THE back room of a village pub that is turning into an international tourist attraction has received a New Year boost.

The Ribble Valley Museum of Transportation at the Black Bull, Rimington, is a paradise for "little boys of all ages".

It is the brainchild of publican Michael Blades, who spent five years scouring fairs and auctions across the country to assemble the collection.

It includes full-working replicas of war planes, steam engines, motor vehicles, trains and even a Mississippi river cruiser.

There is an 8ft model of HMS Invincible and a 9ft fortress American bomber, while behind the bar is a genuine signal box and soundtrack of the Flying Scotsman.

Now the venue, which attracted visitors from Zimbabwe and Holland over Christmas, is home to two rare battle cruisers and a helicopter.

Mr Blades has acquired an 8ft wooden model of the Second World War German battle cruiser Scharnhorst as well as a 6ft version of the Japanese cruiser Takao, which played a major part in the World War II South Pacific campaigns.

It also has a model of the Bell Ranger helicopters, which were manufactured in Blackburn.

"You will never see anything like these anywhere. These are very special models. The museum is thriving and recently attracted visitors from Zimbabwe, Holland and across England," he said.

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