White Rose Capital ready for Yorkshire Day

Many nations have a patron saint; England has St George, Scotland St Andrew, Wales St David and, of course, the Irish have St Patrick. As a region of England, the people of Yorkshire often have their distinctive accents mimicked by their fellow countrymen and women. Yorkshiremen are often characterised as straight-talking.

Yorkshiremen and women are fiercely proud of their 'homeland', which comprises South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humberside (formerly East Yorkshire). The first Yorkshire Day was held on August 1, 1975.

Students of English history may have read or learnt about the War of the Roses - the Red Rose of the House of Lancaster and the White Rose of the House of York. Rivalry between the House of York and the House of Lancaster, both of which were descended from King Edward III spilled over into civil war in a series of battles, which began in 1455 with the Battle of St Albans and concluded when a Lancastrian, Henry Tudor, defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Today, any animosity between natives of Yorkshire and Lancashire is likely to consist of friendly banter revolving round sporting fixtures - between two teams from opposite sides of the Pennines.

The photograph is ©WAPPYAL. To see more of his photographs take a look at his Flickr Photostream.

A popular which probably originated in the mid nineteenth century described the typical native of the White Rose County as: "Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred, strong in the arm and weak in the head".

The historic capital of Yorkshire is well worth a visit. Listeners can explore York's rich heritage on foot with the Best of York audio tour. Yorkshire inhabitants are often stereotyped as being 'tightfisted' - unfairly, in my opinion. There's nothing wrong with getting value for money. The Walk Talk Tour of York costs just £4.50. Significant savings are available for groups and parties.

The Best of York begins in St Helen's Square. Hear about the city's Roman origins, Viking past and more. Enjoy a stroll on the city's walls before concluding your audio walking tour outside York Minster. Pictured left is the Minster's Rose Window, which was restored after it was damaged by fire in 1984.

Visitors without the wherewithal to download the Best of York tour can hire it from the city's two Tourist Information Centres (for £5 per MP3 player plus a £10 refundable deposit).