TODAY (January 20) marks the third anniversary of the death of renowned local historian and former Keighley News columnist, Dr Ian Dewhirst.

Here, Tim Neal – of Keighley and District Local History Society – examines the life and legacy of the man dubbed 'Mr Keighley'. Some of the photos he shares from the society archive have not been publicised previously.

Ian made an invaluable contribution to preserving, cataloguing and recounting the town's history, says Tim.

He wrote many articles and books about Keighley – and gave hundreds of talks and tours to various societies and groups.

Ian had given talks to Keighley and District Local History Society on many occasions. His last was in January, 2018, when he provided an off-the-cuff commentary on a selection of postcards. It was typical of Ian that, even without seeing the postcards in advance, he could recount tales relating to each and every one of them.

Ian was born in Keighley in 1936 and attended the Boys’ Grammar School.

Writing as an 'old boy' in a school magazine of 1964, Ian said: "My first afternoon at Keighley Boys’ Grammar School I had an interminable arithmetic lesson under a brown and very gory picture of the battle of Hastings. During the next seven years I was destined never to enter that room again. I was never quite sure where it was – I used to keep bobbing into strange classrooms at break or in the evenings, looking for the battle of Hastings, but I never saw it."

After graduating from the University of Manchester with an English degree and completing his National Service in the Royal Army Educational Corps, he started working at Keighley Library in 1960.

He was promoted to reference librarian in 1967, a role he fulfilled until his retirement in 1991.

During that time he wrote A History of Keighley, published by Keighley Corporation in 1974 and reprinted several times since. His countless other publications ranged from Old Keighley in Photographs (1972) to Keighley in the Second World War, in 2005.

Ian was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Bradford, was awarded an MBE for services to local history, had a diesel train named after him and received the WR Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award.

A memorial collection was established in Keighley Local Studies Library following his death, with his family donating hundreds of his books, articles and artefacts.