FORMER Avon Rubber workers were in fits of laughter and floods of tears at a reunion in Bradford on Avon over the weekend when they attended a reunion to look back at those who worked at the factory.

The event, held in The Vaults in Lamb Yard, once part of the factory, was attended by nearly 100 people.

During the two-hour gathering,

Old photos, artefacts and short clips were gathered for a short film and exhibition to be shown later in the year.

Jim Lynch, who organised the reunion,was delighted at how successful the event was as it had been the first time that many of the workers had been reunited since leaving the factory.

He said: “It was fantastic. The event started at 2pm and 15 minutes later, the place was full and nobody left until it was over.

“It was just amazing, we had forms about factory life asking people what role they had.”

The reunion is part of the joint Preservation Trust and Museum project to return the Iron Duke to the town.

The machine rolled sheet rubber and cotton together and was used by Stephen Moulton to start the town’s rubber works in 1848. It is expected that the project will cost £45,000.

Mr Lynch added: “We showed them some of the footage we have for Iron Duke project and the response exceeded any hopes I had.”

The upcoming short film on the factory will also see organisers engage with the younger generation of Bradford on Avon by teaming up with the town’s Local Youth Network to show what life was like in the past and how it has evolved.

The information and interviews gathered at the event will be exhibited at the town’s annual Fringe Festival in July.

The reunion was a collaboration between the Preservation Trust, Museum Trustees, Made in Bradford on Avon, the Col Llewellyn Palmer Trust and the Bradford on Avon Community Area Network.