Lowestoft's history explored through a series of short films

High Street Histories will include rare archive pictures of south Lowestoft and Kirkley

The history of a Suffolk town has been explored in a series of short films.

The second instalment of High Street Histories will include rare, archive photographs of south Lowestoft and Kirkley.

The films were intended to educate the town's children, and they feature conversations between the historian Ivan Bunn and writer Dean Parkin.

Mr Parkin said: "We've found a unique way of documenting Lowestoft's history."

"It's a privilege to bring to life the wonderful archive photographs from the collections of Jack Rose and Bert Collyer, with Ivan sharing the stories behind the images," Mr Parkin continued.

The first tram arrived in London Road South, Lowestoft, on the 22 July 1903

The series has been in partnership between Mr Bunn, Historic England's Heritage Schools programme, the London Road Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone and Poetry People.

High Street Histories launched its first series last August, which looked at Lowestoft's high street and gained about 20,000 views.

• 'I did not see myself in the history I was taught'

Mr Bunn said it has given him "much pleasure" to contribute to another collection of films.

"The story behind the buildings on London Road, both north and south of the bridge, is vastly different from those on the old Lowestoft High Street," he said.

The short films will show the entrance to the Palace Cinema in the mid-1930s

"The development here reflects the impact that the construction of the promenade, outer harbour and the associated domestic houses in the 1840s and 1850s had on the area."

The second series starts at the former Post Office building in London Road North and heads south to the old Tuttles department store, before continuing over the bridge to explore Kirkley.

Kate Argyle, a local education heritage manager for the Heritage School's programme, said: "It's been brilliant to see the enthusiasm of young people, who have loved seeing how familiar places have changed over time and the events these buildings have witnessed." 

Haileys was a popular department store, shown here in the 1970s

 The films have been free to watch and were aimed at all ages, and each episode has an accompanying worksheet for primary school children.

The first two episodes have been published on Poetry People's Facebook and YouTube, while the remaining episodes will be released throughout February and March.