FILM-maker Martin Parry has been overwhelmed at the response to his “inspirational” 90-minute documentary Railway Town which was premiered to a sell-out audience at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre.

All 650 tickets were snapped-up a week in advance of last Monday’s screening when a number of people had to be turned away disappointed after hoping to pay on the door.

Martin is now hoping to stage a second screening of the first ever full-length documentary about the “Swindon Story” - how the town grew-up on fields surrounding the Great Western Railway works 175 years ago.

He has also released a DVD of the film, which features the oldest known footage of Swindon, and is hoping to interest television channels to screen it as TV documentary.

Still stunned at the response, Martin, of Central Swindon, said: “I was indeed pleased that so many people came out to see Railway Town. I didn't really expect to sell out the Wyvern.

“I found it really impressive to see the auditorium packed. All the tickets went more than a week before the event and then there were loads more people clamouring for a ticket afterwards.

“Unfortunately I couldn't do anything for them as there were 650 seats and once they were sold that was it.

“A lot of people have said that they were expecting to turn up on the night and get a ticket then. So I'm sorry for the disappointment.”

Martin, who hired the Wyvern for the screening, went on: “Of course I was interested to watch the film there myself as I hadn’t seen on a giant screen - my own one at home is somewhat smaller.

“What was great too, was to see how animated the audience were after the film and for the discussion during the second half of the evening.”

He said he was still feeling overwhelmed at the “massive congratulations I received right afterwards and since.”

He said: “I was hoping people would think it was good because I put a lot of effort into making it, particularly into the research. But I wasn't really expecting the glowing epithets like 'fantastic', 'wonderful', 'a great achievement' and 'inspirational.’

“I was pleased that so many people felt it had 'flown by' as well. As a film-maker you know that an hour and a half is a long time, and you certainly don't want it to seem to have dragged.

“But perhaps the nicest thing has been all of the people who said the film renewed their sense of pride in Swindon. If it can do that, it is a lasting and worthwhile achievement of much value and I will be glad to have contributed to it.”

Martin has been contemplating the project for years but finally got cracking so it would coincide with Swindon’s 175th birthday this year which celebrates the beginnings of the GWR works, and thus the town we know today.

In 1988 he founded the Western Film Archive to “collect, preserve and make available audio visual material” from Swindon and the surrounding region and he drew heavily this footage to make Railway Town.

He added that the Wyvern was solidly booked for months to come and that another venue was being sought for a second screening.

Meanwhile a Railway Town DVD is now available price £12.95 from viewpointcommunitymedia.org.uk/shop/

All of the proceeds will go towards supporting his archive charity.