A 'FASCINATING' glimpse into Oxford's wealth of LGBT history is being compiled by local volunteers to mark 50 years since decriminalisation.

Documents and interviews on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans scene that emerged in the city from 1967 have been collected for the 'Tales of Our City initiative'.

Using a back issues and magazines produced in the 80s and 90s, the Oxford Gayzette and the Oxford Pink Times, the group has been able to piece together an archive on queer culture over the decades and is preparing a public exhibit at the Pitt Rivers Museum to share what they have found.

Group member Richard Howlett said: "The LGBT is very much looking back on its history and celebrating this year, and reflecting on what needs to be achieved.

"It's a fascinating history and a moment for us, and it's important not just to look at the big national stories."

Former haunts such as the Wheatsheaf, which ran a popular lesbian night in the 1980s, and 1970s cruising spot Mesopotamia in University Parks are recalled in the texts.

The Apollo stage club in the New Theatre also ran LGBT discos but needed to provide food to comply with licensing laws.

Mr Howlett said: "At 10pm everybody wold come downstairs to sit down to bangers and mash and then carry on dancing.

"In one issue of the magazines, there's a guy writing about the Gloucester Arms [in Friar's Walk] in the 1950s and 60s, pre-decriminalisation.

"He writes brilliantly about going into Oxford's 'sort-of' gay bar, legs trembling, and how he felt like he was going to drop his glass, and his young nervousness."

Memories of the 'extraordinary' Northgate Hall off Cornmarket Street, an LGBT community centre until 2005, feature prominently until 2005.

It functioned as a hub for the LGBT community, offering a drop-in cafe, a youth club, discos and a helpline called 'Oxford Friend'.

Mr Howlett said: "It was a busy centre and it's interesting seeing how the community saw spaces open and close, then thought actually, we want our own space.

"As a gay person it feels really important to know about my history, because it's quite a hidden history. Sometimes you don't have a sense of what's gone before.

"Looking at the listings for February 1983 I felt quite a sense of longing for that. There's a lot less going on these days."

From 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday, the findings of Tales of Our City will be shared at the Pitt Rivers Museum and presented by Dan Glass of Queer Tours of London.

In May the group is also organising a 'living library' in which people can book a slot to hear an older member of the LGBT community talk about a specific aspect of life.

For more information or if you would like to contribute to the project visit tocox.weebly.com or email talesofthecityox@gmail.com