Cumberland was a pioneer local education authority, operating initially in conjunction with the British Council, in organising international youth camps to bring together local sixth-formers (one of them was Melvyn Bragg) and young people of the same age from a substantial number of European countries, with the aim of promoting international understanding and friendship in the context of pursuing outdoor activities together and visiting places of historical, cultural and industrial interest in Cumberland and further afield. There was a strong connection between Alston and the camps. Samuel King’s School students participated regularly in them and the memories and photos of one of them feature prominently in the book

Emily Clark is one of the co-authors of The Cumberland International Youth Camps 1944-1958, recently published with input from Cumbrian local history groups.