AN exhibition showing the development of Birchwood is now on display at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.

Days of the New Town: Birchwood at 50 opened to the public on Saturday, June 30 and showcases photographs of Birchwood as the planners imagined it and how residents lived it.

The display features some of the Development Corporation’s photographs of the area’s designs and during the early stages of construction.

It covers the early 1970s to the late 1980s and gives visitors a glimpse into how the residents settled into the town.

The exhibition, which will run until Saturday, September 15, also features photos from ‘the People’s Archive’ which have been donated by current and former residents of Birchwood.

Curator Su Fitzpatrick, a lecturer in human geography at York St John University and originally from Birchwood, also held research interviews with residents to reflect the memories and thoughts of those living in the area.

She said: “The project will continue beyond the exhibition, I am hoping to recruit residents to come to one of a series of focus groups I hope to be hosting in October or November time in Birchwood.

“I’m asking residents to share their thoughts on how they feel about Birchwood’s green spaces, how these feelings may have changed over time and how people use Birchwood’s green spaces.”

The project aims to build a bigger picture of Birchwood’s development in the 50 years since Warrington was designated a new town.

  •  For more visit daysofthenewtown.wordpress.com.