Dark Lane - YouTube reminder of lost village

Fascinating colour footage of one of Telford's "lost villages" filmed shortly before the close-knit community was wiped off the map forever has been showcased to the public for the first time ever.

Cine film showing people and scenes in Dark Lane in the 1960s, which until now has only been seen by a handful of people, has become available to a mass audience after being put on YouTube by Graham Woolrich.

"These films were sitting in boxes not being used. I thought that was a shame," said Graham, 63, who is from Lichfield but who has strong family links with Dark Lane.

He had the film digitised, which opened up new opportunities.

"Putting it on to YouTube means that it is available for everybody to see."

And Graham has given permission for the footage to be featured on the Shropshire Star website.

Dark Lane was destroyed in about 1970 by the development of Telford town centre. Today the site is mainly under the Hollinswood housing estate.

"My uncle was George Wilson, my mum's brother, and Gladys Wilson was his wife. They ran the sub post office in the latter years of Dark Lane. It was known as Malinslee Post Office, but was on the Dark Lane."

Graham's mum, Muriel Wilson, was brought up in Dark Lane.

"We used to go back to visit my grandparents and also my aunts and uncles who also lived in the village.

"Dennis Rogers took that particular film, the one of Dark Lane in the mid 1960s. His wife Melville is my first cousin and lived in Dark Lane."

Dennis and Melville have written a book about the demise of Dark Lane, called Dark Lane: The Forgotten Village of Telford, which is still available.

The films posted on YouTube are called Dark Lane in the 1960's, The End of Dark Lane, Dark Lane 1966, and Shropshire Relatives.

By Toby Neal