Film screening to reveal living history of Telford

It is an evocative journey back in time, using archive footage of a different age. The showing will see images of Ironbridge, Madeley, Jackfield, Coalbrookdale, Wellington, Broseley and surrounding areas from the 1950s onwards, accompanied by live music.

Over the last few months historians from Freefall Arts have been working with the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, meeting local film makers, families, historical societies, archives and others to seek out and digitise home movies of the region.

The footage has been digitised and edited by film artist Anthony Hatton into a feature that speaks of a time past and shows people and places long gone or changed.

The Past Lives Ironbridge film features footage of the Ironbridge power station being built in the 1960s, showing the labourers building it by hand, and the breath-taking vista from the top of the towers.

Carnivals and fairs also feature in the film, with footage from the 1960s and '70s of Jackfield summer fair, Wellington and Broseley carnivals, scout parades and Armistice Day parades in Madeley with footage of local World War One and Two heroes in procession.

Another local hero featured is Eustace Rogers, the last of a long line of Ironbridge coracle makers.

This cine footage was shot by local Jackfield couple George and Edna Morris who, over many decades, have recorded important and everyday events of the region.

Dave Sturt, a musician involved in the project, said: "The quality of the footage found during the Past Lives Project shows how important social history is within these amateur cine films, and how imperative it is that we save these films for future generations."

Most 8mm and 16mm cine film is silent, so to bring narrative and emotion to the film, musicians Mr Sturt and Theo Travis have worked with staff and pupils of Abraham Darby Academy School to compose a new piece of music for the film.

The film will be shown at Ironbridge's Enginuity at 6pm on Saturday.

Tickets are £3 and should be purchased in advance from the Museum of The Gorge on (01952) 433424 or on line at www.ironbridge.org.uk