FRIENDS brought together by a shared love of postcards are celebrating the release of their book, which follows the River Severn from its source to the sea.

Keith Turner and Jan Dobrzynski, who both live in Kidderminster, have compiled A Postcard from the Severn, which contains more than 200 pictures from their own collections.

The postcards date back to the end of the 19th century and show the journey of the river from Plynlimon to the Bristol Channel.

They have spent two years putting the book together and walked along the length of the river to see how the different views had changed.

Mr Turner, of Comberton Hill, said: "A lot of the scenes are much as they were then and a lot of them have changed. That's part of the fascination of the pictures."

The 53-year-old, who is a full-time writer, added: "We thought a lot of people would be interested in it, as there is a lot of interest in the Severn. The book is not just about the river - it's about the communities and industries alongside it.

He added: "We followed the Severn Way, which is a long-distance footpath along the river, so, in the book, we put details of how to find the Severn Way and local walks. It is very much a book you can take with you when you are exploring the river."

Mr Dobrzynski, of Chester Road North, said they were both proud of the book, adding: "The book is quite nostalgic. I think it is quite nice in the way it captures all of the aspects of the history of the river. It is an amazing river - you can't walk 200 yards along it without coming across some aspect of its history, from prehistoric times right through to the present day."

The 54-year-old, who is a laboratory manager and has been collecting postcards for as long as he can remember, added: "There is so much to see - it is an ideal subject for collecting postcards."

Mr Turner said: "If this one is successful we hope to follow it up with another one, about a different river."

Although it is his first book with Mr Dobrzynski, Mr Turner has written around 30 history books, including Central Birmingham 1870-1920 and Birmingham Transport.

For further information about the book, visit www.sutton

publishing.co.uk or contact 01453 731114.