Father's day is here and it's time to show your dad how much he means to you.
For those of us from sunny Yorkshire, we reckon there's a few things that set our good old Yorkshire dads apart from the rest. Whether he's a flat-cap wearing, garden-loving, country dweller or a BBQ hogging, fixer-upper; there's a few characteristics that they all have in common.
Here are ten things that make Yorkshire dads distinguishable. After all, you can take the dad out of Yorkshire but you most certainly can't take the Yorkshire out of the dad.
Your dad can fix anything, or will at least try to
Image: Unsplash, Tekton
Broken boiler? No problem. Problem with your car? Sure, pass it over.
No matter what skill set (or lack there of) your Yorkshire dad has he will have a go at fixing absolutely anything and everything. Because after all, that's a lot better than buying a brand new one, right?
We may roll our eyes at the thought and shake our heads, but we will always be grateful at them taking a crack at it. And let's be honest, most of the time they do fix it and oh, they most definitely won't let you forget it.
Your dad will find the best bargain for everything
Buying a new garden rake directly off the shelf? Absolutely no chance.
Your Yorkshire dad will only take that as a challenge to find the cheapest one from elsewhere whether that takes hours scrolling on Amazon or digging one out from the back of the garden shed and fixing it himself.
Your dad only cooks when the BBQ makes an appearance
Image: Unsplash, Evan Wise
Every single day of the week your dad isn't bothered about the cooking. But boy oh boy when the barbecue comes out it's a different story.
Of course the designated, novelty apron comes on and the obnoxiously large tongs come out. He will stand proud round the BBQ with a beer in hand whilst you're all drooling over the sausages which were supposed to be ready an hour ago.
Yes your burger may come out like a burnt hockey puck but you're never going to tell him that. Simple 'mmms' and 'aaaahs' will be heard round the table as your dad kicks up his feet and marvels at his brilliance.
He will only turn the heating on in the depths of winter
Image: Unsplash, Erin Mclean
As soon as it gets chilly we all enter dangerous territory. Several glances are exchanged towards the thermostat and you ponder whether it's time to ask your dad if you can turn the heating on. Common answers include 'put another jumper on' or 'make a fire if you want'.
Only once snow settles on the driveway and icicles frame the windows is it finally time to crank up the heating. But only then is it one degree at a time and he will know from miles away if you've secretly swizzled that nozzle to the right one notch.
Your dad definitely has a dad drawer
The dad drawer, a staple in every Yorkshire household. It's usually in the kitchen or in more severe cases there's a whole filing cabinet in the study.
But what goes in this drawer you might ask? All the essentials. Bills, passports, superglue, permanent markers, spare car keys, random cables for different electronic devices from around the house which can never be matched together, you name it and it's in there.
And be warned, whatever you do, do not go hunting unsupervised in the dad drawer, it's got its name for a reason and should always be approached with caution.
Your dad is incredible in an emergency
Image: Yorkshire Tea
I'm sure we can all recall numerous times where our dad has come to our rescue and acted as our own personal superhero.
Whether you're at the side of the road with a flat tire or had one too many at the pub and need a lift home, your dad will be there in a flash and handle the situation in a calm and collected manner. Broken up with your boyfriend? He may be a man of few words but you bet there'll be a cup of tea and a few biscuits on your doorstep to help ease the pain.
Your dad is the best at telling you off
Perhaps not the best of memories, but we have definitely all been there. Whereas our mums may rave and rant at us, once your dad gives you 'the look' you're done for.
The look most commonly comes with a side of silence, or maybe a 'I'm not angry, just disappointed' if you're lucky. He may then slam the door or stamp around the house for added affect, just to show you that you have in-fact made a huge mistake.
One things for sure, you'll never make that mistake again and you'll grovel for the foreseeable until you've made friends again. That will involve gallons of Yorkshire tea delivered and a few bags of liquorice thrown in for good measure.
Your dad absolutely loves Yorkshire
Image: Unsplash
This one may be obvious, but whether your dad no longer lives in Yorkshire and has ventured down south or to sunnier climates, they will always have a special place in their heart for God's Own Country and they won't let you forget it.
And we don't blame them, as we all know there's truly nothing better than taking a long walk on the rolling dales enjoying the spectacular views which Yorkshire has in abundance.
Whether you and your dad are together in Yorkshire still or not, you'll always have this special place we call home to bring your together, no matter where you are.
So here's to the Yorkshire dads, grandad's and dad's to be. You're truly something special.
American pop singer Kesha has dropped out of the Pitbull-fronted Roundhay Festival line-up, with a major shake-up announced today.
The second instalment of artists for Pitbull's headline Roundhay Festival show has been announced and it's missing highly-anticipated and originally-announced artist Kesha.
Festival organisers have said that the star will no longer be able to perform due to 'unforeseen scheduling conflicts'.
The American singer's musical adventure has taken a 'Joyride' since becoming independent in September 2024 and releasing her sixth studio album "." or Period almost a year ago.
Now, Kesha's title as 'Special Guest' has now been handed over to three very impressive artists who also shared a role in soundtracking some of the 2010s biggest hits.
Kesha was originally listed as a 'Special Guest' for Pitbull's Roundhay Festival gig in Leeds this July / Credit: Brendan Walters / Press Shots
One of these new artists is Jason Derulo, who is ready to treat the crowd to his array of chart-topping melodies like: 'Whatcha Say', 'Talk Dirty to Me', 'Trumpets'.
Another act who knows a thing or two about travelling the globe like Mr. Worldwide is 'Miami 2 Ibiza' hitmaker Tinie Tempah - things are definitely about to get 'Frisky'.
The final artist joining this already impressive list of names is Lil Jon who's bringing his high energy tracks to Roundhay Park such as 'Turn Down For What', 'Shots' and 'Get Low'.
Jason Derulo is just one of the artists making up the all-new Pitbull Roundhay Festival line-up / Credit: Wikimedia Commons (via Supplied)
Kesha's departure from this Leeds gig comes as a complete shock as the star is still set to play a whole host of UK festival dates including a BST Hyde Park show in London on 10 July.
In a statement shared via social media, Roundhay Festival has stated the reason for this very big change to the line-up:
"Due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts, Kesha will no longer be joining us this July. We hope to welcome her to Roundhay Park in the future."
Although fans who have already bought tickets to the show might still be 'Praying' for Kesha's return to the Roundhay Festival bill, it's safe to say these artists are a great addition.
Pitbull is coming to Roundhay Park in Leeds on Friday 3 July 2026 and so far he's bringing along Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon with more acts to follow - Tickets HERE.
A Leeds icon has been reborn as The Smithfield opens in former The Reliance site
Daisy Jackson
The Smithfield is finally here - and we're pleased to report that it's every bit as special as you were hoping.
This newcomer to Leeds has taken over the site that was home to The Reliance for more than two decades.
The team's transformation of the site started with a paint job - probably the most-talked-about paint job in the city - taking the site's exterior back to its memorable dark red.
That move immediately won over fans of The Reliance, with one person writing: "Seems the team here held the Relly in high regard and rightly so! Hopefully they can recapture some of its magic."
But the efforts to recapture the essence of the iconic old venue go way beyond that.
The Smithfield, a collaboration between Crooked Brewing and Chef James Donovan, is setting out to mix up relaxed hospitality with simple dining.
It's all about connection - to seasonal food, to the heritage of the building, and to the community that will make connections here.
Co-founder Steve Dawson outside The SmithfieldThe Reliance has been reborn as The SmithfieldWayward WinesThe dining room
If you're wondering what sort of things will be on the table, allow us to enlighten you.
There are sharing plates like grilled leeks on romesco, pigs head croquettes (a must-order), and whipped cods roe with radishes, all served on charming mismatched plates.
The bigger dishes include a comically massive pie for sharing, packed with chicken, leek, and tarragon. It's a mighty thing, especially paired with their crispy-edged chips.
You can also order a whole wild Cornish seabass for a real feast, or a fantastic beef sirloin with wild garlic butter.
There's a fantastic selection of natural wines from Wayward Wines, as well as (unsurprisingly) great beers.
Steak, pie, and charred leeksA spread of the plates at The SmithfieldSticky toffee puddingThe Smithfield has taken over the old The ReliancePigs head croquettes with gribicheThe chicken and tarragon sharing pieA sharing pie and chips at The SmithfieldBeef sirloin with wild garlic butter, and purple sprouting broccoli with ricotta and mintWild Cornish seabass with kohlrabi, fennel, and chervil - plus an orange wine from Wayward WinesThe Smithfield is now open
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, and his business partner chef James Donovan, were drawn to the old The Reliance site and are seizing the opportunity to contribute to the area's dining legacy.
While Steve's focus is on creating a social meeting point, James will focus on the casual, social dining, taking inspiration from the building's reputation as a cutting-edge gastro pub.
They'll be sourcing seasonally and locally, with menus that will change with the seasons.
The space itself inside is still familiar - those huge windows are the stars of the show, with the bar still standing centrally, while the dining room at the back is stripped-back and simple overlooking the open kitchen.
It's very early days for The Smithfield - they're just out of their soft launch period and gearing up for their first 'proper' weekend.
On their soft launch period, they wrote: "We were so grateful to welcome friends, neighbours, and the Leeds hospitality community to The Smithfield. Seeing the bar and dining room full after weeks of cleaning, painting, and graft has truly made it all worth it.
"A huge thank you to everyone who came along, showed their support, and has made this journey possible. Not least the Kitchen and bar teams, whose incredible service has kept the plates coming and the drinks flowing."
We feel pretty confident in saying Leeds will be very proud to have The Smithfield in our city.
Clementine Hall -
13th June 2023 
