A group of villagers have been collecting pictures, memorabilia and recording memories of Hartington as part of a project to raise money for the village hall.

The collection is now being put together as the first of a number of exhibitions and will be on display on Saturday and Sunday.

The Friends of Hartington Village Hall hope that the project will not only help them carry out essential repairs to the village hall but also improve the community spirit.

Liz Broomhead, from the group, said: "When I was here as a child it was a really thriving community but now with the increase in tourism we do have a situation where a quarter of the homes in Hartington are holiday cottages. And the focus on tourism has lost some of the community spirit.

"But this exhibition has really grown and has been amazing. The number of people who have sent so much memorabilia has been great."

The project began after the drama group Curtain Call were unable to put on their yearly production because of the need to repair the village hall roof and heating.

They need to raise between £5,000 to £10,000 for the refurbishment and hope to open the hall as an education centre for visiting children.

Hartington Through the Ages will be opened by MP Patrick McLoughlin on Saturday at 1.30pm and the exhibition will also be open on Sunday.

The display will include a history of people and places within Hartington as well as the shops, pubs and the cheese factory.

There will also be information about the village's links to The Duke of Devonshire and the impacts and memories of the two World Wars.

The event has received support from the National Park sustainable development fund as well as the village pubs and shops.

Liz added: "Many people featured in the photographs and displays have left the village and now live in other parts of Derbyshire or surrounding counties — why not come and see if you are there."