A WINDFALL of £100,000 may be winging its way to an Ilkley museum - but a member of its staff has publicly bemoaned the lack of funding for such facilities..

Members of the Friends of the Manor House group say they are optimistic of the Heritage Fund cash being given the

go-ahead.

Keith Hartley, chairman of the group said: "It is a very positive time. Lights are shining in the celestial heavens.

"The arch angel Gabriel will be bringing pound notes stuffed in his teeth to the Manor House."

The group has been told that it could have the funding within a matter of months.

Mr Hartley said: "This application has been going on for two years. We have been in discussion with the lottery fund which is hopeful that we are going to get the

funding.

"In a situation like this, one has got to be absolutely and utterly positive."

The funds would be sunk into a complete renovation of the museum.

New lighting and heating systems would be installed as well as new furnishings.

The collections at the Manor House would also be upgraded.

The cash injection would also help drag the museum firmly into the new Millennium, with the production of new technology, such as CD Roms.

Mr Hartley said: "It would bring us a more interactive museum and would make it more accessible to people."

The group hope dwelling on the bright side will eclipse comments made by a museum worker at a public meeting.

Mary Bentham, who works in the museum's educational department, said boarded up windows and poor staffing levels were putting visitors off.

At a meeting of Ilkley Tourist Management Committee she said: "If you are talking about tourism coming to Ilkley, the infrastructure should be there.

"We have to endure pieces of hardwood in the windows because we can't afford new ones."

Mr Hartley said he was shocked and

saddened by her comments as the

group hopes to take the museum into a new era.

He said: "The windows were damaged by vandals. It is a 17th century building. We can't just go down to the glass shop and say give me a chunk of window.

"The Heritage Fund has a great say in these matters.

"All museums are short of money for upgrading what they have.

"I can't see that a broken window is going to put people off from going in.

"People come from Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford to concerts at the Manor House. Word is getting around that we have got a gem."

Bill Godfrey, a member of the friends, added: "I find it very upsetting that

somebody is going around spouting doom and despair when we are all working very hard to get the place improved and spruced up. The windows have now been fixed."