A photoshoot inside a grade II listed town hall has sparked controversy, with some saying they thought the images seemed more like “an advertisement for a strip club”.
The shoot was intended to promote Lynton Town Hall as a venue to host weddings, parties and community events.
But the photos show a model posing inside the hall, with some claiming the images seem more like a “personal portfolio exercise rather than practical venue marketing”.
Luke Anthony, photographer of the shoot, responded to the outcry on Facebook. He explained that the photos were “pretty standard for today’s standards”.
“If you’ve ever watched Strictly Come Dancing on a Saturday evening you’ll see exactly the same types of dresses worn. It’s 2026, not 1926, things have changed.”
He continued to explain that the photoshoot was done to “showcase the town hall as a viable, and really cool place for brands, filmmakers and photographers to hire out.”
“You can’t rely on the occasional Zumba or yoga session to bring in enough to keep the lights on. In the same session we also had a musician come in to film content on the stage.”
One Facebook user responded to the post saying they “thought it was an advertisement for a new strip club.”
Another said: “Is Lynton the new Amsterdam?”
Others defended the images saying the critiques come from a place of prudery.
Mayor of Lynton Town Council, Adrian Hobbs said the council had no comment on the matter.