There's a celebration in Sheffield today marking 50 years since the first successful kidney transplant in the city.

Surgeons and kidney patients are gathering at the Kenwood Hotel in Nether Edge, where one patient, who had a transplant 41-years-ago, will cut a kidney-shaped cake.

The first successful transplant in the city was carried out in 1968 - initially the success rate was not very good, but in the 1970s it reached 60% and now it's more than 90%.

Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have performed 81 transplants in the last year, compared to just two in 1968.

The photograph above shows David Woodhouse (left) and his son Mark as they prepared to go under the knife at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield in 2002.

David emigrated to Australia in the 1960s, but returned to Britain to donate one of his kidneys to his son, who he had not seen for 34 years.

Plans to tighten up city centre security in York have been agreed.

Councillors in the city say they are precautionary measures to combat the ongoing national threat of "vehicle weapon attacks."

A six-month experimental traffic order will be introduced in the city to see how the measures would impact on residents, retailers and disabled people.

Twelve concrete security blocks were installed last year outside York Minster to protect people from a possible terrorist attack.

The BBC's celebration of the spoken word is back in Hull for another year.

"Contains Strong Language" is the country's biggest poetry and performance festival, with more than 30 events taking place around the city.

The event runs for three-days from Saturday.

Image source, Absolutely Cultured

One poetry reading, called Home Town Story, will take you on a journey through Hull's hidden history.

There also a tribute to Spike Milligan, an insight into the life of poet Ted Hughes and Barnsley's Ian McMillan will be presenting Radio 3's The Verb live from Hull.

More than 100 people have slept out on the streets of Leeds to highlight the problems of homelessness in the city.

The charity, Simon On The Streets, held its annual sleepout near the Armouries Musuem.

It aims to raise money to tackle rough sleeping across West Yorkshire.

The charity says: "Sleepouts can't replicate the sheer terror our users feel most nights, but they give you a good idea of what it is like to sleep out, unprotected for a night."

Hundreds of head teachers from England and Wales are due to attend a rally in central London later, to demand extra funding for schools.

The organisers warn of bigger class sizes and staff cuts if the government doesn't increase funding.

Ministers insist investment in schools will reach a record high by 2020.

Cathy Rowland, head teacher at Dobcroft Infant School in Sheffield, is among those heading to the capital.

She says education is being harmed:

This weekend will see the first ever festival devoted to fashion and make-up held in Leeds.

Image source, Made Up Leeds

The two-day Made Up Leeds festival starts on Saturday.

It will feature male beauty vlogger Lewys Ball, drag queen star Michael ‘Gisele’ Allan, and celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton.

There will be more than 110 stands from 90 cosmetics stores, franchises, restaurants and bars, as well as talks from industry figures.

Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive at Leeds BID, said: “Made Up Leeds aims to celebrate beauty for all and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse line-up for the first ever event."

The skies above York are expected to be a riot of colour and hot air today as the city's annual Balloon Festival takes off.

The three-day event takes place on the city's Knavesmire - where 50 balloons will take to the skies.

Each day will end with what's described as a "balloon night glow."

Balloons are inflated at sunset, held down and the burners periodically ignited, creating a glowing row.

BBC News Travel

If you're making a journey on the rails in Yorkshire today there are currently no serious delays or cancellations.

For all the latest live updates from Yorkshire's main railway stations, click on the links below:

• York Station, external
• Leeds Station, external
• Sheffield Station, external
• Hull Station, external
• Doncaster Station, external
• Wakefield Westgate, external
• Bradford Interchange, external
• Bradford Forster Square, external

BBC Weather

Today it will be dry and cool day with spells of sunshine and areas of cloud.

This evening it will be dry with long clear spells.

It will also be a chillier night with a touch of frost likely in places.

BBC Music

Yorkshire's train users are being serenaded today as part of BBC Music Day.

Image source, Google

The event, which is described as "a celebration of the power of music to change lives," will see choirs at the county's railway stations entertaining commuters all day.

At Leeds railway station Rock Choir Yorkshire will propel passengers along their platforms.

Image source, Vivacity Choir

And in Sheffield, the city's Vivacity Choir (pictured) say they'll transport travellers through a whirlwind of music from Mozart to Elbow.

York railway station will resound to the sounds of St Aelred's School Choir.

Special guests from the world of music will make appearances and performances at stations too.

There'll even be recorded tannoy messages on trains from Aussie pop-princess, Kylie Minogue.

The famous fake photographs of the Cottingley Fairies are to be sold at auction.

Image source, PA

Pictures of dancing pixies were taken in 1917 by 16-year-old Elsie Wright and her nine-year-old cousin Frances Griffiths, in the village of Cottingley, near Bingley in West Yorkshire.

The hoax fooled many people including Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Auctioneers expect the two images to fetch over £2,000 when they are sold next month.

The girls borrowed Elsie's father's camera, and used coloured paper cut-outs and hat pins to stage their scenes near the stream at the end of Elsie's garden.

Elsie and Frances only confessed the photographs had been faked in 1983.

A major operation is still underway after "adult human remains" were found in a house in North Yorkshire.

It's thought they were found by builders doing work on the property in Helmsley.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, but they have now been released on conditional bail.

Workers are taking industrial action over plans to transfer them to a new company.

Hull FC sign second-row Danny Langtree from League One side Oldham Roughyeds on a two-year deal.

Zak Hardaker is currently nearing the end of a ban from rugby league for cocaine use.

Early plans for a new terminal building at Leeds Bradford Airport will go before a panel of councillors next week according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Image source, Leeds Bradford Airport

It follows an announcement from the airport earlier this month that it would invest £12m into the scheme, which would increase capacity and include a new arrivals hall.

A report to council chiefs claims the passenger terminal has been "subject to piecemeal development for several decades" and has not kept pace with the "expectations of a modern airport".

It is also hoped the development will allow larger aircraft to use the airport and improve the experience of air-travellers.

BBC News Travel

If you're wondering where your bus has got to in Leeds, this will be why it hasn't turned up yet:

This missing teenager from Batley could be in Heckmondwike, Bradford or Leeds - have you seen her?

Image source, West Yorkshire Police

Haleemah Bismillah was reported missing from the Grange Road area on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old was last seen wearing grey shorts, white trainers, a short black jumper and was carrying a cream and mint handbag.

Matthew Plummer Fernandez's art uses 400 miniature empty homes as a comment on the housing market.

Former Castleford and Leeds full-back Zak Hardaker has been charged with drink-driving, police have confirmed.

Image source, Swpix.com

The England international is serving a suspension after testing positive for cocaine in the build-up to the 2017 Super League Grand Final.

West Yorkshire Police say the 26-year-old was also driving without insurance or an MOT.

In May this year he signed a four-year deal with Wigan Warriors.

He is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 11 October 2018.