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Sheltered beneath those magnificent moors
Is a town that for certain you’ll want to explore.
       Its spa waters brought its Victorian guests 
       And they naturally wanted hotels of the best.

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Walk up on the moors and breathe in the fresh air 
And your heart will be captured by beauty – take care!
      Then return once again to Ilkley’s fine town
      Which Bradford proclaims is the jewel in her crown.

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The history of Ilkley?  Well let us embark -
And for certain the Romans have here left their mark.
     Whilst people today come for arts - perhaps sport –
     When Romans arrived, they constructed a fort.

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In this town, by the Wharfe, the rich mill-owners dwelt
And their Victorian legacy for certain is felt:
       Look at the buildings, the smart tree-lined streets -
       And the bandstand and gardens most certainly greet.  

    
There are art shops and book shops and places to eat;
Wine shops and tea rooms which spill onto streets -
      And shopping is done with a measure of grace
      For nobody here thinks he’s running a race.

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Then visit this town when spring blossom's on show,
And your love of this place I am certain will grow.
       In the evening there's blossom and lights in the trees
       And this pretty display in the night-time must please.

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*Literature features in this Wharfedale place
Where you may well encounter a familiar face –
       Oh no, not this poet – but those of acclaim
       Who will draw in the crowds because of their fame.

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Is your preference for sport?  Well this is the place 
And one sport, in particular leads to a race,
       For cycling attracts both the young and the old 
       And the cyclists turn out in the heat and the cold.
           
Children, let's go somewhere just made for you
And in the play area, there's so much to do.
       The Riverside Gardens is a great place to play
       And it’s from here that we’ll leave at the end of our day.

Copyright on all my poems

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*  Ilkley Literature Festival

*  Ilkley Cycling Club is the largest Cycling Club in the UK with over 1000 members.

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