THEY travelled from as far as Sutton Coldfield and Loughborough to look around Fred Dibnah’s “Aladdin’s cave” of a work yard.

And after becoming the first visitors to the new Heritage Centre in honour of the late TV steeplejack, the verdict was a resounding thumbs up.

Leon Powsney, who bought Fred’s former Radcliffe Road home with his wife Jan last March, has poured countless amounts of his own money - and time - into the project, and the result is something quite amazing.

Fred’s widow Sheila said: “I am delighted and relieved with what Leon and Jan have done because had someone else come along, they could have broken up the various pieces and ruined the legacy.

“Fred spent 38 years working in this yard and it is just a magical place to be. It feels like Fred is here and I hope it is a real success.”

After conducting his first tour, a beaming Leon looks quite rightly pleased with the last 12 months work, despite experiencing some testing times.

He said: “I am really pleased. We had a fully booked tour today and they seemed to enjoy it, they said they did which is always a good sign.

“We have worked very hard but it has been worth it and it is an ongoing project that we know will get better and better.”