VILLAGERS in north Lancashire are gearing up to mark the 50th anniversary of a severe flash flood with a series of events.

A freak storm on August 8, 1967, dumped huge amounts of water and caused a trail of devastation in Wray as the River Roeburn collected debris on its way to the village.

A huge wall of water full of trees, earth and boulders smashed into stone homes, workshops, farms and bridges bringing them all down.

In total 14 homes, two of the three old bridges, one farm and various workshops were lost.

Remarkably no-one was killed as many people were attending the annual Kirkby Lonsdale show.

And now, the village is planning to remember the floods by putting on public exhibitions.

On August 8 there will be an exhibition of the story of the flood, with dramatic photographs and contemporary newspaper reports, plus recordings of memories.

There will also be drawings and poems from local schoolchildren, showing their impressions of and thoughts about what happened.

Schoolchildren have interviewed older residents who experienced the flood for an oral history project.

And, weather permitting, around the actual time that the water-wall hit the village, a small flotilla of paper boats made by the children will be launched on the Roeburn.

"Although there is still incredulity and sadness about these events, there is also an over-riding sense of thankfulness because unbelievably no one was seriously hurt or killed," said Tamsin Hartley, a Wray parish councillor and chair of its Heritage Group.

"The village policeman was subsequently awarded a medal for bravery in recognition of his actions and quick thinking on the day. Had the flood happened later once people were in bed it would have been a very different story."

She added: "The parish council knew we had to commemorate the 50th anniversary this year, not least because in twenty-five years at the next big milestone anniversary, it is likely that there will be no one left with direct experience of what happened

"We also wanted to make sure that it was not forgotten by the new generation of children growing up in the parish."