Rare old films of Newtown revealed

Old and historic films of Newtown and communities throughout Montgomeryshire have been made available to the public through a new website launched by the British Film Institute.

The old films of Newtown, including one of the floods in the 1960s, another of the old Montgomeryshire Express and a general one of Newtown in 1963 have been unearthed on the website.

One shows the disastrous impact the foods of the 1960s had on the town centre, while another shows various places around Newtown and well-known landmarks.

Other films from Welshpool and villages throughout the area can also be found on the website at http://player.bfi.org.uk 

Users can search towns, such as Newtown, or villages or by postcode.

The films show Newtown in its former glory and are not only of historic value, but of interest to young people, families and those who have lived here in the past.

With plenty of photographs depicting Newtown and shared on Facebook and other archives, the latest free service from the BFI is expected to generate a lot of interest from residents in Montgomeryshire who will want to see their communities from decades ago.

Caption: Shortbridge Street as filmed on the BFI archive (top, right) and looking down towards Broad Street from the Crescent (left).