Children of the Second World War met present day youngsters to ensure their wartime experiences are remembered by future generations.

Pupils asked two people who lived through the war in the district to recount their experiences.

The initiative, for youngsters at Hoyle Court Primary School in Baildon and St Stephen's CE Primary School, off Manchester Road, Bradford, was organised through funding from the Big Lottery Fund's 'Their Past Your Future' scheme.

Education Bradford is running awareness events at schools to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day celebrations.

Pupils are designing posters and writing stories to learn more about the end of the allied campaign in Europe on May 8, 1945.

Grahame Thornton was seven and lived in Batley when war broke out.

"At the beginning everybody was afraid because there were huge preparations for air raids," said Mr Thornton, a former Deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford.

"I can remember helping my father to dig a hole in the garden to put the air raid shelter in. We didn't really know what to expect and every time a siren went we dashed into the air raid shelter."

Mr Thornton, 72, of Baildon, said hi of these children. It needs encouraging and children need to know what difficult times the country went through."

Youngster William Pinkney, of St Stephen's CE Primary School, interviewed Mr Thornton about his experiences.

The nine-year-old said: "I was focusing on finding out more about the war.

"I'm really interested in history and I think it is important to find out what happened in the past."

Margaret Wilford, 70, said she decided to get involved with the event when her grandson, a pupil at St Stephen's CE Primary School, brought a letter home asking for people to recount their experiences.

Mrs Wilford, who was four when the war began, lived in Little Horton and Thornton between 1939 and 1945.

"My memories of the war are extensive. It was a traumatic and worrying time.

"It's a wonderful thing to put across to the children the hardships we did go through during the war."

The Big Lottery Fund has also granted cash to bodies across Bradford to help them celebrate VE Day as part of its Home Front Recall scheme.

Bradfordians who lived through the war are invited to attend street parties at Bradford Industrial Museum between May 3 and 6.

Netherside Hall School in Skipton has been granted £6,400 and the W. L. A. Skipton Reunion received £600 to host a members reunion buffet.

The Aireborough Women's Auxiliary Air Force Association, which meets in Yeadon, will be celebrating by travelling down to the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield.

Horsforth Museum will house an exhibition for the weekend of May 8.

And the Bradford branch of the Royal Naval Association (RNA) will celebrate its 70th anniversary and mark the anniversary of the end of the war by holding a dance in Centenary Square on September 11 with £8,000 grant from the Home Front Recall scheme.

Liz Forgan, of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "The debt we owe to those who participated in the Second World War effort from all walks of life is immense and one that must never be forgotten."