CITY Hall will be lit up red and white to mark St George’s Day on Tuesday.

The flag of England, depicting the cross of St George, will be flown from the Bradford Centenary Square flagpoles, from Shipley, Bingley and Ilkley town halls and at Bingley Market Square, to mark the day.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Zafar Ali, will be visited at City Hall by the president and members of the Bradford branch of the Royal Society of St George. The visitors will present the Lord Mayor with red roses to mark the day of the English patron saint.

St George’s Hall, which has recently been refurbished, will also throw open its doors to offer two heritage tours marking the patron saint’s day. Visitors to the sold-out tours will discover more about the history of the landmark Bradford venue, and the astonishing variety of people who have performed and gathered there since 1853.

Scouts parade through Bradford city centre to mark St George's Day

St George's Hall is a grade II listed Victorian building and the oldest concert hall still in use in the United Kingdom. Famous names to have performed there include Victorian author Charles Dickens, who read extracts from his novel A Christmas Carol in the auditorium in 1854. In more recent times the venue has hosted musicians, entertainers and cultural icons such as David Bowie, the Hallé Orchestra and Barbara Dixon.

The saint’s day will be marked at Council owned pools and sports centres with St George’s Day decorations and discounted prices for many sports activities that day. Phone or visit local sports centres for more details.

Also on April 23, Eccleshill Library will hold a ‘Journey to the King’s Throne’ creative writing workshop for children aged five to 11, themed around mediaeval times. For more information phone 01274 431544 or look at the library’s Facebook page.

Phil Barker, Bradford Council’s assistant director for sport and culture said: “St George’s Day is a great occasion to celebrate English tradition, culture and heritage, from sharing stories with children about heroes and dragons, to appreciating everything that is good about this country.

“Our heritage tours at St George’s Hall will allow visitors to look through a very special window to the past. Our other events around the district will provide a light-hearted way of celebrating the English patron saint’s day.”