The Friday five….favourite Yorkshire icons
There are so many celebrated icons of ‘Yorkshire-ness’ worldwide, from Nora Batty’s beloved wrinkled stockings, to the drama of the Bronte’s novels & and our infamous foods, all held dear in proud locals hearts and exported worldwide. Do any other counties have such a long list of associated icons? I’m not sure, but here are my personal favourites:
1. The White Rose. Perhaps an obvious choice, but definitely fits the ‘iconic’ bill. An emblem of the House of York during the War of the Roses, it now symbolises the whole of Yorkshire, whatever the current governmental county divides are. What does it mean? To be from Yorkshire is to be brave, honest, down-to-earth.Probably a little bit simple too, if you ask an outsider!
2. A pint of Black Sheep. And where better place to drink it than the Birch Hall Inn, in Beck Hole? This diminutive pub cum shop cum post office is perfectly set, and brilliant to visit in winter and summer alike. After a long walk, step inside the tiny one-room and order your pint of Black Sheep along with a doorstep sandwich and pork pie through the hatch. In the summer you can sit on the lovely, flower-filled terrace and look at the views across the valley. Really, not many finer places exist.
3. The North Yorkshire Moors. Out of all the places you can visit, the wild stretches of the heather-filled moors always make me feel like I’m home. I can’t say I particularly liked it, but the sight of Nick Berry in Heartbeat beetling around on a Sunday evening always made me feel a bit homesick. The darker side of the Moors was played up as a wonderful setting for cult film An American Werewolf in London?
4. Jarvis Cocker. Taking me back to my heady student days, drinking watery pints and dancing around jubilantly to Common People, King Jarvis can do no wrong. Everybody loved Pulp. Except perhaps Michael Jackson. Jarvis for Mayor of Sheffield?
5. A Yorkshire Pudding. I tried hard not to include this one but I love them so much I couldn’t resist. It is possibly Yorkshire’s best-known export around the world. What isn’t to love about a Yorkshire pudding, on any day of the week? A perfect one to me is both crispy and a bit soggy. There is even a Yorkshire Pudding Day, celebrated by fans all over the world on 7th February.
