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Malcolm Hanson

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Heritage Walks are not the only successful school projects I create...

It is amazing how something can diversify into something else. A heritage trail becomes a lamp project, or a part of a walk becomes a viewpoint in its own right. A one-off music lesson leads to a Keighley Festival concert at Victoria Hall, and the making of a papier-mache figure leads to a full-blown Wax Museum at the Arts Factory. On this page are listed a number of projects that have evolved from others. 

November 10th - December 8th 2004

Embsay Primary School, Skipton. The Victorian Trail around Skipton town centre. Five sessions of field work in Skipton, noting as many Victorian Buildings as possible and learning about their history. Included were the Railway Station, the Town Hall and many shops and streets.

October 3rd 2005 - March 23rd 2006

SportKeighley survey and SportKeighley trails/Schools Together walks. This involved linking several heritage trails around the Keighley area for both schools and members of public to go on. The walks were then pioneered by SportK and the Keighley Schools Together initiative. Classes from several schools took part.

May 22nd - June 29th 2006

Parish Church School, Skipton. The Parish Church School Tudor Project was the first of its kind to feature purely on the Tudor period of Skipton. Using costumes and props, we recreated the story of the Clifford dynasty of Skipton Castle. We even ended the project with a visit from Anne Brandon, whose husband is descended from the family of Lady Eleanor Brandon, niece of Henry VIII, who lived at Skipton Castle.

June 27th - July 21st 2006

Denholme School, Denholme, Bradford. Denholme School Plinth Project. This project involved seeking a vantage point on the moors above Denholme village and from where many points of interest could be seen. Haworth’s “Wuthering Heights”, Ilkley Moor and the Thornton Moor Wind Farm being just three. A make-shift plinth was made.

September 29th - October 20th 2006.

Kildwick Primary School, near Skipton. Kildwick School Tudor Project examined what happened in this time at Kildwick and also at Skipton Castle. There were four sessions which allowed the next idea - mini Tudor projects - to develop.

February 20th - February 23rd 2007

Oldfield School, near Keighley. The Oldfield School (mini) Tudor Project looked at Tudor influences in the area and included a visit to Skipton to look at certain Tudor buildings. We also visited the church of Holy Trinity for a Tudor treasure hunt.  

March 26th - March 30th 2007

Cononley Primary School, near Skipton. Cononley School (mini) Tudor Project looked at Tudor influences in the area and included a visit to Skipton to look at certain Tudor buildings. We also included the Holy Trinity Tudor treasure hunt.

May 24th  - July 15th 2007

St Anne’s Catholic School, Keighley. The History of St. Anne’s School Project involved looking through school records, books, diaries etc of those connected with the school since it’s opening in Victorian times right through to the present day. Old Boys and Girls were invited in to reminisce about their days at the school.   

October 18th 2007.

Water Street School, Skipton. A ‘mini’ mini Tudor day, visiting Tudor buildings in Skipton, lecturing on the Clifford dynasty of Skipton Castle, plus the Holy Trinity Tudor treasure hunt.

History Hunt

Students are given just 3 days to:

	Uncover and record local history
	Path find a “Heritage Trail”
	Mount an exhibition
	Publish a guide to their trail
	Act as Guides on an inaugural walk

Aimed at primary school children, the research for the History Hunt takes place both “in the field” and in the classroom.  Should weather permit students can have the option to work in the open air in a fieldwork gazebo (within school grounds).

Prices and further details Contact Us

SONGWRITING WORKSHOP

“How to write songs the ‘natural’ way”

You do not have to learn to read and write musical notation in order to write a good song. I tried to learn to read and write music and failed dismally; I did not have the required discipline; nor was my heart really in manuscripts; but I did have something. I could play an instrument - in my case, the guitar. And I soon realised that not having an academic musical education was no bar to composing three-minute ‘classics’. What I understood full well was this:-

If you can compose a melody in your mind then as long as you can repeat it on your chosen instrument you can surely write a song.

A workshop consists of:

	song writing demonstration
	comparing acoustic version with completed recorded version
	building a song
	lyric writing
	performance - selection of songs ‘in concert’ and/or ‘unplugged’

Prices and further details Contact Us

Denholme Lamp Project

After discovering the old abandoned base of the village square lamp in Denholme Park, Denholme School pupils played a part in the appeal to have it restored. Below are pictures of the restoration ceremony, September 2007.

Denholme School Plinth Project

Below, another class of Denholme School pupils are on the moors erecting a plinth. From here can be seen Wuthering Heights, Ilkley Moor, Thornton Moor Wind Farm and many other points of interest.

History Hunt

Malcolm  Hanson working on a plan of the next History Hunt. It's a bit like "Time Team" but without Mick Aston and Phil Harding!

Songwriting Workshop

Malcolm Hanson on stage at a recent concert. He is regarded as one of the area's top songwriters.

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