A KNUTSFORD artist has brought history to life in his first ever children’s book, retelling stories of the town’s past.

Tim Claydon-Butler, a father-of-two from Canute Place, has decided to use his passion for drawing to get local youngsters interested in the town’s rich history.

His debut book, ‘Highwayman Higgins’ is the first installation of a proposed series called ‘Cranford Tales’, which uses illustrations of animal characters to bring narrative to life.

The main character in his first book is an illustrated mouse representing the notorious historical figure, Edward Highwayman Higgins, with the accompanying characters taking the form of different animals.

38-year-old Tim said: “I have always loved drawing and it was just a hobby at first. The idea started when I read Joan Leech’s book of Knutsford’s history, and it really interested me.

“I’ve lived here for 18 years and I have always loved the town, but never quite understood everything about it.

“At the time, my daughter was four years old and she loved the Brambley Hedge books, so that was inspiration for the drawings.

“The drawings were all originally done by hand, and then I coloured them in on the computer.”

The book has already piqued the interest of Knutsford Heritage Centre who are keen to stock it in on their shelves in order to raise awareness of the town.

Val Bryant, from the Heritage Centre, said: "I think this book is absolutely brilliant. It's very important to Knutsford because it fills a gap in the market which is Primary School children. We are very excited to be stocking the books here in the shop and we look forward to working with Tim in the future on his next projects."

Tim, who was school governor for 8 years, has also received a great response from business owners and institutes in the area, such as Tatton Park Gift Shop and Egerton Primary.

He said: “I am really positive about the future of it. I’m pleased with the reception and it is nice that people are enjoying the book and can see that there is a gap in the market for kids.

“I funded the book myself, and I am not expecting to make millions off the back of it.

“If I can get kids to open their eyes and be excited about the history of Knutsford then that’s great. I want them to question ‘Well what was there before?’ and ‘Why is that like that?’, that’s really what I would like to get out of it.

Tim will be occupying a stall at Lion Street Market on Monday May 25, where visitors will be able to enjoy interactive attractions and purchase a copy of the book.

Highwayman Higgins is available to buy now from Amazon.