This stage-full of 18th century characters were members of the St Barnabas’ Dramatic Society from Thwaites Brow in 1934.

The occasion, in St Thomas’ Hall at Sutton, was a production of five one-act plays organised by the Workers’ Educational Association for the Craven area.

St Barnabas’ Dramatic Society performed John Wesley, written by Keighley history teacher and local historian, Clifford Whone.

The play was an imaginative interpretation of Wesley’s visit to Keighley in 1748. It was set in the White Bear Inn down Low Street, with a varied cast including a landlord and landlady, an adventurer, a mischief-maker, deputy constable, drummer-boy, chimney sweep, the Reverend William Grimshaw of Haworth and, of course, John Wesley himself, played by John Thompson, seen here with raised arm in the centre of the group.

Two of the other plays performed that same evening had also been written by local WEA members – Who’d Hev Thowt It? by Wilson Holmes, of Haworth, and Snowgate by May Lee, of Silsden.