Stories from across Yorkshire to make you smile

Every week in Yorkshire we cover uplifting and feel-good stories about people, places and animals across our region - and we like to shout about them.

This week we have been digging deep with an innovative underground farm, celebrating matching degrees for identical twins and getting a sweat on with a care home workout led by 90s icon Mr Motivator.

90s TV icon and original fitness influencer, Mr Motivator brought his bright brand of Lycra-clad positivity to residents of Lindley Park Care Home in Huddersfield.

The 73-year-old encouraged participants to shake and shimmy as he led a chairobics session, to the soundtrack of a feel-good pop megamix.

"I meet too many people who retire and they are sitting around waiting to expire," he said, adding: "movement is medicine. Put a bit of laughter into it and it's even better medicine."

84-year-old Judith Snell, from Brighouse, joked she was "ready for a punch-up" after completing some shadow boxing.

"My arms are a bit achey but I'm fine. It was good. I'm glad I came."

Twin brothers who studied the same degree course and lived in neighbouring rooms at the same university have graduated together - with matching results, of course.

Adrian and Ainsley Dondo, 22, from Bradford, graduated with 2:1 biomedical science degrees after four years studying side by side at Keele University.

"Initially the whole idea was to stick together. University was a massive thing moving on from college and the A-level life, we had always been abiding with each other then. To go to university, it didn't make sense for us to separate," said Adrian.

Ainsley added the experience was "kind of like going with a best friend but he's my brother and we can spend even more time together."

A strongman says he is "chuffed to bits" after pulling a train along the Yorkshire Wolds Railway.

Stuart Lambert, from Market Weighton, hauled the 64-tonne train 25m (82ft) down tracks in Fimber, East Yorkshire. Driver Katy Bowser was on board to stop the train so it did not mow him down at the end of the challenge.

Lambert said the hardest part was getting the train to move at the beginning.

He added: "Once it got it rolling, I knew it was going to go. It was just a case of keeping the momentum."

The world's deepest vertical farm has been launched as a way of growing sustainable food without high energy bills.

The University of Sheffield said the "pioneering research" farm, created in collaboration with food producer Farm Urban, is 0.7 miles (1.1km) underground in a North Yorkshire mine and if successful, could transform agriculture.

Crops, including lettuce and pak choi, have been planted in the working mine in upright growing light beds.

The university said if successful, it could mean "thousands" more disused mines could be repurposed to grow affordable food.

A charity that tackles social isolation among older people has unveiled a new bench to encourage conversations between strangers.

The bench, which is bright pink, was designed by charity b:friend and installed in Orchard Square in Sheffield city centre earlier this month.

The charity's CEO Colette Bunker, who came to test the bench herself, said: "As soon as I sat down, somebody came and spoke to me and I thought, 'oh my God, it's working!'

"Loneliness is a condition that we all feel from time to time, and a lot more than we probably like to admit."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.