Children at one of the district’s schools will be broadcasting to the 32nd Royal Artillery Regiment in Camp Bastion Afghanistan at an Open Day on Saturday, March 1.

As part of its World War One commemoration activities, children at Ilkley’s Westville House School have been thinking about how difficult it must have been to communicate back in 1914 and how long it must have taken to send much-needed letters and parcels to soldiers fighting in the trenches.

Young children, who may be more used to living with ipods, phones, computers and Skype, have found it exciting to understand how long it took to get a message overseas in years gone by.

Westville House has teamed up with the 32nd Royal Artillery Regiment, currently serving out in Camp Bastion Afghanistan. The Year 2 children have written letters asking the soldiers many questions about conditions in the camp, food, weapons and, of course, when they will come home.

The children were interested to see how long it would take for their letters to arrive and the older children in Forms 3 and 4 are using email to communicate with their soldier 'penpals'.

The whole school will also be involved in making Easter Shoe Boxes which will be transported out to the soldiers.

On Saturday, March 1, Westville House school is hosting its Spring Open morning to welcome all new and current families.

As a continuation of the 'communication' theme to our serving troops, Stray fm, will be in school all morning and will be hosting a series of live link broadcasts, one of which will be a broadcast direct to serving soldiers with messages from the children to be heard all the way out in Afghanistan.