THE West Lane Primitive Methodist Chapel and Sunday School are seen here at the height of their influence.

The chapel had held its opening services in 1880, and could accommodate 850. The Sunday School followed in 1902.

Even before the Sunday School occupied its own premises, by 1892 it was attracting 324 scholars, instructed by 64 teachers.

The earlier Primitive Methodists of the locality had worshipped in a cottage they rented for two shillings a week, before temporarily using a wooden building. But after their glory days as seen here, their decline was sad.

Despite selling off the chapel in 1946 and worshipping in the Sunday School, members still struggled. According to the Reverend RR Lomax in 1961, by then the open nature of their grounds made them "a thoroughfare for all sorts of hooligans", and some 60 of their windows had been broken in the past year. The dozen remaining regular worshippers, together with some fittings, transferred to Temple Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.

The photograph has been supplied by Mr Kevin Seaton, of Shann Lane, Keighley.