Retired teacher Irene Hancock has turned her fascination with the history of Wantage into a second book charting the town's past.

Irene Hancock

Wantage Looking Back features more than 200 black and white photos of the town spanning more than 150 years.

It is the second collection of old photos compiled by Mrs Hancock, a former teacher at King Alfred's School who is now chairman of the Friends of the Vale and Downland Museum.

She said: "It started when I used to collect old postcards of Wantage at antique fairs, and I found it amazing to look round and see how much the town had changed."

Since she retired, Mrs Hancock has devoted more time to researching the history behind the photos she had collected, which date back to the 1800s.

The book, which is available from the museum, includes chapters dedicated to businesses, school and people, as well as carnivals and clubs and sections focusing on Grove and Charlton.