CELEBRATED historian, walks guide and ghost hunter Malcolm Hanson aims to go out with a bang with his last-ever talk.

The flamboyant writer and educator has chosen Keighley for the final performance of his presentation about Bradford district’s Civil War siege.

The talk – in which he plays several real-life characters from the fateful siege – will also mark Malcolm’s withdrawal from the public-speaking after several successful years in the northern circuit.

He will give the presentation at Cliffe Castle Museum on Saturday November 10 at 2pm following several weeks touring the district’s museums, libraries and public halls.

Malcolm’s first foray into entertainment was as a member of Keighley rock bands such as Dawnwatcher during the late 1970s.

He went on to chair Keighley Festival, write a series of local history books, and lead ghost and history walks in Skipton in Keighley.

But it was his work creating heritage trails for more than 100 primary schools across Bradford district that inspired his public-speaking swansong.

Malcolm said he had been “wowing them in the aisles” with the talk at venues such as Margaret MacMillan Towers, Bradford’s Bolling Hall, and Bradford Industrial Museum.

He said: “I’ve appeared all over the north of England, yet knowing that nothing lasts forever, I really wanted to go out with a bang.

“The idea of developing a talk and taking it on tour as a one-man show is doing just that. It has worked, and now I’m bringing the bang home.”

Malcolm gradually uncovered Bradford district’s role in the English Civil War during his research for primary school trails.

He uncovered what he describes as “a story of unparalleled heroism” as ordinary folk from villages and towns came together to take on the king’s armies.

Malcolm said: “The upshot was Bradford – against overwhelming odds – beat King Charles’ soldiers on two occasions, obliging the king in the end to send over 12,000 to take the town.

“The king thought our ancestors a pushover, but they showed him the kind of spirit that they possessed – and he didn’t!”

Malcolm said his siege tour has been very successful, with most dates drawing healthy audiences.

He added: “The two Bolling Hall shows went particularly well, equalling house records. But the Cliffe Castle show is the one that matters more than all of them.

“After years of story-telling in schools, and countless speeches to clubs and societies, I really want to go out on a high.

“Being given the chance to perform in Cliffe Castle’s prestigious Bracewell Smith Hall will give me that chance, and I hope lots of people come along on November 10 to celebrate it with me!”

Admission to the Bradford Civil War Siege Story is free, but a small donation to the venue would be welcome.