For’t Love O’ Yorkshire
An Appreciation Of Yorkshire
I’m a little bit of a sentimental lemon when it comes to my home county. It’s such a beautiful place to live and nothing has made me happier than the accidental finding of this ‘ere little book. It’s brilliant, it’s made me feel so grateful and I spent a good half an hour reciting the poems to Otis, who I fully believe thinks and barks in a Yorkshire accent. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a post in which I’m saying Yorkshire is better than anywhere else, it’s just a few paragraphs to satisfy my nostalgic mood and my love of the wolds, moors, seasides and people that make this place my home. I mean what screams comfort more than a Yorkshire Pudding or a cup of Yorkshire Tea? So, if you’re from these windy hills and heathery moors, or even if you’re just visiting, lets raise a cup of tea and drink to a life without the word “the”.
Here’s a song from it that just made me smile…
A Song Of Yorkshire
by G.H. Cowling
KINGDOM, Duchy, County, Shire,
And mother of Ridings three ;
Dear Yorkshire, land of mist and mire,
And heather and hills and sea :
Other shires may boast their glorious worth,
There is no county in all the north
Like the home of the men of York
Let foreigners chunter o’ dunes and dykes
And downs and dingles and dells ;
Old Yorkshire ‘s the spot for royds and sykes,
Bonny dales and wolds and fells ;
From Ingleborough to Humber mouth,
From Bawtry to Catterick Fork,
There is no beauty in all the south
Like the charm of the shire of York.
Broad Yorkshire, spoke wi’ downright mense,
Our guests oft reckon a joke,
But Yorkshire talk is crammed wi’ sense
When uttered by Yorkshire Folk ;
Fra Lunnon town to Anglesey,
Fra Brighton west to Cork,
There is no brogue in the west country
Like the twang of the men of York.
Let ‘em envy our Minster, envy our moors,
And covet our mines and mills.
What would they give for our sea-washed shores ?
For our windy, heathery hills ?
Other shires can boast with pride their worth,
And valour, wealth and work ‘;
But there is no county in all the north
Like the shire of the men of York.
Yorkshire - The Home of The Hopeless Romantic
I’ve always been a hopeless romantic, not the chic flick Ben Aflac kind, no, I mean the Cathy and Heathcliff kind, the unhappy ending kind, the dark kind, and If I could some up Yorkshire in one word it probably would be with the book The Wuthering Heights, Just like Heathcliffe, It’s bleak, scruffy in some parts, it’s harsh and of lower birth. It’s turbulent, moody, broad, but it’s also handsome, it’s poetic, it’s romantic. As you can see I have a thing for the dark and moody atmospheres. I love quiet countryside, I love bleak weather and dramatic hills and I think this is possibly the reason I love Yorkshire so much, it has all of these in abundance. It also has the cheapest two night crossing to Rotterdam and have you seen the house prices on Right Move? Southeners, if you want to get on the property ladder, get yourselves up here! It has Exceptional rail and motorway links and it’s not too far north that the south is a monstrous trip, it’s not too far south that the Scottish Highlands are a 17 hour drive. I’m sorry, this is completely the wrong time of year to be writing this, Yorkshire isn’t exactly a spring hotspot. Here on the coast our flowers bloom a month behind everyone elses and there’s rarely a day in which you don’t need a jacket. But Yorkshire to me just feels friendly, If London was a Cosmopolitan cocktail and Scotland was a whisky, I’d say that Yorkshire would be a perfectly brewed cup of tea ready to cure your hangover.
I Hope…
If you’re of a romantic disposition just like me then I really hope you love it as much as I do…
I hope you see where the Vikings settled and trace the steps of history down the cobbled streets of York.
I hope you see the untamed beauty of the moors and walk bracing into the blustery winds. I hope you find a dark old country pub and I hope you eat a Yorkshire Pudding.
I hope you drive up and down dale passing stone wall after stone wall, I hope you walk the Yorkshire Wolds climbing style after style and I hope you see just a little bit of sunshine.
I hope you see the pretty old stone cottages topped with warping slate roofs and I hope you hear the chugging of a steam engine and the sounds of the waves on the rocks.
I really hope you try a Brymoor Ice Cream and I hope you re-live the full Monty and leave your hat on.
I hope you hum the heartbeat tune, I hope you buy a stick of rock, I hope you dream of Paddington bear and I hope the Bronte sisters can take you back through time.
I hope you visit Dracula in Whitby and I really hope those bloody seagulls don’t pinch your chips, But, most of all I hope you visit Yorkshire and enjoy your time here, because I’m so proud t’ be a part o’ it.
Just a little list of my favourite things to see and do in Yorkshire…
North
East
West
South
Speaking Yorkshire
If you’re born and raised in Yorkshire you have the great satisfaction of saying a lot with very few words, however, if you’re not then it can be pretty difficult to communicate with us. So to help you out I’ve have written a list of translations that might help…
Ta (pronounced tar) = thank you
Terra (Pronounced terrarr) = goodbye
Mi = Me
Wi’ = With
Off = going
Nowt (Pronounced Note) = nothing
Owt (pronounced oat) = anything
T’ = to
Ant = haven’t
Am = I’m
= the
Coz = Because
Tea = Dinner
Dinner - Lunch
So “Am off t’ shop, wi mi Mam, coz wi ant got owt in for tea, ta for biscuits, tera’
Translates into “I’m going to the shop with my mum because we haven’t got anything in for Dinner, thank you for the biscuits, goodbye”
I’m from Doncaster so be aware this may alter slightly across the district. If you happen to visit a town called Barnsley you might as well be in Japan, just point and use hand signals because you won’t understand a word and this list won’t save you.
I’d love to know what you love about your county? What makes it feel like home? Also, If you’re from Yorkshire and you have any great places to add to the list please let me know!