A rallying call is to be made to Bradford's textiles producers, urging them to sharpen up their act and cast off their tarnished, fuddy-duddy image and lazy approach.

The unusually frank comments are to be made by the incoming president of Bradford Textile Society at his inauguration tomorrow evening.

Malcolm Campbell has outlined plans to reinvigorate the 111-year-old society and drum up membership by involving those from the growing new wave of textiles entrepreneurs in the district.

He said he was especially concerned to attract youngsters and there would be students from Leeds and Huddersfield Universities at the meeting.

"I want the society to cast off its Last of the Summer Wine image as a club for old men and move into the 21st century," he said.

The key theme of Mr Campbell's address, titled "Make an effort to make a difference", is likely to centre on the urgent need for textiles producers to stop being rooted in the past if they are to be a force in the future.

"Many people forget just how important networking is," said Mr Campbell. "Bradford Textile Society is an excellent opportunity for people to do business together.

"In other clubs, people genuinely want to work together but at the Bradford Textile Society they seem to just complain about each other's problems."

Mr Campbell, who is in charge of international marketing at Ilkley-based Woolmark, takes over from David Gallimore, the managing director of Queensbury cloth producers John Foster of England.

Mr Campbell has spent 34 years in the textiles industry, beginning in Scotland and spending the last 22 years in Yorkshire.

The event, which is open to non-members, is at The Bradford Club tomorrow evening starting at 5.45pm with a buffet. The meeting starts at 6.30pm and admission is free.