Sir Gary Verity quits.

[thirdcrank]

Yorkshire tourism boss quits after expenses probe

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47672013

BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan tweeted: "His departure is dreadful timing."

Is this the understatement of the year?

[100%JR]

I follow him on Twitter.His sister passed away recently and it looks to have hit him hard.Official reason states resigned due to ill heath.I suppose it could be mental health?
Met him once at Fox Valley when the Tour de Yorkshire stage finished there,seemed like a nice bloke.

[thirdcrank]

All I know about him at the personal level is that one of my sons went to some sort of business seminar at which he was a speaker and he was very impressed. That was before he came to prominence in connection with cycle racing. Because of that, I've always paid a bit extra attention. When it came to marketing Yorkshire, he never missed a trick. eg After being knighted, he was outside the Palace for the usual photo op., he held up the insignia and announced "Made by Fattorini's, a well-known Yorkshire jeweller."

He's played a big part in bringing élite cycling to Yorkshire: TdeF Grand Départ in 2014; Tour de Yorkshire; and the Worlds this Summer. All to get the spotlight on tourism in Yorkshire. Think of the TdeF field stopping at Harewood House for presentation to William, Kate and Harry, with the Red Arrows overhead. Priceless publicity across the world. AIUI, his big role has been in persuading so many local authorities to stump up the £££ to be involved in these events as stage towns etc. Nobody is indispensable, of course, but the future of these things is not guaranteed. The Leeds International Classic collapsed. Ditto Milk Race and Kellogs. We only need a bit of adverse publicity - and anti-fracking demos have been suggested - and that might be it. Plenty of others with green eyes out there.

I see from this morning's Daily T that he was tipped to be next head honcho at the Premier League so he might have moved on soon anyway.

[geocycle]

An enormous shame. I don’t know him but he achieved a huge amount for Yorkshire. How many other heads of tourism can you name?

Will be a big test now to see if the cycling wave he started can be carried on but the rest of the team. His relationship with Prudhomme seemed to be important.

[Mick F]

An enormous shame. I don’t know him but he achieved a huge amount for Yorkshire. How many other heads of tourism can you name?

I'd never heard of him until this thread, so now I have, and he's no longer a head of tourism, it means I've never heard of anyone who is a head of tourism.

[thirdcrank]

Re his relationship with Christian Prudhomme, I think the latter was keen to join in with the bandwagon effect. Let's be clear, it's a spectator event depending on marketing. The crowds thronging Leeds City centre at the neutralised start were massive by any measure and that corner at the top of Crag Vale where the stage briefly dipped into Lancashire had crowds like l'Alpe d'Huez. That didn't all just happen. There were all manner of events in the months before the TdeF which raised public awareness. The Badger himself was over here and ended up in an impromptu bike race at a school. I presume it was impromptu because he was still wearing a suit.

AIUI, the team presentation in Leeds before the 2014 TdeF, was the biggest ever: not just a photo opportunity but a media event. eg The teams rode down to the presentation in turn, each led by a local rider. The crowds packed that route - just to see top riders freewheeling down Woodhouse Lane etc. It seemed like a knowledgeable crowd with an extra cheer for a certain French "monkey on a stick."

It's come on a long way since we had to search the sports pages for any mention of the results of the great pioneers like Brian Robinson (who should have been on the podium for at least one finish in 2014.)

[softlips]

An enormous shame. I don’t know him but he achieved a huge amount for Yorkshire. How many other heads of tourism can you name?

I'd never heard of him until this thread, so now I have, and he's no longer a head of tourism, it means I've never heard of anyone who is a head of tourism.

Not just me then.

[geocycle]

Re his relationship with Christian Prudhomme, I think the latter was keen to join in with the bandwagon effect. Let's be clear, it's a spectator event depending on marketing. The crowds thronging Leeds City centre at the neutralised start were massive by any measure and that corner at the top of Crag Vale where the stage briefly dipped into Lancashire had crowds like l'Alpe d'Huez. That didn't all just happen. There were all manner of events in the months before the TdeF which raised public awareness. The Badger himself was over here and ended up in an impromptu bike race at a school. I presume it was impromptu because he was still wearing a suit.

AIUI, the team presentation in Leeds before the 2014 TdeF, was the biggest ever: not just a photo opportunity but a media event. eg The teams rode down to the presentation in turn, each led by a local rider. The crowds packed that route - just to see top riders freewheeling down Woodhouse Lane etc. It seemed like a knowledgeable crowd with an extra cheer for a certain French "monkey on a stick."

It's come on a long way since we had to search the sports pages for any mention of the results of the great pioneers like Brian Robinson (who should have been on the podium for at least one finish in 2014.)

All true. This suggests a strong team behind him so hopefully the momentum can be maintained. Really looking forward to the next TdY, in particular the Leyburn WI s cake stall.

[geocycle]

An enormous shame. I don’t know him but he achieved a huge amount for Yorkshire. How many other heads of tourism can you name?

I'd never heard of him until this thread, so now I have, and he's no longer a head of tourism, it means I've never heard of anyone who is a head of tourism.

Not just me then.

Clearly not Yorkshire Post readers! Harry Gration and Look Noth also added to his celebrity in the broad acres.

However, we shouldn’t forget the old Yorkshire saying: where there’s brass, there’s muck

[Ben@Forest]

Clearly not Yorkshire Post readers! Harry Gration and Look Noth also added to his celebrity in the broad acres.

I can report old GV has definitely been heard in the North East. Though that could be because it's the company of cyclists!

Remember Mick F doesn't have a TV because you can learn all that's useful in the world at the local pub....

[mumbojumbo]

An earlier post asked for other heads of tourism.Well here goes-some quite famous
1.Notts Will Littlejohn
2.Tyne and Wear -Max Milburn
3.Wales Ewan Davies
4 London Raymond Davies
5.Merseyside Gladys Street
6.Kent Ben Dover
7.Sussex Siegfried Sawyer
8 Shropshire Arthur Houseman
9 Hereford Worcester Ann Bridge-Cast
19.Cornwall and Devon Lyn Mouth

[Mick F]

An earlier post asked for other heads of tourism.
19.Cornwall and Devon Lyn Mouth

Never heard of him/her.
If I Google him/her, all I get is some strange coastal place in north Devon.

[merseymouth]

Hey Mumbojumbo, Get you spelling correct, Gladys Street? No way mate. Gwladys Street is on the map, but only for a minority of Scousers.
Remember "Everton can't play for Toffees"! Kop that mate. TTFN MM

[mumbojumbo]

I think you are confusing my Gladys( BSc Econ.Oxon) with a vulgar thoroughfare in Liverpol.By the way my money is on MCFC with Liverpool imploding
and Klop receiving a ban for criticizing officials.

[thirdcrank]

Hardly a scientific survey, but in recent weeks I've sought the views of two people with businesses on the route of the TdeY about the benefits or otherwise of this event. One was the landlord of a dining pub - himself a keen cyclist - and the other the owner of a thriving butcher's shop. Neither saw any benefit for their business in particular or tourism more generally. The pub lost trade in that the typical turnover from diners which was lost was greater than the spending of the spectators who used the pub as a viewing point, and the cost to the butcher of opening on Sunday exceeded the sales - they do excellent pies.

I fancy a lot will depend on the Worlds later this year but I don't like the sound of my very limited feedback.

============================================================

PS Is Gladys rhyming slang like Desmond? (Excuse my ignorance )