Recollections of Witham's history may soon be captured on tape to create a spoken snapshot of life and times in yesteryears.

The plan is firmly on the cards as part of the proposed new museum for the town, which took another step further to becoming a reality this week.

Witham Town Council's millennium working group agreed on Monday to kickstart the project by hiring a collections specialist one day a week for a year.

"The creation of an aural history collection is a very attractive proposition," said Cllr Phil Barlow, "and we are now in the position of having someone working with us who already has experience and expertise in doing this.

"It will allow us to capture recollections of past times from residents who have actually lived through all the changes and can impart not only the facts about changing lifestyles, but their thoughts and reactions to them.

"We would hope to find people who have experience of working in industries which have now gone from the town, those who worked the land in the days when horses were used, to those who worked at firms that once were major employers.

"We have all seen old photographs and postcards, but to capture the memories and emotions on tape of people who were here and lived through the tremendous changes the town has seen, will be to turn them into reality," he said.

The starting point for the museum project though will be assess what historic artefacts are available.

"We now have someone with the expertise to start examining what is available for collection and how those items might be used," said Cllr Barlow.

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