Yorkshire roses to the occasion

But if you were born within the boundaries of the three ridings, or failing that live within them, then you should know that today marks a special day in Yorkshire’s heritage calendar and you should therefore be wearing your white rose with pride.

Such bossiness coming from one born in the land of the red rose is, of course, a bit rich. But given that I’ve lived in various Yorkshire wapentakes on and off since the age of seven, and here within sight of the city of York for almost 30 years, then I suppose true Yorkshire folk might grudgingly think I was vaguely welcome in these parts. And my son was born in the city so hopefully that counts for something.

So today’s the day that all things Yorkshire should be celebrated. How people choose to do it is up to them. No doubt members of the Yorkshire Ridings Society are doing their usual and reading declarations of the integrity of Yorkshire while facing into each of three ancient ridings as well as into the city centre.

Such activity originally came about in 1975 as a protest against local government reorganisation, which did away with the north, east and west ridings and gave us such county abominations as Humberside and South Yorkshire. At least Humberside is now dead and we’re back to the East Riding again, but the people’s republic of South Yorkshire lives on, probably because its residents epitomise traditional dour Yorkshire stubbornness.

The date chosen for such proud declarations of Yorkshire’s heritage apparently came about because on August 1, 1759, at the Battle of Minden, Yorkshiremen were part of the force that defeated our natural enemies the French as part of an Anglo-German alliance in the Seven Years’ War at a place then in Prussia, but now in north-west Germany.

Men of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry's predecessor the 51st Regiment apparently plucked white roses from the hedgerows and wore them on their coats in tribute to their fallen comrades.

Talking of the white rose, did you know it’s used in the seal of the City of York in Pennsylvania in the US, which is known as the White Rose City and their minor league baseball team was for several decades called York White Roses?

This is either a bloody cheek on their part or a case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.

Actually, I’ve got a bit of an issue with the use of the Yorkshire rose and it's nothing to do with the fact that it's white and not red. (Mind you, we could have a debate about that – on second thoughts perhaps not because given the day it is I’d likely be strung up, drawn and quartered and my head hoisted on a stick over Micklegate Bar...).

No, it’s more to do with which way round it’s used. For many users place it upside down in my mind, which is frankly an insult to all things Yorkshire.

When I was girl guide in the East Riding, we used to sew our county badge on the shoulder of our blue uniform shirt placed so that one of the five leaf symbols was centred pointing downwards at due south.

One would think the girl guide big cheeses knew about this sort of thing and anyway, who were we to question what we were being told?

But so often you see the white rose portrayed the other way round with a leaf symbol pointing due north and two of them pointing south west and south east.

So which is right? I reckon it’s the former, and on this most important of days for Yorkshire in the annual calendar I think we should be told.

No doubt someone out there will say what do I know and why don’t I go forth and multiply back to Lancashire.

But before I do, did you know that ’ecky thump isn’t a Yorkshire saying at all, and has nothing to do with blokes in flat caps with ferrets down their legs, pulling whippets on a string and dumping coal in the bath?

No it’s a good old northern saying that originated all the way from over the border coined by Yorkies’ arch enemies, the Lancastrians.

Eeh by gum! Who’d a’ thought it? Happy Yorkshire Day everyone.