MEMBERS of a Stourport group have joined forces to create a picture history book to mark the dawning of the new millennium in the town.

Stourport Civic Society's Images of England - Stourport-on-Severn publication, which is launched on Saturday, features photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as many closer to the present day.

The Images of England series includes a number of publications produced across Britain's towns, cities and villages to mark the start of the new era.

A key researcher behind the scenes has been civic society member Geoff Neal, who held regular meetings with the group's vice-president Anna Carter after it was decided to produce the book back in September last year.

The 78-year-old said: "The people of Stourport have been truly amazing in helping us produce the book.

"They have handed over more than 1,000 photographs and have really been a great help in ensuring everybody who reads the book will find it a great pleasure."

Mr Neal added: "I believe there are many pictures folk will have never seen before from a variety of years.

"Even though each section does have a brief summary to accompany the photographs, the pictures really are the beauty of the book because they are often the inspiration for memories to come flooding back to people."

The book contains 10 chapters, the first half of which features basins and canals, the River Severn, churches and industries.

The latter part includes schools, wartime Stourport, events and organisations and people and places.

Images of England - Stourport-on-Severn, is published by Tempus at £9.99 and is available from the civic society and WH Smith and Dillons in the town.