WHEN the village hall in the picture postcard Yorkshire Dales village of West Burton burnt down 17 years ago, soon after a £10,000 facelift, local people were in despair.

“I was woken at five o’clock one morning to see fire engines and police cars there. We couldn’t believe it. The refurbishment had just been completed and we were so proud of it,” said Mike Pledge.

It was an electrical fault and it destroyed the building. But phoenixlike, from the rubble of the old, rose a new, architect-designed hall, now not only a light and airy space for the the local art club which meets every Wednesday, but also a backdrop to its forthcoming Easter exhibition.

The 19 members, who act as each other’s unofficial tutors, and who range in ability from near-novice to professional artist, mounted a successful show in the Chapel Gallery in Hawes last year, but this year have decided to come home to West Burton.

Crickets and sunflowers, landscapes and townscapes, home and abroad, in oils, water colours and acrylics, provide an eclectic collection of styles and techniques.

The hall, alongside the rolling village green, is the perfect setting for the exhibition on Sunday and Monday, April 20 and 21, both days from 10am-4.30pm. Ten per cent of sales, which are usually strong, will go towards the group’s costs and the remainder to local charities.

Betsy Everett