Saturday 1 June 2019

Photographic exhibition celebrates Silsden in springtime

Fiona Pietrovito and her mother, Mary Brook, admire the 'best in show' photograph at an exhibition celebrating Silsden in springtime. Local photographers submitted more than 80 photos for the exhibition, which was the focal point of a fund-raising coffee morning held at the Town Hall on June 1st by the Silsden Campaign for the Countryside. The 'best in show' photograph was taken by Silsden Photography Group member Mark Waddington and was of a sunset viewed from the footpath from Light Bank Lane to the Nab. The judges were local artist Jo Whitehead and Silsden town councillor Darren Edwards, of the Friends of Silsden's Green Places.
An unexpected visitor was a former student of well-known Silsden artist Hildred Harpin. Mrs Doreen Godfrey (nee Barritt), pictured above, of Thwaites Brow, Keighley, brought a sketch of her younger self produced by Mr Harpin during a class at the old Keighley Junior Art School in 1952. A Harpin watercolour of Swartha was also on display, loaned by Silsden resident Mrs Joan Todd. The event, which included stalls, was held to build up a fighting fund to protect Silsden against unsustainable development.