Yorkshire unites in pride and grief as tributes are paid to the 'best of us all'

As flags were lowered to half mast the first books of condolence creaked opened in halls, and across Yorkshire an outpouring of grief and gratitude has begun to focus and grow.

To Scarborough Council Leader Steve Siddons the Queen was "woven into the fabric" of British tradition. To South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, she was the "best of us all".

And today, as a nation comes together to mourn, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has urged people to keep in their hearts the Queen's values of "courage, empathy, and compassion".

There have been tributes from leaders across the county, with North Yorkshire's Coun Carl Les saying her legacy will leave an "indelible" impression for generations to come.

Others recalled the monarch's many visits to the region. To York, reopening the Minster following the fire in 1984, and most recently in 2012 for the Royal Maundy Service.

To Leeds, when crowds lined the city streets along Briggate as the Queen visited the newly refurbished City Varieties Music Hall. And to Beverley, when she attended a service for rural life at the Minster and opened Hull Royal Infirmary in 1967.

Local historian Barbara English, recalling the event, spoke of her "amazing presence".

Aged just 19 when the Queen was proclaimed, and now aged 89, she said: "I would say she has been completely successful, she has never set a foot wrong."

Coun Margaret Atkinson is chairwoman of North Yorkshire County Council. It was through her charity work for Yorkshire Cancer that she came to meet the Queen at a garden party in 1997.

Speaking of the profound impact the Queen has had on the lives of so many people throughout her reign, Coun Atkinson said: "I have always had a great deal of admiration for the Queen, and she was such a beautiful, kind and remarkable lady.

“She had such dignity and humanity and kept to her promise that she would dedicate her life to the people of the UK and the Commonwealth.”

Dozens of public ceremonies are to be held across the region tomorrow to proclaim King Charles lll as the nation's new sovereign.

Then there are hundreds of books of condolences, to be sent to Buckingham Palace for the Royal records.

As a sea of flowers are laid, on town hall steps and in public parks, black ribbons and bows are readied as a mark of respect.

It is mere months since the Jubilee bunting was hung, with flags flown, to celebrate in British tradition the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

Now, in those same towns and cities and tiny villages the mood turns to a more sombre tone.

"It's very saddening, to hear of her passing," said Thomas Dixon, of the Friends of Cliff Rec, who helped to light a beacon this summer to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

"She has shown, in her reign, a great sense of duty and represented us on a world stage.

"It's hard to come to terms with it, it's hard to get your head around it. In 70 years she has given us great service, with dignity and humbleness and in a beautiful way."

Hundreds of people had joined the Holme Firth celebrations, with street parties and family gatherings.

To the community, said Mr Dixon, the Queen had brought the gift of unity.

"When we lit the Jubilee Beacon, there were 400 people there," he said. "People who came to show their love for her. There is a lot of pride."

And Nigel Cawthorne, among those who helped to organise Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the West Yorkshire village of Menston, said it had proved a joyous occasion, bringing people together.

"She has sacrificed so much, given up such a lot," he said. "It was only fair that we supported her.”

Mr Cawthorne recently lost his own mother, at the age of 93. Rather than grief, he said, her passing had brought people together in a celebration of her life.

"That is what should happen with the Queen," he said firmly. "We should celebrate a fantastic lady, and a fantastic life."