Llanrwst was once a thriving market town

The Llanrwst Oral History Project has been set up by the Almshouse Museum which celebrates its first birthday this week.

Opened with a Heritage Lottery grant a year ago, the old almshouses were restored and turned into a museum and drop-in centre.

Now the project is appealing for people to reminisce in both English and Welsh as well as volunteers to conduct the interviews.

The recordings will be a living record of the area and will possibly be a way of collecting examples of the area's dialect too Meirion Davies, Menter Iaith Conwy

Darren Hughes, the museum's development officer, said the idea was to give the museum's exhibition a third dimension.

"It is one thing to learn about the history of Llanrwst, but another to hear people talking about their experiences," he said.

"We wanted to do something now before the older members of the community pass away.

"Not many museums in north Wales have done this, it's a completely different way of presenting history."

The recordings will be made available in Reminiscence Boxes at the museum - touch screens which allow the user to select the person they want to listen to and hear their recording.

More than 20 interviews have already been conducted in English, but Ken Howarth, who is in charge of the project, said he was in desperate need of more volunteers, particularly Welsh speakers.

The old almshouses are now a museum

He said it was essential for people to speak in their own language if the record was to correctly represent their memories and feelings.

He has been working with local Language Initiative, Menter Iaith Conwy.

Meirion Davies from the initiative said: "We became involved because Ken wanted interviews conducted in Welsh because of the cultural dimension.

"The recordings will be a living record of the area and will possibly be a way of collecting examples of the area's dialect too."

Mr Howarth would train new volunteers in the necessary interviewing techniques.

'Welshness'

So far, the picture that has emerged of Llanrwst in the old days is one of an affluent and thriving market town with a very mixed population.

"There is an Irish and Scottish influence because of industry as well as German and Italian after World War II.

"But the town has managed to retain its Welshness and identity in a way other north Wales towns haven't," he added.

The project wants to interview a cross section of society, including children, and is looking especially for farmers and people who could talk about the local mining industry.

The recordings will be preserved both in the museum and at Conwy Archives in Llandudno.