A WALKABOUT performance by young people is hoping to reveal the hidden histories of derelict buildings in the Railway Village.

The free performance, taking place this Saturday, is part of the heritage-lottery funded Sharing Swindon's Stories, a creative heritage and arts project aimed at 11 - 17 year olds.

The young people, who have co-created the performance alongside Prime Theatre, will take visitors round the conservation area that once housed GWR workers, promising to meet 'ghosts that hold long forgotten memories'.

"There will be a storyline that runs throughout," said Hannah Parry, community projects manager at The Mechanics' Institute Trust.

"People will also meet characters and get to find out more about aspects of the social history of the area, about why these buildings are so important and what they represent.

"It's a unique and brilliant opportunity when we get to experience things like this."

The Railway Village is historically and culturally significant for the more well-known Mechanic's Institute and Health Hydro, which were important for their role in providing healthcare for workers, being an early blueprint on which the NHS could model itself on when it was established in 1948.

The Railway Village was also recently voted England's Favourite Conservation Area by the Civic Society after a nationwide vote by members of the public.

But the performance will largely be a surprise to those who turn up.

"You don't want to know what's going to happen, it's got a bit of mystery about it," added Hannah.

"It's buildings they might not expect to get into, ones that the public wouldn't normally be able to access at the moment.

"Lots of people know how special this area is but lots of people don't, even locally. So we really wanted to get that message across.

"We're hoping to give people a sense of connection with out heritage and story, and really how special it is. This story doesn't exist anywhere else and we want people to feel good about Swindon because it is a great town.

"We also want to say a big thank you to the Heritage Lottery Fund and national lottery players. It's such an amazing resource, so much stuff wouldn't happen without it."

The times for Saturday's performance are11.15am, 1.15pm and 2.45. Groups will meet outside the Central Community Centre before setting off to tour the buildings around the village.

Organisers have said to anyone who doesn't manage to get tickets to join the waiting list on the Event Brite page in the likelihood there will be more released closer to the day.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/if-walls-could-talk-tickets-51332892062?fbclid=IwAR30nuTZpbD0GwkScWf-i_Oxxy1S1OnsKDvi-PakS3-kr09Y2VCyowzPB24