PARISH councillors have been enjoying browsing through a minutes book that dates back to the 19th Century.

The book contains a record of the actual formation of Newall-with-Clifton Parish Council on December 4, 1894.

It shows that the council was founded at Clifton Chapel at 6pm that day, when the meeting was chaired by W James Lund.

The body's first official meeting, meanwhile, was held in the chapel 11 days later at 3.30pm on Saturday, December 15, 1894.

The records also describe how villagers celebrated the end of World War Two in September, 1945 by going on a trip to Morecambe.

They note that: "Mrs Pickles, landlady of the Roebuck Inn, had arranged to supply each child with one bottle of lemonade, free of charge, to consume on the journey."

These and other extracts from the minutes can now be viewed on the parish council's website at newallwithcliftonpc.co.uk .