Cinemagoers in Norwich are to be offered a glimpse into the way we used to live through original film footage which captures some of the big national and regional stories from more than 50 years ago.

A selection of footage from Anglia Television's news archive, dating from 1959, has been crafted into a documentary-style film by Norwich-based Timereel Studios for a special one-off show called Here Was the News, Part 1 to be shown tomorrow.

Visitors to Cinema City in Norwich will be able to see footage of Princess Margaret's marriage to the Earl of Snowdon which attracted 300 viewers worldwide at the time.

The 90-minute film also contains footage of a feature on RAF Coltishall presented by Hughie Green of Opportunity Knocks fame, while other news items covered include whether new flats would ruin Frinton, if Norfolk should have an open prison, why people were using supermarkets and if women talk more than men.

Andrew Gray, founder of Timereel Studios, a film production company which uses original archive footage to create films showing how the lives of ordinary people were affected by extraordinary events, said: 'Being able to find original footage from this era is very rare, as much of it did not survive beyond original broadcast.

'However, the clips that we have managed to gather and carefully edit into what is a two-part series allow us a wonderful insight into how people lived half a century ago, and events that were grabbing the headlines back then.'

The screening, which will be shown at 11.30am, follows on from the success of previous Timereel archive screenings at Cinema City and will be the first time Here Was the News has been shown on the big screen.

For more pictures from Anglia Television's news footage from 1959 log on to www.eveningnews24.co.uk

For more on Timereel Studio films visit www.timereelstudios.co.uk

Are you part of a project that is helping to bring the city's past to life? Call reporter Peter Walsh or email peter.walsh@archant.co. uk