27 Reasons Yorkshire Is God's Own County

Northern pride.

1. Let's start with an easy one. Yorkshire puddings.

Flickr: acme

Where better to start than with the magnificent Yorkshire pudding. Seen above with the traditional Roast Beef, true Yorkshirefolk know that it can also be had as a starter with onion gravy or even as a pudding with butter and sugar.

2. We have the best tea.

commons.wikimedia.org

I once went into a Bournemouth ASDA and found Yorkshire Tea in the World Foods aisle.

3. And the best condiment.

Flickr: mashed_potatoe

Ubiquitous in Sheffield, "Hendo's" can go in and on just about every savoury food imaginable. It's so Sheffield that songwriter Richard Hawley (from Sheffield) advertised his 2007 album Lady's Bridge (a place in Sheffield) on the side of bottles.

4. 'Greggs'? What is this 'Greggs'?

cda-opt1.com

It's all about Cooplands. Nowhere better to go for a hearty lunch of a steak bake and a couple of yum yums.

5. More foods? How about Wensleydale cheese.

tumblr.com

A perennial favourite of known cheese connoisseur, Wallace.

6. And delicious real ale.

Flickr: jonanamary

Samuel Smith's pubs are known across much of the country for their low prices and tied-house beers. But the closer to Tadcaster you are, the better a pint of OB tastes.

7. We know that these are called pikelets.

Flickr: foodstories

Crumpets? What are you, some sort of Southern softie?

8. And that 'cock' is a term of affection.

commons.wikimedia.org

Alright, cock? File with cocker, love, duck, sparrow...

9. Unless you're being a mardy arse, that is.

Flickr: spamily

A local term made famous nationally via the great Arctic Monkeys song. What does it mean? Well if someone's being mardy then they've got the monk on, usually after having a paddy.

10. The view int 'alf bad.

Flickr: 49191205@N00

A view of the North York Moors, one of the 3 National Parks that extend into Yorkshire.

11. That goes for the coast as well.

Flickr: stopherjones

The stretch of coastline showing the fantastically named Robin Hood's Bay and Boggle Hole.

12. But it's all about the people, right?

Via cdn.memegenerator.net

Okay, sorry Sean. When he's not busy originating memes and dying in every role he plays, Sheffield born Sean Bean is also seen walking back into pubs and asking for a pint after being stabbed with a broken glass.

13. We've produced great artists.

Flickr: oddsock

David Hockney is a son of Bradford and is known for such works as the above A Bigger Splash. After a spell in LA, he could not resist the glamorous pull of Yorkshire and now spends much time in Bridlington.

14. And great authors.

en.wikipedia.org

The writers of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the Brontë sisters, were all from Yorkshire. And let's not forget good old Branwell Brontë, who is being beamed up from the above painting.

15. Not to mention legendary footballers.

sgforums.com

Both Kevin Keegan and his perm hail from sunny Donny (that's Doncaster to you not in the know).

16. And the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

Via youtube.com

Gordon Banks, Sheffield lad and key component of the winning England squad in 1966. In this video from 1970 his lightning-fast reaction to a close-range header from Pelé saves what looked like a sure goal.

17. We've got the country's loudest national treasure.

coventryfirst.co.uk

Brian Blessed, Mexborough man.

18. We're home to the coolest man on the planet.

teenspiritnyc.com

Why it's Jarvis Cocker, of course.

19. And the true hero of the Harry Potter universe.

en.wikipedia.org

Matthew Lewis aka Neville Longbottom aka the Northern chosen one.

20. We invented the working toilet.

en.wikipedia.org

Joseph Bramah, above, souped up toilets so that they didn't freeze over winter. He also invented beer pumps and the hydraulic press. Another famous toilet designer, Thomas Crapper (you heard me), is a Yorkshire boy too. Make of that what you will.

21. And the working clock.

Flickr: 53000293@N03

John Harrison's marine chronometer made it possible for ships to actually know where they were sailing for the first time.

22. And oh yeah, FREEDOM.

en.wikipedia.org

Native of Hull and MP for Yorkshire, William Wilberforce campaigned for the abolition of the slave trade for 26 years, succeeding only 3 days before his death. He also created what became the RSPCA. He was one righteous bloke.

23. The Yorkshire accent makes you sound clever.

huffingtonpost.co.uk

Now then, has tha seen this? In 2008, the Yorkshire accent was voted the most intelligent sounding, beating received pronunciation. Although really, we all know that there is no one single 'Yorkshire accent' - we're far too diverse for that.

24. Oh, and we're happy too.

independent.co.uk

A survey from 2011 showed that Yorkshire people were the happiest in Britain. Screw you, 'miserable Yorkshireman' stereotype.

25. So despite the stereotypes.

regista-blog.com / Via phespirit.info

House! You were lucky to live in a house! We used to live in one room, all twenty-six of us, no furniture, 'alf the floor was missing, and we were all 'uddled together in one corner for fear of falling.

26. And the fact that Rihanna can't pronounce our name.

Listen up, Yerrkshyar!

27. It's not so grim up North.

Flickr: david_e_smith