THE stories of ordinary people from Stockton are being celebrated in an exhibition.

The Museum of My Life, which runs until July 12 at Preston Hall Museum, is the culmination of a five-month creative writing and heritage project designed to get people thinking about the history and stories behind their own lives.

Inspired by the museum's collection of artefacts, two local community groups from Ingleby Barwick and Newtown have created an exhibition of objects and poetry, which depicts their own histories.

The project is being led by New Writing North, the region's creative writing development agency.

Anna Disley, deputy director of New Writing North, said: "We all have them, photograph albums full of stories, mementoes stashed away in drawers, cupboards full of objects, each of them personal and precious to us.

"This project is about asking people to identify the stories and objects they would put in the museum of their own lives."

During the past five months, the groups have worked with North-East playwright Carina Rodney, artist Effie Burns and museum staff John Beely and Angela Whitecross to create an exhibition, which reflects their different communities.

Anna James, from Yarm, said: "I had expected to love the writing. But I hadn't known I would make such friends, and especially not such an age range.

"As we got to know each other - to reflect on our community as well as to form this new one - I think we all gained more confidence.

"The experience has not just helped me appreciate my past but has given me new confidence to look ahead, and tell more stories."