In the late Sixties, thousands of people were moved out of the St Philip's Marsh area of the city to make way for new industry.

Groups of friends of all ages were split up and spread across Bristol when the bulldozers moved in to level the area bounded by the River Avon and the Feeder canal.

Last night, at a small reunion at Bocabar in Bath Road, Brislington, six woman who were in their late teens when they had to leave "the Marsh" reminisced about the times they had shared.

It was the first time some of them had seen each other since the Sixties, and there were many they wished could be there but they had lost touch with.

Yvonne Hacker (nee Harvey) had organised the evening. Ms Hacker, 61, who is retired, left the Marsh to live in Brislington but now lives in Emersons Green.

She said: "We were all turfed out because they wanted to build a flyover from Lawrence Hill to Totterdown but it never materialised. It was devastating for all of us, particularly our parents; we were all separated.

"The Marsh was a lovely community, the houses all looked like Coronation Street coming right on to the road. You could leave your doors unlocked when you went out, it was a lovely place.

"We all went to St Philip's nursery, which is still there, and on to St Silas School, which was pulled down."

Margaret Collins (nee Dyer) left the Marsh at 19 to get married and live in St Anne's. Mrs Collins, 62, who is retired and lives in Brislington, said: "The Marsh was a unique community. The older I get, the more I think about it and the more I realise how special it was."

Deborah Wilson (nee Dudbridge), 57, now lives in Fishponds and runs her own business, Supporting Options. Her story was slightly different to the other women's.

She said: "Out of all of us, I was the only one who stayed, because my parents had a fruit shop in Feeder Road. The shops stayed even though everyone else left.

"I did not leave there until I was 19, then came back quite soon and ended up running the Coopers Arms in Victoria Street."

Also at the reunion was 59-year-old Trudy Taylor (nee Muccuth), 60-year-old Jillian English (nee Hacker), and 58-year-old Vivien Butler (nee Harvey).

The women decided to meet up when they heard about a show at Keynsham's Fry Club – Echoes of Yesterday's Island – a tribute to Bristol's history.

The show celebrates 25 years since the first performance of Yesterday's Island, which was staged at the Bristol Hippodrome in 1986 and 1987. There are still seats left for Monday and Tuesday; call 01179 376500.

To be included in future reunions, call Yvonne on 07989 877019.