YORKSHIRE Day will be a triple celebration in Ilkley this Saturday (August 1) as Ilkley gets into their year's Ilkley Summer Festival and marks a significant date in its heritage.

As well as the annual Yorkshire Day declaration and the launch of the summer festival - this year featuring a parade of classic cars - the day will mark 150 years since the railway arrived in Ilkley.

The Yorkshire Day Declaration will be read out by the Town Crier at 11am at Ilkley Railway Station, following the arrival of a special train at 10.57am, to celebrate 150 years of the first passenger train coming to Ilkley.

The station and train will be decorated and children are being invited to dress up in Victorian style clothing.

The Ilkley Summer Festival will then be formally opened by the Chairman of Ilkley Parish Council, Brian Mann, followed by Yorkshire themed music from the Clifton Silver Band.

A unique parade of over 100 classic and vintage cars will line The Grove as members of the Yorkshire Dales Classic Car Club assemble at the start of their summer tour. There will also be live music and food and drink stalls.

A social hike over Ilkley Moor to Dick Hudson’s Inn, will start at the Cow and Calf Rocks at 10am.

In the afternoon a 'We’ll Meet Again' tea dance will take place at the Clarke Foley Centre from 2pm to 5.30pm hosted by entertainer Shirley Britten.

An exhibition on 150 Years of Rail to Ilkley, sponsored by Ilkley Civic Society, Friends of the Manor House and Ilkley Libraries, opens on Friday July 29 in Ilkley Library.

The exhibition, compiled by Alex Cockshott, Mike Dixon, Robin Leleux and Denise Shillitoe, will run until the September 9. In addition to archive railway photographs and historical notes, the display features drawings by Ilkley schoolchildren on the same theme.

Admission is free. On the mornings of August 7, 14 and 21, at 11am, a member of the design team will be on hand to chat about the display.