Thursday 31 July 2008

Wear your white rose with pride tomorrow at 4pm in Redcar High Street

The Yorkshire Ridings Society are holding their annual Yorkshire Day reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity at 4pm near the Town Clock in Redcar High Street.

There will also be readings of light hearted Yorkshire poetry. If you have a poem that you like or have written please come and read it.

Ridings Society members and the Redcar Ladies Lifeboat Guild will be in the High Street, during the afternoon, selling silk white roses at £1 each. All proceeds will go to Redcar Lifeboat. They will also be in Guisborough High Street in the morning supporting the Yorkshire Society (a different organisation), who are holding their annual Yorkshire Day Parade, church service and lunch. This is the first time that Redcar and Cleveland Council have hosted the event for the whole county.

It's going to rain!

Redcar and Cleveland Council have received an Early Alert of a possible extreme amount of rainfall that could affect our area between 14.00 hrs on Thursday 31st July through to 03.00 hrs Friday 1st August, 2008.

This downpour may lead to surface water flooding. The Council activated their Adverse Weather Plan and have resources on standby. They will be closely monitoring conditions over the next 12 hours.

Well that's OK then but we hope it clears up in time for the Yorkshire Day events tomorrow.

UPDATE 17.10: Not much rain yet but it's overcast and getting cooler.
UPDATE: Woken up at 03.50 by the most enormous crack of lighting

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Pictures from the Yorkshire Flag Registration Ceremony at Hull today

The Beverley Brass Band provided the music.

The Flag Institute present a copy of the Flag Registration Certificate
to the Lord Mayor of Hull, Councillor Elaine Garland.

The Lord Mayor unfurls the newly registered flag.

Roger and Chris Sewell before they set off to walk from Hull to York with the flag.

Yorkshire Ridings' Society President, Judith Anderson (left)
and Chris Sewell display the Yorkshire flag.

Yorkshire Mayors parade in Guisborough

Redcar and Cleveland Council is ready to welcome a total of over 40 Lord Mayors, Mayors and Council chairmen, resplendent in their civic robes, from all over Yorkshire to a colourful day of celebration for Yorkshire Day in Guisborough on Friday, August 1.

The Yorkshire Society chairman, Keith Madeley, said: "The civic day will see the largest gathering of civic heads in one place on one day anywhere in the world!"

The men and women, some joined by civic mace-bearers, will have a traffic-free walk along Guisborough's Westgate to St Nicholas Church for an hour-long service, which starts at 11am.

Mr Madeley, a Leeds-based business consultant, who boasts his own website, said: "It's a spectacle to behold, the Mayors will all be in their regalia and we'll have mace bearers, too. It would be wonderful to have as many people as possible to line the streets waving the white rose Yorkshire flag."

The Council's Mayor Councillor Mike Findley said: "After the success of the Yorkshire Regiment's Freedom Parade in Redcar, I'm looking forward to another successful day celebrating all that's good about Yorkshire.

"We're welcoming over 200 dignitaries to Guisborough and it's right that people celebrate their heritage. I hope the people of Redcar and Cleveland will turn up and ensure the success of another great Yorkshire event."

The public are welcome to attend the service which includes the Yorkshire Day Anthem, led by opera singer Suzannah Clarke, and the reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity.

The civic dignataries, plus the High Sheriffs for South and North Yorkshire and the Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, all wearing white roses, will walk from the church up for a commemorative photocall in the grounds of Gisborough Priory in what has been an annual Yorkshire Day event since 1985.

After the photo session, timed for around 12.15pm, the civic party will leave for lunch at nearby Laurence Jackson School, with the Yorkshire-themed menu including Rydale mushrooms, herb crusted rack of lamb with minted pea filled Yorkshire pudding, parkin with raspberries or Swaledale cheese and Yorkshire blend tea.

Monday 28 July 2008

Chance to win £100 worth of political books

Top Tory Blogger Iain Dale is preparing his annual "Guide to Political Blogging" and is asking readers to: "Email your Top Ten Blogs to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com and have the chance to win £100 worth of political books."

Iain writes:

In early September TOTAL POLITICS, in association with APCO WORLDWIDE will publish the 2008-9 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. It will contain articles on blogging by some of Britain's leading bloggers, together with a directory of UK political blogs, and a series of Top 20s and Top 10s. The book will be available at the Green Party, TUC, Labour, LibDem and Tory Conferences, where TOTAL POLITICS will have exhibition stands.

We're asking for your votes to decide the Top 100 UK Political Blogs. Simply email your Top Ten (ranked from 1 to 10) to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com. If you have a blog, please encourage your readers to do the same. I'll then compile the Top 100 from those that you send in. Just order them from 1 to 10. Your top blog gets 10 points and your tenth gets 1 point.

The deadline for submitting your Top 10 is Friday August 15th. Please type Top 10 in the subject line. Or you can of course leave your Top 10 in the Comments on this post.

Once all the entries are in a lucky dip draw will take place and the winner will be sent £100 worth of political books!

The rules are simple:
1. Please only vote once
2. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents are eligible or based on UK politics are eligible
3. Votes must be cast before Friday 15 August
4. Blogs chosen must be listed in the Total Politics Blog Directory.
5. You must send a list of TEN blogs, ranked. Any entry containing fewer than ten blogs will not count.
6. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name

Click here to emaill in your TOP TEN BLOGS.

YRS celebrates Yorkshire's special day

Yorkshire Ridings Society events on Yorkshire Day,
Friday 1st August 2008:

YORK - Yorkshire Day celebrations in York.

10.30 Yorkshire Flag arrives at Walmgate Bar after being carried from Hull for readings of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity.

10.45 Walmgate Bar
11.33 Mickelgate Bar
12.15 Bootham Bar
12.45 Monk Bar

Then the flag will be carried into the city centre for the final reading at 1.00 in St Sampson's Square, where York City Council are organising a special Yorkshire Day event with stalls and entertainment.

REDCAR - Yorkshire Day celebrations in Redcar.

The Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity ceremony and poetry readings take place near the the Town Clock in, Redcar High Street, at 4pm on Yorkshire Day, 1st August.

Members of the YRS North Riding Group and the Redcar Ladies Lifeboat Guild will be in High Street’s of Redcar and Guisborough where silk white roses will be on sale at £1. All proceeds go to Redcar Lifeboat.

Another event supported by the Yorkshire Ridings Society is as follows:

THORNABY - Saturday 2nd August 2008.

A full programme of events take place at Thornaby Green, Thornaby from 12 noon on Saturday 2nd July following a service in St Peter’s Church.

The Yorkshire Flag we registered was the one in common use - YRS

A gentleman, who designed a version of the Yorkshire Flag that is a red and white reversed out Danish Flag with a Yorkshire Rose in the centre of the cross has written to the media questioning the Yorkshire Ridings Society's right to register the traditional white rose on a blue background as the Yorkshire flag.

We asked the Flag Institute to register the traditional flag because that was the one that has been in common use for so many years. We have no wish to quarrel with the gentleman concerned. We have simply registered the white rose flag that we know has been accepted by common use for many years. There was a danger that another county might want to include a white rose in their flag and we needed to ensure that Yorkshire claimed it first.

We agree with the following statement that has been issued by the Flag Institute today:

Earlier this year the Yorkshire Riding Society (YRS) approached the Flag Institute, in the person of our Chief Vexillologist, Graham Bartram, to register the flag of Yorkshire. They had been speaking to their friend across the Pennines who had just registered the Lancashire flag. They wanted to register the traditional design of a white rose on a blue background. Graham asked if they had considered any other designs, and they had. They wanted to stick with the traditional design rather than the other Yorkshire flag they had seen, A red Scandinavian cross on white with a rose en soleil at the cross's centre. They had never seen this design flying and felt it was associated with the concept of a Yorkshire & Humberside Region/Assembly which had fallen through several years earlier. The traditional design has been made in Yorkshire for over forty years, With JW Plant in Leeds being one of the manufacturers, and that was the design they felt happy with.

The only design work Graham undertook was to come up with an official drawing of the flag. Although the basic design has been in use for a long time there has been no standardization of the rose, or the shade of blue of the background. The rose was redrawn several times until we came up with what the YRS thought was an archetypal Yorkshire Rose. The YRS also chose the shade of blue as Pantone 300 which they felt gave a bright and colourful flag.

Another "controversy" is which way round the rose goes. There is no agreement about this in Yorkshire with some people and organizations using it one way up and others the other way up. The YRS went with the majority, the North and West Ridings of the county, where it is normally used with the sepal downwards. These parts of the county are where Leeds, Bradford, Doncaster, Sheffield, etc are located with the majority of the population. The rose is also positioned centrally so there is nothing to stop someone who feels strongly that the rose is the wrong way up flying it the other way up!

So in summary all the Flag Institute is doing is registering a traditional design that has been in use for over forty years and can be seen flying all over the country, and producing a single standard drawing of the flag for future production. The YRS did not design the flag and do not claim to have designed it, they just asked the Flag Institute to register it, which we are happy to do.

Lib Dems Call for Support for Seaside Towns

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council are calling on the borough’s MPs to support a campaign to promote British seaside holidays.

Travelodge, the hotel chain, has launched a “Save Our Seaside” campaign. They hope to open 55 new hotels in seaside locations, and claim this will create 1000 new jobs.

Two Lib Dem MPs from coastal constituencies, John Pugh (Southport) and Norman Lamb (North Norfolk) have submitted an Early Day Motion (EDM 2122) to Parliament congratulating Travelodge on its scheme.

Marske Lib Dem Councillor Margaret Wilson (pictured) is urging Redcar & Cleveland’s two MPs to sign the EDM

Cllr Wilson said:

“Travelodge have realised that reviving our seaside towns will require a partnership of businesses, central and local government and individuals as consumers.

"The Borough Redcar and Cleveland has a terrific coastline and a number of friendly seaside towns and villages. We need to improve and promote them.

“Even the Prime Minister is taking a holiday on the Suffolk coast this year, so I hope the local Labour MPs will at least be able to support this initiative.”

Sunday 27 July 2008

Ghost Walk Guide wins the North Riding Duck Race

The annual North Riding Duck Race, held on Saturday 26th July 2008 in Saltburn beck, was won by Mark Graham of Stamford Bridge, near York.

Mark, who is well known as a guide on the Original Ghost Walk of York, won the Colin Holt Cup and a gift voucher when his plastic duck No 110, named 'Harry' and just pipped Redcar's Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Ian Swales's duck, No 87, 'You Rang Mallard' by half a beak's length. In 3rd place, just a beak away, was Barbara Abbott of Harrogate (Chris's mum), with duck No 42 named 'Cheryl.'

The prize for the best named duck went to 8 years old Sophie Maycroft of Marton whose Duck No 183 was named 'Don't Forget To Duck.'

The race had been held in a slight head wind and a slow current meant the race had to be reduced in length before the ducks started to flow backwards.

I90 ducks were entered into the race, which raised just over £200 for the Yorkshire Ridings' Society's road signs campaign.


Pictures by Ruth Lince

Friday 25 July 2008

Lib Dems Condemn Tory Footpath Cuts

Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show that North Yorkshire County Council has made severe cutbacks in maintaining the county’s public footpaths.

The Conservative-run council spent only £280k on maintaining the network last year, compared with £505k in 2005/6. The Council now employs 22 full-time equivalent staff on public rights-of-way, compared with 28 in 2005/6.

Even more worryingly, performance indicators show that only 65% of footpaths are now considered easy to use by walkers, compared with 75% last year.

The Ramblers’ Association has also expressed concern at the reduction in resources for footpath work.

Lib Dem Councillor Keith Barnes (Harrogate Oatlands) commented:

"In recent years the County Council has significantly improved the footpath network, responding positively to information from walkers. But the Council appears to be letting things slip now. There is still a lot to do. Many rights-of-way require maintenance as well as work on the large number of path diversions and creation orders awaiting resolution."

Cllr Barnes raised the issue at this week’s meeting of the Council, at which the Conservative portfolio holder conceded that the fall in performance was disappointing.

Cllr Barnes added:

“Walking is a big part of our county’s leisure and tourism industry, bringing a great deal of money into the local economy. It is false economics to let the footpath network deteriorate, especially when the Council clearly has the money.”

WH Smith - What a RIP OFF!

Posted by Chris:

Went into WH Smith in Redcar High Street today to buy a permanent marker to put the numbers on the new ducks we bought for tomorrow's North Riding Duck Race.

They had a Paper Mate W10 at £4.99. I thought that was a little steep so I went across to Wollies to see what they had. I bought the exact same Paper Mate W10 for 99p!

I went back to WH Smith because I have gift tokens that I got from my kids for my birthday and complained about the price of the maker pen. I asked how can you justify charging £4.50 when Wollies sell the same thing for 99p? I was brushed off with "well some companies charge different prices for things."

Lib Dems force changes to Larkswood Road traffic calming measures

The Liberal Democrats campaign, led by John Hannon, to get the road humps in Larkswood Road made less fierce has succeeded.

John's survey in the Kirkleatham Ward Focus showed that 72% of residents actually wanted them removed altogether and only 3% wanted them to stay. Redcar & Cleveland Council have issued the following statement today:

Redcar and Cleveland Council is ready to start work on a traffic calming scheme along a busy town road in Redcar - answering residents' concerns over accident fears.

The £14,000 scheme, programmed to start on Monday, August 18 and last two weeks, will reverse the priority of a pinch point and lower the height of the speed cushions on Plantation Road and Larkswood Road.

Consultation with the residents found overwhelming evidence that the existing measures, introduced in 1999, have met with opposition, and the Council is now confident the new arrangements will ease worries.

The Council's traffic engineers have assessed the pinch point arrangement on Plantation Road and will reverse the priority, allowing traffic heading out of Redcar to leave more easily - and cut out fumes created by queuing traffic."

Thursday 24 July 2008

'Love it, Hate it' Exhibition

Many people have said that Redcar seafront needs a facelift.

The Council has arranged an exhibition to get the views from the public – and the views from YOU – about what you would LOVE to see in a new design for the seafront – and also what you would HATE to see.

Your views will then be forwarded to the designers and architects who are taking part in the challenge to come up with a design for the seafront.

You will be extended a warm welcome by the staff who are manning the exhibition tomorrow or over the weekend – so, please take a little time to call in at the ‘Love it, Hate it’ marquee to share your ideas with them and take part in shaping the future of our town.

The exhibition is in a marquee on the seafront - opposite Woolworths and next to the Lifeguard Station – open daily 10am to 4pm.

Yorkshire flag welcomes people to Redcar


This is the sight that now welcomes visitors into Redcar by train. The Yorkshire flag has replaced the Union Flag which had worn in half over Hartgrove's Removal depot.

The Redcar Station complex also houses the constituency office of Redcar's MP, Vera Baird, who may need to be told what the flag stands for.

Family History Courses

Four Redcar and Cleveland branch libraries will be hosting 30-week family history courses, led by former reference librarian turned Redcar Adult Education tutor Larry Bruce.

Enrolment has started for the courses, which begin on Wednesday, September 24 at Redcar, between 10am-noon and Marske, between 2pm-4pm, on Thursday, September 25 at South Bank, between 10am-noon and on Friday, September 26 at Laburnum Road, Redcar, between 10am-noon.

You can enrol by telephone, e-mail, personal application or post to Redcar Education Development Centre, Corporation Road, Redcar TS10 1HA. For more information, call 01642 490409 or 475397.

Tuesday 22 July 2008

Intrepid Tykes, Roger and Chris Sewell, to walk from Hull to York carrying the Yorkshire Flag

Retired teachers, Roger and Chris Sewell of Goole, will set off from Hull, carrying the newly registered Yorkshire flag, shortly after 12.45 PM on Tuesday 29th July.

Accompanied by members of their local walking group, they will leave Queen’s Gardens , following a ceremony during which the Lord Mayor of Hull will unfurl a newly made Ceremonial Yorkshire Flag. They will arrive at Walmgate Bar in York in time for the annual readings of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity around the walls of York.

Roger, who is Vice-Chairman of the Yorkshire Ridings Society, who have organised the ceremony to mark the registration of the Yorkshire flag, said:

'We will do the walk in easy stages with the intention of arriving at Walmgate Bar in York at 10.30 am on Yorkshire Day, Friday 1st August. If you see us crossing the Wolds and the Vale of York please give us a wave or even join us for a short distance.

"Registration of the flag establishes the white rose on a blue background as the flag of the historic county of Yorkshire, irrespective of any administrative areas which have been superimposed on the county over the past 35 years. It was arranged in time for this Year's Yorkshire Day celebrations so we thought it would be a good idea to walk to York with the flag.”

Roger's wife Chris said:

'We were delighted when the Lord Mayor of Hull agreed to attend the ceremony and unfurl the flag for us.'

In the summer of 2005 Roger & Chris walked around the whole boundary of historic Yorkshire, over 600 miles and next year they plan a walk from York to Minden in Germany to celebrate the link between Yorkshire Day and Minden Day. During the Battle of Minden, in 1759, it is reported that Yorkshire soldiers picked white roses in memory of their fallen comrades. This is one of the reasons for why Yorkshire Day is celebrated on1st August by the Yorkshire Ridings Society and by many other people all over the county.

Guisborough prepares for Yorkshire Day

There will be a temporary road closure and parking restrictions in Guisborough as Redcar and Cleveland Council welcomes civic dignitaries from across Yorkshire to march along Westgate at 10.30am as part of the Yorkshire Day celebrations on Friday, 1st August 2008.

Westgate and Church Street will be closed between 10am and noon and signed diversions will be in place for the celebrations to take place. The car park at Church Street will also be closed between 10am and noon and parking restrictions will be in place on the High Street and Westgate.

The Council's Mayor, Councillor Mike Findley, explained: "I would like to apologise to local businesses, residents and visitors for any inconvenience caused by the temporary road closures and limited access around Westgate, but hope everyone can help support the day and show what a fantastic Borough we live in.

"It will be a superb spectacle to celebrate all that is good about Yorkshire and I am really looking forward to welcoming the civic dignitaries from across the county."

There will be an 11am service at St Nicholas Church, with hymns, readings and a sermon given by the Archdeacon of Cleveland, The Venerable Paul Ferguson. The one hour service will also include the Yorkshire Day Anthem and the reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity.

It reads:

I, (your name) being a resident of the (North/West/East) Riding of Yorkshire declare:
That Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York, with these Boundaries of 1133 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 2008
Yorkshire for ever!
God Save the Queen!

Roseberry Road Resurfacing Scheme Deferral

The Roseberry Road resurfacing works have been deferred due to the road closure on Corproration Road (Redcar Technical College improvement works). The works on Corporation Road are programmed to last 10 weeks, Roseberry Road is on the traffic diversion route and cannot go ahead until the Corporation Road works are completed or at least until the road can be re-opened.

Monday 21 July 2008

Tyke Ducks take to the water in Saltburn Beck on Saturday

The Yorkshire Ridings Society's (YRS) annual North Riding Duck Race takes place in Saltburn Beck, at 2.30 PM on Saturday 26th July 2008.

Hundreds of yellow plastic ducks will be dropped from the first footbridge and the first duck back to the weir, just upstream of the road bridge will win the Colin Holt Cup.

The entry fee is £1 per duck. There are prizes for the first three back and for the best named duck. Anyone wishing to enter can do so on the day or by contacting us on 01642 487557 or mailto: There is no charge for admission.

Pictured is the finish of a previous NR Duck race, featuring left to right Josie Crawford, Val Miller and our daughter, Kelly, waiting to net the winner.

Friday 18 July 2008

Labour Councillor omitted from list of Councillors in Council mag

It has been drawn to our attention that South Bank Labour Councillor Pearl Hall's name and address has been omitted from the list of Councillors in the Council publication People, Progress, Pride.

Has this Councillor actually resigned from the Council? If not why has the name been omitted?

Lib Dems Concerned Over Take-Away Food Plans

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council are concerned that attempts to limit the number of hot food takeaways will not apply to smaller parades of shops.

The Labour-run Council today voted for an interim policy of restricting the number of hot food takeaways on main shopping streets.

Redcar Lib Dem Councillor Mary Ovens (pictured) is concerned that smaller parades of shops will not be included.

Cllr Ovens said:

“I fully accept that hot food takeaways have their place and that there is demand for them.

“But there is a danger that some shopping areas get dominated by them. Many are closed in the daytime and make shopping areas appear dead.

“I hope the interim policy is accepted by planning inspectors. Unfortunately it does not extend to small parades of shops where there can be a real danger of the majority of shops being takeaways. Maybe the policy can be improved in the future, but I fear it will be too late for some shopping areas."

Lib Dems Attack Labour Road Safety Hypocrisy

Liberal Democrat councillors at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council today accused the Council’s Labour leadership of hypocrisy over road safety issues.

The Labour-run council recently scrapped its Road Safety Committees and transferred their functions to Area Committees, where road safety issues will not get the same attention.

In 2003, when in opposition, Labour wrongly accused the Council of scrapping Road Safety Committees. The Coalition then running the council did not scrap them but simply stopped paying expenses to councillors for going to the meetings.

In the Northern Echo in July 2003 the current Leader of the Council, Labour’s George Dunning, said that scrapping Road Safety Committees would be “a disaster” that “could mean more deaths and injuries on our roads”, and that the committees “provided the ideal forum where local fears could be discussed in detail”

We couldn’t agree more.

So why has his administration now done exactly what he said he was against back then?

Redcar needs a senior football team

Posted by Chris

I told told a meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council tonight that it is a real shame a town the size of Redcar does not have a senior football team playing at least at Conference North level.

I have been impressed by the way football fans in Scarborough got together and rallied round to form Scarborough Athletic FC when Scarborough FC went bust. I understand they set up a trust and each contributed around £12 to help get the new team underway. They may be playing home games at present in Bridlington but at least they are back on the Football League Pyramid and have had a successful first year.

A town like Redcar, with a population of more than 40,000, should have a senior football team.

Not since the demise of Redcar Albion many years ago has Redcar had a successful senior team. In recent years we had Redcar Town who played in a very lowly north-east league but soon dwindled away.

It is obviously not easy to get a team off the ground but the Council can help facilitate this and get people together.

Roseberry Road – Carriageway Resurfacing Scheme

Redcar & Cleveland's Highway Services Department have issued the following information to residents:

As part of the Council’s continuing highway maintenance programme, we shall be shortly carrying out essential resurfacing works at the above location, in conjunction with our Highway Services partner, Carillion. All our highway improvement schemes have been programmed to minimise disruption to the local community and the Borough as a whole.

The works are programmed to start on Monday 4th July 2008 and will take approximately 5 days (weather permitting) although we will endeavour to carry out the work in a shorter period.

The scheme involves the resurfacing of the carriageway on Roseberry Road from Kirkleatham Lane to Low Farm Drive and from outside number 98 Roseberry Road to outside number 2 Roseberry Road. The section of carriageway outside Roseberry Road shops will be resurfaced at a later date, this delay is due to potential utility works along this section of carriageway.

To ensure the safety of the travelling public and the work force the works will be undertaken by means of a lane closure using traffic lights. Access for residents and businesses within the extent of the works, will be maintained at all times where possible.

We would ask residents and visitors to refrain from parking on the road (and parking bays) during working hours.

Pedestrians and road users are requested to exercise caution for the duration of the works and thereafter. Parents are requested to remind their children of the dangers of playing near road works.


If you believe you may experience difficulties or have any queries or reservations regarding the scheme, please contact either Clive Allen on (01287) 612607 or Nick Fraser on (01287) 612556. If you experience any problems regarding the actual roadworks, the Contractor (Carillion) can be contacted on (01642) 455600 (office hours).

Free parking to support world record attempt

Redcar and Cleveland Council is suspending car parking charges on Redcar's Majuba Road car park on Sunday, July 20, between 8am-midday in support of the 11am Great North Bikini Challenge on Redcar beach, which is hoping for over 1,010 women to claim a new world record

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Programme for the Yorkshire Flag Ceremony at Hull on 29th July

This is the actual design of the Yorkshire Flag agreed with the Flag Institute and Ceremonial unfurling of a Yorkshire Flag,

This is the programme for the ceremony to commemorate the registration of the flag with the Flag Registry.


A Ceremonial unfurling of a Yorkshire Flag,
To commemorate the registration of the flag with the Flag Registry.

To be held at Queen’s Gardens, Hull.
On the 29th July 2008 at 12.30.

12.20. Music by Brass Ensemble.
Arrival of YRS party and Guests.

12.30 Raising of Union Flag and National Anthem.

Welcome Roger Sewell Vice Chairman YRS

Reading A Yorkshire Anthem Hilary Slights Membership Sec YRS

Flag Institute Representitive.

Lord Mayor, President of YRS and Flag (CS) move into place infront of Union Flag. Ensemble, Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill
President of YRS Invites Lord Mayor to unfurl the flag

Flag is unfurled by Lord Mayor of Hull.
Ensemble, Fanfare
Lord Mayor.

Presentation to Lord Mayor by Chris Abbott Chairman YRS.

Declaration of Yorkshire Integrity. Read in East Yorkshire Dialect (Doreen Putnam CommitteeYRS and Modern English Judith Anderson President YRS
Ensemble Ilkley Moor

Brief description of walk and Invitation to join us at York or celebrateYorkshire Day locally. Thanks. Roger Sewell
Flag leaves Queen’s Gardens on first stage of walk to York
Ensemble, Grand Old Duke of York.

180 jobs affected as SABIC Europe closes plants at North Tees and Wilton

SABIC Europe today announced plans to re-structure its aromatics operations based on Teesside, UK following a wide-ranging review of the long-term viability of the business.

The plans involve closure of the Aromatics 2 unit at the SABIC UK Petrochemicals North Tees Site near Seal Sands and the Paraxylene plant at the Wilton Site near Redcar. The plans also include an upgrade of the remaining Aromatics 1 plant at North Tees.

The economics of the units planned for closure have become untenable and have forced SABIC Europe to face up to this difficult decision. The aim of the proposed way forward is to bring the total SABIC UK Petrochemicals Teesside Site operational and commercial performance to a sustainable level.

Paul Booth, President – SABIC UK Petrochemicals, commented: “On Teesside, SABIC UK Petrochemicals remains fully committed to its Olefins Cracker operations at Wilton, Cyclohexane production at North Tees and to continuing its investment in the major Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) project at Wilton.

“We will also continue to process Pyrolysis Gasoline feedstock from our Wilton Cracker on the Aromatics 1 unit in order to optimize our Cracker operations across Teesside,” added Mr Booth.

The proposed closure of the Aromatics 2 and Paraxylene units is expected to affect approximately 200 operational and support positions. The main impact of this will be at the manufacturing facilities on Teesside, but the numbers also include some job reductions in SABIC Europe’s support functions in The Netherlands. A clearer idea of job numbers will be known once the full details of the restructuring plans are worked out. SABIC UK Petrochemicals will seek to minimize the effects through redeployment and voluntary means wherever possible.

Paul Booth added: “Our plans include seeking sanction for new capital investments to improve the total Teesside site performance, including Aromatics 1 and associated infrastructure to ensure a sustainable long term future for SABIC on Teesside.”

Further details of the restructuring will be completed over the next few weeks taking into consideration the interests of all concerned parties and consultations with employees’ representatives.

The impact on customers is under review and is subject to discussions with the relevant parties.
It is currently envisaged that the proposed closures will take effect by end 2008.

In an email to councillors Bill Perfitt Director, UK Public Affairs SABIC UK Petrochemicals wrote:

"In a nutshell, we are today announcing proposals to close our Aromatics 2 plant at North Tees and the Paraxylene plant at Wilton (which takes its feedstock of mixed xylenes from Aromatics 2). The number of jobs affected on Teesside will be approximately 180 (plus about 20 in our support operations in Sittard, southern Holland). However, as ever, we will do our best to achieve as many job reductions as possible through either voluntary means or redeployment.

"On the positive side, we are looking urgently and seriously at plans for a potential major multi-million investment to upgrade our remaining Aromatics 1 plant at North Tees in order to help secure its long term future, but this will be dependent on economic conditions prevailing in the future. In summary, we firmly believe that these necessary changes will help to strongly underpin our remain core businesses of the Olefins Cracker, our new Polyethylene operations at Wilton and the remaining Aromatics business going forwards."

About SABIC:

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is the world’s 5th largest petrochemicals company. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.

SABIC operates six interlinked strategic business units: Basic Chemicals, Intermediates, Specialty Products, Polymers, Fertilizers and Metals. In 2007 SABIC Innovative Plastics was launched as a global manufacturer and supplier of highly engineered thermoplastics. SABIC has significant research resources and has 16 dedicated Research and Technology and application centers in the Middle East, the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with over 31,000 employees worldwide.

In Saudi Arabia, the company has 20 world-scale complexes and 19 of them are located in the industrial cities of Al-Jubail and Yanbu. Some of these complexes are operated with multi-national joint venture partners such as ExxonMobil, Shell and Mitsubishi Chemicals. Elsewhere, SABIC manufactures on a global scale in more than 45 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. SABIC’s overall production has increased from 27 million metric tons in 2001 to 55 million metric tons in 2007.

Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

About SABIC Europe:

SABIC Europe (headquartered in Sittard, The Netherlands) is a SABIC subsidiary group which includes all SABIC’s polymers and base chemicals activities in Europe and employs around 3,300 people. SABIC Europe has a European sales offices network, logistic hubs and three petrochemical sites in Europe: at Geleen (The Netherlands), Teesside (United Kingdom) and at Gelsenkirchen (Germany). SABIC Europe produces 3 million metric tons per annum of polyolefins* and 5.7 million metric tons of basic chemicals, mainly for the European market.

* including the projected numbers for the SABIC UK Petrochemicals 2008 LDPE plant.

Aromatics Product chains:

The Aromatics 1 and 2 and Paraxylene units currently operated by SABIC UK Petrochemicals on Teesside supply raw materials into different product chains, known in the chemical industry as ‘C6’ and ‘C8.’

Aromatics 1 is part of the C6 product chain, producing Benzene and Cyclohexane, which are widely used in the nylon fibre and plastics industries. Aromatics 1 is very important to SABIC UK Petrochemicals major Cracker complex at Wilton, which supplies large quantities of Pyrolysis Gasoline feedstock to Aromatics 1.

The Aromatics 2 and Paraxylene plants are part of the C8 product chain, which processes mixed Xylenes for the polyester industry and it is envisaged that as a result of the review SABIC Europe will be exiting this area.

Redeployment opportunities:

Paul Booth, President – SABIC UK Petrochemicals, said the Aromatics business had been subject to worsening economic conditions for a long time. He commented: “We have worked incredibly hard for a number of years to make the Aromatics and Paraxylene assets viable in a fiercely competitive environment.

“Our employees have also supported us strongly in our efforts and, on behalf of SABIC UK Petrochemicals, I would like to give them my very sincere thanks. I would also like to emphasize that we will make effort to treat individuals affected by this review as supportively as possible.

“In the event of redundancies, we will explore opportunities for redeployment both inside and outside the company.

In order to bring the SABIC UK Petrochemicals Teesside site to a sustainable level of performance, SABIC Europe is committed to its Cracker and Polymers operations on Teesside and will continue to invest in them to ensure their long term sustainability, including the production of Pyrolysis Gasoline feedstock for processing on Aromatics 1 producing Benzene and Cyclohexane. SABIC Europe has been and is continuing to invest significantly in its UK operations since it bought them at the end of 2006. These substantial investments are in addition to the ongoing construction of the new £200 million (250 million Euros) LDPE project at Wilton, which will be the largest of its kind in the world when completed by around the end of this year.

Tuesday 15 July 2008

It's the Redcar seafront experience!

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is hosting a unique interactive seaside exhibition that will give the public the chance to inspire architects to deliver a scheme geared to regenerate Redcar's seafront.

The 'Love it, Hate it' exhibition will be in a marquee on Redcar Esplanade from Wednesday, July 23 to Sunday, July 27, 10am-4pm each day, and hopes to welcome hundreds of visitors to choose what type of design or use of space they would love to see - and what they would hate to see.

The exhibition feedback will be included in a briefing document for an exciting design competition, created by the Council, in partnership with the Environment Agency, and co-ordinated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), which invites design professionals to generate ideas linked to the town's planned coastal defence scheme.

The design brief is for ideas and approaches for the public realm aspects of the sea wall scheme, as well as a linked set of proposals for the roads, building facade and sites along the seafront.

RIBA will draw up a shortlist of five schemes for the second stage of the competition, with the authors invited to present proposals to a Jury Panel. Each shortlisted competitor will receive a £4,000 honorarium with the winner receiving an additional £4,000.

Log on here for details of how to register for the competition. Registration will close on Wednesday, August 20 and the deadline for submissions is 2pm on Wednesday, August 27.

The effect of strike action on Refuse Collection and other Environment Services

The following changes to front line services are being made due to the forthcoming strike action:

Refuse & Recycling Collection (domestic wheelie bin, green waste wheelie bin and clear bags for cardboard/plastic)

Revised collections as follows:

Tuesday 15th - normal collections
Wednesday 16th - collected Friday 18th
Thursday 17th - collected Saturday 19th
Friday 18th - collected Monday 21st

Service will resume to normal from Tuesday 22nd

Kerbside recycling collections of green box and blue bag will be unaffected as this is delivered by Ward's Recycling

Junk Jobs

The Council will still take bookings as normal, although the service will be prioritised for the paid service. Free junk jobs will be collected within 14 days and may be collected anytime between Monday - Sunday.

Trade Waste

A limited service is being provided by 1 crew on Wednesday 16th July for food waste collections only i.e restaurants, takeaways, schools

Burials

No burials will be undertaken on Wednesday 16th, Thursday 17th and will resume mid morning on Friday 18th.

Public Conveniences

A number of public conveniences will be closed, but it is hoped that Moore Street in Redcar, Station Portico toilets in Saltburn and Fountain Street, Guisborough will be open. Signs advising of the nearest facilities will be erected on toilets which are closed.

Dickie Bird joins in our Yorkshire Day celebrations


Famous Yorkshireman and retired Test cricket umpire Dickie Bird has appealed to Redcar and Cleveland residents to help celebrate Yorkshire Day on Friday, August 1.

Dickie, the star attraction at a sportsman's dinner, explained: "I am pleased to be part of the celebrations at Redcar and Cleveland and hope residents will follow my enthusiasm and join in on the day."

Council Leader George Dunning said: "It's an honour for Redcar and Cleveland to have been chosen by the Yorkshire Society to host this annual event for the first time. And it's great that Dickie can be part of the celebrations."

The day begins at 10.30am with the Council's Mayor, Councillor Mike Findley, welcoming 250 civic dignitaries from across Yorkshire to Guisborough and leading a parade along the town's Westgate.

There will be a church service at St Nicholas Parish Church and following the service at 1pm the dignitaries will then sit down for a special lunch at Laurence Jackson School, Guisborough.

The hall at Laurence Jackson School will then be transfromed for the sportsman's dinner, and Dickie will be joined by comedian Billy Bean who has worked alongside soccer stars Paul Merson and Sir Bobby Charlton. Tickets for the dinner are £30 and include a two-course meal.

Dickie explained: "At the dinner I will be recalling many of my favourite memories of Yorkshire and my days as a cricket umpire. Yorkshire Day is a fantastic event to celebrate all that is good across the county."

Tickets for the event can be purchased from the Borough's three Tourist Information Centres at the Esplanade, Redcar 01642 471921, Saltburn Station 01287 622422, Gisborough Priory 01287 633801.

Monday 14 July 2008

Around the walls of York on Yorkshire's special day

Below is the programme for the Yorkshire day celebrations in York on Friday 1st August 2008.

10.30 Yorkshire Flag arrives at Walmgate Bar after being carried from Hull for readings of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity, in the four languages used in Yorkshire sice the first written reference to the Ridings in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles of the year 876. Flags then carried around walls of York stopping as below for readings.

10.45 Walmgate Bar
11.33 Mickelgate Bar
12.15 Bootham Bar
12.45 Monk Bar.

Then the flags will be carried into the city centre for the final reading at 1.00 in St Sampson's Square, where York City Council are organising a special Yorkshire Day event with stalls and entertainment.

Fun for all at Saddleworth

Saddleworth's Yorkshire Day celebrations will be held five days early on Sunday 27th July, 11am at Saddleworth Museum.

Mr Michael Hall, Vice Chairman of Saddleworth White Rose Society will open the ceremony and welcome the Chairman of Saddleworth Parish Council Cllr. Mrs Pat Lord who will be invited to say a few words.

The Yorkshire Declaration will be read at 11.33 near the Ammon Wrigley statue, by Mr Gilbert Symes of Delph.

A Local Band will lead the parade to the back meadow (King George V) playing field. For anyone wishing to go straight to the playing field, activities will begin there at 9.30 am.

This years event will include the third Yorkshire Day Country Fair.

Anyone able to help on the day setting up, helping to run stalls and clearing away and tidying up at the end of the day will be most welcome and very much appreciated. Please contact the Secretary: Mr. Roy Bardsley, 52 Church Road, Uppermill, Saddleworth, Yorkshire, OL3 6EJ. Tel: 01457-878768 Website:www.whiterose.saddleworth.net Email: whiterose@saddleworth.net

Yorkshire Day in the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland

This year’s reading of the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity in Redcar takes place at the Town Clock at 4pm on Yorkshire Day, 1st August.

Silk white roses are on sale at £1 and all proceeds go to Redcar Lifeboat. To get yours or for more information please contact us.

The later time is because Redcar Council is hosting the annual Yorkshire Day Civic Parade in Guisborough on behalf of the whole County.

Over 250 Mayors and civic dignitaries are expected to take part in the event. At 10.15 am they will parade to St Nicholas Church from Laurence Jackson School for a service at 11 am, followed by lunch at Guisborough Hall. A fee is charged to each guest for the lunch.

North Riding Duck Race 2008

The North Riding of Yorkshire DUCK RACE 2008 takes place on Saturday 26th July 2008, at
2.30pm in Saltburn Beck, Saltburn. The Winner will receive the Colin Holt Cup. There are prizes for the first three back and a prize for most original name.

Entry Form
£1.00 per entry
Your Name:......................................
Address:...........................................
.........................................................
Telephone:.......................................
E-Mail:..............................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Name of Duck:.................................
Please return this form with entry fee to the Promoter
Chris Abbott 39 Essex Close, Redcar, Yorkshire, TS10 4BY.
Please make cheques payable to the Yorkshire Ridings Society

Refuse collection arrangements

Redcar and Cleveland Council is apologising to residents for changes in refuse collection arrangements because of the industrial action planned for Wednesday, July 16 and Thursday, July 17.

Properties expecting their residual wheelie bins, green waste wheelie bin and clear bags for cardboard/plastic to be collected on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be subject to new arrangements.

Wednesday collections will now be collected on Friday, July 18, Thursday collections will now be collected on Saturday, July 19 and Friday collections will now be collected on Monday, July 21.

The recycling collections of green box and blue bags will be unaffected.

Cartoon Capers at Kirkleatham Museum

Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum is offering lots of free summer holiday fun, centred around its exhibition of cartoon characters, drawn by the late Robert T Nixon from South Bank.

You can start in the Museum's Cartoon Workshop, open until August 31, exploring the 'No Boundaries' exhibition and then design your own cartoon character, write your own comic strip or have five minutes peace in the quiet corner and read some old favourite comics and annuals.

Every Tuesday and Thursday of the school holidays, there are family crafts and activities, with drop-in sessions between 10am-noon and 1pm-4pm. Most activities take about half an hour to complete. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Dates and activities are:

Thursday, July 24: Make a door dangler with a comics and cartoons theme.
Tuesday, July 29: Make up a story and tell it with a photo frame and your own photos.
Thursday, July 31: Draw cartoon caricatures and make masks.
Tuesday, August 5: Make a comic-style house or even a whole village - using only card!
Thursday, August 7: Control and direct your own comic movie
Tuesday, August 12: Organise a comic makeover for your bedroom
Thursday, August 14: Make an X-Ray, then use light to reveal what's inside
Tuesday, August 19: Make a crazy spinner and give your friends a shock!
Thursday, August 21: Make manic eyes and a mad mouth
Tuesday, August 26: Make your cartoon fancy dress costume
Thursday, August 28: Make a bug bookmark

The Museum also has 'Memories of Childhood' family loans boxes, containing a selection of garden-size traditional games, such as skittles, quoits, snakes and ladders and dominoes, skipping ropes, boolahs and kites.

Families can borrow a box to play with in the Museum's gardens and grounds for a couple of hours. Loans boxes may be booked out by placing a returnable £20 deposit or leaving your car keys at the Museum's reception desk.

*Out-of-school groups, playschemes and other groups of 15 or more can individual activity sessions on Wednesdays throughout the school holidays. Contact Education Officer Liz Vine on 01642 496400 for details.

The Museum's summer opening times are Tuesdays-Sundays, 10am-5pm.

Thursday 10 July 2008

Liberal Democrat campaigners are calling for action to open up a former school site to the public

The site of the former Sacred Heart School and the playing field in Mersey Road, Redcar, have become overgrown and closed to the public.

Ian Swales Liberal Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar said: "As a condition of the planning permission for the new Sacred Heart School it was agreed that the former site would be retained as public open space to compensate for the loss of green space on the new site.

"It is now more than two years since the new school opened and the old school has been demolished."

Lib Dem campaigner John Hannon and a former Sacred Heart pupil, has called on the Council to honour its agreement to open the land up to the public. "The grass has not been cut for months and the land has become over overgrown and neglected."

Wednesday 9 July 2008

Lord Mayor of Hull to unveil newly registered Yorkshire flag


The Yorkshire Ridings’ Society recently requested the U K Flag Institute to enter the Yorkshire Flag in the U K register of flags which is maintained by the Institute.

Members of the society were very surprised that the well known flag was not already included in the register, so made the request.

Since a change in regulations, last year, relating to the flying of flags, registered county flags have been included, alongside national flags, the European Community flag, and certain saints flags, as ‘exempt flags’ which means that they are exempt the planning requirements to which other flags are subject.

As the Yorkshire Ridings’ Society has encouraged the flying of the Yorkshire flag, especially on Yorkshire Day (1st August), it was thought important to in time for this year’s celebrations.
Registration of the flag establishes the white rose on a blue background as the flag of the historic county of Yorkshire, irrespective of any administrative areas which have been superimposed on the county over the past 35 years.

To celebrate the registration of the Yorkshire flag, a commemorative Yorkshire flag has been made by J.W. Plant, flag makers, of Leeds, for the Yorkshire Ridings Society. This flag will be ceremonially unfurled, by the Lord Mayor of Hull, at a ceremony on Tuesday 29th July at 12.30. The event will take place at Queen’s Gardens in Hull (Outside the Flag Institute’s Library.

The flag, mounted on a specially made staff, which represents the three Ridings of Yorkshire and the City of York, will then be carried, by members of the society and friends to York. It will arrive at Walmgate Bar at 10.30m on Yorkshire Day, 1st August to be used in the Yorkshire Day celebrations around the walls of York and in St. Sampson’s Square.