THE WORLD was on the edge of a precipice when this photograph was taken in 1914.

With the outbreak of the First World War just weeks away many of these happy families will have had their lives turned turned upside down by tragedy.

The children from Rawdon Littlemoor School were pictured with their parents on the Littlemoor recreation ground as they gathered for the Whitsuntide Walk and hymns.

The picture is from the archives of Aireborough Historical Society.

Archivist Carlo Harrison said: "The Walk was a declaration of faith, the Feast of Pentecost falls on the 7th Sunday after Easter and commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Disciples of Jesus.

"The name 'Whitsuntide' is a corruption of White Sunday, a traditional day for baptisms when those to be baptised would wear white garments.

"This gave rise to the custom of children having new clothes to wear on Whit Sunday.

"Whitsuntide was replaced by a fixed Bank Holiday in 1971 called Spring Bank Holiday falling at the end of May."

Decades later children were serving up a treat in this picture from the Ilkley Gazette's archives. The photograph is thought to have been taken in 1992.