It was a typical Axminster day in early autumn. The sun was shining as people scurried around the shops or went about their daily business.

It was a typical Axminster day in early autumn. The sun was shining as people scurried around the shops or went about their daily business.

The one difference was the date - it had brought cameras on to the street. There would be only three more like it this century. It was the ninth day, of the ninth month of the ninth year . . . 09.09.09.

Someone took a picture of the Minster clock at precisely nine minutes past nine . . . 09.09.09.09.09. Then the moment was gone forever.

Altogether 700 pictures of the town were submitted, including a beautiful picture of the Minster by Chris Perfect that will grace the cover of a DVD called Snapshot of Axminster.

In years to come, the DVD will offer a pictorial record of the town as it was that day in September, just as we marvel today at the few pictures that survive from bygone eras.

On these pages are some of the 400 pictures chosen for the DVD and a reminder of how the town once looked.

They show ordinary people doing ordinary things on an ordinary day, but imagine how future generations will talk about scenes so familiar to us.

The pictures on the DVD were taken by the public, by members of the Axminster Photography Group (APG) and the Axminster Power Tools photographic society and by pupils of Axminster Community Primary School. The historic pictures come from the collections of Les Berry and Jamie Love.

They have been assembled as part of a project organised by the Rotary Club of Axminster in conjunction with the APG.

The disc's content and the artwork for the cover are now with the production company and copies will be available later in the month. The first will be presented by the club's president, Michael Garratt, to mayor Ron Jones for the town's archive. Mr Garratt said: 'It will be such a pleasure to make a unique contribution to the life of the town.'

Then, in aid of local charities, others will be sold for �5 each at the Archway Bookshop and the Post Office and at local events.

A very special gift this Christmas.