Royal approval for Yorkshire town's pub club wedding initiative

A pub campaign group in a West Yorkshire town noted for its number of hostelries has been given the Royal seal of approval by the newly married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Otley Pub Club received a thank you letter from the couple via St James's Palace after an initiative was run in the town for its 17 pubs to be renamed the Yorkshire Princess for the Royal Wedding at the end of April.

The temporary monikers reflected Kate Middleton's family's relationship with Yorkshire, and particularly the Leeds area.

In July 1986, the town's pubs were renamed the Prince Andrew when banners were hung over the existing hostelries signs in celebration of his marriage to Sarah Ferguson.

Pete Jackson, Otley Pub Club chairman, said: "Otley is a famous Yorkshire pub town, which has laid claim to the title of having the largest number of hostelries per head of population.

"Celebrating the Royal Wedding was a great way of giving a much needed boost to the town's pubs, and changing their names was a fantastic way of putting the town on the map.

"We're all really pleased that the Royal Couple knew what had happened in the town and got in touch to thank us."

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West and a member of Otley Pub Club, said: "It was a fantastic idea that Otley Pub Club came up with to both celebrate the Royal Wedding and also to get some great publicity for Otley as a famous pub town."

The initiative has been co-financed by the pub landlords and managers, as well as Otley Town Council.