Jonathan's Yorkshire Blog

  by Jonathan Rudd Welly wanging originated in Yorkshire! What on earth? The custom of Welly wanging is a sport in which competitors have to throw a Wellington boot, or welly as far as they can. The person who can throw it the furthest is the winner. How did this happen? The spiritual home of welly wanging is in Upperthong, near Holmfirth in West Yorkshire. Many years ago at the village pub, it is said that two farmers got into an argument after one of them accidently spilled his pint on the other’s leg. The ale trickled down his foot and into the Wellington boots he was wearing. In anger the wet farmer chased the clumsy farmer out of the pub and in the process took off his boot and threw, or wanged it at the other as he ran away. News of this incident soon travelled around the village and in their amusement the people re-enacted the event by throwing wellies at eachother. This evolved into a game to see who could throw a welly the furthest and so the custom of welly wanging was bo...

by Jonathan Rudd They were once the destination for thousands of clubbers looking to party the night away, with top name DJs spinning the tunes of the day. Now, due to drugs, changes in culture, financial ruin and fires, these nightclubs are now just a hazy memory. <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1816858151561363"      crossorigin="anonymous"></script> 1. Majestyks – Leeds Clubbers queue to get into Majestyks in Leeds for The Love Parade in 2000. Picture Cred it: Leodis.net Once upon a merry time in the centre of Leeds, nightlife revolved around Majestyks on Boar Lane. The distinctive old, circular building was built in 1922 as the Majestic cinema and then became a bingo hall in the 1960s. The cinema closed in 1969 and the venue carried on calling the bingo until 1996. The following year it re-opened as Majestyks Nightclub, attracting top name DJs and celebrity punters, including inf...

  “Remember Remember the 5th of November, Gunpowder treason and plot We see no reason why Gunpower treason Should ever be forgot.” Guy Fawkes hiding in the cellar. Picture Credit: Trelleak wikipedia creative commons Guy Fawkes was one of the most notorious Yorkshiremen in history. He is famous for being involved in the “Gunpowder Plot,” which was to blow up The Houses of Parliament, including the monarch, King, James I in 1605. This historical event is commemorated throughout the UK on  5 th  November , where it is customary to build a large bonfire and burn a “guy,” an effigy made of rags and other material, which represent the fallen criminal. Who though was the man behind the name, Guy Fawkes? Early Life and Religious Beliefs Guy Fawkes was born on Stonegate, York in 1570 to Edward and Edith Fawkes, who at this time were both Church of England. When Guy was eight years old his father died and soon afterwards his mother re-married a Catholic man, Dionis Baynbrigge. His ...

  Frances Griffith and her cousin, Elsie Wright created one of the biggest legends in the world right here in Yorkshire. Picture credit: wikipedia public domain. 1. The Cottingley Fairies One of the most famous Yorkshire myths  is that of the Cottingley fairies. In 1917, the Griffith family, with their nine year old daughter, Frances travelled from South Africa to stay with their relations, the Wright family and their sixteen year old daughter, Elsie in Cottingley near Bradford.. The two cousins would often play together in a stream near the house. To the annoyance of their parents they used to come home muddy and wet. When asked why they went there, they replied, “to see the fairies.” None of the adults would believe them, until they borrowed Elsie’s father, Arthur’s camera and took the famous pictures which showed them what seemed like fairies. While Arthur, who had developed the photos in his dark room, refused to believe the two girls, his wife, Polly thought ...