or a landlocked city, Bradford’s historical connections with the sea seem unusual. In the late 19th century, textile magnate Titus Salt was a generous benefactor to the Sailors’ Orphanage in Hull.

Bradford’s wool textile capital of the world – Woolopolis – boast was that it traded from Australia to Peru. Before air flight, this necessitated importing raw materials and exporting finished goods by sea.

In 1974/75, Conservative councillor Tom Hall, the first Lord Mayor of Bradford Metropolitan District, chose the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for his appeal, as did his Conservative colleague Joan Lightband when she was Lord Mayor in 1982/83.

Last year, the Yorkshire Building Society and Yorkshire Charitable Foundation between them raised £200,000 for the RNLI. Indeed, there is a Bradford and Baildon branch of the organisation.

For many years, Bradford has had its own City of Bradford lifeboat. In 1941, the city had its own British warship. HMS Aurora, an Arethusa-class cruiser launched on August 20, 1936, was adopted by the civilian population of the city following a successful Warship Week National savings campaign.

This involved the adoption of a Royal Navy warship by a civil community. A level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship.

The aim was for cities to raise enough to adopt battleships and aircraft carriers, while towns and villages would focus on cruisers and destroyers. Once the target money was saved for the ship, the community would adopt the ship and its crew.

Local charity organisations, churches and schools would provide the crews of the adopted ship with gloves, woollen socks and balaclavas. Children would often write letters and send cards to the crew.

When possible, officers and men from the adopted ship would visit the local community. To celebrate their visit, a parade would often be organised in their honour.

The year HMS Aurora was launched, the Bradford and District Royal Naval Association was formed, with the approval of the Admiralty. In June 1938, the Association had its first big naval parade in Bradford, attended and inspected by vice-admiral G O Stephenson.

After distinguished wartime service in the Mediterranean, HMS Aurora was sold to the Chinese National Navy in 1948. Nevertheless, the ship lives on in the name of the Bradford Sea Cadets’ base or training ship – T S Aurora – which, this year, is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

In spite of being miles from both east and west coasts, Bradford Sea Cadets’ junior section earlier this year beat 400 others from across the country to win the Evelyn Cleverly Award, given annually to the juniors deemed to be the best by the Sea Cadets’ Captain.

The Sea Cadets Corp, it turns out, has one of the longest, continuous histories of any youth organisation in the country, dating back to the Crimea War of 1854-56, when France and Britain fought Russia.

Sailors returning home from the Black Sea campaign formed the Naval Lads’ Brigade to offer help to children orphaned by the war, who ended up on the streets of sea ports.

In 1899, Queen Victoria presented the Windsor unit with £10 for uniforms, an event now known as the birthday of the Sea Cadets and celebrated on June 25.

By the wartime year of 1941, the Naval Lads’ Brigade had become the Navy League Sea Cadets Corps. The shortage of visual and wireless ratings in the Royal Navy led to the creation of intensive three-week training courses for cadets to speed up their qualification for the senior service.

The organisation was renamed the Sea Cadet Corps. The Admiral of the Corps was King George VI. There were some 50,000 cadets. The Admiralty paid for uniforms, equipment, travel and training.

Bradford Sea Cadet Corps was formed on April 7, 1938, with membership kept to 180 at first, reportedly due to financial constraints. The following year, membership had gone up to 250, although only 75 cadets had uniforms, which cost 30 shillings each (£1.50p).

The T&A reported: “The unit has made remarkable progress in its short life and has won high commendation from the Admiralty inspection officer...

“...it is hardly necessary to stress that apart from making its members better citizens in peace time, the unit is training boys who may in the future be bringing to this country its essential foodstuffs or safeguarding and protecting its transport...”

In 1988, Walter Metcalfe, reflected on his time as a Bradford Sea Cadet: “I was well motivated to learn, participate, be disciplined and committed. The magic of knots and splices and the smell of tarred rope – the thrill of the arrival of the cutter (clinker built) which we duly launched at Chellow dene.

“Being a Sea Cadet was the outstanding event of my teenage life – I enjoyed the public parades of which there were many associated with the war effort, Warship Week, Spitfire Fund, etc.

“I recollect special parades at Halifax and York with cadets from other towns; and envy of the Shipley Corps whose HQ – the old Palace Cinema – adjoined the Leeds-Liverpool canal so that their boat overhung the water on davits.

“The experience was a great help to me when I eventually went into the Royal Navy, especially the technical knowledge. I had a confidence and expertise noticeable for its absence in other conscripts I met.”

Girls were incorporated into the cadet corps in 1992 following a short history firstly as the Girls Naval Training Corps and then, perhaps less happily, the Girls Nautical Training Contingent.

Bradford Sea Cadets have had several landlocked training ships since 1938. The German Luftwaffe bombed them out of their first home, Kirkgate Chapel, during the war. Since 1995, Training Ship Aurora has been anchored at the former Feversham Street Nursery School, near the bottom of Leeds Road.

Apart from going on parade there on Wednesday and Friday evenings, the cadets work on their sailing, rowing and powerboat skills at Wakefield or Thrapston.

Cadets take part in Remembrance Day parades and services in Bradford, and join the cathedral congregation to mark Sea Sunday.

The Lord Mayor Bradford appoints a Sea Cadet each year to help with civic duties. Councillor Dale Smith has been assisted in his mayoral year by LC Laura Zurek All cadet units are regularly inspected by their area officer, usually a serving officer in the Royal Navy. Last year, Bradford achieved the highest score in the district at their annual Royal Navy Parade Inspection – 85 per cent.

Eastern area officer, Commander Eric Langley RN, said: “You are all shining examples of what the Big Society is all about and you should be very proud of yourselves.”

A recruitment evening takes place at the Sea Cadets base, the former Feversham Street Nursery School, at 7.15pm tonight. Youngsters aged ten and above and their parents can find out more about the organisation.