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
Eh up, I’d forgotten! ‘Appy Yorkshire Day mate! I’ll av a cuppa t celebrate ๐ 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! ๐
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My accent went years ago. My Dad from Tadcaster will be tutting in heaven. A day of Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Puddings and Parkin slices to you as well.
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is there a lower poppleton as well? or a middle poppleton? I love that name…cool pics too.
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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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Mum lived on Dikelands Lane. Upper P. My niece lives in Nether.
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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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Not great. We do have Wetwang.
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Upper and Nether…..
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They were so close to you! Wow, that is pretty cool.
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It was cool. Got a video where you can see the speed. Itโs scary.
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Nice to see the Lancaster and spitfire from the BBMF. They used to regularly fly over our house when we were in the cottage.
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It was a stunning sight. They flew over just minutes before the TV helicopters arrived over us.
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The Lancaster flew so low over us one day with the cargo bay open I could almost reach inside!
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Bet that was noisy.
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It was wonderful………….. like being on the set of the Dambusters!
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I bet you can still almost hear the engines.
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We’ve had the spitfires here, but not the Lanc. The typhoons are still around though (dammit, they found us!!)
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I love watching planes.
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I had the entire Red Arrow display across the fields in front of our house in 2012. Wonderful.
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We did last year, went right over the house. I managed to miss the entire squadron with my mobile…..
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What a shame.
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Funny though
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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 McCainโs 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. ๐ฅ
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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 itโs some place.
Would love to visit Canada.
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Come any time! On second thought, youโd probably enjoy a visit here more in May or June – early Oct. No winter jasmine in our winters, moreโs the pity. Or daffs in February. Itโs all coming back to me!
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As we donโt get winters really part of me would like to see snow.
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I love winter myself, but itโs not overly conducive to easy travel. Probably best to stick to the snow on the top of mountains in Switzerland!
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I think I also saw in someone’s post that today is Switzerland Day – which is a wonderful coincidence me thinks ๐
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Yes thatโs getting a mention soon. It is a good coincidence.
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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. Youโll get to repeat it at this yearโs World Championships at the end of September.
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I might be stewarding on that.
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Thatโll be fun.
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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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Near the shops…..
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Iโd say you need to move – it has been gloriously sunny here in Leeds today ๐
Anyway, thanks for the reminder about the Tour de France – I regularly walk over the part where it started and wonder whistfully about whatโs gone so wrong….
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It has gone badly wrong.
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Good memories.:)
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๐
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๐ ! Belated Happy Yorkshire Day ! ๐ ๐
I’d forgotten they started up in God’s County that year! ๐ 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. ๐ฆ
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I marshalled on a professional race on the east coast this year. It was cold and wet even by our standards. I talked to one of the racers who had just quit the race. Raced all over the world but had never endured anything like that. Literally shaking.
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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! ๐
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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It was spring. A Yorkshire spring.
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That was brave of you then. ๐
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So good to remember
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๐
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I was in Cambridge and was up front near the starting line! Fun fun!
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Excellent
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Wow! We’ll never see something like that here. I’m hoping we can at least see the Circus Train someday xxxxxx
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Circus Train sounds cool. Itโs still hard to believe but we have managed to turn the county into a bit of a cycle centre. In a few weeks weโve now got the 7 day Road World Championships here. Must be the weather they come for…. xxxxxx
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