A Bingley woman will tomorrow night launch the first overseas branch of the Yorkshire Society ... in Jersey.

Cathy Luis, 25, will join around 25 Yorkshiremen and women at the Royal Hotel in St Helier - 300 miles away - for the inaugural meeting.

An accountant, a jeweller and hotel workers are among the guests who will tuck in to mini Yorkshire puddings with onion gravy, followed by roast chicken and apple pie.

Mrs Luis, a former student at Bradford and Ilkley Community College who now lives in Jersey, said: "It started off as a pie in the sky idea but it really took off. The more word got round the more everyone said I should organise a Yorkshire Society here in Jersey. There has been huge interest - I'd never have thought there were so many ex-Yorkshire people over here."

Mrs Luis met her husband while she was on work experience with the college and stayed on the island working in hotels.

Her father Keith Madeley, who is current chairman of the Yorkshire Society in Yorkshire, will also attend tomorrow's meeting.

Mrs Luis, who is pictured with her father, said they were expecting people of all ages with one thing in common.

"Yorkshire people are big-hearted, warm and blunt and they always will be, wherever they live.

"Get them together and they just love to talk about the county. I expect there will be a lot of reminiscing. It just goes to prove that wherever they live, Yorkshire is always in their hearts."

The Society, a charitable organisation, was set up 22 years ago to promote the county.

Television presenter Michael Parkinson and former Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, are among its celebrity vice-presidents.

John Ferris, 58, an accountant originally from Keighley, will be attending the meeting. He said: "It's like with Scottish and Irish people. They feel they have something special in their backgrounds."