Sharing and exploring Great Yarmouth's transport heritage brought more than 300 people together and climaxes in a showcase exhibition using pictures, words, models and film.

The exhibition, Yarmouth Bridges, opens at Yarmouth Library today, and was brought together by members of Vauxhall Links, a campaign group set up to save and restore the grade II-listed iconic Vauxhall Bridge.

The celebration and showcase of work created also forms part of the Our Stories Project, made possible with the help of a Heritage Lottery grant.

The project started in November last year and includes a short animated film, premiered last night and made by eight local young people.

The 11 to 15-year-olds have also been studying animation for their Bronze Arts Award qualification with support from Great Yarmouth Library, the first to do so. One of them, Josh Hilton, 13, said: 'I didn't expect making an animation about an old bridge would be so interesting and fun.'

The film Vauxhall Bridge can be viewed at www.norfolk.gov.uk/Leisure_and_culture/Libraries/index.htm and via www.map.uk.net

Other projects showcased and celebrated at the exhibition include:

A thought-provoking collection from local artist and photographer Derek Jackson capturing images of the Vauxhall Bridge during its regeneration.

A display and model of bridges created by a youth engagement project called Destinations, organised by the Time & Tide Museum and led by Nexus Engineering Centre for 16 to 24-year-olds. Young people from Include and Great Yarmouth and Waveney MIND learnt the principles of bridge building, tested their models to destruction and created scale models of Yarmouth's historic bridges using a variety of methods including 3D design software and completed an Arts Award.

A heritage trail called Tramtrailmap will be launched which marks the route of the old tramways that used to run through Yarmouth as well as Yarmouth's three former railway stations. More information about this at: www.greatyarmouthtramtrail.weebley.com

A display of pictures taken by local people with the theme, Yarmouth Bridges, which not only include the Vauxhall and Haven bridges but also those spanning the seafront Waterways.

Local people shared their memories of Vauxhall Bridge and the former railways and their stories are to be added to the town's digital voice archives at the Time & Tide Museum.

A 60ft-long mural was unveiled next to Vauxhall Bridge, telling the story of 170 years of transportation heritage of the area.

Vauxhall Links is a group set up by local restaurateur Miriam Kikis who has led a campaign to save Vauxhall Bridge for the last ten years, and fundraised towards its restoration, currently under way.

Her Seafood Restaurant property looks over the bridge and she long believed the bridge should be preserved and painted.

She told the audience at the exhibition opening that although this was the culmination of the project, it was not the end of the fundraising effort for the Vauxhall Bridge. The western span still needs to be restored and Mrs Kikis pledged to continue to campaign for the 'restoration of the Gateway of our Town'.

Mayor of Great Yarmouth, John Burroughs, and mayoress Jenny Burroughs attended the event with the mayor presenting prizes to the winners of the Yarmouth Bridges Photo Competition. They were, with their prizes: Overall, 1 Neil Symonds £100; 2 (joint) Robert Crook £25 and Darren Burrage £25; 4 Betina Vince; Under- 12s, Daniel Harrison (8) £50; 12-18, Matthew Docwra (15),

Other pictures in the exhibition were from: John Prime, Paul Marks, Rowland Sells, Ruben Cruz, Stuart Hellingsworth, Jack Holland, E W Ives, Ian Wells, Rob Turner, David Edlestone, Callum Walker, Christy Anna Vince, Donna Hart (15), Clara Ungueanu (15), Naomo Carless (15), Reece Farmery (15).

Yarmouth Bridges runs until October 12 at Yarmouth Library.