Radio race around county for 50th Yorkshire Day

Chelsey and Toby began their trip in Bradford before travelling around the county

A comedian and radio host has spent the week travelling Yorkshire in the run-up to the 50th annual Yorkshire Day.

The 1 August celebration of "God's own county" was set up by the Yorkshire Ridings Society in 1975 in response to the creation of new local government administrative areas the previous year.

According to the society's website, the creation of Yorkshire Day, was "to reaffirm Yorkshire's true boundaries".

Toby Foster, who presents the afternoon show for BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Radio Sheffield and BBC Radio York, travelled Yorkshire on public transport for a Race Across the World-style challenge.

Foster said it reaffirmed his proudly held view that Yorkshire was the best county in the world.

"Everybody has been really nice. All the people we've met have gone out of their way to help us," he said.

"There's been a lot of pride in where people live, a pride that's coming back, certainly in Bradford you can feel that."

The trip, dubbed Race Towards Yorkshire Day, started at Bradford's National Science and Media Museum with other locations revealed throughout the week.

Challenges included Toby having a tarantula on his face and producer Chelsey Ward riding the Gyrosaur attraction at Gulliver's Valley Theme Park in Rotherham.

Other locations visited included Crystal Peaks shopping centre in Sheffield, Park Dean Resort at Cayton Bay, near Scarborough, and Tropical World at Roundhay, Leeds.

Zach Huntley met the team near Tropical World at Roundhay Park

Zach Huntley, 29, lives in south Leeds and works for a craft brewery. He met the team during a stop in Roundhay Park.

"I moved from down south and I feel very accepted and welcome," said Mr Huntley.

"Yorkshire's about community and wildlife and nature."

He plans to join the West Yorkshire Bat Society, which works to conserve the species.

Joanna Kuunal, 31, lives near York and is an animal keeper at Tropical World.

For her, being outdoors makes Yorkshire special.

She said: "Exploring, hiking, birdwatching, all of those things in the Yorkshire countryside. That's what's made it so special for me, out in the Yorkshire Dales and places like that."

Jai Robinchalk sells Yorkshire produce in Leeds Corn Exchange

Jai Robinchalk, 24, lives in Leeds and works at The Great Yorkshire Shop at the city's Corn Exchange.

He met Toby and Chelsey during their challenge to pick up a jar of rhubarb jam from Yorkshire's rhubarb triangle.

"Everyone helps each other out, everyone's so nice and you can have a conversation with anyone if you want to, and that's what Yorkshire is," he said.

Toby said the incidental conversations the team had during their trips on public transport really stood out.

"I didn't realise what kind of relationship the bus drivers had with all the punters who get on," he said.

"They know them all, they've got nicknames for them all, they have a laugh with them all."

The Race Towards Yorkshire Day is due to finish with a Yorkshire Day Party in Kirkbymoorside in North Yorkshire later.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.