SCORES of former employees of Vosper Thorneycroft queued up at an open day in Woolston to tell their tales of life at the shipbuilders.

Patiently they waited, many clutching old photos, certificates or memorabilia, for their chance to talk to a historian.

By the end of the day Southampton City Council's oral history unit had reams of recordings, all of which will be stored for generations to come.

One of the oldest former workers was Gwen Burr, 93.

She started with the shipbuilder in 1929, aged just 16.

She was taken on as a shorthand typist and stayed with the company until 1936.

Walking around the open day looking at old photographs, memories came flooding back.

She said: "I recognise many of the old buildings and shops from the photos and they are bringing back such memories of another life."

Krista Woodley, of the oral history unit, said: "There are families who moved to Southampton to work for the company, then their children worked there, and then their children's children, so it spanned generations."

The eventual plan is to produce an exhibition, a book and a digital database.