MEMORIES of Bewdley's past are being preserved for future generations by the town's civic society.

Members of the society have been busy recording the recollections of residents for an oral history project which will form part of a display at the town's museum.

Around 54 people, aged between 60 and 90, have now been interviewed and each conversation has been recorded by Pete Lowes on CDs, which are later transcribed.

Ken Hobson, of Bewdley Civic Society, who was successful in applying for an Awards for All grant to fund the project, said: "We thought it was about time people's recollections were recorded. It has given us a very good insight into how Bewdley people lived."

One of the participants is Ted Hurst, who lives in Rock and owns the Butt Town Meadow caravan park in Wribbenhall.

Living in Severnside North, where he was born in 1921, the River Severn played an important part in his early years.

He attended Lax Lane School and remembers when the river levels were high his headteacher, Bobby Jackson, would ring a friend in Shrewsbury to check on the levels there.

Mr Hurst said Mr Jackson knew that when the river peaked in Shrewsbury it would be 48 hours before it reached its peak in Bewdley.

He added: "Mr Jackson would walk along the riverside, banging on people's doors to warn them there could be a flood. I remember there was a bad one in 1947 and water rushed under the doors of the houses on Severnside North."

Mr Hurst was also a member of Bewdley Rowing Club in the 1930s and his stepfather, Sid, ran a company hiring out boats on the River Severn.

Helen Mackaness, who is still living in the same house since when she was born in Cleobury Road in 1923, has also been interviewed.

She attended St Anne's House School in Lower Park and the Knoll School in Kidderminster.

Miss Mackaness believes Bewdley has not lost any of its "character" since she was a child, unlike other towns in the area.

She said it has managed to retain most of its old buildings although a few, such as the former Bewdley Bridge toll house, have been lost.

The 82-year-old said she has seen a vast increase in the town's population over the years, from 3,000 residents to more than 10,000, as well as the construction of many housing estates, such as Hales Park, Queensway and Blossom Hill.

She said: "Hales Park used to be a cherry farm. I remember going there when it was nothing but orchards."

The retired music teacher said one of the biggest changes to affect the town was the bypass, built in 1987 as, before, traffic queues used to build up outside her house, especially at weekends.

"The noise was terrible", she said, adding.

"The cars would be bumper to bumper and it would take them a long time to get to town."

The society still has a few more interviews to do before members start editing the recordings for the exhibition, which will open in May next year.