A Wrexham museum is offering local history buffs the chance to take a look into the past with newspapers that are more than 150 years old.

The Ian Palmer Centre in the Wrexham Museum has ordered copies of four newspaper titles on microfilm from Wrexham dating from as far back as 1848.

The scheme is part of the Newsplan project, being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and being undertaken by the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

The museum has received microfilm copies of the Wrexham Guardian, dating from 1860 to 1950, and has ordered copies of the Wrexhamite 1855 to 1867 and the Wrexham Recorder and Wrexham Registrar, both dating from 1848 to 1849.

The aim of the scheme is to microfilm more than 200 Welsh titles, from their origin to 1950, for future generations to enjoy. The microfilm has a life in the region of 500 years.

Joy Thomas, Wrexham local studies librarian, said: "We had older copies of the newspaper reels and we are replacing them with this new batch.

"The facility has been available for many years, but these are better copies of the original films."

For more information on the project visit www.newsplan2000.org.

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