This is a sad day for Bradford. It is the end for an institution which has in its time brought so much prestige to the city. Barring a miracle in the shape of a substantial philanthropic gesture by an individual or organisation, the Priestley Centre for the Arts is on the verge of shutting up shop with debts of £50,000.

The tremendous effort that was put into seeing it through its earlier financial crisis, which was backed by the T&A, its readers, and by many of the now-famous people whose talent was nurtured by the centre when it was the Civic Playhouse and later the Bradford Playhouse, has not been enough to save it. It is a victim of changing times, a changing city and different leisure habits.

As board chairman Glen Boldy points out, the centre is overshadowed by the charred ruin of Eastbrook Hall. Its isolated location in a narrow back street cut off from the city centre does tend to discourage audiences, particularly in the winter evenings - although the argument about poor parking no longer applies since the Leisure Exchange was built in nearby Vicar Lane.

And it could be, of course, that the Priestley Centre has simply not been putting on the sort of productions that people wanted to see in sufficiently large numbers when there is so much competition for their time, money and attention from other sources.

But as the centre faces liquidation Bradford can look back with pride at the wealth of theatrical talent it has turned out over the years, the famous actors, directors and entertainers which are its legacy to the world.