HOUSEHOLDERS turned out the contents of lofts, cupboards and garages to find bits and pieces of history for a potential new heritage centre for the Northallerton area.

Over 200 items of interest have been listed as possible new exhibits after an event organised by Northallerton and Villages Community Forum and Hambleton District Council.

Articles included a cigarette case made by an Italian prisoner of war at a Prisoner of War Camp on Stokesley Road in Northallerton which was made from aluminium from a plane that had crashed near the Green Tree Pub. There was also a leather bound bible published in 1856 which was gifted to John Foggin, an 11 year old local boy and a quern stone dug up in a field in Brompton that could be from the Roman period.

"The response to our call for artefacts has been incredible," said Deputy Leader of Hambleton District Council, Councillor Peter Wilkinson.

"We now have a huge amount of information on record which we can use if we can provide a heritage centre for the town. And the number of people attending also showed the interest there is in the history of Northallerton and the surrounding area. It was a very interesting day."

Peter Cole, Vibrant Market Towns Project Officer added, "We are also looking to create an archive of oral histories with North Yorkshire County Records Office and explore options of digital displays and ‘pop-up’ exhibitions."

Volunteers from Bedale charity Blue Sky Thinking photographed all of the articles.