What happens when you mix a 19th‑century cycling club, a modern-day library, and a group of imaginative Clifton residents?

You get History Misbehaves: Spokes—a lively audio drama that pedals between past and present, echoing the warmth, humour, and creativity found in the Clifton Cycling Club archive.

Founded in 1895 at The Old Grey Mare, the club recorded their memories in poems, photos, and beautifully kept scrapbooks. Inspired by this tradition, participants in six creative sessions at Clifton Explore Library wrote their own poems and character pieces, bringing forgotten stories back to life.

With a script woven together by playwright Paul Birch and performances directed by Kate Valentine, the group recorded their work at Jorvik Radio—capturing the community spirit that runs through the original archive.

Spokes is a celebration of everyday people, shared journeys, and the power of community creativity.

Production Assistant Holly Beer. Time Travel Radio was directed by Kate Valentine and is a co-produced by Digital Drama, Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Explore Libraries and Archives.

With thanks to…

All participants; creative leaders Kate Valentine and Paul Birch; the staff at Clifton Explore Library; and the Explore York Archives team.

History is about to misbehave is a series of audio dramas, artistic creations and interviews inspired by the archive and local history collections relating to York.