PANTOMIME posters and party photographs are part of an exhibition showing how Darlington residents celebrated Christmas in times gone by.

Darlington Libraries' Centre for Local Studies has put together a display to help visitors get into the festive spirit.

It featured just some of the many Christmas-related items in the library collection, from festive menus and Christmas cards to photos.

The centre will also play host to a special talk ‘Celebrating Christmas in 19th and 20th century Darlington’ by Dr Ben Roberts on Tuesday 11 December, at 2pm.

The talk will take look at how the people of Darlington celebrated Christmas and the New Year during the last two centuries, local festive traditions and how it has changed from past to present.

It will also explore some of the forgotten tales and legends of Darlington’s end-of-year celebrations.

Mandy Fay, Senior Library Officer at Darlington Libraries, said: “We all love the festive period and have had great fun selecting the items to go on show in our ‘All that glitters’ display.

"It’s lovely to look back on some of the old traditions, many of which are still fondly followed to this day.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to a nostalgic look back at Christmas In years gone by and hope they can join us for what promises to be a fascinating and fun talk too.”

Tickets for the ‘Celebrating Christmas in 19th and 20th century Darlington’ talk are £2, and must be booked in advance.

To book, visit the Local Studies Centre at Crown Street Library or call 01325-349630.