You can often walk for miles on Ilkley Moor without seeing another soul.

But ramblers in search of solitude yesterday were bemused to find themselves sharing the wide open spaces with not one but TWO separate film crews.

Six of the stars of Carlton's latest sitcom, Barbara, braved the elements on the windswept Cow and Calf Rocks for a key scene in the forthcoming series.

And, just to prove Hollywood has got nothing on Ilkley, there were also cries of "Lights, cameras, action!" only a mile down the road towards Burley Woodhead, where a rival crew was continuing to shoot scenes for Kay Mellor's forthcoming feature film, Fanny and Elvis.

Robert Kandt, of the Bradford Film Office, which promotes the use of locations in the district for cinema and TV shoots, said he was delighted that the area was such a hive of activity.

"Carlton are only in Ilkley for one day and have brought their own people with them but with things like Fanny and Elvis, it is a real boost to the local economy, with hotels and other businesses benefiting," he said.

"It is also great to see places like Ilkley put on the map by shows like this new sitcom."

The title role in Barbara is played by Duty Free star Gwen Taylor. She stars as a domineering wife and mother in the new show, which will hit the screens next month.

Also starring are familiar faces like Sam Kelly, who plays her mild-mannered husband; Sherrie Hewson, in her first TV part since leaving the role of Maureen Elliott in Coronation Street, as Barbara's glamorous and wealthy sister; Madge Hindle, who starred in the acclaimed comedy Pat and Margaret, and Goodnight Sweetheart star Liz Carling.

Yesterday's filming was for a scene in which the family travels to Ilkley to scatter the ashes of Barbara's mother, Gladys, on the moor, where she spent much of her childhood.

l An X-Files-style film, to be based around Ilkley's Cow and Calf rocks, has met with a huge demand from people wanting to be extras in the movie.

Russ Kellett, who runs the Bradford-based International UFO Research Network, made an appeal for support for his project last month. He has written a script for his film, Through The Eyes of an Alien - Once A Human, and is hoping to start filming soon.

He has been inundated with people wanting to be extras but is still looking for financial backing.

Further details can be obtained from Avant-Garde on (01274) 223217.

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