YOUNGSTERS from a town school have been learning more about the history of Bromsgrove.

Upper Sixth students from Bromsgrove School participated in the Oral History Project earlier this month.

Justin Hughes, from Worcestershire's Archive and Archaeology Service, has been supporting the Heritage Lottery funded project by working with Bromsgrove School to assist in the recording of townsfolk's memories, from 1940 onwards.

Pat Tansell, a member of the Bromsgrove Society and librarian at Bromsgrove Library, visited the Worcester Road school to help the pupils. The students considered the recollections of residents who remembered details about life in the town before and after the High Street was pedestrianised.

There were discussions on the High Street's former alehouses, the hallelujah lamp, mods and rockers, and bakeries and butchers.

The youngsters also learned about how the High Street had changed, and how contributor's experiences had shaped their lives.

The pupils themselves were interviewed so a comparison between different generations could be drawn up.

Mr Hughes said: “The shared memories are an insightful, moving and amusing social history, and we will be producing a film narrative of the stories, due to be released in summer 2014."

Julia Zafar, head of history at Bromsgrove School, added: “This project brings the local environment and the impact it has on people into focus for the students.

"It has demonstrated to them that history happens as we live.”

The Oral History Project forms part of the five year Townscape Heritage Initiative, which is being co-ordinated by David Thomas for Bromsgrove District Council.

The broader initiative is a programme of work with High Street traders who are seeking to reinstate earlier shop front designs.