THIS week marks 25 years since a town in Cumbria was transformed by television producers into a Victorian fishing village for the filming of a classic Charles Dickens tale.

News and Star: Funeral scene taking placeFuneral scene taking place (Image: Jacky Hewison)

Locals in the town of Alston are looking back in fondness as they remember the time they saw their hometown turned into a new era for ITV's drama series Oliver Twist.

News and Star: Crew and actors on setCrew and actors on set (Image: Jacky Hewison)

The 1999 mini-series was partly filmed in Cumbria and featured Julie Walters, Andy Serkis and Michael Kitchen. Robert Lindsay played Fagan.

Together with famous faces, locals were turned into extras.

News and Star: Some of the town turned into a Victorian fishing village.Some of the town turned into a Victorian fishing village. (Image: Jacky Hewison)

One resident, Georgina Coleman, who was aged seven at the time of filming, said: "I don't remember a lot, but I do recall that they had snow/rain machines.

"They also decorated the buildings.

"Most of the adults in the town, including some of my family, were extras, and they brought us out of school to watch some of the filming. I'm not sure if it was just my year or if the other years got to go.

News and Star: Locals featured in the TV mini-series of Oliver Locals featured in the TV mini-series of Oliver (Image: Jacky Hewison)

"My parents owned a BnB at the top of the town and my nana and her husband owned Blueberries Tea Rooms at the time of filming.

"The shop was open the whole time; we just had to keep the doors closed if it was in the shot.

News and Star: Georgina's grandparent's tea shop Georgina's grandparent's tea shop (Image: Jacky Hewison)

"When I saw it on my TV a few years ago, it was bizarre as it was meant to be a fishing village/town by the sea, but some of it was filmed in Alston

"You couldn't get further inland!"