By eck! It’s Yorkshire Day

Josef Kenyon with his Yorkshire Bob beer, brewed with rhubarb, at the New Inn pub in Roberttown which is run by his son Andy and Susan Walker.

Yorkshire Day is traditionally celebrated on August 1, but this year people across North Kirklees are making the most of the celebrations with events across next week.

Oakwell Hall Country Park, Birstall, will be kicking off celebrations on Sunday July 28, with donkey rides, archery and even the traditional long sword dances, on the agenda.

The event will be running from 11am until 4pm, and be opened by Deputy Mayor of Kirklees, Ken Smith.

Entry wristbands can be bought on the day for £2 for adults, or the week prior to the event at the shop in Oakwell Hall.

Dewsbury Minster is set to celebrate Yorkshire Day in style, with writer and broadcaster Ian Clayton topping off a day of fun with an evening performance.

With cloudy lemonade, mucky fat, a specially brewed beer and ice cream on the menu, the gala day takes place next Friday August 2, alongside a whole host of activities to keep adults and children entertained.

The Rev Tom Hiney said: “It’s not the first time beer’s been in the church. It’s not like we’re turning into a disco - it’s just the human side of us, and a side of Yorkshire.”

A world premier of a short film, put together by the Yorkshire Film Archive will also be screened throughout the day, showing some rare footage of Yorkshire from the 1930s through to the 1970s.

Coun Smith will open thefirst of six free screenings at 11am, with the last showing at 3.10pm.

The Ian Clayton Gala will start at 7.30 pm and tickets are available for £5 at the minster.

The county’s favourite crop rhubarb, will not be left out of celebrations as the brewery at Roberttown’s New Inn has created ‘Yorkshire Bob’, an ale with rhubarb flavourings, which will be made available from Thursday.

Brewer Josef Kenyon said: “Roberttown is a typical Yorkshire village through and through, so we wanted to create a beer with a flavour of the county. What better ingredient to use than rhubarb.”

Rhubarb is traditionally grown in the area between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell, known as the ‘Rhubarb Triangle.’