There is life after Silsden's Sunnybank Social Club, according to a husband and wife at the centre of a storm over women's membership.

Fiona Clarke, 33, a nanny, and her 37-year-old husband, Bernard, a chef, set pint glasses shaking earlier this year when they led a campaign to get women accepted as committee members at the club.

They are allowed only social membership and cannot sit on the committee, vote or hold shares.

Backing them were Fiona's parents, 54-year-old Margaret and 59-year-old Laurie Sloan, and fellow member, Mick Sutton.

The all-male committee closed ranks and suspended the three men until May 14 because of the action they had taken and the two stood by their men by refusing to attend.

Mrs Clarke said: "We went back to the club for the first time on Monday. It was very quiet - there were only a few people there.

"Nobody was unpleasant, but I realised I hadn't missed it. We go to other local pubs, we go into Ilkley, we meet friends in Leeds and go for meals and to the cinema."

She said her husband felt the same way but he would be renewing his membership in November.

But her mum still misses the club and plans to try again to get full membership later this summer.

"I am still determined to fight this. If I didn't all our efforts would be a waste of time. I am fighting for future generations," said Mrs Sloan.

She is to feature in a debate on Yorkshire Television on Monday about the issue.

The programme, The Men's Room, at 10.30pm also features the three others, but Mrs Sloan squares up to men of Huntington Working Men's Club in York, where women must stay out of the men-only room.

The programme also visits Baildon Woodbottom club, one of the first to offer equal rights and busier than ever.

Sunnybank hit the headlines in January when it changed a rule to ensure women could not serve on the men-only committee. The club also banned them from using the snooker table unless accompanied by a committee member.

Alwyn Bolton, Sunnybank treasurer, said the three men had been suspended for three months and three weeks and were now reinstated. "Three independent arbiters were called in to look at the issue. The maximum suspension was six months, but they thought that was too harsh," he said.