• Home
  • News
  • Food & Drink
  • Yorkshire
    • West Yorkshire
      • Leeds Guide
      • Bradford Guide
        • Saltaire
        • Ilkley
        • Haworth
      • Halifax
    • North Yorkshire
      • York
      • Whitby
      • Skipton
      • Harrogate
      • Malham
    • South Yorkshire
      • Sheffield

    West Yorkshire

    Leeds
    Bradford
    Halifax

    North Yorkshire

    York
    Skipton
    Harrogate
    Dales

    South Yorkshire

    Sheffield

    East Yorkshire

    Whitby

    what’s new

    8 of the Best Restaurants in Filey

    Read More »

    14 of The Best Farm Shops in Yorkshire

    Read More »

    New tourism experience, Route YC, dares you to take on the Yorkshire Coast like never before

    Read More »

    Featured

    WIN Tickets to the Sky Bet Sunday Series at York Racecourse

    Read More »
  • Business
  • Contact
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drink
  • Yorkshire
    • West Yorkshire
      • Leeds Guide
      • Bradford Guide
        • Saltaire
        • Ilkley
        • Haworth
      • Halifax
    • North Yorkshire
      • York
      • Whitby
      • Skipton
      • Harrogate
      • Malham
    • South Yorkshire
      • Sheffield
  • Business
  • Contact
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drink
  • Yorkshire
    • West Yorkshire
      • Leeds Guide
      • Bradford Guide
        • Saltaire
        • Ilkley
        • Haworth
      • Halifax
    • North Yorkshire
      • York
      • Whitby
      • Skipton
      • Harrogate
      • Malham
    • South Yorkshire
      • Sheffield
  • Business
  • Contact
Facebook-f
Home Featured

What really makes Yorkshire worthy of its “God’s Own Country” nickname – OPINION

Alexis Wilson-Barrett by Alexis Wilson-Barrett
in Featured
4 min read
0
Bradford Hailed as One of the Best Places to do Business
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Corinne Yeadon, Being Better

Yorkshire is often affectionately and proudly referred to as “God’s Own Country,” however this reverential nickname seems reserved for the splendour of the Yorkshire Dales and Moors rather than its urban towns and cities. The perception then appears to be of crime and destitution. Yorkshire is not without areas of deprivation and hardship, although areas elsewhere in England have their share. Arguably in areas in the South, the chasm between “the haves and have nots” is significantly wider.

My home town of Keighley never fails to factor in the “Worst Places To Live” irrespective of being equidistant from the buzzing city of Leeds and The Dales. Haworth is also on our doorstep and has all the romantic wildness and beauty reflected in the novels of the Bronte sisters. West Yorkshire has had some bad press over the years and is nowhere near as upscale as its North Yorkshire
counterpart but retains genuine appeal and hosts magnificent buildings echoing more affluent times.

Manchester city centre has reinvented itself, transforming urban decay and dilapidated buildings into luxury living spaces, high-end shops and swanky restaurants. There are numerous crumbling textile mills in the Bradford district aching to have life breathed into them, however, they do provide authenticity for the filming of gritty dramas such as “Peaky Blinders.”

The gem that is Salts Mill, situated in Saltaire, successfully provides a hub of artistic creativity in combination with a site of social and political historical importance. I was delighted that my daughter elected to rent a mill cottage to introduce her partner to the “civilised delights” of Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the trip proved less than successful in smiting his preconceptions of Yorkshire being an unruly place inhabited by barbarians. Salts Mill was closed due to Coronavirus and prior to arriving in Saltaire, he was witness to a young man riding a horse bareback, attempting to negotiate the drive-thru of a well known fast-food chain while someone was battering on his car window asking for money. While the experience proved perturbing, it was an absolute reflection of the impact of inequality and desperation faced by many in Yorkshire towns and not unfamiliar to those of us aware of poverty-driven behaviour. My daughter’s endeavours to showcase Leeds as a thriving, cosmopolitan city were quashed by the image of someone trotting through the centre with a ferret on a lead, which I can genuinely say I have never seen in all my fifty years plus of life in Yorkshire.

While justifying, defending and championing my beloved Yorkshire, this led to the discussion of perceptions often clouding the reality. My husband, who lived in London during the 1980s, recalled a friend planning a visit to Yorkshire to meet up and the utter terror from his parents, They held genuine beliefs that, in winter, wolves would come down from the hills and cross frozen rivers to terrorise local villagers. Just to qualify, both parents were teachers. While hilarious, it seems in some ways the north/south divide remains.

Perceptions work both ways. Dropping off a Christmas present of fancy Fortnum’s preserve to a farmer relative and explaining I had been to “that there London” he looked at me and with genuine confusion, concern and curiosity asking, “Why would you want to go there?”

I am not blind to the problems and social issues affecting Yorkshire and the neglect of forgotten towns but there exists an unapologetic honesty and brutal authenticity. Communities pulling together and trying to be better, the strength, resilience and determination of the people are what make Yorkshire worthy of its deity nickname.

Previous Post

Yorkshire Lawyer awarded specialist qualification

Next Post

Yorkshire networking duo take new virtual business community global

Alexis Wilson-Barrett

Alexis Wilson-Barrett

Alexis Wilson-Barrett is a Co-Founder of The Yorkshire Press and works as our Editor for North and East Yorkshire. She studied for her BA (Hons) at the University of Bradford and now works on a freelance basis from her home in Skipton, offering content and marketing support to businesses across the UK

Related Posts

Experience the magic of cinema under the stars this summer with The Luna Cinema in Yorkshire
Featured

Experience the magic of cinema under the stars this summer with The Luna Cinema in Yorkshire

May 24, 2022
Will we soon see a Yorkshireman as James Bond?
Featured

Will we soon see a Yorkshireman as James Bond?

May 24, 2022
WIN Tickets to the Sky Bet Sunday Series at York Racecourse
Featured

WIN Tickets to the Sky Bet Sunday Series at York Racecourse

May 19, 2022
Born in Yorkshire, crafted in Mexico: HACIEN Tequila is coming to a bar near you
Featured

Born in Yorkshire, crafted in Mexico: HACIEN Tequila is coming to a bar near you

May 19, 2022
Sporting heroes from Yorkshire you may not know
Featured

Sporting heroes from Yorkshire you may not know

May 4, 2022
Premier League stars pay nearly £13m to the tax man
Featured

Premier League stars pay nearly £13m to the tax man

May 4, 2022
Next Post
Yorkshire networking duo take new virtual business community global

Yorkshire networking duo take new virtual business community global

No Result
View All Result
  • North Yorkshire

    25 Yorkshire Quiz Questions for Proper Yorkshire Folk

    4058 shares
    Share 1642 Tweet 1007
  • 4 Of The Best Tattoo Studios in Leeds

    2089 shares
    Share 835 Tweet 522
  • The 15 Best Restaurants In Skipton – Skipton Eating Out Guide

    2330 shares
    Share 1222 Tweet 462
  • The Cheapest Car Parks in Leeds City Centre

    1627 shares
    Share 650 Tweet 407
  • Facts About Leeds – What Is Leeds Famous For?

    1304 shares
    Share 521 Tweet 326

Stay in Touch

Keep up to date with the latest happenings from across Yorkshire with our weekly newsletter. Don’t worry, we won’t spam you!

Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drink
  • Yorkshire
    • West Yorkshire
      • Leeds Guide
      • Bradford Guide
        • Saltaire
        • Ilkley
        • Haworth
      • Halifax
    • North Yorkshire
      • York
      • Whitby
      • Skipton
      • Harrogate
      • Malham
    • South Yorkshire
      • Sheffield
  • Business
  • Contact