A TOP television artist is appealing to Ilkley Gazette readers to help him find the perfect place to set up his easel in the town.

Alan Hydes - star of Yorkshire Television's Blooming Art and In the Frame - will be visiting Ilkley in June to film a show for his Painting the Past series.

To help him select a view to paint, he is asking Gazette readers to tell him about their favourite places in the town.

And the reader whose 'top spot' he chooses will get to appear on the show with him.

"The idea is to sort of take a view which typifies Ilkley," he said. "Somewhere that people have got a memory about - it might be a church or looking out over the river. It doesn't have to be right in the very centre, just somewhere that will be immediately recognisable as Ilkley if someone were to look at my painting.

"It's best if people can send a photo to help us locate the exact place, otherwise when we come to choose the location we might not know where the person means. When we film the show the person whose view is picked will get to have a chat with me about it on camera."

The current series of Painting the Past is on Yorkshire TV at 10.30pm every Tuesday. The show features Mr Hydes, who lives in Apperley Bridge, painting townscapes including Bradford, Harrogate and York.

"I decided to visit Ilkley for the next series as I often come back here after a walk and come into Betty's for a cup of coffee. I think the town's got a fabulous atmosphere."

The programme will be filmed in Ilkley in June and will be transmitted in the autumn. "So I'm hoping for some bright sunny weather in June to do it," said Mr Hydes.

Readers should send their entries to Sam Strangeways at the Ilkley Gazette office, 8 Wells Road, Ilkley LS29 9JD by Thursday, May 31.

l Alan Hydes will be painting portraits of Dame Thora Hird and Lord Harewood amongst others in a new series of In the Frame

starting on Yorkshire TV on Sunday, May 27 at 6.05pm.