KEIGHLEY history expert Malcolm Hanson is going on tour with his one-man show.

He is travelling the district to reveal the true story of Bradford’s involvement in the English Civil War. He promises a tale of unparalleled heroism during his visits to venues including Keighley Library, Denholme Mechanics Institute and Ilkley Library.

Malcolm, a leading local tour guide and schools historian, will act out aspects of the story of the Bradford siege. He said his one-man show about the Civil War would feature “a bit of talking, a bit of acting, a bit of everything”.

The tour begins at Keighley Library, North Street, on September 15 at 2pm as part of the library’s annual History Day. The same event at the library will see the unveiling of Malcolm’s new exhibition about Keighley’s 1970s music scene.

Malcolm was inspired to study Bradford’s role in the English Civil War while creating more than 100 heritage trails for primary schools across West Yorkshire.

He said: “I uncovered a story of unparalleled heroism as ordinary village folk joined the townsfolk of Bradford in taking on in an evil so great that none were expected to live. But they did, and they won. These were our ancestors, and I want people to know how they did it.”

Malcolm said the modern-day inhabitants of the district will be proud of their ancestors was they had heard the story.

In his presentation, Malcolm will invite his audience to consider two roles. One would be a royalist soldier, one of 1,200 fully-trained, fully-armed men ordered to kill the enemy. On the other side were 300 Bradford citizens, untrained and unarmed.

Malcolm said: “When the battle began, the Royalist commanders laughed at Bradford’s rebel army. But help for Bradford was at hand in a most remarkable way, and a short time later the commanders laughed no more.”

The talk will be a Denholme Mechanics Institute on September 22 at 3pm, and Ilkley Library on October 27 at 2pm. Other dates: Bolling Hall, Bradford, September 16 and October 14, 2pm; Eccleshill Library, September 29, 2pm; Bradford Industrial Museum, October 10, 10am; Wibsey Library, October 22, 2pm; Wyke Library, November 3, 2pm.