POST-war austerity meant money was tight for many people as Christmas of 1951 approached - but nobody was about to let this spoil the fun.

Our pages were filled with pictures of festive bazaars, parties and shows alongside more conventional news.

One of the most ambitious projects was a concert by a massed children’s choir drawn from schools and youth groups throughout the town.

The venue was the Methodist Central Hall in the town centre, which would be destroyed by fire more than 25 years later.