MEMORIES of how Purton used to be are being collected by the village history group.

The Purton Historical Society has been compiling an oral historical record of life in the village.

The main themes of the project are education, shops and agriculture.

So far former teachers, headmasters and farmers have been interviewed for the project.

Their next stage is to interview shopkeepers or anybody involved in the retail industry.

And they are also looking for elderly residents who have interesting tales of their own lives.

Purton Historical Society member Paul Booy said: "Our next step is transcribing the tapes. We have some volunteers lined up to do that in September.

"When we started, we wanted it to be thematic, but we are becoming more aware that we have some older residents who don't fit into the thematic structure.

"But they have a lot of interesting stories to tell and a lot of history to relate, so we want to open up that front."

The group is also planning a trip to Paris this October to visit sites associated with the French Revolution. The society is holding a series of talks in September entitled In Search of a Revolution to learn more about that period of history before they visit the historical sites.

If you are interested in sharing your memories of the Purton area or want to join their trip to Paris call Paul on 01793 770755.