Blogs

‘Never ask an English person where they are from, if they are from Yorkshire, they’ll tell you, if not, its not fair to embarrass them.’
Adrian Braddy.

We’re a proud lot from Yorkshire, and though I may have been on the road for 30 years, exploring far flung destinations, I would always proudly declare, ‘Yorkshire!” when anyone asks where I’m from. Now I’ve returned to the fold and I’ve decided to dedicate my time to discovering my backyard. I’ve already realised that a lifetime may not be enough to explore all that Yorkshire has to offer, but I’m determined to try and these blogs are my way of sharing a bit about God’s Own Country with you, its places, food, walks, national parks, wildlife and of course, stories about its people. Enjoy…….

When the story of the book itself becomes more than the story immortalised within.

A book arrived through the post, Butter Chicken in Ludhiana. It was encased in a plastic cover, a library stamp inside and as I started to read page two of wonderfully crafted prose which captured India in all its nuances, it immediately took me back to my world in what

How did International sweet makers Haribo, end up in a small west Yorkshire town?

Spanish, Pomfret or Pontefract? It’s all liquorice to me. There’s summat in’t soil around these parts and by ‘these parts’ of course I mean Yorkshire. Pride at being from Yorkshire has never left me, but what I’ve brought back with me after thirty years on the road is curiosity and

Doorstep Discoveries of the Curious: The Piece Hall, Halifax

Why don’t you go to The Piece Hall? Where? The Piece Hall, in Halifax. Why would I go there? It’s a Grade 01 listed building and has got lots of shops. It didn’t do it for me, I hate shopping. I didn’t go. I’ve since visited. I didn’t know what

The World’s First Nature Reserve

Hold on, hold up and hang on a minute, you will never believe where I’ve just been – I can hardly believe it myself! I have only gone and been to what was purportedly the first ever nature reserve in THE WORLD! Yes, not just in Yorkshire, not just in

Doorstep discoveries of the curious: Who Knew There Was So Much to Halifax?

I think it’s been reignited, I’d lost it for a while, dissipated into the ether, a fundamental part of the me I’ve come to know and tolerate it seems had snuck off, almost without me realising. Remarkable given that I am now living back in Yorkshire which is the best

What On Earth Is Bog Snorkeling?

I’m sorry, what, bog snorkeling? Did I read that right? What on earth is Bog Snorkeling? Of course, the person who sent this text knew exactly what they were doing, having followed my less than conventional travels around India for 20 years. The minute they heard that I was heading

Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush – At Wakefield Prison

As a child, my grandfather would walk me to the fields above his house and as we gazed down over Wakefield he would always point out three buildings, conspicuous by their architecture, these were the Cathedral, the town hall and the prison. They are the three landmarks of Wakefield that

From VIP to Volunteer at 52 – It’s never too late to find your purpose

On Tuesday 01 March I sat inside Dewsbury Minster and wept, humbled by kindness, moved by selflessness, in awe of innovation and inspiration. Mine has been an unusual life, some might say extraordinary. It has been filled with stories people wouldn’t believe if they had been written as fiction. Some

Out Walking With Vikings in Yorkshire

Walking and words, two passions of mine. Last week I was out walking discovering, as many of us now have, my own back yard, finding walks and history and stories right on my doorstep that I previously never knew existed. Given the amount of rain and snow that we’ve had,

‘Never ask an English person where they are from, if they are from Yorkshire, they’ll tell you, if not, its not fair to embarrass them.’ Adrian Braddy.