Yorkshire
Yorkshire was the largest county in England and some people would say that Yorkshire folk a breed apart. Now whether that means better or worse probably depends on where you actually come from.
A Yorkshireman (or Tyke) is supposed to be stubborn, blunt to the point of rudeness, tight-fisted, self-opinionated and outwardly unfriendly. Under the surface though they will help anyone but they do tend to look after their own at all costs. Loyalty to Yorkshire should be paramount.
Oh, incidentally, I should know. I am one (and proud of it)!
From the Centre tower of the Minster looking over the end tower into York. It's one hell of a climb, believe me!
The Minster was seriously damaged by fair a few years ago after the roof was struck by lightening. It was suggested that it was the wrath of god because a bishop who had recently been ordained in the church had questioned the truth behind the resurrection!
View over York to the Minster.
This is a magnificent building and rivals any church in the world for it's splendour.
If you're interested in history and like museums, York is the place for you.
Historically, Yorkshire has, like many parts of England, been settled by many different people. Saxon, Roman and Viking people have all left their mark on the county. The ancient city of York was a major Roman settlement but it was later occupied by the Vikings. Many place names show Scandinavian influence.
In the 15th century civil war broke out in England between followers of the House of York - represented by a white rose - and the house of Lancaster - represented by a red rose. This became known as the War of the Roses. Ultimately, Henry of Lancaster defeated Richard III of York at the Battle of Bosworth Field to become Henry VII and found the House of Tudor. Rivalry has existed between Lancashire and Yorkshire ever since although it is mainly of a friendly nature these days. Sporting matches between teams from the two counties are still known as "Roses Matches", particularly in cricket. It is however still true to say that the only good thing to come out of Lancashire is the road to Yorkshire!
More recently Yorkshire was a heart land of the Industrial Revolution. The ground held rich reserves of coal and iron ore. Moorland and dales were perfect for sheep and produced wool for the textile industry. Leeds grew rich on wool while Sheffield made it's fortune out of coal and steel. Sadly, all these traditional industries have declined and there has been a long, painful period of readjustment that has caused a degree of resentment and unrest in the old communities.
Politically Yorkshire was divided into 3 ridings. A riding is simply an old word for a third. To simplify things rather, the West Riding is the industrial south (!) of the county, the North Riding is the agricultural hills and dales and the East Riding is the moorland area up to the coast.
