OTLEY Courthouse Science Festival from November 10th to 16th November started with a very popular Family Show on Sunday afternoon and a classic film for science fiction lovers in the evening.

The children’s centre welcomed more than 50 adults and toddlers to ‘Early Explorers’ on Monday morning.

School shows ‘Top Trumps Animals’ and ‘Pyrotrickery’ took place during the week for local primary schools and home schoolers. The Science Café on Wednesday evening featured three speakers on a variety of topics, followed by the Science of Beer with Ilkley Brewery on Thursday.

Friday afternoon’s very popular treat was Professor Helena Daffern explaining ‘The Science of the Singing Voice’ and in the evening Professor Dame Jane Francis explained the fascinating results of geological discoveries in the Antarctic.

A spokesperson for the Science Festival said: "Families turned up in their hundreds for the well-loved free Science Fair on Saturday, with the usual wide variety of activities and experiments to sample. The Festival finished with a look to the future from Rashik Parmar, CEO of the British Computer Society. In conversation with Science Festival committee member Mark Brockbank, Rashik’s knowledge and eloquence were very evident as he led a question and answer session on AI, the most up to date of topics.

"The Science Festival committee would like to thank the many individuals, groups and organisations who put so much time and energy into making the Festival a success and making science ‘come alive’ for people of all ages and abilities. Thanks also to Otley Town Partnership, The Institute of Physics and Leeds City Councillors for their support."