A FORMER Radcliffe man is masterminding a special project to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War.

Oral history professional, Ken Howarth, who lived in Radcliffe for many years, moved to North Wales when he retired five years ago but has been commissioned by Manchester City Council to produce the oral history project inviting residents to share their memories of the war years.

The project aims to record people's experiences of living in Manchester during the war years, and also of people who saw service or lived in other parts of the world during the conflict.

Residents of Bury, who once lived in Manchester city centre, can share their experiences as part of the scheme, to be recorded on a CD. Experiences could include home life, weddings, schooldays, munitions, the Manchester Blitz and women at work, rationing, evacuees, public transport and sport.

There will be a particular focus on collecting memories of Mancunians who lived overseas during the war, or who were in the armed services and only came to live in Manchester at a later date.

The project is particularly keen to hear from the city's black and minority ethnic communities.

Mr Howarth, who will manage the project, founded the North West Sound Archive in 1979, and master copies of the recordings will be preserved there. He would also like to hear from anyone with memories handed down of the Manchester Blitz, which ran from December 22 to 24, 1940.

He said: "It is vital we leave a lasting legacy for future generations. This is our last chance to record memories before it is too late."

Ken can be contacted on 01492 584113 or by e-mail warmemories1@btinternet.com