LOYALIST Yorkshire folk can show their devotion by reading a 'Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity' around York on the big day.

Such fundamentalism is a mark of the fervour of its creators - the Yorkshire Ridings Society.

And with August 1, 2000 marking the society's Silver Jubilee its members are on overdrive.

The Yorkshire Ridings Society is a voluntary organisation established in 1974 following local government re-organisation of the region.

There was concern that following the 'abolition' of the Ridings as administrative areas, the original identity of Yorkshire could be lost forever.

As part of its efforts to preserve the region's Yorkshire heritage, the Yorkshire Ridings Society established Yorkshire Day on August 1, 1975.

The idea of a special day called Yorkshire Day was to provide a focus for highlighting Yorkshire pride in the county.

So to celebrate the day the declaration was to be read outside Micklegate Bar at 11.25am for the West Riding; outside Bootham Bar at noon for the North Riding; inside Monk Bar for the City of York at 12.20pm and on the south side of Walmgate Bar for the East Riding at 12.45pm.

Hilary Holt, a founding member of the society, explained: "We are reading the declaration in York because we can't practically do the historic 'beating of the boundaries' around the edges of the county.

"But in York you can stand outside three of the bars and be in three Ridings, and in the City of York by standing inside Monk Bar.

"When we do it we will be feeling very, very proud and pleased because the county has an ancient heritage with a fine people.

''But we will be sad because of the Local Government changes in 1974 which have made a lot of people very confused."

August 1 was chosen as it has special significance in the county's history. On that date in 1759 soldiers, including some from Yorkshire regiments, who had fought in the battle of Minden, in Germany, picked white roses from nearby fields as a tribute to their fallen comrades.

Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity

I, (name), being a native of, and a resident in the East / North / West Riding of Yorkshire / City of York declare:

That Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York with these boundaries of one thousand one hundred and twenty five years standing

That the address of all places in these Ridings is 'Yorkshire'.

That all persons born therein or resident therein and loyal to the Ridings are Yorkshire men and women

That any person or corporate body that deliberately ignores or denies the above shall forfeit all claim to Yorkshire status.

These declarations made this Yorkshire Day 2000

Yorkshire Forever!

God Save the Queen!

PICTURE: The chairman of the Yorkshire Ridings Society, Colin Holt, with Hilary Slights, a member of the committee, and John Redpath, York's town crier, at the Micklegate Bar declaration last year