A HISTORIC collection of artefacts celebrating Blackburn's textile history will go back on display after a year gathering dust.

The Lewis Textile collection was mothballed when the museum housing it was closed to the public last April to save Blackburn with Darwen Council just £23,000 a year.

But the collection, which celebrates the development of technology in the cotton industry, will go on permanent display in a new gallery at Blackburn Museum, Museum Street, from Saturday.

For the first time it will feature an automatic loom built in Blackburn by British Northrop, which was based off Philips Road, Whitebirk.

The firm closed in the 1980s but in its heydey in the 1950s employed about 2,500 people. The model T Northrop loom has been restored by former engineer at the firm, Richard Croasdale, 72, of Intack, Blackburn.

Museum chiefs said the loom had been sat in the basement of the Lewis Textile Museum unable to go on exhibition because it was in such a bad condition.

Richard said: "Seeing the Northrop loom was like meeting an old friend after all these years. I loved my job there."

He also restored three other power looms using tools from the museum's collection to delicately repair the machines.

"It's wonderful to be using tools that my grandfather could have used during his time as an engineer," he said. "I feel privileged that the museum staff allowed me to restore the collection to its former glory."

Nick Harling, keeper of social history at the museum, said: "Working with Richard has been really enjoyable. He's full of fascinating stories about his time at Northrop and about Blackburn's history in general.

"Richard has spent many hours patiently cleaning and reassembling the looms so that visitors will be able to see how they looked in their heyday."

The collection features artefacts including the Spinning Jenny, designed by Oswald-twistle man James Hargreaves, that is considered a vital part of the industrial revolution.

The Lewis Textile Museum, first opened in 1938, was donated to the borough by industrialist Thomas Lewis. It closed last April although schools were still able to book visits until October.

Its former Exchange Street venue will reopen in August as a centre for former drug addicts.