AN exhibition is celebrating the work of a renowned Keighley artist – half a century on from a display at the same venue which catapulted him to TV stardom.

Stan Boardman's 1920s Boy work, depicting his memories of growing up in Keighley between the world wars, was originally shown at the town's Cliffe Castle Museum in July, 1973.

Huge interest was sparked, leading to over 50 television appearances, on top-rated shows such as Pebble Mill.

And his artwork and stories even inspired a musical, staged by HYT at Keighley Playhouse in 1976.

Now, Keighley and District Local History Society has joined with the Spring Gardens Lane museum to once again publicly display the 1920s Boy paintings.

The work, donated to the society by Jill Osborne, daughter of the late artist, in 2017, will remain on show in the museum's Octagon Gallery until September.

Joyce Newton, chair of Keighley and District Local History Society, says: "I saw these amazing paintings at the original exhibition and couldn't believe it when Jill offered them to the society.

"Just as we had gathered all the information we could about the work, the pandemic came along.

"When we began discussing the paintings again we realised that we were coming up to the 50th anniversary of the original exhibition, so that would have to be the date for the new exhibition.

"We studied the frames and it became clear that they'd been 'aged', presumably by Stan himself, and we left those. And we have put into frames those that were unframed.

"Now, funnily enough the paintings that show hard times in Keighley – but with a sense of humour – that first made us smile when we had difficult days and few jobs in the 1970s can make us smile again at a time when we are dealing with the cost-of-living crisis."

Stan honed his painting skills alongside running a signwriting business before and after the Second World War.

After buying a large house at Steeton he set-up a studio in the adjoining barn and began working on the series of 1920s Boy paintings, which would subsequently propel him into the public eye.

Stan died in 1996.

Tim Neal, a member of the local history society, will be giving a presentation about Stan's life and work on July 22. The event is being hosted by Cliffe Castle Support Group.

For more about the exhibition, visit bradfordmuseums.org/events/stanley-boardman-exhibition-at-cliffe-castle.