TOP class photography by members of Ilkley Camera Club is the last exhibition planned at the Manor House Museum and Art Gallery under its current local authority management.

With Bradford Council aiming to hand the historic Castle Yard museum over to community management in April, Ilkley Camera Club is calling on residents to visit its free Creative Light Exhibition and demonstrate what a valuable asset the exhibition space is to the community.

A feasibility study is currently looking into options for the future of the museum, but the camera club’s exhibition – running until April 12, is the last exhibition to be scheduled at the museum.

The opening ceremony on February 14 attracted a crowd, and was opened by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Ilkley councillor Mike Gibbons and the Lady Mayoress, Elizabeth Sharp.

A keen photographer himself, the Lord Mayor praised the range and quality of the images on show.

The exhibition features 103 prints and 79 digitally-projected images, depicting a wide variety of subjects.

Club president, Nick Hodgson, said: “Our exhibition embraces portraits, wildlife, architecture and travel.

“There are strong monochrome pictures and some fabulous colour images. We are one of the top camera clubs in Yorkshire and recently came seventh out of about 100 clubs in a prestigious nationwide photographic competition. So we think visitors will find the quality of the work on show is high.”

Noting the future of the Manor House Museum seemed uncertain, Mr Hodgson added: “Ours is the last exhibition currently booked at the museum. I urge as many people as possible to visit to show what a valuable asset this space is.”

Alongside the exhibition is a display of objects from Bradford Museums that members of the club have interpreted photographically in the context of the Creative Light theme.

The club is also running a Young Photographers Competition, with a prize of a Panasonic Lumix digital bridge camera, worth £250, generously donated by Annings of Ilkley.

The competition is for those aged under 17 on March 31, which is the deadline for submitting entries. Examples will be put on show as they come in.

A series of Saturday talks and workshops will taking place during the exhibition to help photographers.

They start at 2pm and run for about one hour.