Yorkshire Pride: Well-known folk share what makes them proud about being from the region

He’s DJ’d at festival stages across the globe and held residencies at some of the worlds best clubs and venues, “but there is nowhere quite like coming home to Yorkshire,” said Andi Durrant.

“It’s the people,” according to DJ, Producer and business-owner Andi who make the region unique.

Despite having travelled everywhere from Miami to Kuala Lumpur and the depths of Siberia and having presented flagship national radio programmes for Kiss, Capital and Galaxy in the UK, Leeds-born Andi has remained in the area because of the people.

“We tend to be more creative and interesting, story-tellers by nature which really translates into the modern world,” said Andi who is Director of This is Distorted, the biggest producers of electronic music in the world.

Distorted’s studio is based opposite Armley Prison in West Yorkshire and regularly hosts celebrity guests.

He said:“There is a reason we’ve stayed here and we live here and we run our company from here because it is one of the best places in the world and that is just because of the people.”

Andi said Yorkshire has “amazing scenery” and “incredibly vibrant cities” as well as Channel 4 and he lives on a farm just 15 minutes away from a big city.

He added: “There’s some pretty amazing reasons (to be proud) but actually it will always be the people.”

Chairman of the British Basketball League, the Yorkshire Society and vice-chairman of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park Sir Rodney Walker agreed that it is the people who make him proud of his Yorkshire roots and values.

“Straightforward, honest, hard working, call a spade a spade or as some people say a spade a shovel.”

As I often say to people in the south, you can always tell a Yorkshireman, but not very much.

Comedian Rosie Jones tweeted: “Proud to be a Yorkshire lass from the seaside. Now, pass me the chips and gravy #YorkshireDay.”

It is the food, people and humour which make many of us proud including one of the world’s most influential Dad Bloggers Matt Coyne who is based in Barnsley.

He said: “People think British food is rubbish but that’s not true. I love the food in Yorkshire and all the local ingredients.

“I can't think of a better pint of beer than Bradfield Brewery.”

Matt who has transformed his viral blog into best-selling books worldwide said he always looks forward to coming home because people here are so friendly.

He added: “I love the food in Yorkshire, I love the people in Yorkshire, there is nowhere quite like it.”

Sheriff of York Suzie Mercer was flying the flag for Yorkshire Day at the official civic celebration yesterday in Keighley alongside Lord Mayor Coun David Carr who shared his pride for the region.

“It’s a big county, it’s got a variety of scenery, great people, great places to visit and we’re from York which is probably the best city in Yorkshire.”

Coun Carr also signed a historic devolution deal yesterday with levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark who joined local leaders at York’s National Railway Museum to sign the deal, which will see the region have its first directly elected mayor.

Also on Yorkshire Day the first Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin tweeted her many reasons to be proud of being from Yorkshire such as the culture, creativity and diversity of the region.

She said: “I’m so proud I was born in Yorkshire.”