YORKSHIRE folk will get the chance to celebrate their heritage with pride on Yorkshire Day.

A host of events are being held in York and around the country to mark the prestigious historic event on Monday.

The main event in York is the reading of the traditional Declaration of Integrity at the city's four gates starting at Mickelgate Bar at 11.30am.

It is 28 years since the tradition of reading the declaration which celebrates Yorkshire identity was revived by the Yorkshire Riding Society.

The declaration will be read out in Latin, Old English, Old Norse and modern English to the West Riding, North Riding, city of York and East Riding in turn as the party progresses to Bootham Bar, Monkgate Bar and finishes at Walmgate Bar at around 1pm.

There will be a Deliciouslyorkshire Day lunch on Sunday at the Dean Court Hotel, in the shadow of York Minster, being hosted by the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber, supported by Yorkshire Forward.

Tickets for the lunch are still available, priced £29.50. Phone the Dean Court Hotel on 01904 625082 to book.

Yorkshire Tourist Board is taking partners from throughout the region, including the East Riding, North York Moors Partnership, Yorkshire Society and Bradford, to London next week.

They kick off on with five days of Yorkshire giveaways and information to the 300,000 visitors who pass through the Britain and London Visitor Centre on Regent Street every week.

This means people from all over the world looking for ideas to get them out and about in England.

York chefs Michael Hjort from Meltons Too and Andrew Bingham from DCH at the Dean Court Hotel will be at the John Lewis store on Oxford Street, London, to give them a real taste of Yorkshire in a series of cookery demos using Yorkshire produce.

York Maze near Grimston Bar is celebrating one of Yorkshire's most infamous sons by putting Guy Fawkes in the stocks on Monday.

The maze has been created in the shape of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot and the involvement of Guy Fawkes who was born and educated in York.

Yorkshire Riding Society chairman Colin Holt said: "Yorkshire Day is all about celebrating life and times in the most famous county in the country. We are encouraging everyone to wear a white rose, real or artificial to help us celebrate."

If you want to do your bit to promote Yorkshire Day and also help raise funds for charity phone Colin Holt on 01302 709749 and leave a message.

Why is Yorkshire Day on August 1?

As part of its efforts to preserve the region's Yorkshire heritage, the Yorkshire Ridings Society established Yorkshire Day on August 1 1975.

The idea of a special day called Yorkshire Day was to provide a focus for highlighting Yorkshire pride in the County. August 1st was chosen as it has special significance in the county's history. On August 1, 1759, soldiers, including some from Yorkshire regiments, who had fought in the battle of Minden, in Germany, picked white roses from nearby fields as a tribute to their fallen comrades.

Since then a number of Yorkshire regiments wear white roses on August 1st to commemorate the events of that day and heroic deeds of their Yorkshire ancestors.

The Yorkshire Ridings Society and others throughout the County continue to celebrate Yorkshire's identity and heritage.

Updated: 08:35 Wednesday, July 27, 2005