New documentary stars residents of Knutsford sharing memories of life during WWII

The story of a Cheshire town during World War II has been retold in a new film.

Knutsford: Tales of War features interviews with people who lived in the town through the Second World War as they recount their memories of what life was like.

The film was launched with a special screening at the town's Curzon Cinema where the interviewees and their families were invited to see the film on the big screen.

Speaking at the launch, Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Coan acknowledged that due to the passage of time many who lived during the 1939-1945 war were no longer with us.

He said: "This serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of projects like this, collecting the history stored in people’s memories, before it is too late.”

Enid Leigh, , Tony Leadbeater and Bill Cowburn starred in the film along with fellow Knutsfordian Edith Chadwick.

They shared their experiences of seeing prisoners of war, the American troops on the Heath and paratroopers training over Tatton Park.

The project was delivered by Knutsford Town Council with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The project aimed to record the memories of those who lived through the war and create an engaging video to ensure their stories would be seen by as many as possible.

It is hoped it will be used by schools as part of teaching about the war and conflict generally.

As part of the project, a team of volunteers were trained in oral history recording and it is hoped that this will spur similar future projects.

The film features archive colour footage of Knutsford from 1944 and of paratroopers training in Tatton Park.

Speaking after the film was launched, Cllr Coan added “I was blown away by this personal recounting of life in Knutsford during the war and the incredible colour footage of the town.

"It was a delight to share the premiere with the stars and their families and I sincerely hope all viewers find this film as interesting and thought provoking as I did.”

The film can be watched for free on the Town Council website.

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