledale Festival

ITU World Triathlon Series

This award winning festival is an annual celebration of music, arts and walking in the sublime landscape of the three northernmost Dales - Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale.

The two-week event is packed with a range of great entertainment.

26 May - 9 June

Leeds will once again play host to the prestigious ITU World Triathlon Series this year.

In 2017 over 70,000 spectators cheered on the world’s best triathletes including local heroes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee.

9 - 10 June

Beverley Folk Festival

Hebden Bridge Arts Festival

Bringing the best in folk, acoustic, roots, Americana and ever more diverse sounds to Beverley Racecourse, Beverley Folk Festival is a calendar highlight for music aficionados.

Offering the best new performers alongside some of the greatest established acts, it is a unique opportunity to spot tomorrow’s stars and enjoy today’s greats.

Whilst British Folk music, both traditional and new, remains at the heart of the festival.

15 - 17 June

All the town’s a stage… quirky and distinctive, the festival is an annual celebration of the town’s creativity and unique landscape. It brings together both locals and visitors, to enjoy a feast of creativity in magical places and spaces. One of Yorkshire’s longest running arts festivals, it has a reputation for delivering big names in a local setting. Image: Craig Shaw Photography.

22 June – 1 July

Malton Food Lovers Festival Set across the streets of Yorkshire’s food capital, the festival is a celebration of Yorkshire’s finest produce and cooking. This year is set to be the biggest and best yet. Expect heaving stalls, delicious street food, talks, tastings, celebrity chefs, demos, cookery lessons and loads of music. 26 – 27 May

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LOGCO Otley Cycle Races Designed to showcase the very best of British Elite Cycling, the HSBC UK National Circuit Race Series has become one of the highlights of the summer racing calendar and this year returns to Otley Town Centre for the 33rd year. 4 July

Great Yorkshire Show

Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival

Featuring the best of British farming, this is England’s premier agricultural show.

Held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate it gives first-hand experience of agriculture and rural life through demonstrations and exhibitions.

10 – 12 July

An amazing summer weekend in the Yorkshire Dales, full of foodie fun. With traders showcasing delicious Yorkshire produce and celebrity chef performances galore, it’s going to be a brilliant event that is bigger and better than ever. 21 – 22 July

Deer Shed Festival 9

Selby Arts Festival

Deer Shed is a folk, pop and rock festival aimed at families while still exciting for those without children. A festival that likes to highlight technology, expect to see lots of tech-driven workshops, previews and performances over the weekend.

20 - 22 July

Bringing the best and most exciting music, comedy, theatre and family events to Selby.

An explosion of creativity and culture, it is about transforming spaces, animating places and celebrating everything that is great about the town and the district.

21 - 29 July

Broughton Hall Children’s Literature Festival More than 50 of the UK’s leading children’s authors, poets and storytellers will take part in the largest Children’s Literature Festival in Europe, culminating in a two-day Family Weekend of exciting events at Broughton Hall.

27 – 30 September

The William Hill St Leger Festival

Off the Shelf Off the Shelf is one of the largest and most accessible literary festivals in the UK. Every year it brings the biggest names in literature and the arts to Sheffield. Off the Shelf hosts three weeks packed with talks and readings from worldrenowned authors and poets, famous faces and even some locals.

6 – 27 October

Doncaster is the only northern racecourse to stage a Classic. Every September the St Leger is celebrated with four days of festivities in stunning surroundings giving a sense of the very latest style and spectacle at this historic occasion.

12 – 15 September

Hull Comedy Festival Hull’s funniest festival will be showcasing a variety of acts and performances including big TV names, family-friendly shows, award winning performers, local and regional comedy talent with a sprinkle of the hottest shows from the UK festival scene.

November

Leeds International Film Festival A glorious celebration of world cinema, bringing a stellar blend of old and new movies to an increasingly global city. LIFF is the largest film festival in England outside London, welcoming around 40,000 visitors and showing over 300 films from around the world including outstanding new international features, documentaries and shorts.

1 – 15 November

Sensoria The UK’s festival of film and music. Sensoria’s natural home is Sheffield – a city renowned for its creative and technical innovation and one rich in musical heritage. The festival has risk-taking and innovation at its core – it is informal and informative, with a heady mix of screenings, performance, talks, events and exhibitions.

29 September - 6 October

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ARTISTIC

Left to right: Top Withens.

The Brontë waterfall near Haworth.

Yorkshire

book by the

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The county is already one of the UK’s top destinations for literature buffs.

Our ‘Bard of Barnsley’ Ian McMillan takes us on his very own cultural tour.

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I

t’s Sunday morning and I’m at home preparing Yorkshire puddings ready for dinner, performing the weekly alchemy of turning flour, eggs, milk and water into rising golden-brown delights. As I twirl and twirl the batter with the fork I start to think about how you might make a kind of 3D Yorkshire literary map that rises from the paper like the puddings in the oven.

It must have the same sense of developing narrative that the puddings do, presenting the same beautiful imagery of finished Yorkshire puddings, waiting on the plate like golden moons in a white sky.

I’ve decided I’m going to call this project my Ian McMillan’s Literary Pudding Tour of Yorkshire and I’ll serve a pud in each location.

We could travel in a double-decker and eat our way around the prose and poetry of the county. There are many literary tours here, but the thing about this one is that we’ll go to places that are less celebrated but still vital to Literary Yorkshire.

First, we’ll begin in Haworth, where the Brontë sisters (and their wayward brother Bramwell) carved out worlds from imagination and Yorkshire stone; any stormy Yorkshire sky makes you think of Heathcliff’s savage temper and a trip to Top Withens, the ruined farm that was inspiration for Wuthering Heights makes you hear Emily Brontë’s words as you wrap your scarf tighter against the cold. Here’s a Yorkshire Pudding to keep you warm.

But venture a few miles south to Mytholmroyd and you’re in Ted Hughes country.

Well, at least partially, but more of that later.

Hughes, a poet who showed Yorkshire to itself in a lifetime of poems set in the bleak moors around the Calder and Colden Valley, was born

The Brontë sisters carved out worlds from their imaginings and Yorkshire stone.

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here. His birthplace has been bought by the Elmet Trust (a charity set up to celebrate the life and works of the great man) and turned into a holiday home and a place of pilgrimage (cook yourself a Yorkshire in the oven). When Hughes was just a boy, though, his family moved to Mexborough in the heart of the South Yorkshire coalfield. His dad ran a newsagent’s shop which is now a furniture showroom. Hughes senior reasoned that the miners who were on their way to work at the nearby Denaby main pit would want to pop in for their papers and chewing tobacco. The young Ted went to Mexborough Grammar School where he met John Fisher, a teacher who would prove to be hugely inspirational. Fisher introduced Ted to literature by letting him borrow a copy of Tarka the Otter from the school library. The building is still there, though it’s not a library any more. It’s preserved along with the rest of the school which is now a business centre.

Much of Hughes’s love of nature and poetry was fostered in this area. It was, in a DH Lawrence kind of way, part rural and part urban.

Keep your eyes open for the next Ted Hughes Poetry Festival, where you can walk with the indefatigably enthusiastic Steve Ely around the places Hughes wrote about in poems such as View of a Pig and stories like The Rain Horse. It’ll probably rain, so keep your Yorkshire pudding in a plastic bag. Stand outside erstwhile newsagents and imagine Hughes walking up to the Grammar school, Tarka the Otter in his blazer pocket. It can be argued, quite rightly, that it was this unglamorous part of the county that made Hughes into the writer he became.

Hughes’s life took him to Cambridge and London and the US. He returned briefly to the valleys of West Yorkshire, at Lumb Bank in the village of Heptonstall. It’s a magnificent house which is now a writing centre run by the Arvon Foundation. Book yourself in for a week there and the spirit of Hughes and all the other writers who’ve visited and worked there will settle on your page as you write. Don’t spill the gravy. Or rather, spill and then write a sonnet about it.

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Wander down into Heptonstall village and visit the melancholy grave of Hughes’s tragic wife the American poet Sylvia Plath, who took her own life in 1963. The grave is easily missed, not showy at all and simply contains the enigmatic inscription ‘even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted.’

Stand for a while and feel the wind hurtle down from up near Top Withens.

If you go back to Mexborough then it’s not far to Barnsley, the town immortalised by the late great Barry Hines in his novel A Kestrel for A Knave. I’m from Barnsley and I still live there. I’ve written before that A

tame. Billy has no prospects. Go out of Barnsley to Hoyland Common, the village where Hines was born and try to imagine the pithead gear and the mine workings. You can still glimpse the ruin of the old manor that was the site, in the 1969 film Kes, of the nest of the kestrel that flew across the sky and into Billy Casper’s heart. Here’s an experiment to try as you savour a Yorkshire pudding in a pub anywhere within a five-mile radius of Barnsley Town Centre: sit down, pour gravy on your plate and say ‘I saw that film Kes last night’ and I can give you a castiron guarantee that everybody in the

A Kestrel for A Knave is our founding myth, our Paradise Lost, our Moby Dick, our Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Kestrel for a Knave is our founding myth, our Paradise Lost, our Moby Dick, our Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It’s about a world that seems at once far away and very close; Billy Casper is a lad who isn’t doing very well at school and his one interest is his kestrel that he patiently learns to

iUnmissable Festivalsi

Lemn Sissay, Huddersfield Literature Festival patron.

litfest.org.uk A celebration of books and authors, poetry and performance in Huddersfield.

ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk The North of England's oldest, liveliest, most prestigious and largest literature festival.

yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk Running for 10 years the festival has become a regular fixture in York's cultural calendar.

bradfordliteraturefestival.co.uk Over 300 inspirational events packed into iconic venues across 10 days.

humbermouth.com Always aiming to be different in the way that it presents literature and Hull, to the world.

offtheshelf.org.uk Every year they bring the biggest names in literature and the arts to Sheffield.

arrogateinternationalfestivals.com h Raworths Literature Festival and Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival are part of this acclaimed festival of art and culture.

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pub, even the ones who weren’t born in 1969, will tell you that they were in the film. At the back. In a crowd scene.

Travel east to Whitby and immerse yourself in Bram Stoker’s famous book.

Dracula makes landfall in the harbour there. Take your time, eat a Yorkshire pudding sitting near Whitby Abbey, gaze out to sea and imagine Dracula arriving on a night when the water’s the colour and texture of boiling gravy.

Once you’ve had your fill, slip up the coast to Robin Hood’s Bay which was the home of the little-known writer Leo Walmsley, another Yorkshire scribe who deserves to have his name up in lights.

Walmsley is known for his Bramblewick series of novels of the 1930s, one of which was turned into a film - The Turn of the Tide. Stroll around Bay (as locals call it, don’t call it Robin Hood, that’s a small village near Wakefield) with the novels, which you can still get hold of from online bookshops and from The Walmsley Society and you’ll soon get a sense of how achingly authentic Walmsley’s prose is – ‘…closely huddled cottages climbing behind breakwater walls on black shale cliffs’ and boats are ‘…strange amphibious beasts that have crawled from glittering seas to rest for the night’. Stand under the blue plaque on King Street reading a Walmsley book and you’ll get a real and grounded sense of the man and the place.

Oh all right, do go to the Dales for some James Herriot therapy if you must, but then venture off the well-beaten track and explore literary paths less well-trodden: visit Stan Barstow’s Ossett near Wakefield, where he wrote the gritty, moving drama A Kind of Loving (remember the film with Alan Bates?).

Sedbergh Book Capital of England Bibliophiles will think they’ve gone to heaven, wandering through picturesque booktown Sedbergh, tucked away in North Yorkshire.

Booktowns (where there are a large number of book stores and/or literary festivals) were the brain‑child of book dealer Richard Booth, who came up with the concept to boost visitors and regenerate rural areas. There are now twenty all over the world and Sedbergh in North Yorkshire is England’s.

There are eight bookshops here, all specialised and unique. The largest is Westwood Books. It’s a family‑run former cinema and home to around 70,000 titles. Time stands still as you browse round the shop.

Wander over to Avril's Books at Farfield Mill (craft, textiles and applied arts), Sleepy Elephant (vintage children's books, local interest and guides) and Sedbergh Information and Book Centre (18 different dealers represented with specialisms including fine art, transport and sport).

When you’re all booked out, Sedbergh also has delicious cakes, ale and stunning views.

Linger on the far side of Doncaster where The Hermit of Hampole wrote ‘The Fire of Love’ in the 13th century.

Feminist, socialist and pacifist Winifred Holtby wrote South Riding, inspired not

by South Yorkshire, but by East, where she was born (but by all means visit both, to get a flavour). Malachi Whitaker was known as the ‘Bradford Chekhov’ for observant, insightful prose, but was actually a woman called Marjorie. Go see Wrose Hill where she lived and wrote.

Visiting Leeds to pay homage to Keith Waterhouse might be a bit obvious, but glimpse the Yorkshire Evening Post where he started as a journalist and learn how to use apostrophes properly (his bugbear), as a tribute. So many I’ve missed out that people are now planning to email me about.

Imagine it: a Yorkshire Pudding passport to the words of Yorkshire, an endless tour of the ridings ending up on a bright, blustery, sunny day, at the home of Anon, or whoever it was that wrote the unofficial Yorkshire anthem, On Ilkley Moor Baht ‘At, all about birth and death and rebirth and regeneration.

Let’s get off the bus and sing it together.

Watch your pudding doesn’t fly away.

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WELCOME TO THE YORKSHIRE COAST

Shore thing With a glorious coast, delicious cuisine, rich culture and history, beautiful countryside, outdoor adventure, creative events and spectacular views, the Yorkshire Coast has it all.

Stretching from Spurn Point to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, this unique expanse of coastline boasts a string of quaint and quirky seaside towns and villages. Bridlington’s pre-Roman harbour and characterful Old Town are must-sees for any history buff, while family favourite Filey is perfect for a stroll along its miles of glorious golden sands. At its northern end, the coast is home to picturesque villages clinging precipitously to the cliffs – Staithes, Runswick Bay, Robin Hood’s Bay and Ravenscar among them – and all set within the North York Moors National Park.

Did you know that the Yorkshire coast is one of the best places in the country for surfers? Its wide sweeping bays create perfect conditions for all types of surfing throughout the year. Friendly surf schools in Filey, Scarborough, Sandsend, Runswick Bay, Saltburn and Cayton Bay are all on hand to help first timers.

Top to bottom: The dramatic Whitby Abbey.

Building sandcastles in Filey. View towards Robin Hood's Bay from Ravenscar © Mike Kipling. Scarborough Harbour. Some of the best surf in the country.

People have been flocking to Scarborough for the last 400 years and it’s easy to see why. Scarborough was Britain’s first resort and is now the second most visited place outside of London. After soaking up some fresh sea air why not check out the new resident octopuses or killer crabs at the Sea Life Sanctuary, the historic seaside miniature railway at North Bay Railway, see ‘the smallest manned navy in the world’ at Peasholm Park or award winning art at Scarborough Art Gallery.

Entertainment is in abundance in Scarborough. You’ll find great drama at the iconic Stephen Joseph Theatre, the professional home to one of Britain’s Greatest Playwrights Sir Alan Ayckbourn. Essentially given his ‘big break’ by the theatre’s namesake in 1957, Ayckbourn went on to write over 80 plays and chose this special venue in Scarborough to host a retrospective of his 60 year career. The Open Air Theatre has seen some big names since its reopening in 2010 such as Elton John, Little Mix, Michael Ball, Alfie Boe and Noel Gallagher.

If the thought of a dip in the North Sea gives you the chills why not pay a visit to Alpamare? This alpine themed waterpark boasts a 36-degree outdoor infinity pool, four water slides, wave pool, children’s pool, spa and restaurant. For even more water based fun head over to the North Yorkshire Water Park at Wykeham Lakes where you can blast, jump and slide across their floating inflatable obstacle course.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the year Captain Cook first set sail on his legendary voyage to Australia aboard HMS Bark Endeavour. Whitby’s well-known connection to Captain Cook will see many commemorative events centred on the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, including the welcoming of a replica of the Endeavour that will set up residence in Whitby harbour. Count the 199 steps as you ascend to the Gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey and take in the awe-inspiring views of the historic harbour which formed the inspiration to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. If you fancy a traditional fish and chips pay a visit to the recently reopened Magpie Café or the award winning Quayside.

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Running is becoming a popular way to tackle Yorkshire’s famous coast to coast route, as Jonathan Turner finds out.

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OUTDOORS

almost half a century, ramblers from across the world have been walking the Coast to Coast – a spectacular footpath stretching from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay, in Yorkshire and the longest of its kind in England.

Devised in 1973 by the legendary fell walker Alfred Wainwright, the route packs some of the most stunning and varied landscapes our country has to offer into 192 miles stretching across the roof of the North of England from Cumbria to the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.

The most popular way of tackling it, of course, is to walk or cycle, but an AngloAustralian collaboration is fast making both the route and Yorkshire a must-visit destination for trail runners.

Mark Sandamas is the owner of The Coast to Coast Packhorse, a company based in North Yorkshire, that helps visitors plan and organise their route and provides a luggage moving service so walkers, cyclists and runners can concentrate on enjoying the scenery rather than worrying about logistics.

I’m spending a day with Mark and two intrepid Australians who are running the final leg of an epic 192-mile route.

Chris Ord and Rob Sutton, who run adventure companies in Australia, have come to investigate whether Yorkshire’s Coast to Coast is a trail they want to add to their portfolio.

“It has to be a high-quality running experience,” says Chris, “But I like to build my tours around more than just running. Is it a journey? Is it an adventure? Are there ‘wow’ landscapes? And can you stay somewhere comfortable and eat and drink well?”

Judging by the beaming smile on his face as he surveys

the countryside it looks like Yorkshire is ticking every box so far. We head off from Egton Bridge, leading us along an old toll road to Grosmont.

Once there, we pause for snaps of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which doubled as the Hogwarts Express railway line in the Harry Potter films. We are then transfixed by a 33 per cent gradient sign pointing uphill, with a Grosmont resident chuckling as he confirms that’s the way to go: “Of course it’s up that hill – Wainwright was a sadist!”

People cheerfully engage with

WE’RE RUNNING THROUGH SPECTACULAR PURPLE HEATHER, UPWARDS AND ONWARDS TOWARDS HIGH HAWSKER TO DRY OUT OVER A LUNCH AND SAMPLE A NEW ALE. yorkshire.com

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iThe Coast to Coast routei

Rosthwaite

Patterdale

Kirkby Stephen Reeth

St Bees

Grasmere

Blakey Ridge

Brompton on Swale

Robin Hood's Bay

Shap Littlebeck

Keld

Ingleby Cross

Clay Bank Top

North York Moors National Park

Yorkshire Dales National Park

WE LINGER A LITTLE THEN SPLASH THROUGH THE PUDDLES AND ON TOWARDS THE NEARBY FALLING FOSS WATERFALL, WHICH RARELY LOOKS MORE DRAMATIC.

DISCOVER When you visit the coast, head inland into the beautiful Sneaton Forest and its famous Falling Foss Waterfall. Take the trail through the trees on a 2-mile circular route that passes an idyllic woodland tea garden and the 30-foot waterfall.

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us as we run through their villages - a farmer on a quadbike pointing out we could get tired running the route rather than hiking it and groups of walkers who clap us on.

As we cross Sleights Moor, we are in classic Heartbeat country but, running through Littlebeck Wood, it’s soon Harry Potter who springs to mind again as the skies turn black and we’re hit by the most intense thunderstorm of the summer, fearing lightening scars on our foreheads. As luck would have it there’s a hermitage, carved out of a huge boulder, offering shelter. We linger a little then splash through the puddles and on towards the nearby Falling Foss waterfall, which rarely looks more dramatic.

Just as quickly as the storm blows in, it rolls away and suddenly we’re running through spectacular purple heather, upwards and onwards towards High Hawsker to dry out over lunch and sample a new ale.

Set up perfectly for the final push, we gallop towards the east coast, only to be stopped in our tracks as the cliff tops come into view, prompting lots more big grins and photos.

Emotions are high as we follow the coastal path southwards to the picturesque fishing

village of Robin Hood’s Bay. “Even for someone like me who knows this area well, you are still making new discoveries all the time and forming new friendships,” explains Mark. “You can do the same run two weeks apart and it can be completely different - the surface, the sounds, the flowers, the weather - and even just today we’ve had incredible contrasts. The essence of the Coast to Coast is in the journey – how you are part of the landscape as well as a visitor to it, in awe of the forces of nature that shaped the land.”

Tradition dictates the Coast to Coast is rounded off by depositing a pebble collected at the start and by dipping your feet in the water, but Chris, Rob and Mark don’t do things by halves. After hurling their pebbles into the North Sea and still in full running gear, they dive in.

Minutes later, still dripping wet but with pint in hand and a smile wider than ever, Chris sums up the adventure: “I’ve discovered that real English ale is perhaps the best hydration for a 192-mile cross-country run, especially when combined with full English breakfasts, comfy B&Bs, hot showers, humour - and those wow landscapes.”

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WALK, BIKE OR RUN TAKE YOUR PICK iIn your own timei

iWhere to stayi

iBookingsi

iTransporti

Flexible options You can do anything from one day to three weeks. Walking the whole route usually takes 14 days, so a week’s ideal for the Yorkshire section. Cycling is between two to seven days, while Chris, Rob and Mark took 10 days to run the full 192 miles.

Break up your journey Break up your journey to suit, with 25 plus villages en route offering accommodation options, allowing you to determine just how much ground you cover each day. The Coast to Coast Packhorse will help you with this and tailor a bespoke schedule.

Helping along the route The Coast to Coast Packhorse will find accommodation to best suit you then arrange all the bookings. Let the Packhorse take the strain, with a daily luggage transfer service available - even if you are organising the trip yourself.

Plan in advance You can book a lift to the start or from the finish, with dedicated Packhorse buses leaving Robin Hood’s Bay at 4pm every day. Get help with the navigation and have the route brought to life by a knowledgeable and qualified guide with a fully escorted trip.

Clockwise from top: Stunning views of the Yorkshire coastline following the path southwards to the picturesque fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay. We all dive in.

Puddles near Falling Foss.

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Explore Yorkshire

The National Trust is a registered charity no. 205846 Photography: ©National Trust images.

ADVERTORIAL

Many of Yorkshire’s most iconic houses and gardens, coast and countryside are looked after by the National Trust for you to enjoy all year round.

2018 is a fantastic year to visit the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, which boasts the largest ruins of a Cistercian abbey in Britain. This year the water garden is hosting folly!

– four surprising contemporary art installations that due to their size, scale and playfulness are not to be missed. Visit between 28 April and the end of October to see this modern take on what garden follies can be imagined as today.

If you’re near York, call into Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens. Here the National Trust is working on a long-term vision for the garden with world-renowned designer, Andy Sturgeon. He’ll be unveiling his first design – the Pergola, a ‘Chelsea-ready’ feature completed by May. In the Hall see Making her Mark, a photography exhibition, in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, celebrating female dancers, artists, authors and actors including JK Rowling, Margot Fonteyn, Barbara Hepworth and Dame Judi Dench.

Nostell in West Yorkshire is showcasing one of Yorkshire’s greatest creators – Thomas Chippendale. Discover over 100

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of his creations and designs in the grand state rooms and explore his work as an interior designer.

Prefer to be outdoors? Then the incredible landscape of the Yorkshire Dales is sure to awaken your senses.

Take a walk around Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve where rangers reintroduced 250 water voles in the last 18 months - and they’re thriving. See if you can spot one as you take a walk along the boardwalk.

And if you need any more inspiration for a day out, there’s also East Riddlesden Hall in West Yorkshire, Treasurer’s House in York and Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire to discover. As well as Hardcastle Crags, Brimham Rocks and the Yorkshire Coast to explore in the countryside.

Top to bottom: The Water Garden at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. The Saloon at Nostell.

Whenever you visit a National Trust place, call in for a cuppa, stay in a holiday cottage or stop off in one of our car parks, your support helps to look after special places across Yorkshire, for ever for everyone.

Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yorkshire Find a place to stay at www.nationaltrustholidays.org.uk

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ARTISTIC

Rae of Light

Leeds-born, singersongwriter Corinne Bailey Rae tells Claire Casey about new songs, love, loss and the power of music.

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The Leeds music scene has had a massive impact on the music I write and listen to. When I was growing up, almost every pub had live bands playing, both black and white, a real mix of cultures. I got into the Indie scene, listening to bands like Nirvana and Veruca Salt. We used to play at the Duchess of York and the Town and Country Club. I used to go to Brighton Beach night at the Cockpit every week where you could hear The Charlatans and Stevie Wonder in the same venue.

To me, Leeds is a city of culture. I’m really proud to be from here and be part of the energy. Leeds has amazing talent, energy and passion for music and singing. There are so many diverse communities. I love seeing local groups shine and local artists become successful and put Leeds in the spotlight. The thriving arts scene in Leeds helps to nurture future stars from the area.

© Kayti Peschke Photography

Growing up here was the best. I lived near Moortown and Roundhay with my parents and sisters and I have such happy memories.

I sang at church and played violin in the school orchestra, just normal stuff. My grandparents and relations lived at Chapeltown and we went to Carnival every year.

It used to be free to get into Canal Gardens at Roundhay with its maze and Butterfly House, so we were there every school holiday.

It felt like it was always great weather.

I started an all-girl band called Helen when I was 15. It wasn't a precocious thing to do – everyone we knew was in a band and all the bars and pubs in Leeds put on nights. We were all underage and everyone knew it. I really liked that scene: walking down the street making up songs, going to play them in front

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Best beats

Discover Leeds live music hotspots

Dirty Martini Glamourous interiors, DJs and bespoke drinks.

Jake’s Bar Homemade liqueurs and distillates in a copper still.

Oporto Live bands and DJ’s keep the atmosphere buzzing.

Angelica, Trinity Leeds Panoramic views of the city from the outdoor terrace.

The Shed Bar For a mixology masterclass in a feel good venue.

City Varieties Music Hall Restored 19th century music hall for live music and comedy.

The Stage A venue at Leeds Beckett University with great acts.

First Direct Arena Many international acts perform at this unique venue.

Leeds has amazing talent, energy and passion for music and culture. of strangers who accepted them as legitimate. It made me realise music was something that you could be part of, that you could just make in your room.

I love bringing friends over from the USA to Yorkshire.

They can’t get their heads round the scale of it. Within 15 minutes (depending on which direction I drive), we

can get to breathtaking countryside, a busy city centre, the coolest, edgiest club or an isolated country pub with no phone signal.

I can't think of anywhere else in the world with that kind of variety all in such close proximity. The history, the culture and heritage, everyone I know who comes here is blown away by it.

I couldn’t listen to music just after I lost Jason (Corinne’s husband, Jason Rae, a saxophonist died of an accidental drug overdose in 2008). You learn how to cope and you do that by talking to friends and family about it. People stopped me in the street to tell me how much my album (released in 2016) meant to them and how they’d gone through something similar and I’m grateful that my music has been helpful for people. We don’t talk about death even though it’s a fundamental part of life. We seem to think if we don’t talk about it then maybe it won’t happen but then we’re traumatized when it does. I’m glad to have been part of that conversation about living and dying.

I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, but I always gravitate back to Yorkshire.

My family and close friends are here, I have a house and garden which I adore.

There's something about the Dales, the stone of the buildings, the greenery and the grit of the towns that makes me feel so happy.

I like to touch base with people based in Yorkshire working on international musical, dance and theatre projects. I recently worked with Richard Hawley (Sheffield guitarist from the Longpigs) on a song for the film Funny Cow, a biography of comedian Marti Caine, starring Maxine Peake, which is filmed around Leeds, Hebden Bridge and Saltaire.

I even have a small role in it.

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OUTDOORS

Life on the edge Seabirds, whales, seals, roe deer and lizards - all life is here at Bempton Cliffs and Spurn. Claire Casey dons her binoculars for a closer look.

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our hundred feet up a deserted clifftop, early on a gusty September morning, it’s eerily quiet. As I approach the edge of the cliff and look down from a sturdy wooden balcony, the noise of a thousand seabirds suddenly erupts from the cove beneath, only audible as I reach the edge. The orchestra of yells and shrieks is deafening as the birds hover, swoop and drift, whipped around on the high wind.

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he rocks below are seething with gannets, like barnacles clinging to the hull of a boat.

It’s an incredible sight. These goldenheaded, blue-eyed birds are strikingly beautiful. I could stand and watch for hours as they fence, nestle and preen, spruce up their nests, take off on a fishing trip or curl up and sleep on the narrow ledges, oblivious to the howling wind and the rapid-fire of camera shutters.

It’s the stuff of David Attenborough; a wildlife spectacle in glorious technicolour and I’m right in amongst it. I’m at the famous Bempton Cliffs on Yorkshire’s North Sea coast where nature presents a theatre of breathtaking proportions all year round.

TV nature programmes have recorded hours of film here, professional and amateur photographers from across the world have crouched and dangled precariously from the observation points with their zoom lenses and birdwatchers or ‘twitchers’ spend days with binoculars firmly fixed to their faces in the hope of catching a glimpse of something rare.

The keenest bird-lovers think nothing of driving hundreds of miles when alerted by internet bird watching forums to a rare sighting. An endangered black-browed albatross, thousands of miles from its usual home in the southern hemisphere, has been spotted here on three separate occasions in recent months creating excitement on a global scale.

This RSPB-protected habitat, just a few minutes’ drive from Bridlington, is the only mainland nesting site in England for a staggering 500,000 gannets, kittiwakes, guillemots, puffins, fulmars and many more.

Senior site manager and keen photographer, Ali Barratt, returned to her Flamborough home after several years working in Canada, America and Australia on a variety of marine conservation projects. She talks passionately about the wildlife she’s in charge of protecting. “We have

no expert or avid birdwatcher but the beauty of Bempton and Flamborough is that you don’t have to be. If you can’t tell the difference between a gannet and a gull, you soon will. And you’ll actually end up wanting to.

Equally ardent in his love of Bempton is the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Tom Marshall, who also joined me on the clifftops. Tom, who looks after the Yorkshire Nature Triangle as well (between, Flamborough, Spurn and the North Cave Wetlands) has several years’ experience working for the RSPB in Scotland, photographing wildlife in New Zealand and working with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust before coming back to roost in Yorkshire. He agreed with me that for a lot of us our appreciation of nature can strike much later on in life.

“I’ve loved birds and wildlife all my life but some people’s eyes are only opened and interest sparked when they get older. A friend of mine who was never really interested recently asked me where he could get some good binoculars. It’s never too late to develop an interest and you don’t need lots of sophisticated equipment.”

My iPhone takes decent pictures and I manage to take some really dramatic shots - though my selfie with a gannet doesn’t quite work out.

Now, however, I’m inspired to blow the dust off my proper camera and get cracking at some proper photography.

And since visiting here I’ve taken a keen interest in what’s going on with the bird life in my garden.

These golden-headed, blue-eyed birds fence, nestle and preen, spruce up their nests, take off on a fishing trip or curl up and sleep on the narrow ledges.

all the theatre and drama right here.

There’s no need for anyone to travel further than this hidden gem. This is the most accessible seabird colony in the UK and it’s a privilege to work in such a stunning location.”

I could have stayed all day and fellow visitors agreed. My autumn visit meant I was too late to see the comical puffins, who visit from March to July and then migrate, but there’s still plenty of colour and pageantry with dozens of species of birds coming and going all year round. I’m

Left to right: Thousands of birds cling to a rocky outcrop. The view towards Bempton Cliffs from Thornwick Bay. A spectacular outlook.

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Whitby is a favourite spot during autumn’s early evenings where purpose-built pleasure boats set out from the harbour to search for minke whales that come down from the Arctic.

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here are a variety of photography workshops for professionals and amateurs alike which are run all year round by Yorkshire Coast Nature in partnership with the RSPB. And if photography isn’t your thing but you’re still fascinated by birds, there is a huge choice of birding discovery days available around the Yorkshire coast, forests, moors and the wolds.

As well as getting close to the action from six cliffedge viewing platforms, inside the seabird centre there’s an exciting exhibition area with large TV screens showing live close-up images from the cliffs where you can soak it all up in comfort with a hot cup of Yorkshire Tea and a slice of cake. And don’t be put off if you’re less able-bodied. Bempton prides itself on being one of the most accessible places with mobility scooters to borrow and excellent pathways and ramps for wheelchairs.

But this part of the coast isn’t all about the birds. Friends are amazed when I tell them you can go whale-watching on this coast. Whitby is a favourite spot during autumn’s early evenings where purpose-built pleasure boats set out from the harbour to search for minke whales that come down from the Arctic. And there’s never a shortage of seals bobbing up and down on the sea surface to take a look at you, looking at them!

From these vibrant chalk cliffs, I make my way 50 miles south down the coast which stretches across the Holderness plain with its sandy dunes to the wetlands of the Humber Estuary and

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Clockwise from left: The incredible caves dotting the Yorkshire Coast near Flamborough Head. Anthony Hurd of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust at Flamborough South Landing. Gannets at Bempton. Spurn Point. Tom Marshall from the YWT in the lantern room at Spurn Point lighthouse.

Spurn Point. This thin strip of land is constantly battered and eroded by the fierce North Sea which has swept away more than 30 villages and settlements since the 19th century.

Google now only gives it an ‘approximate’ postcode, but Spurn is still home to a precious variety of migrant birds and other wildlife, including Roe deer, lizards, grey seals and various species of insect.

A lucky few may spot a whale on its autumn migration – a Humpback has even been seen off Spurn recently.

The vast nature reserve here has been owned and managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust since 1960.

Its popularity with photographers, bird enthusiasts, walkers and daytrippers is as high as ever. As I arrive in the village of Kilnsea at early lunchtime, the nearby Blue Bell Café, is buzzing. A new state of the art visitor centre has opened with ample car parking to accommodate the huge number of visitors it attracts.

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Clockwise from top left: Puffins visit from March to July. Bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises frolic in Yorkshire’s waters and if you head out to sea in autumn you’ve a good chance of spotting minke whales on their annual migration – and you may even sight a rare and magnificent humpback whale. The Old Lighthouse tower built in chalk from 1650-1699.

Gannets fill the sky at Bempton.

The centre has been designed so as not to disturb the birds’ breeding grounds. It also stands on a specially designed flood-resistant structure of steel and boulders.

As well as discovering the wildlife, visitors will be able to learn more about the rich history of Spurn at the new centre. The remains of defence installations from World War I still litter the beach and it is home to the UK’s only full-time Lifeboat station established in 1810. Lighthouses have existed here since 1427 but were successively swept away in storms.

Derelict and unused since the 1980s, the existing lighthouse, built in 1893, was brought back to life and reopened to the public in 2016. Its 144 steps are not for the faint-hearted – though one 90-year-old in my group climbs the lot and back down again without breaking a sweat. The reward at the top is a truly stunning panoramic view which you can also see on a big screen at the bottom of the lighthouse.

The diversity of our Yorkshire coast means that in just one day you can experience the high bracing clifftops of Bridlington and then the contrasting flat, sandy tidal island of Spurn with a hearty lunch in between.

If you have a few days to spare it’s worth a longer trip along this stretch of coast, taking in many more wonderful wildlife habitats including the Living Seas Centre and Danes

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Dyke beach at Flamborough and Hornsea Mere, Yorkshire’s biggest freshwater lake.

While parts of the Yorkshire coast like Spurn are quite literally shifting and eroding, those who look after it are constantly adapting it as sympathetically as possible for the needs and expectations of the modern tourist while taking the upmost care to preserve the environment and its precious wildlife for all of us - man and beast.

iFind your wild sidei ywt.org.uk Listings about Yorkshire’s wild places and wildlife to enjoy as well as places to stay and how to get involved. rspb.org.uk Details on the conservation of RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Spurn Point including the birds you can see and events to go to. yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk Discover amazing wildlife and stunning landscapes of the Yorkshire Coast, North York Moors National Park, Great Yorkshire Forest and Yorkshire Wolds on wildlife tours and photography workshops.

Where to stay I stayed at the small, cosy and modern Southdowne B&B on South Marine Drive in Bridlington where landlady Yvonne Pethullis gave a very warm welcome.

Rooms are beautifully decorated, very comfortable and reasonably priced at £85 for one with a spectacular sea view.

Tel: 01262 673270

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Rock 'n' Roll

Rolling valleys, drystone walls and patchwork meadows are synonymous with Yorkshire. Why not pay this stunning national park a visit and explore for yourself the beauty of the Dales and its villages?

Bolton Abbey is a strong contender for one of the best views in Yorkshire.

Starkly beautiful in the colder months and glorious in the sunshine, stand alongside the medieval ruins and take in the breathtaking vista over the River Wharfe and beyond.

Follow the popular Welly Walk where you can climb trees, crawl through tunnels and run along bridges. Follow the signs and enjoy a woodland adventure trail from the famous stepping stones all the way to the Cavendish Pavillion where you can reward your efforts with a delicious hot snack. The jewel in the Bolton Abbey Estate is, of course, The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa. The spa offers an oasis of calm and relaxation within a beautiful rural setting. Enjoy a variety of therapies in one of three treatment rooms, spend some time

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in the sauna or steam room or simply take a dip in the pool, before retiring to your spacious bedroom, beautifully decorated in classical country style.

Considered the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and voted the best place to live, Skipton is a delightful place to visit. The cobbled high street, ancient woodland and scenic canal offer a perfect setting for those wanting to escape the rat race.

Sitting in prime position, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and bestpreserved medieval castles in England.

Explore the banqueting hall, kitchen, bedchamber and privy as well as the chilly dungeon. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a day when Historia Normannis (a historical re-enactment society) are performing, you’ll see medieval craftsmen at work or knights displaying their prowess. An experience not to be missed.

With its cluster of art galleries (including that of Tour de Yorkshire artist Lucy Pittaway), heritage sites and creative attractions, Richmond is a town with culture at its heart. Climb to the top of the keep at Richmond Castle before taking a peaceful stroll around the secluded cockpit garden. The Georgian Theatre Royal is the oldest working theatre in the country, still in its original state. With great performances of various kinds throughout the year, from groundbreaking drama, ballet, opera and children’s shows. The Kings Head Hotel is a great place to stay. Its central location in the market square means all the hustle and bustle of market town life is right on your doorstep. Before you leave make sure you grab a sweet treat from Mocha Chocolate Shop, where you can even make your very own chocolates.

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WELCOME TO THE YORKSHIRE DALES & HERRIOT COUNTRY

Clockwise from top left: Ribblehead Viaduct.

Drystone walls and patchwork meadows.

Keelham Farm Shop. Bolton Abbey. Aysgarth Falls. Malham Cove. Walking in the National Park © National Trust images. Pen-y-Ghent from Winskill Stones near Settle.

For a fun day out, head over to Bentham Golf Club to try Foot Golf; one of the UK’s fastest growing sports.

This 18 hole golf course allows people to use their feet instead of a club, getting balls into holes rather than goals – a great new alternative way to play the traditional game of golf.

Take a 160-acre quad trek through woodland, quarryland, dirt tracks and beyond at Thornton Hall Country Farm Park in Skipton.

Fancy flying a falcon at Coniston Hall Estate? Guests can get up close and personal with the birds in the falconry centre, learning about their amazing abilities from the friendly and knowledgeable instructors. The mountains of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent are collectively known as the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

They are among the best-known hills in the Dales, surrounding the top of

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the River Ribble valley. Those who take up the challenge of climbing all three are rewarded with spectacular views.

After all that adventure why not treat yourself with a trip to The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes where you can nibble the cheese that the area is famous for. If that’s not enough, pop into The Courtyard Dairy in Settle where you can taste an array of specialist cheeses in the shop and café. The staff at award winning Keelham Farm Shop believe food tastes better from the farm. They invite people to enjoy locally sourced products in their café in Skipton with the option of taking home some of the shop’s delights, to recreate delicious feasts at home.

A visit to the Yorkshire Dales is not complete without a trip to Herriot Country which covers some of the

most beautiful countryside in the UK as well as the home of The World of James Herriot in Thirsk. Northallerton is nestled within this rolling farmland.

The thriving market town is full of life and well worth a visit. An array of shops and eateries awaits, from good old pub grub to higher end restaurants as well as traditional tearooms and cafés including the Joe Cornish Gallery where you can enjoy a coffee and slice of cake before picture browsing.

The Yorkshire Dales are home to some of the best festivals throughout the summer. June sees the return of the ever popular Grassington Festival which comes alive in a myriad of colours and creativity as artists, bands, art enthusiasts and local people collaborate to entertain and inspire.

The Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival returns for another year of food, music, fun and camping in July.

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SPORT

FIRE

Yorkshire is hosting the UCI Road World Championships in 2019, William Fotheringham investigates what makes it Europe’s cycling capital.

Clockwise from top left: The Tour de France speeds through the Yorkshire countryside in 2014. The 2014 peloton makes it’s way up Haworth’s cobbled Main Street. Cycling in Yorkshire’s stunning destinations has never been more popular.

Yorkshire cycling legend Brian Robinson © Lisa Stonehouse. Lizzie Deignan (née Armitstead) becoming World Champion in 2015.

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AS THEY ZOOM PAST, WE CAN FEEL THE RUSH OF WIND AND CRACKLE OF SWEAT The fans wait for the sound. Seconds pass, there’s a ripple of excitement – we can hear the distant thrum of helicopter propellers telling us the riders are coming.

The anticipation grows, then there they are - nearly 200 bikes hurtle towards us at breakneck speed. As they zoom past, we can feel the rush of wind and crackle of sweat.

Wherever the location; Richmond, Doha or Bergen the spectacle is truly gripping. In 2019, the Road World Championships come to Yorkshire and this carnival atmosphere will be coming to God’s Own County.

Yorkshire’s relationship with cycling is not a new thing. There’s a strong tradition of hosting world-class cycling in Yorkshire dating back more than 50 years. Remember the Harrogate and York cycling festivals – massively popular in the 70s and 80s - and the Leeds Classic, a World Cup race held in the 90s over the iconic Holme Moss climb?

It drew crowds that gave a preview of the present-day success of the Tour de Yorkshire and 2014 Tour de France.

What sets Yorkshire apart from other European locales though, is the way that heritage has been used as a foundation stone to build 21st century success: A Tour de France Grand Départ hailed as the finest ever by the organisers and a world-class annual stage race (the TDY), extended from this year to four days for men and two for women.

Add in some of the finest and most varied cycling roads that Europe has to offer – high moorland, glorious coast and quiet rural lanes and it is not hard to see why the UCI not only chose to make Yorkshire the 2019 host, but also made it one of UCI’s eight worldwide Bike Regions.

Yorkshire’s place in the cycling history of Britain is unique. Two things set it apart: the enduring richness of its two-wheeled history and the way it has built on that tradition. Current Yorkshire stars include former World Champion Lizzie Deignan and World Tour riders Ben Swift and Scott Thwaites. These riders are in a direct line that goes back to the multiple world champion Beryl Burton, who was the first Briton to win the iconic rainbow jersey of world champion, in 1960.

Burton, who came from Leeds and rode for the Morley Cycling Club, won a second title in 1967 and would surely have taken multiple gold medals at the time trial – but unfortunately it was not included in the programme until 1994, two years before her death in 1996.

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Burton is Yorkshire’s greatest cycling champion, but there are many others; Wakefield’s Barry Hoban, winner of eight stages in the Tour de France and Brian Robinson, who was the first Briton to finish the great bike race and the first Briton to win a Tour stage. That tradition continued through the 70s and 80s with the likes of Keith Lambert, Sid Barras and Malcolm Elliott and goes on to the present day with Ed Clancy, Russell Downing, Ben Swift and a host of others.

Wherever the World Championships are held, one part of the spectacle is always the same: the tension, speed and excitement that mounts lap by lap in the closing circuits of the climactic event of nine days of competition: the men’s elite road race, approximately 270 kilometres and over seven hours long. Faces become increasingly drawn, the eyes more focused, the pace rises, the drop-outs multiply and the pressure is palpable.

The venues for the event change annually, but what makes the event unique – the tension, speed and excitement - remains constant and that’s what’s coming to Yorkshire in September 2019. Over 1,000 cyclists from around 75 countries compete in total, beginning with team time trials on the opening weekend, followed by individual time trials and then regular road races. These include juniors, under 23s and elite events for men and women. The main events are the men’s and women’s road races which feature over a climactic closing weekend.

Fans travel from all over the globe in massive numbers to cheer on their nations in raucous, colourful style. And for Yorkshire, domestic fans in the UK will surely make the journey en masse, as this is only the fourth time the Road World Championships have been on these shores.

The World Championships provide a unique chance to showcase a region. That is why, although the race finishes will be centred on Harrogate, events will start in other Yorkshire towns including Beverley, Doncaster, Leeds, York, Ripon and Northallerton. The exact routes and start venues have yet to be confirmed, but two principles underlie the Championships.

In the road races and time trials, the distances vary, but all the events incorporate the same finish circuit. That provides a unique opportunity for up and coming racers, from 16 upwards, to share the same roads as the idols they are looking to emulate in the future.

For Yorkshire, it means that most of the region will get a piece of the action.

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DELICIOUS

PRODUCERS & MAKERS Yorkshire is famous for its home grown produce.

Here’s just a flavour of what we’ve got…

GET FRUITY

Souped-up Soup

TOP THAT

Tipple Tails, Sheffield Passionate baker Jane Stammers creates delicious fruit cakes from family recipes, all hand-crafted in biodegradable packaging. Bursting with dates, nuts, apricots and raisins as well as honey and tea, her rich moist cakes are perfect for an energy boost for hungry cyclists.

Yorkshire Provender, Ripon Made in a North Yorkshire kitchen using the best seasonal ingredients, Yorkshire Provender sources fresh scrumptious vegetables directly from local and British farms. Their soups are cooked by a small team who have a real love for food using favourite recipes including piri piri chicken, sweet potato and lentil, tomato and red pepper and carrot and butternut squash.

Toppings Pies, Doncaster A family-run business, Toppings Pies produce speciality pies and quiches from homemade recipes dating back to Victorian times. They use locally sourced ingredients with mouthwatering combinations such as steak and mature stilton and roast mediterranean vegetables with tomato and goats cheese.

The Right Cider Life Ampleforth Abbey Cider, Ampleforth, North Yorkshire For more than 200 years the Benedictine monks of Ampleforth Abbey have been growing apples in the abbey orchards. When the supply of apples started to overtake demand, the monks tried their hand at making cider. As it turned out, they were really good at it, so they decided to sell it to support themselves. The orchards boasts over 50 different varieties of heritage apples, populating over 2,000 trees which span over seven acres.

A Tickle on Your Tongue Puckett’s Pickles, York Say goodbye to sludgy sauces.

Puckett’s Pickles are wholesomely natural, gloriously colourful and joyfully British. No nasty preservatives and no needless ingredients are used, just local, seasonal produce where possible, with bright fresh herbs and rich whole spices (and a secret soupçon of Granny’s know-how). All products are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

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A Piece of Cake Lottie Shaw’s, Elland, West Yorkshire Lottie’s parkin recipe has been baked in Calderdale for over 100 years and continues to use oatmeal in the original recipe, creating a deliciously spiced, rough-textured cake. But this family business doesn’t just do parkin. Look out for rich mince pies, buttery fudge, fruit cake, brandy snaps and even caramel sauce. Lottie Shaw’s goodies can be found in farm shops, stately homes and delicatessens throughout the county.

THAT’S THE SPIRIT Masons Yorkshire Gin, Bedale, North Yorkshire With its traditional slow distillation method, pure Yorkshire water and just the right balance of juniper, citrus elements and secret botanical ratio, Masons gin is one of Yorkshire’s best exports. The company even grow their own juniper bushes to harvest the berries. Mason’s gin isn’t just for tonic, try a bloody Masons (a variation on a bloody Mary), a Mason’s moors martini or a Mason’s smash.

The Cream of the Crop Wensleydale Creamery, Hawes, North Yorkshire Yorkshire Wensleydale is handcrafted by skilled cheese makers following a time-honoured recipe in Wensleydale in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Milk from local farms is used with unique cheesemaking starter cultures to create the distinctive creamy, crumbly cheese.

It can’t be called Yorkshire Wensleydale unless it’s produced, processed or prepared here.

SO COOL Poma Ice Cream, Beverley Jessica Poma makes her own authentic Italian ice cream by hand and sells it at her café in Beverley, Hull. Jessica studied ice cream making at Gelato University in Bologna, Italy so she could make authentic, additive free ice creams and sorbets. She also sells homemade almond biscuits, scones, pizza, quiches and artisan breads.

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Clockwise from top left: Yorkshire Provender soup.

Lottie Shaw’s bakery. Masons Gin. Sarah Puckett making her pickles.

Ampleforth’s Benedictine Monks collecting apples from the orchard.

Delicious cakes from Tipple Tails.

Wensleydale Cheese.

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Coast with the most If you love spectacular views, beautiful beaches, history and heritage, you’ll love Redcar and Cleveland.

Top to bottom: Saltburn’s magnificent 600ft long Victorian Pier. Watersports on Redcar Beach. Gisborough Priory.

The Quakers Causeway, an ancient trod across Stanghow Moor in the North York Moors National Park near Guisborough. Gisborough Hall Hotel.

Redcar is a traditional seaside resort that caters for all ages and interests. It has flat sandy beaches, shopping facilities, restaurants, entertainment venues and a wealth of historical interest.

Redcar is a busy beach popular with families and water sport fans. It recently gained a Seaside Award for cleanliness and good water quality and is the perfect place to enjoy a northeast favourite, the lemon top ice cream. Stroll along the seafront and take in the spectacular views of Saltburn Cliffs.

For a different perspective why not venture up the 80ft high Redcar Beacon vertical pier, where you can enjoy stunning views of Redcar seafront – don’t worry, there is a lift.

Spend a thrilling day at Redcar Racecourse amongst the racing action on 18 different race days from April to November. Families are encouraged to attend and are welcomed with family-themed activities and entertainment.

There is an excellent choice of places to eat and drink, as well as a range of great race day packages too.

Saltburn by the Sea is a picturesque Victorian resort that offers beautiful gardens set in preserved woodland, long stretches of sandy beach and rugged sea cliffs. Journey between town and beach with a ride on the oldest waterbalanced lift in Britain, the Saltburn Cliff Tramway. Disembark alongside Saltburn’s magnificent 600ft long Victorian Pier, the sole surviving example on England’s north-east coast. To take full advantage of this scenic location why not enjoy some traditional fish and chips at Seaview Restaurant where you can marvel at Saltburn's long stretch of golden sands from the comfort of their sun-drenched balcony. Situated on the side of woodland between Saltburn and Guisborough, you’ll find a tiny village by the name of Upleatham, home to the UK’s smallest church St. Andrews - definitely worth a visit.

Guisborough is an historic market town that lies at the bottom of the Cleveland Hills. This gateway to the North York Moors National Park was once the capital of Cleveland and its broad cobbled streets are the focus of the town's shops, pubs and eating places. The nearby Guisborough Forest & Walkway Visitor Centre is a useful stopping off point before venturing into the forest. With an orienteering course, trim trail, sculpture trail and play areas, it’s a great place for a family day out. If you climb the heights of Highcliff Nab or Hanging Stone on a fine day you will be rewarded with fantastic views over Teesside and the coast.

Guisborough’s most precious feature is, of course, the beautiful Gisborough Priory. Nearly 100ft tall, it’s dramatic gothic east gable towers above the market town. It’s a perfect place to while away the hours after a day of exploring the nearby market which takes place every Thursday and Saturday.

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WELCOME TO REDCAR & CLEVELAND

Clockwise from left: The Saltburn Cliff Lift.

A Cleveland sunset. Roseberry Topping.

NEARBY Sitting on the outskirts of the picturesque coastal town of Saltburn by the Sea, Saltburn Golf Club offers magnificent panoramic views of the coastline as well as the iconic Roseberry Topping which sits proudly within the North York Moors National Park.

Whether you're in the area for a day or a week, you will find a multitude of accommodation options. Tocketts Mill Country Park & Restaurant is the ideal setting for a family break in a fully furnished holiday home, where you can enjoy fresh, local and beautifully cooked food in the restaurant. Grade II listed Tocketts Mill is one of the most complete working water driven corn mills in England and has been recognised by English Heritage as one of the finest examples of its kind. This stunning building is open to explore during the summer months. Immerse yourself in Victorian grandeur at Gisborough Hall Hotel.

Exuding countryside charm, the hotel is on the edge of the North York Moors and an easy drive from Whitby. Brockley Hall Hotel in Saltburn by the Sea is a beautiful boutique hotel offering unique features to make your stay unforgettable.

Discover the heritage of Redcar and Cleveland in one of the many museums and attractions including Kirkleatham Museum and Grounds which features a wide range of displays covering local and social history. After learning about all things maritime and industrial take a stroll to the nearby Kirkleatham Owl Centre which is home to a remarkable collection of

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owls, hawks, vultures, meerkats and mongooses.

The Zetland Lifeboat Museum and Redcar Heritage Centre are home to the world’s oldest surviving lifeboat ‘The Zetland’. The Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum offers visitors an exciting and authentic underground experience on the actual site of a former ironstone mine.

Discover Winkies Castle Folk Museum and its many unique and hands-on artefacts showcasing Marske’s history.

For a bracing walk in the fresh North Yorkshire air, venture to the top of one of the most distinctive and iconic landmarks in the county, Roseberry Topping. The summit offers spectacular views and the short journey to the top is a wonderful way to explore the local wildlife. While you’re there, why not combine your walk with a stroll through Newton under Roseberry or try the four-mile circular walk incorporating panoramic views and a mysterious folly. Alternatively, The Cleveland Way is a 109-mile-long walk that you can dip in and out of, taking in the dramatic coastline and heather moorland, with fabulous views, castles, ancient stone crosses and fishing villages tucked into tiny coves.

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SPORT

is name is not immediately recognisable to most. If you’re not a racing fan, chances are you’ve never heard of him. But to riders, fans and industry insiders, Peter Easterby is racing royalty.

Revered and inspiring awe across the horse world, trainers nod sagely at his name, muttering ‘Sea Pigeon’, ‘Saucy Kit’ and ‘Night Nurse’ among others. He is to race training what Muhammad Ali is to boxing. Unlike that sporting legend however, Easterby hides his light under a bushel, preferring to stay out of the limelight. He’s made an exception today to talk to me.

The M uhammad Ali of r acing Peter Easterby is the unrivalled hero of UK horse race trainers, Claude Duval went to find out more about the littleknown Yorkshire legend.

Easterby is the only horse trainer in history to send out over 1,000 winners both on the flat and over jumps. From his base at Great Habton stables, near Malton, North Yorkshire, he surveys his kingdom.

‘Grand day,’ he says. ‘Bit fresh’.

Despite the fact that he’s now 88, retirement is the last thing on his mind. As a concession to age, he’s stepped down as the boss and is assistant trainer to his son, Tim. He’s still up at seven every morning, looking over horses, monitoring them, advising stable hands, wandering up and down the gallops, feeding, chatting to riders doing what he does best.

Easterby is probably the last of his breed – a self-made man, he started dealing in horses when he was just a lad of 21. Quizzed for the secret of his success, he grins: “You just kick on and do your job. Everybody should enjoy the job they are doing, if not it’s a waste of time. It’s the key to any success. Our success has all been selfmade. No silver spoons at the start.

“I’ve done well with a lot of horses who were bought cheap. The reason I never bought expensive horses was quite simple. I couldn’t afford them.

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Anyway, no expensive horse ever did me any good. There was a limit to what we could spend back then.

They were tough times, but you didn’t know any different. It’s when you’re in trouble and nearly skint when you think quickest.

“I even built some horse boxes out of railway sleepers after the Beeching cuts (the reduction of rail network routes). If I could make any change in today’s racing it would be to cut the rule book in half! At one time the local stipendiary stewards were after me.

“I hold the record. I was sent to the Jockey Club’s HQ in London five times in two years for allegedly breaking some rule or other. I was coming back

to Yorkshire on the train after my last hearing and I was moaning to top Jockey Club member, the late Lord Halifax, how their officials were chasing me.

“I reckon I was being too successful but funnily enough, after that conversation I never had to make another trip to face the disciplinary panel.” Easterby’s nags to riches story is a real fairy tale. His memory is still razor sharp and his eyes sparkle as we walk down his memory lane.

“I first got my licence in 1950. You had to have seven horses. I only had three but I included an old brood mare and some hunters to qualify.

“In 1951 I cycled the five miles from my father’s home at Great Habton

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Easterby is the only horse trainer in history to send out over 1,000 winners both on the flat and over jumps

Above: The three generations of Easterbys at Habton Farm, Great Habton, Malton. Peter Easterby, with his son Tim and Grandson William at the Stables.

to Malton where I got a lift to the Newmarket sales in a horsebox. I bought three yearlings for a total of 380 guineas. By the time I had got home I had sold all of them.

That got me started. I waited three years before my first winner though.

Double Rose won at Market Rasen on March 7, 1953.

“I had to wait another two years before 25-1 King’s Coup was my first flat winner at Thirsk on April 15, 1955. I soon learned that the more money you started out with the less chance you had of making a success because you weren’t hungry.”

That hunger paid off. Today, Easterby is a very wealthy man.

It has been claimed that if Castle Howard wasn’t in the way, he and his brother, Mick, would own most of the lush acres in North Yorkshire.

But you get the distinct impression that money doesn’t matter to him.

Winning, however, really does.

“Goldhill was my first big winner on the flat. He was a very good horse but nobody bid for him and that’s how I got him. He won at Ascot as a two-year-old and then won later at Royal Ascot,” Easterby says.

“Saucy Kit was my first runner at the Cheltenham Festival and in 1967 he won the Champion Hurdle after a brilliant ride from Roy Edwards.

“He pulled like mad at home and it was almost impossible to settle him.

That got some head scratching but

in the end I settled him by using him to round up cattle. It was unusual but it worked. I spotted him at the sales ring and saw that he was a good sort of ‘osse. When I got him I realised that he had been heavily bandaged. I was then told by a chap that all his horses were bandaged like that and that there was nothing wrong with him. I could have kissed him. I didn’t have proper gallops in those days and Doncaster refused to let me work him on the racecourse.

But I used strips of land inside the track. Saucy Kit’s secret was his jumping. He was a brilliant leaper.”

It’s no secret that Easterby’s favourite horse was Night Nurse, although he has a galaxy of stars to pick from. “He won the Champion Hurdle in 1976 and 1977, cost me 1,100 guineas. He won 37 of his 85 races but he was miserable in his box and he would kick and bite you.

People still talk about his epic battle with Monksfield in the Templegate Hurdle at Aintree in 1977.

“Night Nurse was all heart, but Sea Pigeon was the cleverest horse I ever trained – he had the brains of two horses. He won the Champion Hurdle for us in 1980 and again in 1981. The champagne bill came to £1,000 that day at Cheltenham, we were last in the bar.

“But he’s most remembered for his win at the 1979 Ebor. He was one of the most popular horses ever trained in Yorkshire. Jonjo O’Neill rode him against Donegal Prince.

“It took ages for the photo finish verdict to be announced.

We only heard the word ‘Sea’ because the crowd roared with triumph. My heart nearly stopped while I watched. I reckon I’ve had numerous heart scares ever since.”

Now it’s Tim’s turn to carry on a monumental legacy. “He’s a good judge,” says Easterby. “You can’t learn that, it’s just there.”

Given the chance, would he do it all again? “It’s been a good journey,” he winks. “Definitely.”

Moments in the Sun Tales from a Punters Pal by Claude Duval is out now. Price £13.60

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Backing winners

Unmissable racing festivals in Yorkshire

iWelcome toi iYorkshirei iEbor Festivali York racecourse The showpiece of York’s racing season is the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival on 22 - 25 August, featuring York’s oldest, richest, fastest and most famous races.

Enjoy sporting excellence, fashion and fun over four fabulous days.

iSt Leger Festivali Doncaster racecourse Doncaster racecourse is one of the busiest racecourses in the UK. Steeped in history, it is home to the World’s oldest classic race the St Leger Stakes since 1776.

On 12 - 15 September, you can enjoy a unique blend of history and top class horse racing during the four day extravaganza.

iGo Racing Festivali Racecourses across Yorkshire Taking place from 21 - 29 July, the festival brings together all nine Yorkshire racecourses racing on nine consecutive days. There’s an array of events planned for the week, including family days at Redcar and Pontefract. Expect plenty of entertainment.

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HERITAGE

Hull’s Maritime Mojo City of Culture status has been a massive boost in 2017, but going back to its nautical roots will make Hull a magnet for tourists and businesses alike, says Tony Greenway.

Y

ou could say it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Hull over the last decade. From the doldrums it’s been catapulted to iconic status during its City of Culture year in 2017. Vibrant, optimistic and looking better than ever, people from all over the world are seeing Hull in a new light.

It’s a different story from just a few years ago, when even Kirsty and Phil gently mocked it for being a less than salubrious place to live.

So what happened during its annus mirabilis?

Millions went to its museums and art galleries, visitor numbers soared and residents felt buoyed, saying the city’s culture status had had a positive impact on their lives.

The government named Hull as the most enterprising place in Britain for its economic growth and the national press plainly loved what they were seeing, with one broadsheet noting that the city had silenced its ‘doubters’.

So now the dust has settled, is this finally Hull’s ‘moment’? “It’s nice people think that,” says Garry Taylor, manager for major projects at Hull City Council; “But Hull always was wonderful. It just needed a confidence boost.”

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He’s right of course. Hull’s always been quietly amazing. Famous as the home of poet Philip Larkin, the city harbours some marvellous Victorian civic architecture, a clutch of fascinating museums and one of Britain’s best aquariums (The Deep – go see it, it’s truly spectacular).

But alongside all that, visitors will notice a lot of cranes in the sky because Hull is still a hotbed of development. Stunning buildings, big businesses, burning ambition and fizzing creativity make the city feel a-buzz and people are planning to return in droves.

The Fruit Market area (a real wholesale fruit market until the 1960s), set on Hull’s water front, is being turned into a vibrant urban village, with independent cafés, restaurants, retailers, galleries and even its own amphitheatre performance space and residential development.

But more importantly, something extraordinary is happening at the heart of Hull, which could well and truly cement it as one of the hottest places to visit in the next decade.

Hull is to become Yorkshire’s maritime city, capitalising on its nautical history and

DON'T MISS In the autumn Hull Comedy Festival returns to showcase a variety of acts and performances including big TV names, family-friendly shows, award winning performers, local and regional comedy talent, pay what you can comedy shows and the Hullarious Free Fringe.

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Clockwise from left: Hull Marina © Neil Holmes.

Entertaining exhibits at Hull’s Maritime Museum.

Hull Fruit Market.

The Marina is in an excellent location in the heart of city.

iOne Hull of a partyi Don’t miss Hull’s key events in 2018

Humber Street Sesh 4 August, Hull Marina A music festival unlike any other celebrating the very best emerging talent from the region and beyond.

The British Science Festival 11 - 14 September, Hull University Aiming to connect people with scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists.

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Hull Jazz Festival July, various venues After the 25th anniversary in 2017, it’s back in July 2018 with some of the most exciting UK jazz talent.

Humber Mouth Autumn, various venues A festival that has always sought to be different in the way that it presents literature and Hull, to the world.

celebrating a time when it was once one of the world’s biggest fishing ports. The Maritime Museum, the Dock Office Chambers and the North End Shipyard are all undergoing massive multi-million-pound re-development to become big visitor centres, while two historic boats, the Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship, will become huge attractions, linked via new streets through the Queens Gardens.

Hull’s fishing industry declined in the 1970s and when it did, Hull began to lose its identity.

As Yorkshire’s maritime city, however, its true character will be allowed to shine through, while being careful not to get stuck in the past.

“Heritage is very important,” says Dominic Gibbons at Wykeland, the company behind the developments. “The Maritime project is building on assets that are already in place. We want to meld old and new, so visitors really get a sense of history, while enjoying this modern, edgy city.”

After the fishing industry declined, Hull forgot what made it special. “Things were still happening and companies were still here, of course... but we lost our mojo,” adds Garry.

Shh. Listen. That sound you can hear along the Humber is Hull getting its mojo back.

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WELCOME TO HULL & EAST YORKSHIRE

Unforgettable East After an unforgettable year of culture in 2017, Hull and its surrounding area is going from strength to strength. But the fun doesn't stop there. The excitement and events of the past year are here to stay and waiting to be discovered by all those who visit.

Major redevelopment in the centre has made Hull much more accessible on foot. The new pedestrianised area from Paragon Station to the Marina has created a pleasant and interesting walk through some of the most important parts of the city, including the revamped Queen Victoria Square which played host to the Freedom Festival, among other events, last year.

Who would have thought a Fruit Market could look so cool? The ambitious redevelopment of the Marina in Hull has been worth the wait. Its comparisons to Shoreditch in London, are not unjustified, with its cluster of bars, restaurants and delis including 1884 Dock St. Kitchen, not to mention the fantastic art galleries and Yorkshire’s first gin bar and distillery Humber Street Distillery. If you’re planning a visit this August make sure you catch Humber Street Sesh which is arguably the largest unsigned band festival in the country with over 220 acts playing in just one day.

For a more traditional night out head over to the Old Town of Hull where you’ll find hidden pubs nestled along cobbled streets.

Step further back in time by visiting one of Hull’s eight free museums and galleries. The Maritime Museum explores the city’s maritime heritage with a full-sized whale skeleton, superb ship models and stunning artefacts from Hull's whaling, fishing and merchant trade. The Ferens has a magnificent collection of paintings and sculptures and was a much talked about venue for the 2017 Turner Prize.

If you prefer life at a slower pace, visit the wonderful market town of Beverley with its racecourse, market squares and surrounding pastures. Beverley Minster is often regarded as one of the most beautiful gothic buildings in Europe and was even the inspiration for Westminster Abbey. Over at the other end of town you will find White Rabbit Chocolatiers where you can enjoy a feast of homemade treats from chocolate bars and truffles to hot chocolate and ice-cream. For something a little more savoury, take a trip over to Vanessa’s Deli and Café near the market square and enjoy delicious local food. Buy a few treats to take home from the deli or meat counters. For an evening meal, pleasure your palate with some world-class dining at the pint-sized bistro The Pig and Whistle or a cheeky cocktail at Sleepers Bar. Despite its size, shops are in an abundance in Beverley. Its charming courtyards and

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enchanting arcades are full of boutiques, emporiums and specialist outlets. For some high street bargains, hop aboard the free shuttle bus on a Saturday and you’ll be in Flemingate within five minutes. Don’t forget to call into The Creative Lab gallery while you’re there for some unique finds from local artists and designers.

Bempton Cliffs is the most accessible place to view seabirds from the mainland in Northern Europe. It’s most spectacular in spring and summer when migrating birds nest on the cliffs and is the obvious destination for any wildlife lover. The scenery at Flamborough and Bempton with their white chalk cliffs is incredibly dramatic, and gradually becomes gentler as you approach Spurn Head, passing through Barmston, Ulrome, Skipsea, Hornsea and Withernsea.

A natural partner to Bempton, YWT Flamborough Cliffs is a coastal reserve with cliff top walkways that have excellent vantage points for Puffin and bird spotting plus superb rockpools and sea caves during low tides at North Landing and Thornwick Bay. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas Centre at Flamborough is a great place to learn about what lives above and below the waves.

Glorious clean beaches, history galore, sporting fun, independent shops, great entertainment and amazing nature; Bridlington does truly have something for everyone. You can't get much closer to the source of your food than fish and chips in Bridlington Harbour.

There are several chippies to choose from and those serving locally caught fish proudly display the fact. Take the family on a great day out to Sewerby Hall & Gardens, John Bull Confectioners or try out the exciting Splash Zone at East Riding Leisure. Whilst here, why not take the Land Train up and down the North Promenade and South Promenade or enjoy a performance at Bridlington Spa Theatre?

When you think of The Wolds, it's usually The Cotswolds in Gloucestershire that spring to mind. However, you may be surprised to discover that Yorkshire has its very own. With glorious, gently undulating hills, perfect for picnics and picture postcard villages with landscaped gardens and ponds aplenty, this pretty stretch of countryside is not to be missed. The heartbeat of the Wolds, Driffield, is an ideal place to take a break. Spend an unhurried afternoon exploring, before stopping off at nearby Burton Agnes Hall.

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Clockwise from top left: Hull UK City of Culture 2017 © Tom Arran. Discover Hull's Old Town. The diverse and colourful Fruit Market in Hull © Nick Nicklin. The Deep. Rockpooling near Flamborough. Glorious, clean beaches. Beverley Minster.

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ARTISTIC

The greatest show in the North 22 June to 9 September 2018

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It’s going to be one of the biggest events of 2018 showing how the North of England’s culture, design and innovation have shaped people’s lives.

Get ready for the Great Exhibition of the North.

A huge, free, family-friendly exhibition full of amazing happenings, cutting edge technology, vibrant street performances, cultural events and magical experiences will take place in Newcastle and Gateshead. It tells the ‘story of the North’ in an imaginative and engaging way. The exhibition will use three trails that visitors will walk round, taking in the area’s major venues and attractions. As you walk you can watch performers, architects, musicians, scientists, engineers, inventors, writers, creatives, thinkers, designers and digital makers doing their thing.

The opening weekend As dusk falls on Friday 22 June, the Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside will be transformed by a spectacular

water fountain display, accompanied by specially commissioned music tracks. The opening night will also include the premiere of a new film and live music and performances from renowned northern artists.

Get started Begin your journey either at Gateshead Quays (the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead) or the Great North Museum – and follow one of three trails exploring the North’s Art and Culture, Design and Innovation.

Newcastle and Gateshead’s world-class venues and unique outdoor spaces will come alive with exciting and interactive ideas from across the north.

The trails are designed with families in mind, featuring a range of exhibits that will engage, inspire and entertain visitors of all ages.

You can also see Stephenson’s Rocket on display at the Discovery Museum, the space suit worn by

Britain’s first astronaut, Sheffieldborn Helen Sharman and John Lennon’s famous Record Plant Piano at the Great North Museum. The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art will present the best in Northern contemporary art including a new solo show from Turner Prize nominee Michael Dean.

The world’s largest container garden See the world’s largest container garden on the banks of the Tyne.

TV garden designer Diarmuid Gavin will create a record-breaking stretch of greenery on the Gateshead Quays.

Ninety shipping containers will create a stunning walled garden for visitors to explore, with quirky spaces for cafés and food outlets, cultural and social activities.

The full programme will be revealed in the spring. Sign up to receive further information at www.GetNorth2018.com

Opposite: Which Way North Exhibition. The Arts Trail on Grey Street, Newcastle. Above left to right: The Great North Museum will be transformed.

Detail of Helen Sharman’s Zvezda Sokol spacesuit © Science Museum Group. Rocket locomotive © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum.

John Lennon’s piano. Below: Get North Opening Weekend.

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WELCOME TO HARROGATE & SURROUNDING MARKET TOWNS

Elegance and adventure A trip to Harrogate has to include a charming afternoon tea at the famous Bettys Café Tea Rooms and then a stroll through the delightful Montpellier Quarter, home to exclusive shops, pavement cafés and bars.

You will also find award winning restaurants across Harrogate, including the new Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant and Restaurant 92 recently recommended in the Michelin Guide.

Rocks, an impressive collection of rock formations, sculpted over centuries by ice, wind and rain, perfect for those who enjoy adventure and the great outdoors.

Harrogate’s Turkish Baths and Spa offers visitors relaxation on another level. Dating back to 1886, when Victorian High Society flocked to the town to enjoy the latest pampering treatments, visitors can still relax in the spa’s historic heated chambers, steam room, invigorating plunge pool and frigidarium!

The market town of Masham is a charming and peaceful place to spend some time. Set around a large Georgian marketplace the town is famous for its beer, from the two local breweries, Theakstons and Black Sheep.

Two horticultural shows take place each year at the famed Great Yorkshire Showground.

The Harrogate Spring Flower Show starts the gardening year, where you can plan your gardening with inspiration from the show gardens and Plant Nursery Pavilion. The Autumn Flower Show ends the season with its ever popular giant vegetable competition and live expert demonstrations. RHS Garden Harlow Carr offers garden insight throughout the year as you walk around its 68 acres of exquisite gardens, growing landscapes and woodland.

Pateley Bridge nestled in the heart of Nidderdale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is home to fantastic local produce, bakeries and two award winning butchers: makers of the Pateley Pork Pie. The Nidderdale Way, a 53-mile circular walk also starts and finishes here. Don’t forget the Oldest Sweet Shop in England at the top of the high street.

View the spectacular limestone ravine at How Stean Gorge from the new glass floored visitor experience and explore nearby Brimham

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With its dramatic cliffs, spectacular railway viaduct and historical architecture, Knaresborough is an idyllic town to explore.

Enjoy the views of the River Nidd from the castle ruins above or take to the water and row a boat beneath the tremendous viaduct arches. While you are there be sure to visit England’s oldest visitor attraction, Mother Shipton’s Cave, once home to the famous clairvoyant and prophetess. Take a look at the Petrifying Well that turns items magically (or more likely chemically) to stone.

Clockwise from top left: The glass viewing area at How Stean Gorge. Overlooking the River Nidd and the spectacular viaduct in Knaresborough.

Harrogate’s Turkish Baths and Spa.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens is a great place to visit at any time of year. Spot one of the three breeds of deer or enjoy one of its many perfect picnic spots.

In the nearby city of Ripon, discover the beautiful 7th century Ripon Cathedral.

See what Victorian life was like at the Ripon Workhouse Museum and experience the austere atmosphere of the prison and courthouse. In 2018 Ripon will be the official host of Yorkshire Day celebrations on 1st August.

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AWARDS

he annual White Rose Awards celebrates the crème de la crème of Yorkshire tourism, showcasing world-class businesses throughout our region and 2017 was no exception. Winners from all over the county demonstrated outstanding acumen and prowess. However, South Yorkshire businesses deserve a special mention.

When you imagine this part of the county, what do you think of? An industrial heartland, home to the steel industry? A Kestrel for a Knave? The region has always been proud of its gritty heritage, with Victorian monuments, museums and iconic buildings boasting Gothic architecture.

But South Yorkshire is about so much more than its history – it’s an engaging mix of old and new and is home to some of the UK’s best shopping, family attractions and nightlife.

It embraces its past and present and has been transformed into a 21st century playground with a passion for music, sport and culture. It’s these qualities which saw the region celebrated at last year’s White Rose Awards. The winners are decided by an entirely independent panel and undergo a rigorous process. The judges were wowed by a number of South Yorkshire businesses.

Cannon Hall Farm in Barnsley took home the Taste of Yorkshire award and it’s

The White Rose Awards is the UK’s largest celebration of tourism in the UK. Rebecca Penston reviews a few of the exceptional businesses that bring millions of visitors to the region each year.

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THE WINNERS 2017 Holiday Park Camp Kátur, Bedale Business Tourism Award The English Institute of Sport, Sheffield Taste of Yorkshire Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley Arts and Culture Award Hull Truck Theatre, Hull Self Catering Accommodation Smallshaw Cottages and Spa, Sheffield Producers and Makers Yorkshire Dama Cheese, Sowerby Bridge Restaurant of the Year The Pheasant Hotel, Helmsley Inns and Restaurants with Rooms Estbek House, Whitby Visitor Information Award Bridlington Tourist Information Centre Small Hotel of the Year Yorebridge House, Leyburn Small Attraction of the Year Scampston Hall and Walled Garden, Malton Pub of the Year The Bay Tree, Stillington Large Attraction of the Year Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, Ripon Guest Accommodation Low Mill Guesthouse, Bainbridge Large Hotel of the Year Rudding Park, Harrogate Outstanding Customer Service Wentbridge House Hotel, Pontefract Tourism Event of the Year Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate

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Clockwise from top left: Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is veiled in a secluded valley and promises to surprise and captivate with its vast Cistercian abbey ruins, Georgian water garden, a medieval deer park, Elizabethan Hall and Gothic church.

Scampston Walled Garden is a strikingly beautiful contemporary space. The Pheasant at Harome is a picturepostcard ivy-clad country hotel serving up incredible plates of food. Smallshaw Farm Cottages are surrounded by open fields and uninterrupted views of the moors.

no surprise. Picture the scene: you’re at the races, excitedly watching as the participants are herded to the starting line. The air is full of anticipation as you argue over who will win. The gun goes off, the crowd erupts with excitement and the runners gallop over hurdles towards the home stretch… you’d be forgiven for thinking you were at one of Yorkshire’s fine racecourses, but it’s actually Royal Baa-scot at Cannon Hall Farm where sheep racing is a must-see event.

These quirky features set it apart from others.

The judges praised the farm’s hard work and attention to detail and said the business had grown from a great concept into a fine example of what makes Yorkshire’s tourism industry so special.

The judging panel added: “Set in a lovely part of the county, it is little surprise that it attracts great numbers. A very worthy winner.”

Continue down the M1 to Sheffield and you’ll find our next winner, the English Institute for Sport. It’s the country’s largest multi-sports training centre and has done fantastic work in making the sport accessible for so many people, including the local community, schools, general public, businesses and elite athletes.

The centre was awarded the Business Tourism Award, after judges praised this internationallyrenowned venue which attracts leading sports people and competitions into what was, once, the heart of the city’s steel-making industry. Not only does the institute bring top competitors to South Yorkshire but it also plays an important part in the lives of Sheffield’s schoolchildren, hosting activities and sporting events all year round.

Last but by no means least, completing this trinity of triumphs, is Smallshaw Cottages and Spa in Sheffield, which took home the award for selfcatering accommodation.

“A wonderful example of a fantastic conversion,” is how the judges described this small family-run business. Characterful 17th century barns have been lovingly restored into luxurious cottages. These still retain a nod to their history with exposed beams and stonework and they’re set amidst 700 acres of open farmland. What could be more blissful than reclining in the outdoor hot tub looking out over simply spectacular views of the Peak District?

Your stay is enhanced with “genuinely caring” staff who “always go the extra mile to make sure that guests get the very best”. Don’t imagine South Yorkshire anymore – get out there and visit!

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REDCAR BARNARD CASTLE

A67

TO THE M6 FOR BIRMINGHAM AND CUMBRIA

KIRKBY STEPHEN

A685

A1

A172

SCARBOROUGH

SUTTON BANK

HAWES

MASHAM

DENT

A169

NORTH YORK MOORS

LEYBURN

A684

A683

ROBIN HOOD’S BAY

OSMOTHERLEY

NORTHALLERTON

REETH

YORKSHIRE DALES

WHITBY

A171

DANBY

RICHMOND

SEDBERGH

STAITHES

GUISBOROUGH

YARM

A66

BOWES

TEBAY

SALTBURN

MIDDLESBROUGH

A170

KIRKBY LONSDALE

PICKERING

HELMSLEY

THIRSK

SEAMER

FILEY

HORTON-IN-RIBBLESDALE

INGLETON

GRASSINGTON SETTLE

RIPON

A64

A59

SKIPTON

KNARESBOROUGH

A65

WETHERBY

A658

SALTAIRE

A64

LEEDS

BRADFORD

A614 HORNSEA

BEVERLEY

A19 SELBY

A164

A63

HEBDEN BRIDGE

HULL

A63

HUMBER BRIDGE

HALIFAX TODMORDEN

MIRFIELD HUDDERSFIELD HOLMFIRTH PENISTONE

GOOLE

PONTEFRACT

WAKEFIELD

A15

WITHERNSEA

A180

SCUNTHORPE

A1

BARNSLEY

FLAMBOROUGH HEAD

BRIDLINGTON

A166

A1079

OTLEY

KEIGHLEY HAWORTH

YORK

HARROGATE

ILKLEY

A629

MALTON DRIFFIELD

PATELEY BRIDGE

MALHAM

A165

A19

GRIMSBY CLEETHORPES

DONCASTER

BRIGG

A18

PEAK ROTHERHAM DISTRICT A57

SHEFFIELD

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

TO LONDON

BY RAIL

PLAN YOUR JOURNEY

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: Virgin Trains East Coast (www.virgintrainseastcoast.com) 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 International 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 NO.1 RA N KI N G IL EEDSI The epicentre of the Yorkshire market, Leeds holds the title as the UK’s second city for legal services, according to Legal 500, the leading directory for legal firms. One of ‘The Big Six’, Addleshaw Goddard achieved 14 number one rankings and had 21 of its lawyers listed as leading individuals in the market. A notable trend emerging from the directory is the uptick in the property sector and the firm’s Real Estate team has matched this, playing a key role in large-scale projects reshaping Yorkshire’s infrastructure, earning AG the ‘Commercial Property’ crown at the Yorkshire Legal Awards 2017. www.addleshawgoddard.com

CR E ATI NG STABI L I TY IYO RKSHIREI Following another busy year, Andrew Jackson solicitors now operate out of four Yorkshire offices. In the current climate of global political uncertainty and Brexit looming large, clients are looking for up to date, practical and useful legal advice, with an insight into the issues coming down the line that may affect their business. Clients have more choice than ever before in the legal market place but the team believes that the key to success is built on great relationships, experience, proactivity and quality advice. It’s been a particularly busy period for the Corporate team, who have recently completed a host of complex, high profile transactions. The firm has also made a considerable investment in the growth of their specialised Corporate Recovery and Insolvency team. www.andrewjackson.co.uk

FA M I LY B US I N E SS IBR A DFORDI Family owned Yorkshire business, Arnold Laver, have expanded their national coverage with the opening of a new Depot in Borehamwood, North London. This strategic development will help to ensure the company are

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well placed to support regional and national customers operating within the M25. It will also help to develop their reputation as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of timber and timber-based products. Arnold Laver is working with Sheffield Children’s Hospital as its nominated charity.

Fund-raising activities include the Yorkshire Three Peaks and a Tough Mudder challenge. Visit laveronline. co.uk and claim 10% off your first order against timber, doors, decking and kitchens. Quote W2Y10OFF at the checkout. www.laveronline.co.uk

YO U T H B O OST I BR A D F O R D I Aspire-igen has launched a city centre-based café that provides catering, hospitality and customer service training to local young people.

Operating as a real café, they cater for local business lunches, their very own business hub and event space and anyone who fancies popping in for a bite to eat. The Canteen and The Cookery School is Aspire-igen’s latest venture to support young people getting into an industry. It has exciting job opportunities and helps to address the growing skills gap in this sector.

They are generating a lot of excitement with employers such as the five-star rated Grand Hotel & Spa, York and Oulton Hall in Leeds, who are getting involved to offer Bradford learners work experience opportunities, training and careers talks. www.aspire-igen.com

FA R M ING FUND I YOR KSH I R E I Barclays CEO, Jes Staley, announced it is ploughing a further £100m into its UK Farming Loan Fund to support UK agriculture. The bank launched its first £100m fund in 2016, to support farmers in the aftermath of the EU referendum. The bank has doubled the fund to £200m in response to a strong take-up and to help the sector to navigate uncertain times ahead.

The £200m fund is designed to boost the UK agriculture sector, to help

future-proof the industry for the next generation, improve efficiency and create additional revenue streams to limit effects of market volatility. www.barclays.co.uk

M O NSTE R CO LLE CTIO N I W E ST YO R KS H I R E I Recycling and waste management services provider, Biffa, have recently launched their ‘Wasteaters’ campaign, using a new fleet of environmentally-friendly vehicles, painted to look like friendly-mystical creatures, to promote the business.

Biffa operates across Yorkshire from 10 centres. Their specialist services include food waste transfer and recycling, single stream or dry mixed recycling, general waste collection and Biffa OneCall - emergency waste removal as well as hazardous waste and asbestos disposal. With over 40 years of expertise in the region they can make your organisation’s waste processes seamless. www.biffa.co.uk

RE CO RD YEAR I L E E DS I In line with the growth experienced by many businesses across Yorkshire, Brewin Dolphin’s Leeds office is proud to announce their best year so far.

Having grown by over 19 per cent in 12 months, they now look after over 3,000 families across Yorkshire, providing personalised wealth management and investment services tailored to meet individual needs. For personalised advice to help protect and grow your wealth, please contact Paul Martin at the Brewin Dolphin Leeds office on 0113 245 0152 or email Paul at paul.martin@brewin.co.uk. www.brewin.co.uk

NE W S CH E M E I WA K E F I E L D I Caddick Group has completed construction on phase one of the £100m prime distribution and logistics scheme, Crosspoint 33, located immediately off Junction

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS 33 of the M62 near Wakefield. The new processing and distribution centre building is now home to TK Maxx, providing more than 1.2m sq. ft. of accommodation and making it the company’s largest distribution facility in Europe. The project has been delivered by leading multisector property developer Caddick Developments Ltd, with sister company Caddick Construction undertaking all building works on the project. The facility will provide up to 1,800 local jobs. www.caddick.co.uk

A CLEANER TOM OR R OW I BRADFORDI Bradford-based detergent, hygiene and construction chemical manufacturer, Christeyns is setting its sights high after another year of growth. Vision 2021, sees plans put in place for a £100m turnover target over five years. Getting this off to a good start was the signing of the firm’s longest ever contract with Camplings Linen in a deal worth £3m. In 2017 Christeyns became sole owners of food hygiene specialist Klenzan, further strengthening the group’s position across its diverse markets in the UK and Ireland. There was also cause for celebration when the firm received the Excellence in Business Apprenticeship Award for recognition of its outstanding commitment to creating tomorrow’s young leaders. Meanwhile, Christeyns are introducing a Talent Academy programme across the group. www.christeyns.com

R E CO RD B RE A KI N G I HARROGATEI With further expansion, significant growth and a step into electricity under its belt, CNG is prepared for a record-breaking 2018. The commercial energy specialist has been working on new propositions for the last couple of years and alongside launching electricity, they will be bringing diverse renewables offerings to market in the coming year. Their growth has seen them take another

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floor at their Victoria Avenue location, meaning they now occupy all four within the building. The company is also being recognised within the industry, with various awards and achievements to their name. www.cngltd.co.uk

CRIME B U STERS I SC A RB O R O U G H I Online security is regularly in our headlines. Online criminals prey on vulnerable Yorkshire residents and threaten Yorkshire businesses. One recent government survey of the UK’s 350 largest firms, found that 54 per cent felt computer hacking was one of the main threats to their business. However, 68 per cent of the businesses admitted they have no specific training to deal with a hacking incident. Meeting the need for qualified cybercrime specialists is CU Scarborough, based on the Yorkshire Coast, who offer a threeyear BSc (Hons) Degree course in cyber security awarded by Coventry University. Creating a flurry of interest in its first year, the course promises to deliver the cyber security specialists Yorkshire needs to ensure our future online safety. www.coventry.ac.uk/cus

AWARD W IN NE RS I L EEDS I The Deloitte Leeds office has been recognised at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Annual Recognition Awards. The accolade was for ‘Outstanding Corporate Support’.

As an office, they raised £31,000 as part of a two-year partnership.

The success of Deloitte is not only measured in the positive impact they make for their clients and their staff, but also in the difference they make to the wider community. Through Deloitte’s responsible business strategy, One Million Futures, they are now supporting IntoUniversity, a charity which helps people from disadvantaged backgrounds attain either a university place or a route into a sustainable career. www2.deloitte.com

GAM E C H ANGE I WA K E F I E L DI A new state-of-the-art, bespoke venison processing facility has opened at Dovecote Park, in time for the British venison season. Venison has experienced a huge surge in popularity partly because it is a healthy low fat, high protein product but also due to increased availability and cooking recipes broadcast on TV. The meat has a rich, gamey flavour with a juicy and succulent texture.

Dovecote’s venison is sourced from red deer which have been raised naturally on a forage-based diet on specially selected farms and estates across the UK and they take special care to ensure that their venison producers operate to the highest welfare standards. During the summer, the deer spend their time on grass, while during the winter some may be housed in straw bedded barns to protect them from harsh winters. Confident that this will be a huge success, Dovecote look forward to seeing additional growth in this popular category. www.dovecotepark.com

BOW LED OVE R I H E A DI N G L E Y, L E E DS I Acting on behalf of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Eversheds Sutherland has completed the financing of the planned £40m redevelopment of the North/South stand at Headingley Stadium. The scheme is part of the club’s transformation of the ground into one of the finest cricket venues in the world. A joint venture with Leeds Rugby Club (Leeds Rhinos/ Yorkshire Carnegie), the project is underpinned by a 40-year annuity lease structure and funded by a UK institutional investor. Once re-built, the North/South Stand (which adjoins the rugby ground) will become the centrepiece of Headingley Stadium, with the capacity of the cricket ground increasing to 20,000.

Eversheds Sutherland advised on the property structure underpinning the financing of the development,

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS corporate and commercial aspects relating to the shared running of the stadium and the banking aspects of the project. www.eversheds-sutherland.com

FLYI NG HI G H IDONCASTER & S HEF F I EL D I Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has announced a major new partnership that has seen it acquire the naming rights to the Sheffield Arena, which is one of the UK’s biggest venues. The six-figure investment by DSA will see the Arena re-named as the FlyDSA Arena. www.flydsa.co.uk

IN S I DE S CO O P IL EEMING BA RI Froneri is the world’s third largest ice cream business, employing some 12,500 people worldwide and operating in more than 20 countries.

The company’s factory at Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire is itself the world’s second largest ice cream factory with 22 production lines making many of the UK’s favourite ice creams including fab®, Oreo, Smarties, Cadbury and Rowntree’s. The site also plays a key role in Froneri’s overseas markets in producing some key lines for export as well as the central development hub for Cadbury ice cream. An ambitious NPD programme will ensure there are many innovative products ready for launch this year. www.froneri.com

FI RM OF THE YEAR IL EEDSI Irwin Mitchell has been named as the Large Law Firm of the Year at the Yorkshire Legal Awards. Andrew Merrick, chief financial officer and regional managing partner in Leeds said: “Although we’re now one of the biggest law firms in the country, we strive at all levels of the business to continue to build a different kind of law firm, built around the nature of our relationships with each of our clients.

Whether our client has a personal interest or a business one, the clear

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message is that our legal teams are there not only to give expert legal advice, but also to guide and offer something extra that they can value and appreciate beyond a solely legal transaction. www.irwinmitchell.com

B IG GE ST E M P LOYERS I BR A D F O R D I As one of the biggest employers in Yorkshire with 2,200 colleagues, JCT600’s success is based on continued investment in ensuring they have the best team to serve their customers. From recruiting over 30 apprentices a year to ongoing training in developing people at every level, they remain dedicated to growing jobs in the region as well as providing some of the most sophisticated and customer-friendly car dealerships in the UK. They have invested £10m into 50 which will enable them to carry on retaining and creating jobs in the region. www.jct600.co.uk

T E R M INAL V E LOCITY I L EEDSI 2017 saw Leeds Bradford Airport’s busiest summer to date and a whole host of new route announcements.

Last year also saw a number of changes take place at the airport, including gaining new shareholders (AMP Capital) and a new CEO – David Laws. This year will see developments to the terminal and the return of Thomas Cook. www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk

T R U STED P R IVATE H IRE I L EEDSI Leeds private hire firm Arrow Cars has recently invested £750,000 in a brand-new fleet of luxury 16-passenger minibuses. This further adds to their high-quality fleet and, alongside the launch of their new app, will allow them to offer unrivalled choice to the people of Yorkshire in 2018 and beyond. www.arrowprivatehire.co.uk

EXCITING VENU E ISHEFFIELDI Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane stadium is a fantastic multi-purpose venue offering versatile event spaces suitable for weddings, meetings and much more. Though professional football remains its core, world championship boxing has also been staged at the club’s home in addition to numerous other high-profile corporate events. Free car parking and the adjacent four-star rated Copthorne Hotel with a capacity of 158 en-suite bedrooms make this a venue that will suit all occasions. The events team strive to understand each client’s specific requirements and work hard to provide the best possible solution for delivering the perfect event experience. www.sufc.co.uk

TH AT’S TH E S P IRIT I H A R R O G ATE I

Spirit of Harrogate are extremely excited to announce that after signing a 10-year lease, they will be expanding their Harrogate store into the neighbouring property.

The expansion will help grow the retail and gin experience on offer significantly and is testament to the team’s hard work and the increasing success of the Slingsby brand. Plans include a much bigger retail space and more gin experience availability to keep up with current demand, with new and exciting packages being introduced this year. With this expansion they will, no doubt, require more staff, so they look forward to welcoming new faces and expertise into the business over the next 12 months. www.wslingsby.co.uk

FO O D FO R TH O U GH T I L E E DS & B R A DF O R DI Symingtons is one of Yorkshire’s largest food manufacturers with a portfolio of brands including Ainsley Harriott, ilumi, Ragu and Chicken Tonight. The company is benefiting

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YORKSHIRE BUSINESS NEWS from a significant investment in brand building for its major snacking brands Mug Shot and Naked Noodle.

Mug Shot has grown by 19 per cent benefiting from a massive free sampling campaign targeting Tour de Yorkshire spectators, office workers and students. Naked Noodle has doubled in size to £11m and recently hijacked London Fashion Week with a brand activation campaign including a dress made from recycled Naked Noodle pots. The company is investing in its people, launching an apprenticeship scheme in April, which has already seen colleagues achieve passes in Maths and English and 15 colleagues have been selected to participate in developing Food Industry Skills. www.symingtons.com

D RI V I N G FO RC E I HARROGATEI Leading vehicle leasing and contract hire specialist, Synergy Automotive, is marking a formative year.

Milestones include clinching the coveted independent Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award for the third consecutive year, retaining its Feefo five-star rating. Continued commitment to quality in all it does is being supported by investment in major technology, compliance and people. A key player in the Leasing Broker Federation’s highprofile awards and a champion of growing and developing its valued team, Synergy’s dynamic corporate

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social responsibility drive includes funding the purchase of life changing equipment at Harrogate District Hospital’s paediatric outpatient’s department for asthmatic children.

Synergy’s 2018 fundraising programme includes scaling the Yorkshire Three Peaks. www.synergyautomotive.co.uk

T R EES FO R LIFE I HA RR O G ATE I Yorkshire family business, Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate, has helped plant 20,000 trees in the Yorkshire Dales with the National Trust. The tree planting is part of the National Trust’s work in and near Langstrothdale Commons. Here, 65 hectares of scrub and woodland are being created, peat bogs restored and wooden debris dams built, all to establish a natural mosaic of habitats and slow the flow of rainfall into the river system, supporting flood mitigation. Bettys & Taylors have been planting and protecting trees, both in Yorkshire and around the world, for nearly 30 years as part of their ‘Trees for Life’ campaign. www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk

B ACK TO SC HO O L I BR A D F O R D I Tong Garden Centre has announced a collaboration with TV and radio gardening expert and award winning Welcome to Yorkshire RHS Chelsea Flower Show designer, Matthew

Wilson this year. Tong will be the first centre in the North of England to host Matthew Wilson’s exclusive Gardening School. Planning Perfect Planting takes place on Tuesday 24 April and a Pruning Masterclass entitled Use Your Secateurs to Shape Up Your Garden is on Tuesday 15 May. The workshops are a combination of theory and hands-on practical work and cost £55 for a half day workshop. www.tonggardencentre.co.uk

READ ALL ABO U T IT I L E E DS I The Yorkshire Post and Johnston Press Yorkshire are hugely proud of their recent growth in audience levels. James Mitchinson, Editor of The Yorkshire Post and Editorial Director for Johnston Press Yorkshire said: “We are delighted to have broken all kinds of company records this year, by growing our reach to five million unique visitors to our sites each month, with those visitors reading around 25 million articles. “As well as growing our digital audiences, we are pleased to be able to continue to invest in the print products - we sell 375,000 newspapers per week in Yorkshire - which we know remain so important to local people, businesses and democracy. I take this opportunity to thank everyone who buys a paper and reads our media online. Without the support of the good people of Yorkshire, we would no longer be able to investigate, campaign and entertain in the way that we do.” www.yorkshirepost.co.uk

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