More of your letters about your experiences at Linton Camp School, near Grassington.

In August 1961, aged 15, I attended a Dalesward Bound adventure course at Linton Camp through my school (Hutton Secondary Modern). It was set up by the City of Bradford Education Committee.

The one-week course included potholing, hike-camping, rock-climbing and canoeing. We competed in all sorts of sports including walking over the swimming pool on a log. There was never a break. It was action-packed, fast-paced and super fun with very enthusiastic staff.

That course started my love of the outdoors and even now I go every week to the Dales or Lakes for long walks over the fells.

Bill Croft

These youngsters from Linton Camp were staying at the Royal Wanstead School, London, in 1967 as part of an exchange experiment between the two schools. Among them is Hans Gilles, son of Mrs Ingeburg Gilles, who sent in the photograph. She writes: “He was sent to Linton Camp because of his asthma, and he used to feed the ducks, which he enjoyed the most. My son has already passed away, in 1988, so I would like to share these memories.” The youngsters are pictured making their way, with packed lunches, to their coach for a trip to Windsor.

I was employed as domestic bursar at Linton Camp (by then called Linton Residential School) for nine years in the 1970s, only leaving to have my children. The school closed in 1986, as your article stated, and has been left rotting away ever since. One ex-teacher I know says it is like an “unburied corpse”.

It was a very happy place to live and work, and the children thrived and were well cared-for. I now run a B&B in Grassington and have occasionally had past pupils stay with me. One man told me that the spell he spent at Linton was the happiest time of his childhood, and he had fond memories of caring staff.

I hope eventually to see something better happen on the site which is an absolute eyesore and is often commented on by my guests.

Pauline Robertshaw