During the war, and for the decades up to its closure in the 1980s, many Bradford children spent some time at Linton Camp, near Grassington.

A lot of you have written to us about your experiences following an item on our Remember When? pages. Here are some more of your letters.

I went to Linton Camp School as an 11-year-old in 1941, and was there until 1944. There were times when I felt a little homesick, but I enjoyed my three years there.

I learned to swim in the River Wharfe, made many friends and had many adventurous outings on the boys’ day out.

One such outing was on to Grassington Moor, I think near the lead-mine workings. I believe a Wellington Bomber had made a forced landing. The Home Guard were on duty and the engines were running. It was the noise that had attracted us.

I remember the severe winters and heavy snowfalls. The sledging in the top fields and adjoining barn field was great, even with short pants and chapped legs.

Edward Tong

My sister Brenda Atkinson and myself attended Linton Camp School from 1946 to 1953. We arranged a reunion in Bradford in December, 1993. We also arranged a reunion at Linton about five years ago which was very well-attended.

We have many memories of our time at Linton.

Joan Hastie (nee Atkinson)

When war came Linton Camp School was used for children evacuated from Bradford. My father was a teacher of woodwork at Drummond Road School and spent some time at Linton, when he had periods of, I think, three weeks at a time. I was a pupil at Belle Vue School during this time and remember well that he had to stay at the camp school, and also while some of the schools in Bradford were disrupted he spent time at Lister Lane School, on duty mending shoes.

Connie Coupe (nee Stow)

I was at the school around 1943 when I was aged about ten. I remember the lovely summer and the Barn Field nearby where we had snowballs fights and sledging during the winter. I also remember the stunning walks we had and the snicket we called Snake Pass which we went down to Linton Church and the rickety old bridge across Linton Falls to Grassington.

I believe we used to have lessons in the morning and evening, so we had time during the day to be outside in the lovely countryside.

I cried when I was taken there by my family, but soon I felt okay as I became friendly with other children. I remember a boy called Colin Wilkinson who usually waited until the teacher had turned off the dormitory lights then told us ghost stories. Super stuff!

I didn’t know why I was sent there until many years later when I read that the school was used for children who needed special care for some reason. Linton Camp School must have done some wonderful things for some children who must have been very vulnerable.

Edward Hill

I spent five years at Linton Camp up to 1961. We had our own swimming pool, and on some evenings in summer Mrs Robson would let us go swimming when all the young ones were in bed. Mrs Robson lives in Grassington and is in her 80s.

Miss Steel was our dorm housekeeper. I used to clean her shoes for her once a week and I got threepence which I would spend in the tuck shop.

When you became a prefect, once a month you got two shillings and we were taken to the pictures at Skipton. When you were allowed out at weekends for a couple of hours it was great – it was called a red dot. If you were late back you could not go for a while as punishment. We used to hide our shoes with heels in a tree with lipstick, and change when we went out of camp. It made us feel grown up.

June Simpson (nee Barker)