A NEW book uses old and modern photos to show how some areas of Kidderminster have changed over the years.

Kidderminster Through Time, by Ray Jones, compiles a collection of postcards bought by the author, matching them with current images of the same locations.

Mr Jones said: “It was great looking back and researching Kidderminster, understanding the history and the structure of the town.”

He explained one of the biggest changes he noticed was the loss of Kidderminster’s carpet heritage as buildings were knocked down.

He said: “The construction of the inner ring road in the 1960s and 1970s saw the destruction of large swathes of historic houses and streets.

“This was followed by the gradual decline of the carpet industry, that has left large factories empty and susceptible to the demand for urban renewal.”

Standout pictures include Elizabeth Bragington’s Comberton Hill grocery shop, which closed in 1921, and a 1950s view of Vicar Street before pedestrianisation.

Having written a similar book about his home city of Worcester, Mr Jones said he realised the same changes had taken place in most towns and cities in England.

He went on: “It happens to all places. Worcester was famous for porcelain and that’s gone, while all the engineering industries in the country have changed dramatically.”

A geographical historian, Mr Jones has released a series of books about the Worcester area but believes his latest is the first of its kind about Kidderminster.

“I’m not aware of anybody who has approached the subject in this way,” he said. “I think a mix of images is a good thing to show how the town has developed.”