PROUD folk across the district celebrated Yorkshire Day in a variety of wonderful ways yesterday.

Just a few weeks after the remarkable success of the Tour de France's visit to the White Rose county, the people of Yorkshire once again toasted their great county.

The Red House Museum in Gomersal ran a Yorkshire Day ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ in aid of the Forget Me Not children’s hospice.

The popular event featured an alphabet trail through the museum grounds, giant games, stalls, a play bus and face painting.

Hospice fundraiser Lisa Calvert, 37, who came up with the idea, said: "Looking at the success from today, we are hoping that this will be an annual event.

"We wanted it to be on Yorkshire Day. It’s been a lovely family event, lots of children.’

Alex Bray, who played the Mad Hatter for the day, said: “The charity is a local children’s hospice for Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield. It’s essential that the hospice makes over £3.2 million a year to ensure that we can offer continued care to children with life shortening conditions and support to their families."

Rupa Barson, 38, from Birkenshaw. “I’d seen it advertised so I thought we’d come here and try it out. It’s also for charity."

In Ilkley, the new town crier made her debut appearance in the role to give the Yorkshire Day Declaration at the town bandstand.

Isabel Hogan performed her first official function as Ilkley Town Crier, in front of civic dignitaries and a crowd of local people, who braved wet weather for the celebrations.

The Lord of Mayor of Bradford, Ilkley ward councillor, Mike Gibbons, and Ilkley Parish Council chairman, Andrew Walbank, were among those gathered on The Grove for the ceremony.

Celebrations - for the most hardened outdoor types - began with a walk from the Cow and Calf Rocks to White Wells on Ilkley Moor, followed by a procession led by a jazz band from Mill Ghyll to the bandstand.

The crowd sang On Ilkley Moor Baht 'At, accompanied by a brass band.

Meanwhile, Bradford Council has been praised for flying the Yorkshire flag on Yorkshire Day following a campaign by the Yorkshire Devolution Movement (YDM). Two traditional white rose flags were raised in Centenary Square to mark the occasion.

Chairman of YDM, Nigel Sollitt, said: "The response to our 'fly the flag on Yorkshire Day campaign' has been much better this year. It might reflect the outpouring of pride in Yorkshire during the days of the Tour de France when Yorkshire flags could be seen lining the route on both stages."

In a further boost for the profile of the county, former Bradford Council Leader, Eric Pickles raised the flag of his home-county in the heart of Westminster yesterday. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said: “As a proud Yorkshireman it gives me great joy to fly the flag of God’s Own County in the heart of Government today to mark Yorkshire Day."