The Bradford Metropolitan District is a place of infinite variety. Those of us who live here are well enough aware of that. We have splendid Victorian architecture in the city centre. We have glorious open moors and pretty villages. And, it has to be admitted, we also have run-down districts and patches of industrial dereliction which leave a lot to be desired.

But good, bad or ugly, when everything is put together the district has a lot to offer to the makers of film and television programmes. The way Bradford is attracting them to the city and its surroundings is something of a success story. Inquiries to the Film Office from international film producers, major television and cable companies and independent film makers are reported to be growing steadily - up 30 per cent last year compared with 1997. Last year an estimated £250,000 was spent in the district as a result of productions, creating about 200 temporary jobs.

Those figures are not huge. But they are very useful, and they are growing. What is more, it seems that increasingly the productions are becoming less obsessed with the "down" side of the district and are featuring the attractive countryside.

There were some who were sceptical when Bradford set out its stall to woo the television and film people. But it is clearly paying off. The word is spreading that Bradford is the place to go if you want a suitable location and friendly welcome. It is bound to give an invaluable boost to the campaign to create a more positive image for the place.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.