SEVERAL thousand dollars were raised for two charities at a spectacular Texas Party in Ilkley at the weekend.

Guests, ferried in from the Railroad Inn (alias the Station Hotel) by stretch limousine, wore fancy dress and took part in a host of Texan activities to raise cash for the Alzheimer's Society and Scleroderma Research at Leeds in an event organised by the Acorn Ladies' Committee.

It was held at the Middleton home of Howard and Fiona Scaife - renamed Oak Tree Ranch - and included several links with the State of Texas in the United States.

Miss Texas, Stacy James, who has used her year to work for the Alzheimer's Disease cause, linked up direct from the United States to give a special opening statement.

A cowboy show was provided by the Range Riders Country and Western Club before the 'real Indians' arrived in the shape of a team of eight members of the Bradford Sikh Temple who gave a demonstration of martial arts.

There was a live link with the Texas State Bar in Live Oak, San Antonio, and copies of the El Paso Times - which had joined up with the Ilkley Gazette and contained news about the Middleton event - were distributed to guests.

The El Paso Times also sent a number of items to be auctioned, including a superb pair of cowboy boots.

Guests were greeted by cowgirls Caroline Picken and Georgie Brown on horseback and by billboards from both the El Paso Times and Ilkley Gazette, the latter proclaiming 'Local builder denies he is a cowboy'!

The guests themselves indulged in number of activities, including a bucking bronco, knife throwing, axe hurling, bows and arrows, rifle shooting and a quick draw competition against professional 'gunslingers'.

They also sat down to a Tex-Mex meal, followed by line dancing, karaoke and a disco.

The Acorn Ladies' Committee was formed three years ago to raise money for the Ripon and Harrogate branch of the Alzheimer's Society and Scleroderma Research at Leeds University. So far it has contributed £140,000 to the causes.

A research scientist has been funded at Leeds General Infirmary and a group of six now have made Scleroderma a priority.

The Alzheimer's branch offers information, advice and support to careres in homes with people with dementia. The committee is now trying to fund a designated worker for younger clients with dementia - a roving worker supporting families looking after people with early onset dementia.

"There is no designated service for this and becuase of my family's own experiences, I truly know the need of this role in our community," said Louise Hanen, of Castley Lane, Castley, near Otley chairman of the Acorn ,Ladies Committee. The committee's is backed in its fundraising by Avid Events, of Bradford.