I, Lianne Marie Binks, being a resident of the West Riding of Yorkshire declare: That Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York, with these Boundaries of 1134 years standing; That the address of all places in these Ridings is Yorkshire; That all persons born therein or resident therein and loyal to the Ridings are Yorkshiremen and women; That any person or corporate body which deliberately ignores or denies the aforementioned shall forfeit all claim to Yorkshire status.These declarations made this Yorkshire Day 2011. God Save the Queen!"
Today is Yorkshire Day and as a Yorkshire woman I am proud to stand up and tell you why being from Yorkshire is an indication of greatness. It's God's own country for a reason.
We invented the mousetrap, cats eyes, stainless steel and the hydraulic press. Our very own Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament, William Wilberforce abolished slavery, Captain Cook discovered practically everything and Robin Hood was the world's first superhero.
If you're looking for literary talent - look no further than the Bronte sisters, Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, Joanne Harris. Our own Roger Hargreaves invented the Mr Men!... Like art? Henry Moore and David Hockney are from Yorkshire. Fashion? Vivienne Westwood. Say no more.
We produce damn fine actors like Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart, great bands like Pulp, The Kaizer Chiefs, The Arctic Monkeys, The Beautiful South, The Human League and The Cribs. We're sorry about Def Leppard and Gareth Gates...
When it comes to food, Harry Ramsden would tell you that fish and chips are a Yorkshire institution but we also claim household name chefs like James Martin and Marco Pierre White.
Leeds is the second largest metropolitan district in the UK with the most diverse economy. It's the third largest manufacturing centre in the UK and has the largest financial, legal, telecomms and recruitment industries outside of London. The same goes for theatre, opera and ballet.
We're also only 2 hours 15 minutes from Kings Cross, and not in the back of beyond as you might think.
We have over 2 miles of 1,000 fantastic shops, amazing bars and restaurants and we're a top student destination. More people pick Leeds for a hen/stag destination than any other city.
So if you're wondering why #YorkshireDay is trending on Twitter, and why people are so proud to be from Yorkshire - come visit us. You'll never want to leave.