Miles Jermy COPIES of a DVD capturing the history of Great Yarmouth on film are continuing to fly off the shelves.The latest batch of Yarmouth in Days Gone By sold out within two days of arriving at the Books Inside Store last week.

Miles Jermy

COPIES of a DVD capturing the history of Great Yarmouth on film are continuing to fly off the shelves.

The latest batch of Yarmouth in Days Gone By sold out within two days of arriving at the Books Inside Store last week.

The title featuring footage from more than 60 years of life in the town has proved a surprise hit with shoppers at the store at Market Gates Shopping Centre.

Demand has outstripped supply for the DVD and another 100 copies were quickly snapped up after arriving at the shop last Friday.

Owner Martin Blackwell said: “It has been as astonishing phenomenon, I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it in 25 years in retail.

“Yarmouth is a special place a lot of people met their husbands and wives on holiday in the town and then set up home here.

“There is older population here who are very interested in the past and remember the town in its heyday.

“We have sold copies on our website to ex-pats across the country and even as far afield as Canada.”

Around 1,000 copies of the DVD have been sold, which captures a bygone age when townsfolk made their living from the sea and tourists flocked to the town on steam trains.

Produced by Independent Studios with footage from the East Anglian Film Archive, it includes rarely seen footage of the herring fleets at work, the Prince of Wales's visit to the town in 1930 to open Haven Bridge and summer season stars from years gone by.

Independent Studios managing director Andrew Gray said: “We are a little taken aback a just how successful the DVD has been, but there has been an insatiable appetite for it.

“The title only came out in November but it is already heading towards being our most successful ever.”

The footage includes publicity films promoting Yarmouth as a holiday destination, amateur films and news reel recordings.

The DVD costs �9.99 and is available from the Great Yarmouth Tourist Information Centre on Marine Parade, local independent bookstores or you can order it online at www.archivefilmshop.co.uk or www.thelocalbookshop.co.uk.