A NEW exhibition at Knutsford Heritage Centre will reveal the personal histories of the development of Longridge and Shaw Heath from the late 1950s to the present day.

Titled ‘creation of a community, the exhibition presents a selection from an online archive which collects people’s memories of their move to Knutsford alongside people’s memories of growing up in the area and having families of their own.

The exhibition has been developed by a team of local volunteers supported by Great Places Housing Group, the Heritage Lotter Fund and the Welcome Café.

Pat McAndrew, a Great Places resident who is leading the project, said: “Shaw Heath and Longridge have such a fascinating history, first as farming communities, then as modern urban design and now as established communities with many types of people and over forty years of memories. The Creation of a Community exhibition hopes to capture some of these.

The volunteers have been interviewing and collecting memories in the area since the start of the year.

Some of the personal recollections include Carnival photos and stories of creating new gardens, ballroom dancing and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

Alex Barker, Community Development Coordinator praised the project: “The community spirit in Longridge and Shaw Heath runs deep and the bond is incredible with people not only staying for generations, but also returning to the area. The project team have worked hard to showcase this through film and print.”

Creation of a community runs at the Heritage Centre from December 1 until January 9 2016. A public reception will be held on Saturday December 5 from 2pm until 4pm and everyone is welcome to attend.

To view the online archive visit www.creationofacommunity.com