A SPECIAL exhibition at Forge Mill Needle Museum launches later this month.

Entitled My Redditch Memories, and organised by The Redditch Local History Society, it will feature many new, previously un-published memories and displays of the town.

Society archivist Derek Coombes said: “Whenever we do exhibitions, events and displays, it is always photographs and memories that people like to see. This exhibition is full of just that.

“Following requests to Redditch residents, many have responded and sent in new memories of Redditch over the last 100 years.

"We have had many from people who are no longer residents in the town, but have fond memories of it, including some from New Zealand.”

The society has recorded all these memories and illustrated them with documents and photographs from its archives.

As well as the written memories at the exhibition there will be several special features including displays about Church Green, St. Stephen’s Church, and old maps of the town.

Mr Coombes added: “We are particularly pleased that the late Colin Wheeler left the society many of the artefacts that he had collected over the years and we are most grateful to his family for passing them on to us.

"As a result we will have on display a special feature on Colin and his association with the Palace Theatre. We will also have a previously unknown audio tape of him singing his own words to the song Thanks for the Memories."

The exhibition opens at 11am on Thursday, October 31 and runs every day Forge Mill is open until November 24.

On the three Wednesdays in November (November 6, 13, and 20) the society will be holding 'memory days' when residents can share memories and artefacts.

History Society members will also be at the Mill these days to answer questions about Redditch local history and what the society does to promote it.

Refreshments will also be available on these days.

For more details, go to redditchhistorysociety.org.uk or rvmha.info