PHOTOGRAPHS of their families helped children from Tregoze Primary School to learn about the past.

A total of 60 Year 5 and Year 6 pupils took photos to school yesterday as part of a workshop organised by npower and the global memory archiving website Historypin.

Pupils and teachers brought photographs of weddings, births and various celebrations ranging from the 1940s to today and told each other the stories behind them.

Claire Bowen, assistant principal at the school, said: “The children could choose to bring photos which fitted into one of several themes, which included celebrate, keep warm and work.

“They also had to speak to their families and neighbours about the stories behind the photos.

“The children and teachers spent the afternoon sharing memories of the past. They had photos of their grandparents and family celebrations from years ago. Some children brought pictures of when they were born in hospital with their mums and dads, which was really nice.”

The pupils were also treated to a visit from South Swindon MP Robert Buckland, who joined in with the nostalgic event.

Miss Bowen said: “It is a whole different way of remembering the past. They had to talk to people about their photos and find out the stories behind them and then recount the story as they heard it.

“They were so enthusiastic about sharing their stories.”

The photos will be uploaded on Historypin.

Newburgh Sheltered Housing, in Highworth, was also visited by the npower team, with residents remembering how they used to cook and clean, play, work, keep warm, watch and listen, and celebrate.

The archive invites the public to document and share their memories.

By listening to the experiences of those at Newburgh House and showing how lifestyles have changed in 60 years, npower hopes the workshops will demonstrate how previous generations lived without the household appliances considered mainstream today.

Clare McDougall, head of community and education at npower, said: “By asking the children to speak to their families to learn more about how they grew up, we hope that their imaginations will be sparked and they’ll want to know more about life 60 years ago.”

To explore the archive and add contributions go to www.

historypin.com/rememberhow.