West Craven will celebrate Yorkshire Day

Earby’s Parish Rooms will fly the flag for a week either side of Yorkshire Day on Thursday after a motion was proposed by a town councillor.

Coun. James Jackman wanted to see the White Rose fly again in Earby as a way of remembering the town’s history with “God’s own county”.

The flag was passed to Coun. Jackman at a handover ceremony last Wednesday from Michael Pulford, a representative of the Yorkshire Ridings Society.

Earby Town Council chairman, Coun. Chris Tennant, said that “a good debate” was had between councillors at July’s meeting and that in return in November, those that sympathise with the red rose could have Lancashire’s flag fly.

The move follows a decision made by Barnoldswick Town Council earlier this year to fly the flag in the town square.

Mr Pulford also handed over a Yorkshire flag in Barnoldswick.

Coun. Jackman believes that Earby’s history is intertwined with Yorkshire and many things today still highlight that such as the Yorkshire Dales Mining Museum.

He said: “I’m quite a traditionalist myself. There still is a divide in Earby. A lot of young people grow up thinking they are in Lancashire.

“I think it is important to keep hold of our history. A lot of things in Earby are from a Yorkshire past. I think it is part of who we are and where we came from.

“Obviously now, Earby, Barnoldswick and West Craven is part of Lancashire but that boundary is only an administrative one.

“It was interesting the other week when former County Coun. Keith Bailey received a letter from Buckingham Palace which was addressed Barnoldswick, Yorkshire. Marvellous. I would like to think the Queen knows where we are.”

Yorkshire-born chairman of Barnoldswick Town Council, Coun. Ken Hartley, said: “We celebrate St George’s Day, we celebrate Lancashire Day, why not celebrate Yorkshire Day as well?”

Kelbrook and Sough and Salterforth Parish Councils were approached but cannot fly large flags for logistical reasons.

The Yorkshire Ridings Society announced plans in May to celebrate the build-up to Yorkshire Day with a 640-mile 12-day cycle ride which would have passed through West Craven and several Ribble Valley villages historically within the West Riding.

However, that idea was scrapped following consultation with the police, but the society hopes to resurrect the plan in 2014.

Mr Pulford said the celebration was in no way political but more a celebration of traditions.

He said: “We are keen to establish stronger links with the Yorkshire Ridings Society and this area. It’s an idea to flag the county boundary and the project is called the Ring of Roses.

“West Riding has been here for 1,100 years and West Riding County Council since 1888. We just want the county boundary remembered and highlighted. I think the key is it’s traditional Yorkshire administered by Lancashire.”