It’s Yorkshire Day. Yes it’s raining but that’s fitting. To celebrate let’s time travel back 5 years. To a time when our country was still prepared to embrace internationalism. Still promoting itself as multicultural and part of Europe. When the prospect of a narrow minded bigoted government seemed a distant fictional nightmare. A time when it was still socially ok to look forward and outwards.

A time when Yorkshire became part of France for a few glorious days.

When the Tour de France came to Yorkshire.

Over 2.5 million people lined the counties streets and lanes to watch one of the worlds great sporting events.

One stage went through my mums village.

I sat with our son on the road curb and watched the racers scream through. Didn’t think we would ever get that close to the Tour. Some of the riders came within a foot of us…

Happy Days. Better Days

49 thoughts on “International Yorkshire Day”

  1. Eh up, I’d forgotten! ‘Appy Yorkshire Day mate! I’ll av a cuppa t celebrate 🙂 tbh I haven’t got a broad Yorkshire accent but you know what I mean! And as for the Brexitty days we’re avin, chin up, it’ll be Yexit next! 😀

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    1. I have to step in here, since I used to live in Upper Poppleton. There isn’t a Lower or a Middle Poppleton, but there is a Nether Poppleton! Both were named for the poppies which used to grow in abundance according to one of my primary school teachers.

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      2. I sure wish we Americans could have interesting town names..instead we have disgusting names like Moose Spittal or Cow Snot..good grief!

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  5. Happy International Yorkshire Day! How did I not know that?! Having lived in London for 2 years when we were first married (a VERY long time ago) and then in York on and off for 4 years in the early 90s, doing grad work at Univ of York, I think of Yorkshire as the Maritimes of Britain: beautiful, friendly, full of history. I am a huge fan. And I loved seeing the McCain’s cars and giant crisp bags in the Tour de France parade. I know they have a huge plant there, but their HQ is in the very small town of Florenceville in our maritime province of New Brunswick, Canada. They are not only a very important family in our province, they are a very, very nice family.

    I am still rooting for no Brexit! What a mess. 😥

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    1. Funny I drove past the plant this week. When you go into the shops at least half the chips are theirs. It is a great place. Not many cities can claim to have a Roman Emperor crowned there. Then through in the Vikings. Yes it’s some place.

      Would love to visit Canada.

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      1. Come any time! On second thought, you’d probably enjoy a visit here more in May or June – early Oct. No winter jasmine in our winters, more’s the pity. Or daffs in February. It’s all coming back to me!

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  7. I was in Yorkshire for Le Grand Depart and have never seen so many people at a bike race. Some of my friends who were riding the Tour said it was a truly amazing experience. You’ll get to repeat it at this year’s World Championships at the end of September.

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  8. I recorded the coverage and sat about a foot from the TV when I replayed it. Didn’t see anyone I knew, but it has been nearly 40 years (gulp) since I lived in Nether Way, Upper Poppleton!

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  9. I’d say you need to move – it has been gloriously sunny here in Leeds today 😊

    Anyway, thanks for the reminder about the Tour de France – I regularly walk over the part where it started and wonder whistfully about what’s gone so wrong….

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  11. 🎆 ! Belated Happy Yorkshire Day ! 🎆 🙂

    I’d forgotten they started up in God’s County that year! 🙂 That would have been awesome getting to watch them zizz by. Watching on the TV from the helicopter it all seems gentile and easy paced in the peloton sometimes. At the end of this year’s race they showed a highlights package of close-ups and some on-board footage – it was anything but gentile, it was scary fast and downright dangerous. Remembering they can sometimes reach speeds nearing 100 km/h on downhill runs gives another perspective also.

    I recognize Thomas Voekler (in the green) in one photo, famous for his sticking out his tongue when he was putting in the hard yards on a breakaway (usually a solo one!). Love the Jag support car for team Sky!

    I doubt you’ll get that chance again now. 😦

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      1. The professionals generally have the good sense to hold their races in the warmer Summer weather/climates. I don’t think they have a Tour of Iceland – for good reasons! 😉

        That must be a pretty cool way (no pun intended that time) to spend a day. Do you get paid? Does son help out too?

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