TWO distinguished television news reporters were the latest authors to pass on their wisdom at the Ilkley Literature Festival.

On Saturday afternoon former BBC foreign correspondent and Independent MP Martin Bell talked about his new book at the Ilkley Playhouse.

He was followed yesterday in the Kings Hall by his former BBC colleague Kate Adie, who was discussing her latest book which relates the history of women in army uniform.

The BBC's chief news correspondent spoke to a sold out audience to discuss the book entitled 'Corsets to Camouflage'.

She said she felt back at home in Ilkley: "I'm a Northerner - I grew up in the North-East, so I know Yorkshire very well. I spent most of my childhood all over the Yorkshire Dales."

Discussing the new book, she said: "The Imperial War Museum asked me to write something to go with an exhibition that begins this week in London. And it's on Women in Uniform, Women and War.

"I started doing research and I suppose at the beginning I wasn't quite sure how much I was going to do, but I got stuck into it, and in the end I came up with over a century of looking at all aspects of women involved in war.

"Not just in uniform in the armed services, but in women who were auxiliary, worked in munitions and those involved in voluntary work. And towards the end of the Second World War you're looking at the whole population and it sort of grew.

"I wasn't going to write a dry history book, I'm not a historian.

"I'm very interested in social history though and I wanted to include something from the personal side as well."

Mr Bell, talking about his new book called 'Through the Gates of Fire: A Journey into World Disorder', said: "The great thing about writing a book is that you get to go to places you've never been to and I've never been to Ilkley before."

He said he enjoyed the event and as it was different to other festivals because people of all ages were present.