HYNDBURN residents could get the chance to shape a new permanent exhibition charting the history of the Accrington Pals.

A new display of photographs featuring the Pals regiment was unveiled at Oswaldtwistle Mills yesterday, and organisers hope the pictures will jog the memories of visitors.

The local regiment was almost wiped out on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in World War One.

The display, of almost 100 photographs of the Pals, was set up by local historian Bill Turner, who has been associated with the regiment for years.

Mr Turner hopes visitors will be able to supply him with treasured memories of relatives who may be pictured as part of the display, and even shape the exhibition itself in the future.

He said: "I asked for a notice to be put up in the exhibition, saying anyone who has information, or who can get information and would like to pass it on to leave word at the reception.

"So maybe we could add to the exhibition with new material at some future date. It's possible we will get some new information, it still comes in after all these years.

"It's personal information, usually a relative who will let me have information about a great grand father or a grand father who served in the Pals."

The display has been established in the venues Heritage Room, which features displays of local history about the Hyndburn area.

Along with about 40 photographs of regimental scenes selected from an Accrington Pals archive, there are 50 head-and-shoulder portraits of individual officers. Then the display also features a roll of honour, with the names of soldiers who tragically died during the war.

Mr Turner said: "I selected about 40 photographs out of about 500. They were appropriate to telling the story of the Accrington pals, starting from September 1914 right through to the present day.

"Also from the photographs of individuals that we have got we selected about 50 portraits of individuals who served in the Pals.

"These came from Accrington and the surrounding area, just to get a representative picture of the people who served in the regiment -- young men and family men, and so on."

The exhibition is open to the general public.

Peter Hargreaves, chairman of Oswaldtwistle Mills, said: "We are hoping that the display may jog even more memories and more information maybe forthcoming about the Pals."

Special stone tribute for heroes

HYNDBURN Council bosses are to consider plans to install a permanent memorial to the Accrington Pals regiment in the town centre.

The proposed site for the large stone monument is within gardens off Church Street, next to St James' Church.

If the scheme is given the go-ahead, at a meeting of the council's planning committee on Wednesday, June 23, the memorial will sit in an area set to be repaved and landscaped.

In a report to be considered by the committee, it says: "It is considered the location and future improvements will create an appropriate location for this important memorial and be appropriate in the conservation area."

The work looks set to be approved by the committee.