A LONGWOOD-based professional sculptor has turned a former florist’s shop in Lindley into a gallery.

Suzanne North is pleased with the way things have worked out after a quickly taken opportunity and she aims to be there for the rest of this month.

She was in Lindley shopping with a friend when she saw the empty flower shop, The Greenhouse, on Lidget Street and thought: “This would make an excellent little gallery.”

It was hard work moving sculptures and stands from her home and her studio at Dean Clough in Halifax, but nevertheless she was able to open the gallery in just seven days.

“I seized the opportunity to take the shop before any new tenants could be found,” she said.

“I have had to change some of my plans, but this was an opportunity not to be missed.”

As well as the space for a selling display, there was a bench in the back room where she could continue working for other exhibitions.

Greeting visitors in the front window of the gallery is a striking, largish piece, Ways of Looking, in Delabole slate with red acrylic paint.

The gallery is also showing handsome works in Serpentine stone and acrylic and granite works.

A new idea from Suzanne, this time using bent acrylics, has led to some playful constructions in red.

There are a good number of wall-mounted acrylic works, some of them seen in a recent solo exhibition in Cafe Ollo at the Media Centre.

Altogether there are around 50 works on display, with prices starting from £90.

Although the sculptures are abstract in nature, Suzanne says the main theme is Man and the Environment.

“I am enjoying seeing my work in a different setting and I hope visitors will too,” she says.

“Lindley is a vibrant little community and it is nice to be here.

“I am definitely open till the end of July and will stay longer if possible.”

The Greenhouse is at 77 Lidget Street, about 100 yards from Lindley Clock Tower.

Opening times are 11am to 3pm weekdays and 10am to 3pm Saturdays.

Suzanne’s work can also be seen on her website www.sculpturenorth.com

r HOLMFIRTH Artweek was again a tremendous success and it is possible that the profits for Macmillan Cancer Support may even exceed last years.

“We sold £83,000 worth of works from the main exhibition and the craft market and are waiting for returns from the fringe exhibitions”, said treasurer Bob Riley.

“The initial reports from the fringe sound good, so we are expecting to make a profit of around £30,000 for Macmillan.

“The top seller was the featured artist, Neville Fleetwood. We took over £16,000 on the door and probably had around 12,000 visitors.

“Refreshments and the raffle did well, and we nearly ran out of Loren Birkett’s cookery book.”

Loren, a pupil at Holmfirth High, published the book in aid of Macmillan in memory of her father, who died from cancer earlier this year.

Mr Riley added: “The new imaging seemed to work well and we are very pleased with the overall success.

“It is remarkable how the profits keep stacking up and we might even beat last year’s total.”