YRS offer to provide Historic North Riding of Yorkshire signs at bridges over River Tees

As Chairman of the Yorkshire Ridings Society (YRS), I have today emailed Councillor Bob Cook, Leader of Stockton Borough Council and Mr Neil Schneider, Chief Executive pointing out that YRS has offered to pay for traditional county signs to be erected at the bridges on the Yorkshire side of the River Tees in the Borough of Stockton.

This was in response to Stockton Labour Candidate, Louise Baldock's call for "Welcome to Yorkshire" signs on the bridges in the Borough of Stockton on Tees.

According to Saturday's Evening Gazette Stockton's Council Leader is willing to consider it following the overwhelming vote of Yarm residents in favour of 24% voted in the Yarm 4 Yorkshire poll last Tuesday 27th May 2014, 1465 'Yes' and 177 'No.' I like to think that they took note of my comments on BBC Tees on Wednesday when I suggested ways they could identify with Yorkshire without re-organising local government in the areas and my recent  blog on the subject.

I wrote to them as follows:

"The Yorkshire Ridings Society has offered to pay for signs to be erected on bridges on the Yorkshire side of the River Tees in the Borough of Stockton on Tees on numerous occasions over the past 10 years. We paid for seven signs to be erected in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland.

"We are delighted the Leader of the Council is now prepared to consider this. We will be happy to discuss with the Council our offer to raise the money to pay for them."

Whilst I think "Welcome to Yorkshire" signs would be a little naff. I hope the Council would agree to have Historic North Riding of Yorkshire signs instead.

Pictured above is one of a number of Historic West Riding of Yorkshire signs erected on all roads on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. These were provided by Yorkshire Ridings Society in partnership with Saddleworth White Rose Society and Friends of Real Lancashire. Former Labour MP Phil Woolas is in the foreground.

Below is a picture of the Lancashire signs which were provided on the opposite side of the road.

Big majority in Yarm 4 Yorkshire Poll

24% voted in the Yarm 4 Yorkshire poll last night 1465 'Yes' and 177 'No.' 

On 22nd May1986 a similar poll in *Yarm voted 1675 'Yes' and 682 'No.' On that occasion 41.7% voted.

Also in 1986 *Guisborough voted overwhelmingly 4950 to 953 in favour of Yorkshire.

In *Loftus, however, the result was much closer. A 32.64% poll voted 1153 for Yorkshire and 1129 against. A majority of 24 in favour of Yorkshire, which was reported in the press as a 'Yorks vote snub.' 

The reason for this small majority was no doubt a lot to do with the campaign run by Loftus Labour Party who turned it into a choice between Labour and Tory, claiming 'a vote for North Yorkshire was a vote for Mrs Thatcher.'

*Source - The Fight For Yorkshire by Michael Bradford Hutton Press Ltd 1988.

Yarm is already in Yorkshire so no need for a vote

The 1972 Local Government Act, which came into force on 1st April 1974, put Yarm in a newly created County of Cleveland, under the administration of Cleveland County Council and the Borough of Stockton on Tees. It abolished North Riding County Council, under which Yarm had previously been administered, but it did not abolish the North Riding of Yorkshire. Government statements at the time and since confirm that the "changes were for local government purposes only. For all other purposes Yorkshire is still Yorkshire."

The 1992 Local Government Act, which came into force on 1st April 1996, abolished both Cleveland County Council and the County of Cleveland. It created a new Unitary Council of Stockton on Tees, which included Yarm. But in addition to that new "Ceremonial" Counties were created which legally put Yarm in North Yorkshire for all cultural and ceremonial purposes.

This should be perfectly clear to people and there should be no question at all about Yarm being well and truly part of Yorkshire but there are two problems which muddy the waters and create confusion.

One is the Labour Councillors and activists who see being part of Yorkshire as handing control to "Tory North Yorkshire." They refuse to see it simply as a question of geography - Yorkshire is from the River Tees to the River Humber, from the Pennines to the sea.

The other is the local media who have their readership catchment area that crosses the Tees so they look for a name that lumps us all together and Teesside fits the bill. It is so easy to turn it into a is it Yorkshire is it Teesside debate. The difference is Teesside is not a county Yorkshire is, end of argument.

Yarm's referendum result can be the catalyst for the powers that be alongside the River Tees to accept that south of the Tees we are part of Yorkshire for all cultural, ceremonial and sporting purposes.

It is perfectly legal and proper for the residents of Yarm, indeed all those living immediately south of the Tees, to use Yorkshire as part of their postal address; Councils can erect Yorkshire/Durham boundary signs on the bridges that cross the Tees; and mapmakers can include traditional county boundaries on maps along with local government areas and celebrate Yorkshire Day on 1st August. That is how you show your pride in Yorkshire. It is not about who controls the Council.