Black and White or Colour ?

I cant decide if I prefer the photo in colour or black and white, thoughts either way wanted.

The B&W looks a little flat, maybe you can increase the contrast and the blacks.

The one in colour has more impact. But I agree, maybe you can adjust the contrast to achieve a better effect.

Something like this? I've applied an s-shaped tone curve to lighten the background, just short of making the top of the image white, then used levels to make the foreground black. I use Photoshop, for what it's worth.

Tim