FORGOTTEN footage documenting a major transformation in the heart of Carlisle more than thirty years ago is now available to view.

Cumbria Film Archive has created a film which shows how the face of the city changed between 1989 and 1990 when busy city centre roads were replaced by pavements.

The pedestrianisation of the city centre was painstaking work and took many months to complete. It involved planting mature trees and moving public statues, including that of James Steel, editor of the Carlisle Journal and twice mayor of Carlisle, which now sits outside Marks & Spencer.

Bryce Fulton, an officer with the city council, filmed the work as it progressed and now the fascinating footage has been made available to see on Cumbria Film Archive’s website as September's Movie of the Month.

Producer Andrew Leitch said: “All sorts of major projects were going on in Carlisle at the time. The old town hall which had been council offices and courts in years gone by were renovated and reopened as the tourist information centre.

"The indoor market was completely revamped in two stages and this is all on the film.

"The film has rarely been seen and we have been able to restore parts of the footage and research the material to add a commentary.

"Another major project was the building of the new Tullie House and Mr Fulton’s film also captures the building work that transformed it from a provincial museum to an award winning heritage complex."

Mr Fulton is delighted that the footage is now available for people to enjoy. He added: "It was a very exciting time and it was a very satisfying job to record the changes for future generations.

"Technology has changed a lot since the 1980s and it is great that Cumbria Film Archive has been able to restore and research the footage."

Cumbria Film Archive hope that for the older generation the footage will be a trip down memory lane and for younger people it will be fascinating to see how the city has changed over the years.

To watch the film visit www.cumbriafilmarchive.com and then click on Movie of the Month before the end of September.