VILLAGERS in Winkleigh are being encouraged to get involved in a community heritage project which will enable village archives to reach a global audience. Winkleigh is one of five community groups involved in the new internet-based Explore North Devon project, which will develop the village archive so it can be shared with people around the world. Winkleigh will launch their part of the project on Wednesday, November 29, at Winkleigh Community Centre, from 6pm to 9pm. There will be an exhibition of the Winkleigh project and displays by the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, North Devon Record Office and other participating groups. The project team are looking to build on the existing archive by asking members of the community to hunt out old photographs or take new ones of places and people important to Winkleigh parish life. For those who want a more physical role in the project, ACE Archaeology Club, working with House Scouts, will be organising field walking, surveying and other sessions in basic and experimental archaeology. Janet Daynes, project co-ordinator, said: 'The project enables us to put the archives onto the internet, which is fantastic. I am sure it will be a great resource for people who are studying family history.' There is already an extensive digital archive for Winkleigh in the form of House Scouts (DIY House Detectives) and North Devon On Disk, which can become part of the Explore North Devon resource. Mrs Daynes said: 'We intend to start a new collection especially for the launch of the Explore North Devon project. This collection is entitled "Now and Then" or "ow uz iz an' 'ow uz wuz".' She said using the archive of old Winkleigh, members of the local community would be encouraged to supply old photographs of aspects of village life or take their own pictures of Winkleigh now. She said: 'We have so many photographs of Winkleigh now and then already. It is amazing, even in photographs taken ten years ago, Winkleigh has changed so much. 'This will build up into a wonderful picture of how Winkleigh has evolved over the years. The photographs can be scanned onto the computer or handed in on disk at the usual House Scouts sessions at the community centre, every Tuesday in the small room from 8.15pm to 10pm or on Wednesday at the mini market from 9am to 10.30am. Mrs Daynes said there were also opportunities for people to get involved in the archaeological side of the project, and discover what the land can tell you about the past. She said this could be especially important in relation to farmers in the parish and might in turn help them understand and make better use of the historic aspects of land. The internet-based project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The project is part of the Archives 4 All phase of the Access to Archives programme, providing a searchable database of historical records from across the country at http://www.a2a.org.uk">www.a2a.org.uk If you are interested or want to know more please call Janet Daynes on 01837 83925 or e-mail jdgf@bt internet.com