We may have solved the mystery of one of our old Examiner badges.

The blue badge which bears the letters FYL was discovered in a desk in the Examiner newsroom and even former news editor Neil Atkinson who worked here for 44 years before retiring in July could not recall seeing it before.

But reader Judith Crowther, of Cowcliffe, has one just like it ... except the colour is and orangey red.

Judith is now 62 but recalls that back in the early 1960s the Examiner ran competitions for children and thinks it may have been called Uncle Fred’s Page and wonders if there is a connection between the page and the badge.

Judith attended Beaumont Street Junior School in the town centre at the time and lived at Jilly Royd Farm in Fixby which is long gone to be replaced by an estate and Fixby Junior and Infant School off Lightridge Road.

Frank Appleyard from Shepley seems to have provided the ultimate explanation as he’s sure he knows what the letters FYL stand for.

“I have one of these badges but it was my sister’s (I’ve lost mine),” he said. “They were red for girls and blue for boys for members of The Young Folks’ League in the Weekly Examiner published on Saturday mornings, possibly conducted by Uncle Fred. The column had short tales, jokes and competitions with small prizes, and, of course, your name got printed.

“I am now 75 but when I was in single figures I joined many clubs just for the badges.

“I also have badges for The Sunbeams Birthday Club from the now-defunct Huddersfield District Chronicle which printed your name in the paper if your birthday occurred within the next seven days. I also have the pale blue and orange badge which came from the League of Ovaltineys. This was broadcast on Radio Luxembourg 208 metres on the medium wave which periodically faded in and out during its Sunday teatime transmissions and people will recall ‘We are the Ovaltineys’.”

Val Barnes chipped in with the thought: “Could the letters FYL stand for For Your Loyalty? A kind of long service badge.”

While Rob Gaunt was thinking differently when he said: “I lived at Upper Denby until I was 23 and left in 1970 and the area at that time was very rural with a great number of farms.

“I knew several farmers’ sons and wonder if it was something to do with the Young Farmers which was very active at the time. I wasn’t involved but I’m sure I saw lads wearing them so it could be a possibility.”