VILLAGERS were invited to an open day to find out more about an ambitious project designed to encapsulate the history of Stogursey - quite literally by word of mouth.

Volunteers have spent the last year collating data for the Stogursey Oral History Project, which aims to chart the village's history before the nuclear power stations were built at Hinkley Point, right through to the present day.

But rather than rely on archive footage or newspaper cuttings, the volunteers have been recording residents' memories by interviewing villagers who have lived through the many changes that have shaped Stogursey.

The memories, which date from just before World War Two, have been brought together in a book, a series of display boards and a film made by local schoolchildren.

At the weekend, visitors were encouraged to call in to the Victory Hall to get a taste of how the project is progressing, while also being able to enjoy a ploughman's lunch and a glass of mulled cider.

The project has been supported by a £9,700 All Our Stories grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a training grant from the Somerset Community Forum.

EDF Energy's 'Helping Hands' scheme also gave support in the early stages when interviews had to be transcribed, while staff at the community media venture The Engine Room in Bridgwater helped create displays and a film.

Lesley Flash of the history project said: "The volunteer interviewers collected some fascinating material and are hoping that the weekend's display will encourage more people to share their stories.

"The volunteers like to listen not only to those who who born and bred and still live in the parish, but also to those have moved away, as well as those who were born and bred elsewhere but who have since moved in and stayed."

The hope is that the oral history project will form the basis for a continuously updated parish record.

Anyone who would like to share their memories for the project should email [email protected]">[email protected] or telephone 01278 732417.

Pictured from left, Phil Hemmings, Aubrey Knowles, Lesley Flash, Ian Elenor and Teresa Miller.

Photo: Steve Guscott