A PROJECT is to celebrate Talacre through an exhibition relating to its history, stories and people.

The Story Shop is the first part of the Talacre Then and Now project, led by Flintshire Countryside Service, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund and Outdoor Learning Wales.

It will take place at Talacre Community Centre, in Gamfa Wen, from Saturday (April 20) to Sunday (April 29).

In preparation for the Story Shop the team, led by Lisa Heledd Jones of Storyworks, has been gathering stories and photos from local people.

Ms Jones, Storyworks director, told the Leader: "For the last few months we have been collecting memories, photographs and objects that related to Talacre.

"The Story Shop will be filled with those things that people can listen to and look at from other people's collections as well as from archives."

She added visitors are also welcome to bring their own memories and photographs to contribute to the exhibition.

Ms Jones, of Llangollen, said: "We encourage people to share - whether it is memories or photos of them on holidays there living there, or what it was like during the war.

"Talacre is a really interesting place. There is a small population of people living there but it has touched hundreds of thousands of people who have been on holiday there or were evacuated there during the war.

"When you look at the sand dunes, they did have homes on them - all the buildings are now gone, but people lived there up till 80s without water and electric in those shacks.

"Even now you see flowers coming up though the sand where there were gardens, where people had lived."

Ms Jones, 37, said activities for the project include an excavation of a beach home site on Wednesday, an RSPB-led walk on the Tuesday and flag making on the Monday, among others.

There will also be tea, coffee and cake at the exhibition.

Among the local people to contribute to the project so far is Anita Marsden, who said: "We moved to The Warren from Walton in Liverpool when I was two to escape the bombing.

"We lived in a wooden bungalow my dad built.

"You could hear the planes overhead at night as they came from Ireland way and up the estuary towards Liverpool but it didn’t seem to affect us as we were in a little cocoon of our own.

"We were safe and sound and yet the war was all around us. I know it sounds daft as there was a war on but it was a wonderful life."

John Larner, who has also shared his memories for the project, said: "It was absolutely fantastic growing up on the Warren.

"The freedom we had - the bungalows didn’t have any facilities.

"We didn’t have running water or electric, it was mostly paraffin lamps - but it was a magical place.”

For more information about the Story shop, contact Lisa Heledd Jones on 07475931831 or email:lisa@storyworksuk.com