Dozens of steampunks swapped their goggles for 3D glasses when they went on a mass outing to the National Media Museum in Bradford on Saturday.

Almost 40 people from across the North-West and Yorkshire dressed up in the distinctive mix of Victorian clothing and retro-futuristic gadgets the sub-culture is famous for, and attended an IMAX showing of The Hobbit.

The fantasy aspect of the Tolkien adaptation made it the perfect day out for the group, which included several families. All the top hats, Victorian military outfits and brass goggles turned many heads in the museum as the group waited for their showing to start.

Steampunk re-imagines the Victorian era as a time of science fiction gadgets and surreal costumes.

Michael Young, a Saltaire steampunk who helped organise the trip, said: “It is our first cinema trip so it is a bit of a change. We have been to things like industrial museums and Victorian exhibits before.”

Amanda Jolly, 39, a member of Manchester-based Cottonopolis Coglective who travelled to Bradford for the event, said: “We are a collection of very disparate types of people, all with different types of jobs. It is all about the socialising side of things, and it’s a very inclusive group.”