CHRISTMAS gifts with a difference are available at The Hive in Worcester.

Explore the Past on level two has books, CDs, jewellery and pottery for sale, all of which are inspired by bygone eras.

The selection of gifts has been put on by the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service.

A new book described as “a great read for any budding history lovers out there” is up for grabs, priced at £9.99.

Stories of Worcester: History through the Eyes of Children by Pat Hughes and Deborah Overton features fictional stories that bring to life Worcester’s history, its building and its people.

The book, which also features illustrations by Pat Hughes and Aisling Nash, has been published by the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service.

Another title – Worcestershire’s War by Maggie Andrews, Adrian Gregson and John Peters – will also be on sale.

Letters, diaries and journals written during 1914 to 1918 were researched by the authors and the finished product has been praised as a “remarkable collection of voices which gives a unique insight into the county’s First World War”.

Members of the public can also make donations to the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service.