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Gracie film comes home

Damon Wilkinson
14/11/2006

RARELY seen footage of King George the fifth's visit to Rochdale in 1913 will be the centre piece of an exhibition of film showing life in town over the last century.

Dame Gracie Fields' wartime fund-raising visit and a piece on Sir Cyril Smith's time as mayor during the 1960s will also feature in the Rochdale on Film exhibition to be shown at Touchstones from 7.30pm next Thursday (23 November).

Other recordings show how the town celebrated Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 and the 1928 carnival.

The exhibition is being organised by North West Vision in conjunction with Manchester Metropolitan University's North West Film Archive. The archive's service manager Marion Hewitt said: "This is a great opportunity for the people of Rochdale to enjoy an evening with a difference and take a look back at life in their area over the past century."

North West Visions' Alice Morrison said: "The North West Film Archive is one of our region's real gems and we are proud to support Rochdale on Film, enabling local people to access a piece of their region's past."

Rochdale on Film will be presented by the collections assistant Geoff Senior. Tickets (£2) are available from 924940.

Meanwhile Touchstones is also helping the Observer celebrate its 150th anniversary.

From 25 November to 13 April The Esplanade gallery will be looking back at the Obby's colourful past.

One Hundred and Fifty years of Local Reporting will highlight how the paper has been keeping Rochdalians informed since 1856.

Visitors will also be able to have a go a writing their own front page scoop.

As part of the celebrations Richard Catlow, group editor of the Observer and its sister weekly papers around the region, is to give a free illustrated talk on the paper's history from 2-3pm on Saturday 9 December.