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  • ""A fantastic opportunity to show the region to the world"? Well, good luck: nowhere the torch has visited yet has managed to do this. Most of what we've seen so far is a clump of track-suited z-listers (who can't run) wobbling along grim roads through humdrum localities and industrial estates, occasionally doing something daft like rowing a boat with the thing or sitting on a narrow gauge railway with it. Usually in pouring rain. It's contrived and stunningly unimaginative (of course it went to a viking festival in Stromness - what else is there to do there?).

    So what is our region going to do differently, that will galvanise the imagination of the world? Why would the world still be watching?"
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North Yorkshire tourism chiefs look forward to arrival of Olympic torch

8:05am Monday 11th June 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Richard Catton , richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

Gary Verity, chairman of Yorkshire Gold and chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire with Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft Gary Verity, chairman of Yorkshire Gold and chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire with Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft

THE arrival of the Olympic flame in North Yorkshire next week is a fantastic opportunity to show the region to the world, say tourism chiefs.

The torch’s Yorkshire journey will begin in the village of Hinderwell near Whitby at 9am next Monday, from where it will make its way through the region, arriving in Selby on June 19 before coming to York, later that day for an overnight stay.

The head of the region’s tourist board is urging residents to come out in force and support the relay runners who will carry the flame through the streets.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said: “With less than a week to go until the torch arrives in Yorkshire we are appealing to communities along the route to come out and join in the celebrations for this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

“The torch will be taking in some of the most beautiful places in the UK and this is our chance to show our great county off to the world. With the torch travelling to within 15 minutes of over 90 per cent of the population of Yorkshire, we hope as many people as possible will go out to see this amazing spectacle.”

One of the many torchbearers in our region will be Mr Verity’s own nominee Paralympic wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft.

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On its first day, the torch convoy will travel through Lythe, Sandsend and Whitby before embarking on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to Pickering.

It will then continue its journey through Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington and Beverley.

On Tuesday, June 19 it will go through Brough, Goole, Camblesforth, Selby, Monk Fyrston, Barkston Ash, Tadcaster, Boston Spa, Wetherby, Knaresborough, Harrogate and Ripon, finishing the day in York at the Racecourse for a huge evening concert.

On Wednesday the torch will board the Scots Guardsman in York and travel on the steam train to Thirsk, it will then continue through Northallerton, Aiskew, Bedale, Leyburn and Richmond.

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